Jn. Pedreno et al., REDUCING NITROGEN LOSSES BY DECREASING MINERAL FERTILIZATION IN HORTICULTURAL CROPS OF EASTERN SPAIN, Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 59(3), 1996, pp. 217-221
Three experiments were carried out using horticultural plants (articho
ke. cabbage and potato) in southeast Spain (Alicante) for two cropping
seasons, A reduced mineral fertilisation treatment (-N, less than 300
kg N ha(-1)) was compared with the traditional input of nitrogen (+ N
, around 500 kg N ha(-1)) to evaluate the losses of mineral forms in t
he soil profile, quantity of plant nitrogen and yield. Three plots wer
e used, Nitrate, ammonium and organic N were measured in the soil prof
ile at four depths (0-30, 30-60, 60-90 and 90-120 cm), and amounts of
plant nitrogen in the aerial and edible parts of the plant evaluated,
together with the marketable yields in each season. Nitrogen losses we
re reduced, especially in the second season, but plant nitrogen and yi
eld were not significantly affected.