Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

N-Source Effects on Temporal Distribution of NO3-N Leaching Losses to Subsurface Drainage Water

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding the temporal distribution of NO3-N leaching losses from subsurface drained ‘tile’ fields as a function of climate and management practices can help develop strategies for its mitigation. A field study was conducted from 1999 through 2003 to investigate effects of the most vulnerable application of pig manure (fall application and chisel plow), safe application of pig manure (spring application and no-tillage) and common application of artificial nitrogen (UAN spring application and chisel plow) on NO3-N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water beneath corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation systems as a randomized complete block design. The N application rates averaged over five years ranged from 166 kg-N ha−1 for spring applied manure to 170 kg-N ha−1 for UAN and 172 kg-N ha−1 for fall applied manure. Tillage and nitrogen source effects on tile flow and NO3-N leaching losses were not significant (P < 0.05). Fall applied manure with CP resulted in significantly greater corn grain yield (10.8 vs 10.4 Mg ha−1) compared with the spring manure-NT system. Corn plots with the spring applied manure-NT system gave relatively lower flow weighted NO3-N concentration of 13.2 mg l−1 in comparison to corn plots with fall manure-CP (21.6 mg l−1) and UAN-CP systems (15.9 mg l−1). Averaged across five years, about 60% of tile flow and NO3-N leaching losses exited the fields during March through May. Growing season precipitation and cycles of wet and dry years primarily controlled NO3-N leaching losses from tile drained fields. These results suggest that spring applied manure has potential to reduce NO3-N concentrations in subsurface drainage water and also strategies need to be developed to reduce early spring NO3-N leaching losses.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. It is for reader information and does not imply any endorsement by Iowa State University.

Abbreviations

NT:

no-tillage

CP:

chisel plow

28% UAN:

urea ammonium nitrate solution fertilizer

PAN:

potentially available N during first cropping season

CFMCP:

corn after soybean–fall applied manure–chisel plow

CSMNT:

corn after soybean–spring applied manure–no-tillage

CUNCP:

corn after soybean–preplant UAN application–chisel plow

SFMCP:

soybean after corn–fall manure to corn–chisel plow

SSMNT:

soybean after corn–spring applied manure to corn–no-tillage

SUNCP:

soybean after corn–preplant UAN application to corn–chisel plow

C.V. (%):

coefficient of variation in percent

LSD(0.05) :

least significant difference at 5% significance level

%SP:

monthly subsurface drainage volume in percent of the monthly precipitation (mm)

%TF:

cumulative monthly subsurface drainage volume in percent of total seasonal subsurface drainage volume

%NM:

cumulative monthly NO3-N leaching loss in percent of seasonal NO3-N leaching loss subsurface drainage water

References

  • Alexander, R. B., Smith, R. A., & Schwarz, G. E. (1995). The regional transport of point and nonpoint source nitrogen to the Gulf of Mexico. In: L. A. Kenner (Ed.), Proceedings of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Management Conference, 5–6 Dec. 1995. USEPA Publication No. 855R97001. Washington, DC: USEPA National Center for Environmental Publications and Information.

  • Andraski, B. J., Daniel, T. C., Lowery, B., & Muellar, D. H. (1985). Runoff results from natural and simulated rainfall for four tillage systems. Transactions of the ASAE, 28, 1219–1225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aulakh, M. S., Rennie, D. A., & Paul, E. A. (1984). Gaseous N losses from soils under zero till as compared to conventional till management. Journal of Environmental Quality, 13, 130–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, J. L., & Johnson, H. P. (1981). Nitrate-nitrogen in tile drainage as affected by fertilization. Journal of Environmental Quality, 10, 519–522.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, J. L., Colvin, T. S., Marley, S. J., & Dawelbeit, M. (1989). A point-injector applicator to improve fertilizer management. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 5, 334–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakhsh, A., Kanwar, R. S., Bailey, T. B., Cambardella, C. A., Karlen, D. L., & Colvin, T. S. (2002). Cropping system effects on NO3-N losses with subsurface drainage water. Transactions of the ASAE, 45, 1789–1797.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhsh, A., Hatfield, J. L., Kanwar, R. S., Ma, L., & Ahuja, L. R. (2004). Simulating nitrate leaching losses from a Walnut Creek watershed field. Journal of Environmental Quality, 33, 114–123.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhsh, A., & Kanwar, R. S. (2005). Spatial clusters of subsurface drainage water NO3-N leaching losses. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 41, 333–341.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhsh, A., Kanwar, R. S., & Karlen, D. L. (2005). Effects of liquid swine manure applications on NO3-N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 109, 118–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjorneberg, D. L., Kanwar, R. S., & Melvin, S. W. (1996) Seasonal changes in flow and nitrate-N loss from subsurface drains. Transactions of the ASAE, 39, 961–976.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorneberg, D. L., Karlen, D. L., Kanwar, R. S., & Cambardella, C. A. (1998). Alternative N fertilizer management strategies effects on subsurface drain effluent and N uptake. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 14, 469–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambardella, C. A., Moorman, T. B., Jaynes, D. B., Hatfield, J. L., Parkin, T. B., Simpkins, W. W., et al. (1999). Water quality in Walnut Creek watershed: Nitrate-nitrogen in soils, subsurface drainage water, and shallow groundwater. Journal of Environmental Quality, 28, 25–34.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CAST (1996). Integrated animal waste management (Rep. No. 128). Ames, IA: Council of Agricultural Science and Technology.

