Use of a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) to determine nitrogen fertilizer requirements for irrigated corn

Issue		Agron. Sustain. Dev. Volume 23, Number 7, November 2003


Page(s)		561 - 570
DOI		10.1051/agro:2003228

Agronomie 23 (2003) 561-570
DOI: 10.1051/agro:2003228

Use of a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) to determine nitrogen fertilizer requirements for irrigated corn

Francesc Ferrera^a, Josep Maria Villar^a, Claudio O. Stockle^b, Pere Villar^{a, c} and Miquel Aran^c

^a Department of Environment and Soil Science (DMACS), University of Lleida (UdL), Avd/ Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
^b Biological Systems Engineering Dept. Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, USA
^c Soil Fertility and Analysis Lab (LAF), Partida Setsambs s/n, 25222 Sidamon, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain

(Received 11 April 2002; accepted 14 February 2003)

Abstract - In the present study, a 2-year N rate response experiment was conducted in different fields to monitor NO₃-N soil profiles, N accumulation by the crop and final crop performance, in order to assess if soil NO₃-N at pre-sidedressing (Pre-Sidedress Soil Nitrate Test, PSNT) is a reliable indicator for soil N availability for corn in the irrigated area served by canal d'Urgell (Lleida, Spain), and if the test can be used to separate responsive fields from non-responsive fields to sidedress N fertilizer applications. Preliminary soil N availability (N sidedress fertilizer rate + PSNT) critical levels to identify fields that need supplementary N fertilizer applications were established at ca. 300 and 210 kg NO₃-N $\cdot$ ha^-1, for PSNT $_{\rm rooting-zone}$ and PSNT $_{\rm0-30~cm}$ , respectively (for a yield goal of 14 t grain $\cdot$ ha^-1).

Résumé - Utilisation d'un test de nitrate du sol avant l'engrais azoté de couverture (PSNT) pour déterminer les besoins en azote du maïs irrigué. Dans cette étude, une expérimentation de 2 ans sur la réponse au taux d'azote a été conduite dans plusieurs parcelles afin de contrôler les profils de NO₃-N du sol, l'accumulation d'azote dans la culture et la performance finale de la culture ; l'objectif était de vérifier si le NO₃-N du sol avant l'engrais azoté de couverture (PSNT) est un indicateur fiable de la disponibilité en azote du sol pour le maïs dans la zone irriguée par le canal d'Urgell (Lleida, Espagne), et si le test peut être utilisé pour distinguer les parcelles sensibles des parcelles insensibles aux applications d'engrais azotés dans le lit de semence. Les niveaux critiques de disponibilité préliminaire de l'azote du sol (taux d'apport d'engrais azoté dans le lit de semence + PSNT) pour identifier des parcelles qui ont besoin d'applications supplémentaires d'engrais azoté ont été établis à environ 300 et 210 kg NO₃-N $\cdot$ ha^-1, pour PSNT $_{\rm zone-racinaire}$ et PSNT $_{\rm0-30~cm}$ respectivement (pour un rendement escompté de 14 t grains $\cdot$ ha^-1).

Key words: soil nitrate / PSNT / nitrogen / fertilizer rate / corn

Mots clés : nitrate du sol / PSNT / azote / dose de fertilisant / maïs

Corresponding author: Josep Maria Villar jmvillar@macs.udl.es

Communicated by Gérard Guyot (Avignon, France)

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