Skip to main content
Log in

Modeling long-term crop response to fertilizer and soil nitrogen

I. Model description and application

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A simple nitrogen balance model to calculate long-term changes in soil organic nitrogen, nitrogen uptake by the crop and recovery of applied nitrogen, is presented. It functions with time intervals of one year or one growing season. In the model a labile and a stable pool of soil organic nitrogen are distinguished. Transfer coefficients for the various inputs of nitrogen are established that specify the fractions taken up by the crop, lost from the system, and incorporated in soil organic nitrogen.

It is shown how input data, model parameters and initial pool sizes can be derived and how the model can be used for calculating long-term changes in total soil organic nitrogen and uptake by the crop. For nitrogen applied annually as fertilizer or organic material the time course of nitrogen uptake and recovery of applied nitrogen is calculated. To test the sensitivity of the model, calculations have been performed for different environmental conditions with higher or lower risks for losses. The model has also been applied to establish fertilizer recommendations for a certain target nitrogen uptake by the crop. Finally, for agricultural systems where periods of cropping alternate with peroids of green fallow the time course of nitrogen uptake by the crop is calculated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Dam Kofoed A 1982 Humus in long-term experiments in Denmark.In Soil Degradation. Eds. D Boels, D B Davies and A E Johnston. pp 241–258. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frissel M J and Veen J A van (Eds.) 1980 Simulation of Nitrogen Behaviour of Soil-Plant Systems. Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 277 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson D S and Rayner J H 1977 The turnover of soil organic matter in some of the Rothamsted classical experiments. Soil Sci. 123, 298–305.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keulen H van and Seligman N G 1987 Simulation of Water Use, Nitrogen Nutrition and Growth of a Spring Wheat Crop. Simulation Monographs, Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 310 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keulen H van and Heemst H D J van 1982 Crop Response to the Supply of Macronutrients. Agric. Res. Rep. 916, Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 46 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kortleven J 1963 Kwantitatieve Aspecten van Humusopbouw en Humusafbraak. Versl. Landbk. Onderz. 69.1, Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 109 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas R E, Holtman J B and Connor L J 1977 Soil carbon dynamics and cropping practices.In Agriculture and Energy. Ed. W Lockeretz. pp 333–351. Academic Press, New York, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parton J W, Schimel D S, Cole C V and Ojima D S 1987 Analysis of factors controlling soil-organic matter levels in Great Plains grasslands. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51, 1173–1179.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Persson J 1981 Influence of mineral and organic fertilizers on the humus balance and humus formation.In Colloque Humus-Azote, pp 82–89. Reims, France.

  • Sluijsmans C M J and Kolenbrander G J 1977 The significance of animal manure as a source of nitrogen in soils.In Proc. Int. Sem. Soil Environment and Fert. Management in Intensive Agric. pp 403–411. Tokyo, Japan.

  • Verveda H W 1984 Opbouw en Afbraak van Jonge Organische Stof in de Grond en de Stikstofhuishouding onder een Vierjarige Vruchtwisseling met Grasgroenbemester. Agric. Univ., Dep. of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Intern. note 58, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 101 p.

  • Wolf J and Keulen H van 1989 Modeling long-term crop response to fertilizer and soil nitrogen. II. Comparison with field results. Plant and Soil 120, 23–38.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wolf, J., De Wit, C.T. & Van Keulen, H. Modeling long-term crop response to fertilizer and soil nitrogen. Plant Soil 120, 11–22 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370286

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370286

Key words

Navigation