Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us
  • Follow SWCS on Twitter
  • Visit SWCS on Facebook
OtherSpecial Section

Nitrogen fertilizer management based on site-specific management zones reduces potential for nitrate leaching

J.A. Delgado, R. Khosla, W.C. Bausch, D.G. Westfall and D.J. Inman
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation November 2005, 60 (6) 402-410;
J.A. Delgado
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
R. Khosla
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
W.C. Bausch
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
D.G. Westfall
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
D.J. Inman
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

ABSTRACT:

Although nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that is a key component of intensive irrigated agricultural systems, its management to maximize yields and reduce losses to the environment is difficult. One reason is due to the spatial and temporal variability that affect residual soil nitrate-N (NO3-N) and NO3-N leaching potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of N fertilization prescriptions based on site-specific management zones to reduce NO3-N leaching losses. We mapped site-specific management zones based on soil color from aerial photographs, topography, and the producer's past management experiences that reflect spatial soil variability. We used the Nitrate Leaching and Economic Analysis Package (NLEAP) model to assess the benefits of N management based on site-specific management zones. Nitrate leaching was variable across management zones with the highest leaching occurring in the low productivity zone. This study found that productivity zone is an important spatial factor in determining NO3-N leaching potential since site-specific management zones characterized the variability of factors that affect NO3-N leaching. As the N fertilizer rate is increased by productivity zone the rate of NO3-N leaching increased faster for the low productivity zone creating a “higher leaky zone.” Since we found that a factor other than N is limiting yields, a better N management practice is to apply N accounting by realistic maximum yields to avoid over-fertilization, to reduce NO3-N leaching losses during the growing season and residual soil NO3-N that is available to leach during the non-growing season. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that spatially variable N management based on productivity zones produces less NO3-N leaching than uniform strategies while maintaining maximum yield. We estimated that by using a Site Specific Management Zone we cut NO3-N leaching losses by 25 percent during the first year after a site-specific management zones nutrient management plan.

Footnotes

  • Jorge A. Delgado is a soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Soil Plant Nutrient Research in Fort Collins, Colorado. Rajiv Khosla is an associate professor with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Walter C. Bausch is an agricultural engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Water Management Research in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dwayne G. Westfall is a professor with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Daniel J. Inman is a Ph.D. Candidate and research associate with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

  • Copyright 2005 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation: 60 (6)
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Vol. 60, Issue 6
November/December 2005
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Nitrogen fertilizer management based on site-specific management zones reduces potential for nitrate leaching
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
4 + 1 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Nitrogen fertilizer management based on site-specific management zones reduces potential for nitrate leaching
J.A. Delgado, R. Khosla, W.C. Bausch, D.G. Westfall, D.J. Inman
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Nov 2005, 60 (6) 402-410;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Request Permissions
Share
Nitrogen fertilizer management based on site-specific management zones reduces potential for nitrate leaching
J.A. Delgado, R. Khosla, W.C. Bausch, D.G. Westfall, D.J. Inman
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Nov 2005, 60 (6) 402-410;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Variable rate nitrogen management in corn: Response in two crop rotations
  • Plant nutrient management and risks of nitrous oxide emission
  • Recent advances in precision (target) conservation
  • Nutrient Tracking Tool--a user-friendly tool for calculating nutrient reductions for water quality trading
  • Integrating GIS-based field data and farm modeling in a watershed to assess the cost of erosion control measures: An example from southwest Germany
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Drainage Ditches
  • Removing dissolved phosphorus from drainage ditch water with phosphorus sorbing materials
  • Hydrology and groundwater nutrient concentrations in a ditch-drained agroecosystem
Show more Special Section

Similar Articles

Content

  • Current Issue
  • Early Online
  • Archive
  • Subject Collections

Info For

  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • Subscribers
  • Advertisers

Customer Service

  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions and Reprints
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

SWCS

  • Membership
  • Publications
  • Meetings and Events
  • Conservation Career Center

© 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society