Modern Techniques For Site-specific Nutrient Management

Dr. Varinderpal Singh Department of Soil Science Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana-141 004 (INDIA)

Nutrient management
Nutrient management is the art of managing the amount, form, placement, and timing of the application of nutrients (as fertilizer, manure, crop residues or any other form) to plants for optimum forage and crop yields with minimal adverse effects on water and air resources Current fertilizer recommendations for cropping systems based on rice and wheat typically consist of blanket recommendations with fixed rates and timings for large tracts

Nutrient management

The widely deficient nutrient is

Nutrient management

The widely deficient nutrient is NITROGEN

Important Things about Nitrogen

Non reactive N: N2, 78% of earths atmosphere Reactive N (Nr): All biologically, chemically and physically active N compounds in the atmosphere and biosphere of the Earth Natural Conversion: N2 is naturally converted to Nr primarily by biological nitrogen fixation (BNF)
o <1% of organisms are able to convert N2 to Nr o N is the limiting nutrient to many ecosystems

Anthropogenic Conversion: N2 is converted to Nr by humans

o Fossil fuel combustion o The Haber-Bosch process o Cultivation-induced BNF

The Soil Nitrogen and Plants

Animal protein Soil organic nitrogen Ammonification Ammonium NH4+ Nitrification Nitrite NO2Nitrification Nitrate NO3Plant protein Root uptake

2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The Atmosphericthe Soil and Plants Nitrogen from N, atmosphere

Out gassing Atmospheric fixation Atmospheric Nitrogen (Non reactive N2)

Plant protein Biological fixation Soil organic nitrogen Root uptake

NH4+ and NO3 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The Human Impact in N Cycle

Atmospheric fixation

Atmospheric Nitrogen (Non reactive N2) Industrial fixation Plant protein

Out gassing

Biological fixation

Soil organic nitrogen Ammonium NH4+

Nitrate NO3 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The N Cycle
Atmospheric fixation Atmospheric Nitrogen (Non reactive N2)

Reactive Nitrogen
Out gassing
Industrial fixation Animal protein

Plant protein
Biological fixation

Soil organic nitrogen

Ammonification Ammonium NH4+
Nitrification

Denitrification Root uptake

Dissolved in water

Nitrite NO2Nitrification

Nitrate NO3-

Leaching

Sediments 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The N Production and Consumption

The N Production and Consumption

Human-Caused Global Nitrogen Emissions

Vitousek et al. (1997)

Percent increase in N flows in water bodies

Atmospheric transport and subsequent deposition has become the dominant reactive N distribution process

Year

Reactive N emitted as NOx and NH3 and then deposited to the Earths surface as NOy and NHx 34 Tg N year-1 100 Tg N year-1 200 Tg N year-1

1860 1995 2050

N deposition to ecosystems in the absence of human influence is generally ~0.5 kg N ha1 yr1 or less Average N deposition rates exceeding 10 kg N ha1 yr1 are already being observed in large regions of the world

How extensive is Nr distribution?

1860

Estimated N deposition from global total N (NOy and NHx) emissions, totaling 105 Tg N y1. The unit scale is kg N ha1 y1, modified from the original units (mg m2 y1) (Dentener et al., 2006)

There are significant effects of Nr accumulation within the atmosphere, geosphere and biosphere
Increases in: N2O soil acidity and N concentrations coastal / surface water N concentrations drinking water NO3 concentrations Decreases in: stratospheric O3 Leads to: loss of biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems human health effects changes in earths radiation balance soil health effects

Atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide over the last 10,000 years (large panels) and since 1750 (inset panels). Measurements are shown from ice cores (symbols with different colours for different studies) and atmospheric samples (red lines). The corresponding radiative forcings are shown on the right hand axes of the large panels. (Source IPCC, 2007)

Fertilizer N and denitrification rate in soil

Brodbalk expt, Hirsch et al. (2007)

Budgets for N on the global land surface

Preindustrial Humanderived Total

Inputs Biological nitrogen fixation Lightning Industrial N-fixation Fossil fuel combustion Totals Fates Biospheric increment River flow Groundwater Denitrification Atmospheric transport to the ocean Totals 0 27 0 92* 6 125 9 35 15 17 48 124 9 62 15 109 54 249 120 5 0 0 125 20 0 125 25 170 140 5 125 25 295

All values are Tg N yr-1. Unless otherwise indicated, preindustrial values and human-derived inputs are for the mid-1990s from Galloway et al. (2004) and Duce et al. (2008). Fates of human-derived (anthropogenic) nitrogen are derived by Schlesinger (2009) * Calculated by difference in order to balance the N budget. Net of human activities. U.S. Geological Survey (2008) for 2007.

