Ap. Everaarts et al., THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND THE METHOD OF APPLICATION ON NITROGEN UPTAKE OF CAULIFLOWER AND ON NITROGEN IN CROP RESIDUES AND SOIL AT HARVEST, Netherlands journal of agricultural science, 44(1), 1996, pp. 43-55
The effects of the rate of nitrogen and of the method of application o
n the nitrogen utilization of cauliflower were studied during two seas
ons and at four locations. Maximum nitrogen uptake by the crop was aro
und 310 kg per hectare. Uptake of nitrogen was influenced neither by t
he method of application (band placement vs broadcast) nor by splittin
g the applications (twice vs once). The utilization efficiency decreas
ed with increasing nitrogen rates. Independent of the amount of nitrog
en applied, about 50 per cent of the nitrogen taken up in the above-gr
ound plant parts was removed from the field with the product. The amou
nt of soil mineral nitrogen al harvest increased with an increase in n
itrogen applied, but was not significantly influenced by band placemen
t. With broadcast application, more nitrogen was sometimes found betwe
en the rows as compared to in the row. With band placement at the high
est fertilizer rate, considerably more nitrogen was found where the fe
rtilizer had been placed. The 'loss' of nitrogen from the crop/soil sy
stem during cultivation increased with increased availability of nitro
gen. At the optimum application of nitrogen fertilizer around 100-120
kg ha(-1) of nitrogen remained in crop residues and about 50-80 kg ha(
-1) in the soil (0-60 cm). Practical implications for the reduction of
loss of nitrogen from crop and soil after harvest are discussed.