Strategies to Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Winter Cereal Crops under Rainfed Conditions
2008
Arregui, L. M. | Quemada, M.
Developing fertilizer strategies that increase nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) could reduce unnecessary input costs to farmers and environmental impact of N losses. Two field experiments were performed in northern Spain to evaluate alternative N fertilization strategies to improve NUE in winter cereal crops (wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] and barley [Hordeum vulgare L.]). The strategies were: (i) adjusting the fertilizer rate by soil mineral N before N application; (ii) splitting of N fertilizer application; and (iii) the use of fertilizer with a nitrification inhibitor (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, DMPP). The experiments were designed as a completely randomized block design with seven treatments and four replications. Treatments included a control, two single applications, one with DMPP, and four split N applications. Nitrogen balance was calculated according to the general equation of conservation of mass for any soil–crop system from which N-efficiency parameters were determined. Grain yield followed a quadratic-plus-plateau model with different optimum N rate depending on the year (71 and 98 kg N ha⁻¹ in 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, respectively). Adjusting N fertilizer rate by soil mineral N before N application gave a maximum yield and a similar NUE to the optimum N rate predicted by the model. Neither applying N in two doses nor including a nitrification inhibitor with a single dose showed any advantages in terms of yield or N efficiency.
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