Aboveground nitrogen in relation to estimated total plant uptake in maize and bean
2007
Salmerón-Miranda, Francisco | Båth, Birgitta | Eckersten, Henrik | Forkman, Johannes | Wivstad, Maria
The main objective of this field study was to estimate the total plant uptake of soil mineral N in maize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in crop rotations under different N content in Nicaragua. Secondary objectives were to estimate the fraction of the measured soil mineral N content taken up in this way, and to determine how the measured N in plant aboveground parts was related to the total mineral N uptake. A large variation in N content was obtained by using data from fertilisation experiments. Plant total N uptake was estimated as the residual N in a mass balance calculation of soil mineral N. Mineral N content in the top 0-0.3 m soil layer in the field cultivations and in tubes isolated from root uptake, and N content in aboveground plant parts were measured every 30 days. Estimated plant total uptake of soil mineral N varied considerably (2.5-14 g N m-² 30 day-¹) over periods and N treatments. The range of variation was similar for maize and bean. The fraction of the soil mineral N that was taken up by the plant daily varied more in maize (about 0.03-0.12 day-¹) than in bean (about 0.05-0.08 day-¹). Our results suggest that monthly changes in N in aboveground plant parts were linearly related to plant total N uptake during the same period. Aboveground plant N constituted between about 55% and 80% of total uptake of soil mineral N in maize depending on period within season, whereas for bean it was more constant and smaller (about 40%).
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