Predicting Nitrogen Requirements for Corn Grown on Soils Amended with Oily Food Waste
2005
Rashid, M. T. | Voroney, R. P.
Soil and plant indices of soil fertility status have traditionally been developed using conventional soil and crop management practices. Data on managing N fertilizer for corn (Zea mays L.) produced on soils amended with C-rich organic materials, such as oily food waste is scarce. There is a need to identify reliable methods for making N fertilizer recommendations under these conditions. The objective of this research was to evaluate different soil and plant indices for predicting N requirements for successful corn production on fields receiving oily food waste. Experiments were conducted at Elora Research Center (43° 38′ N lat., 80° W long., 346 m above sea level), University of Guelph, and on a private farm in Bellwood, ON, over 3 yr (1995–1997) where oily food waste was applied as a C-rich organic material. Oily food waste application rate, time, and field slope position affected the maximum economic rate of N application (MERN). The greatest MERN (182 kg ha⁻¹) was for the highest food waste application rate (20 Mg ha⁻¹) applied in spring. The lower slope position had the least MERN (0 kg ha⁻¹), showing that no extra N as fertilizer was needed at these positions of a field amended with oily food waste. Different soil and plant N indices (NO₃–N, NO₃–N + NH₄–N, hot KCl NH₄–N, hot KCl potentially available organic N, hot K₂SO₄ total soluble N, and chlorophyll meter readings (CMRs), were evaluated for making N fertilizer recommendations for corn grown on oily food waste amended soils. Presidedress soil NO₃–N in the 0- to 30-cm soil depth had the highest correlation with MERN and can be used as a soil index to make N fertilizer recommendations for corn grown on oily food waste amended soils.
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