What can we do under the emerging N cycling scenario ?

Scientific Alerts !
In 1970, Delwiche stated, The ingenuity that has been used to feed a growing world population will have to be matched quickly by an effort to keep the nitrogen cycle in reasonable balance Thirty-five years later, Dobermann and Cassman (2005) pointed out, Failure to arrest the decrease in cereal crop area and to improve nitrogen use efficiency in the worlds most important agricultural systems will likely cause severe damage to environmental services at local, regional, and global scales due to a large increase in reactive N load in the environment .

Scientific Discussions !

Fertilizer N Consumption in the World

60

Fertilizer N consumption (M t)

Developed Countries 50 40 30 20 10 0 1960 Developing Countries

1970

1980

1990

2000

The Farmers Practice to manage fertilizer N in the most important agricultural systems of developing countries ?

Temporal variability

Application of excess fertilizer N in the quest of higher yields and to avoid risk

Field to field variability

Soil/organic N supply

Variability at farmers field

Variability at farmers field

The soil test can ensure potential yield but with the application of fertilizers in excess of crop requirements

Variability at farmers field

The soil test can ensure potential yield but with the application of fertilizers in excess of crop requirements The best fertilizer management for high profit and high yield demands site-specific need-based decisions that would vary among fields

Congruence between N supply and demand

Plant N Demand

Synchronize
Mineral Mineral Fertilizer Fertilizer

Soil N Supply

Organic Residue GM

How do we know when plant needs nitrogen ?

The fertilizer N management tools

The fertilizer N management tools

The fertilizer N management tools

Leaf Colour Chart (LCC)

The Real-time N management Real Time N management

1) Apply low N doses at all stages Plant N uptake

Basal 25kg urea per acre

Days after transplanting (DAT) or sowing (DAS)

The Real-time N management Real Time N management

1) Apply low N doses at all stages 2) Monitor leaf colour starting from 15 DAT to initiation of flowering

Plant N uptake

Basal 25kg urea per acre

Monitor leaf color at 7-10 day intervals

Days after transplanting (DAT) or sowing (DAS)

The Real-time N management Real Time N management

1) Apply low N doses at all stages 2) Monitor leaf colour starting from 15 DAT to initiation of flowering 3) Apply N when LCC reading is below LCC shade 4
25 kg urea per acre

Plant N uptake

Basal 25kg urea per acre

Monitor leaf color at 7-10 day intervals

LCC reading below critical value

Days after transplanting (DAT) or sowing (DAS)

Average Fertilizer N and Rice Grain Yield (461 on-farm trials in Punjab (2000-2009)

Fertilizer N and grain yield of rice in 461 on-farm trials in Punjab (2000-2009)

Using LCC in maize

Evaluation of LCC based fertilizer N management in maize during 2010 at on-farm locations
Fert. N (kg/ha) Location
Langroya Jalandhar 1 Jalandhar 2 Hoshiarpur 1 Hoshiarpur 2 Hoshiarpur 3 Hoshiarpur 4 Nawanshahr 1

Blanket

LCC

N Yield (q/ha) saving Blanket LCC (kg/ha)

Yield benefit (q/ha)

120 120 120 150 120 120 120 120

120 90 150 120 120 120 90 120

0 30 -30 30 0 0 30 0

58.7 59.1 41.7 59.0 62.3 60.5 60.1

66.5 59.6 51.1 61.9 61.4 63.3 62.2

7.8 9.4 2.9 2.8 2.1

60.0 63.1 3.1

Evaluation of LCC based fertilizer N management in maize during 2010 at on-farm locations
Fert. N (kg/ha) Location
Nawanshahr 2 Noormehal Ropar 1 Ropar 2 Roprar 3 Gurdaspur 1 Gurdaspur 2 Gurdaspur 3

