Nitrogen mineralization and availability in soils cropped with sugarcane

Author(s)

Eduardo Mariano

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2011-01-18

Examining board members

Paulo Cesar Ocheuze Trivelin; Heitor Cantarella; André Cesar Vitti

• Advisor: Paulo Cesar Ocheuze Trivelin

Abstract

Harvesting sugarcane without burning favors the straw surface accumulation and C and N storage. Quantification of N mineralization is of great importance because soil organic matter (SOM) is the major N pool for plants. Although SOM mineralization provide appreciable amounts of mineral N, the fertilization is necessary for maintaining high yields. Due to the thick straw layer, the N fertilizer is applied normally above the residue, enhancing the NH3 volatilization process when urea is used. The first part of this study evaluated and compared biological methods to estimate N mineralization in soils cropped with sugarcane. Five soils samples were collected at 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm depths. The soil samples were incubated aerobically at 35°C for 32 weeks, and anaerobic (waterlogged) at 40°C for 7 days for determination of net soil N mineralization. The sand, silt and clay fractions were the best indices for estimating soil N mineralization. The mineralized N accumulated in the long-term aerobic incubation showed higher sensitivity towards N mineralization potential to predict net N mineralization. The short-term anaerobic incubation can be used in laboratories routine. Maintaining the pre-existing NH4+-N of samples was advantageous to improve the mineralizable soil N estimation with the anaerobic incubation method. The second experiment evaluated the temporal inorganic N variation in a Typic Hapludox (TH) and Typic Eutrustox (TE), related to N fertilization of a sugarcane ratoon. The treatments were the sources: Ajifer®, ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate, urea and YaraBela NitromagTM, at 100 kg ha-1 N dose; urea rates: 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1 N and a control. In TH, the Ajifer® and YaraBela NitromagTM initially increased the levels of NH4+-N at the 0-20 cm depth, while Ajifer®, ammonium nitrate, YaraBela NitromagTM and rates of 150 and 200 kg ha-1 urea-N raised the amount of NO3--N at 0-20 and 20-40 cm depths. After 44 days, mineral N decreased sharply due to the N uptake by plants and microbial immobilization. The N sources and N-urea rates in TE did not change the soil N availability. The third trial evaluated the effectiveness of an open collector for quantification of NH3-N volatilized from urea applied on sugarcane trash blankets. The NH3-N losses were estimated by semi-open static collector (SOC) and open collector absorber wrapped in polytetrafluoroethylene film (OC). Urea was applied in band on soil surface at rates of 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1 N. The OC did not alter the amount of NH3-N in relation to SOC. The OC effectiveness ranged non-linearly with the NH3-N rate and showed an average of 58.4% on the range of 100 to 200 kg ha-1 urea-N. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/04691-2 - Nitrogen mineralization and availability in soils cropped with sugarcane
• Grantee: Eduardo Mariano
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master