Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

New approach to accessing the quantity of nitrogen fixed biologically by clover grown in the mixture with grass in long-term field experiment

Author(s):

Dorota Pikuła*, Agnieszka Rutkowska

Recieved Date: 2012-01-20, Accepted Date: 2012-05-05

Abstract:

The paper presents a new approach of estimation of the quantity of di-nitrogen biologically fixed by red clover grown in the mixture with grass in longterm field experiment. Based on the ¹⁵N dilution method involves the growth of N₂ fixing and non-fixing reference plants under the same soil conditions, the quantity of N-fixed was assessed. A long-term field experiment was conducted with two crop rotations 1) red clover grass mixture- potato-winter wheat-spring barley and 2) maize-potato-winter wheat-spring barley. In each crop rotation, five rates of manure and five doses of mineral fertilizers were applied. The amount of nitrogen fixed by clover was calculated as the difference between total N uptake by clover-grass and the reference crop-maize. Both crops were supplied with nearly the same rates of ammonium nitrate. The quantity of N-fixed in the control (unfertilized with mineral N) treatment reached N 180 kg ha^-1 and decreased to N 130 kg ha^-1 under mineral fertization. The contribution of di- nitrogen in the total quantity of N accumulated by green biomass of clover- grass mixture varied between 40% and 64% regardless on N supply. Moreover, the recovery of N fixed by following crops was evaluated. The amount of N₂ fixed by potatoes, winter wheat and spring barley comparable and amounted to 39 kg ha^-1 on the average.

Keywords:

Biologically fixed nitrogen, clover-grass mixture, crop rotation, nitrogen fertilization, manure fertilization

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 408-411

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