Comparison of different approaches for optimizing nitrogen management in sprinkler-irrigated maize

Isla, R. ; Valentín-Madrona, F. ; Maturano, M. ; Aibar, J. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Guillén, M. ; Quílez, D.

Resumen: The gap between scientifically sound nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rates and the actual rates used by farmers in maize is still significant. The improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in such a highly N-demanding crop is necessary to decrease the negative effects of N fertilization. The objective was to compare the performance of different N management treatments in maize grown under semiarid Mediterranean sprinkler-irrigated conditions to the standard farmer practice. We compared an agronomically sound fixed rate of N fertilizer (FR) with a variable N rate obtained based on a soil mineral balance at pre-planting (SB) or based on a portable chlorophyll meter readings (CM) made just before tasseling. Additional treatments were a N control, without fertilizer (T0), and a non-limiting N (NL) treatment wich was typical of the current farmer practice. The study was replicated at 5 sites in one-year experiments and under 3 pre-planting soil mineral nitrogen environments (SMN, Low, Medium, and High). The results demonstrate the potential to reduce N rates from zero to 236 kg N ha-1 compared to the NL in irrigated maize fields without compromising yields in most of the situations with a subsequent increase of NUE. Averaging over sites, the use of fine-tuning N fertilizer strategies that considered field-specific conditions (SB and CM) reduced N rates (38 %) compared to the reductions under the FR strategy (26 %) relative to the NL conditions, which is the treatment closest to a typical farmer`s application rate.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2020.126043

Año: 2020

Publicado en: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY 116 (2020), 126043 1-9
ISSN: 1161-0301

Factor impacto JCR: 5.124 (2020)

Categ. JCR: AGRONOMY rank: 8 / 91 = 0.088 (2020) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.683 - Agronomy and Crop Science (Q1) - Soil Science (Q1) - Plant Science (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/AGL2009-12897-C02-02

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Vegetal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)