Nitrogen dynamics under growth chamber conditions as influenced by method of alfalfa termination. 2. Plant-available N release

Abstract

Herbicide application has been proposed as an alternative to tillage for termination of established alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stands but it may alter the pattern and amount of N released from alfalfa residues. A controlled environment study was conducted to investigate the effect of termination technique on the availability of N to four barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) crops. Four treatments consisting of a factorial combination of two termination methods (chemical, mechanical) and two methods of residue placement (surface, incorporated) were established. Nitrogen uptake by the four consecutive crops of barley was measured during a 125-d period after termination. Termination method, particularly residue placement, strongly affected N release from alfalfa residues. Nitrogen accumulation by the initial barley crop accounted for >60% of cumulative N uptake in incorporated treatments compared with 39% and 24% for herbicide and tillage treatments in which alfalfa residue was surface applied. Herbicide application also slightly increased N uptake by the initial barley crop. Nitrogen uptake by subsequent barley crops was not affected by termination method; however, cumulative N uptake remained substantially greater for incorporated treatments throughout the 125 d experiment. Effects of residue particle size on N release from alfalfa residues were small. These results suggest that herbicide termination in which residue is retained on the soil surface may reduce the short-term plant-available N supply. Provided that mineralization is sufficient to meet the N needs of subsequent crops, maintaining a smaller reservoir of soil inorganic N may be beneficial in reducing the potential for leaching or denitrification losses.