Blanket

LCC

N Yield (q/ha) saving Blanket LCC (kg/ha)

Yield benefit (q/ha)

120 150 125 125 120 120 120 150

90 120 90 120 90 90 90 120

30 30 35 5 35 30 30 30

59.6 42.0 53.0 47.0 50.8 62.5 42.4

60.4 40.5 51.0 47.3 50.0 63.0 42.0

44.5 46.0

Handheld Optical Sensors

Normalized Difference Vegetative Index
NDVI = (NIRref - Redref) / (NIRref + Redref) Stress = plant reflect more red light (VIS) and reflects less near infrared (NIR) Results in values between 1 and 1; increasing positive values indicating increasing vegetation biomass and vigor Optically estimates plant biomass, total nitrogen in the crop, and plant stress
Holland sensor: 59010 and 88010 nm

GreenSeeker sensor: 67010 and 78010 nm

Using GreenSeeker in rice

Optical sensors and Plant Reflectance

0.50

Visible

Near Infrared

Reflectance (%)

0.25

Indicator of Available Chlorophyl

Measure of living plant cells ability to reflect infrared light Photosynthetic Potential

0.00

450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000 1050

Wavelength (nm)

1 2 3 4

Predict RI Predict YP0 Predict YPN based on RI Fertilizer N = (GNUPYPN GNUPYP0)/0.5

2

Nitrogen Fertilization Optimization Algorithm

INSEY-grain yield relationship for rice at 49 DAT

INSEY-grain yield relationship for rice at 56 DAT

Evaluation of GS based N management in rice

Treatment Fertilizer N applied (kg N/ha ) at DAT 0 7 21 28 42 49 Total Grain yield (t/ha) AE (kg grain / kg N applied)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

20 20 30 30 40 20 20 30 30 40

40 60 30 50 40 40 60 30 50 40 40

28* 12* 32* 14* 24* 29* 19* 32* 17* 20* 40

88 92 92 94 104 89 99 92 97 100 120 0

6.23 6.83 5.63 6.28 6.34 5.97 6.59 5.66 6.25 6.50 6.19 3.85 0.774

27.1 32.3 19.4 25.8 24.0 23.8 27.7 19.7 24.7 26.5 19.5 -

Recomm. 40 No-N LSD (p=0.05)

* GreenSeeker guided N dose

P and K management
Nutrient omission plot indicates how much fertilizer P and K is needed
Full fertilization -N -P -K

+NPK

+PK

+NK

+NP

Set target yield

Yield with full fertilization (NPK) Use good management

+NPK yield P fertilizer Yield without P

Estimate P-limited yield

Yield in P omission plot

Determine P fertilizer rate

Recommended P2O5 rates according to target yield and Plimited yield

Target yield Yield goal (t/ha) Yield in 0 -K -P plots (t/ha) 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 5 6 7 8

Fertilizer P2O5 rate (kg/ha)

20 30 15 0 0 0 0 0 40 60 25 35 20 0 0 0 60 90 40 65 30 50 25 35 0 0 60 95 40 80 35 65 30 50 0 60 110 45 95 40 80 35 65

Recommended K2O rates at medium straw input

Target yield (t/ha) Yield in 0-K plots (t/ha) 3 4 5 6 7 8 30 0 0 0 0 0

Fertilizer K2O rate (kg/ha) 60 35 20 0 0 0 90 65 50 35 0 0 95 80 65 50 0 110 95 80 65

Plant-based SSNM in nutshell

A plant need-based approach for feeding crops with nutrients as needed Adjust fertilizer rates and timing to field and season-specific conditions Dynamically apply N based on leaf color, as a measure of plant need for N Determine P and K needs based on anticipated crop performance.

Carry Home Message for Agriculturists

Avoid indiscriminate use of reactive N in agriculture because it leads to N deposition, global warming, soil health deterioration, and environmental degradation.

Carry Home Message for Agriculturists

Avoid indiscriminate use of reactive N in agriculture because it leads to N deposition, global warming, soil health deterioration, and environmental degradation. Accept the responsibility of developing farmers friendly SSNM strategies, and ensuring the adoption of technology at farmers level.

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