  • CAST (1999). Animal agriculture and global food supply (Rep. No. 135). Ames, IA: Council of Agricultural Science and Technology.

  • Cook, M. J., & Baker, J. L. (2001) Bacteria and nutrient transport to tile lines shortly after application of large volumes of liquid swine manure. Transactions of the ASAE, 44, 495–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daverede, I. C., Kravchenko, A. N., Hoeft, R. G., Nafziger, E. D., Bullock, D. G., Warren, J. J., et al. (2004). Phosphorus runoff from incorporated and surface-applied liquid swine manure and phosphorus fertilizer. Journal of Environmental Quality, 33, 1535–1544.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dinnes, D. L., Karlen, D. L., Jaynes, D. B., Kaspar, T. C., Hatfield, J. L., Colvin, T. S., et al. (2002). Nitrogen management strategies to reduce nitrate leaching in tile-drained Midwestern soils. Agronomy Journal, 94, 153–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gentry, L. E., David, M. B., Smith, K. M., & Kovaic, D. A. (1998). Nitrogen cycling and tile drainage nitrate loss in a corn/soybean watershed. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 68, 85–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., Munyankusi, E., Moncrief, J., Zvomuya, F., & Hanewall, M. (2004). Tillage and manure application effects on mineral nitrogen leaching from seasonally frozen soils. Journal of Environmental Quality, 33, 1238–1246.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harper, J. E. (1987). Nitrogen metabolism. In: J. R., Wilcox (Ed.), Soybean: Improvement, Production and Uses (2nd ed.). Agronomy Monograph no. 16. (pp. 497–533).

  • Jaynes, D. B., Hatfield, J. L., & Meek, D. W. (1999) Water quality in Walnut Creek watershed: Herbicides and nitrate in surface waters. Journal of Environmental Quality, 28, 45–59.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaynes, D. B., Dinnes, D. L., Meek, D. W., Karlen, D. L., Cambardella, C. A., & Colvin. T. S. (2004). Using the late spring nitrate test to reduce nitrate loss within a watershed. Journal of Environmental Quality, 33, 669–677.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karlen, D. L., Cambardella, C. A., & Kanwar. R. S. (2004). Challenges of managing swine manure. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 20, 693–699.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanwar, R. S., Baker, J. L., & Baker, D. G. (1988). Tillage and split N-fertilizer effects on subsurface drainage water quality and crop yields. Transactions of the ASAE, 31, 453–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanwar, R. S., Colvin, T. S., & Karlen, D. L. (1997). Ridge, moldboard, chisel, and no-till effects on subsurface drainage water quality beneath two cropping system. Journal of Production Agriculture, 10, 227–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanwar, R. S., Bjorneberg, D., & Baker. D. (1999). An automated system for monitoring the quality and quantity of subsurface drain flow. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 73, 123–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanwar, R. S., Cruse, R., Ghaffarzadeh, M., Bakhsh, A., Karlen, D., & Bailey. T. (2005). Corn–soybean and alternative cropping systems effects on NO3-N leaching losses in subsurface drainage water. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 21, 181–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loecke, D. T., Liebman, M., Cambardella, C. A., & Richard, T. L. (2004). Corn response to composting and time of application of solid swine manure. Agronomy Journal, 96, 214–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, R. J., Hensler, R. F., Attoe, O. J., Witzel, S. A., & Peterson, A. L. (1970). Fertilizer nitrogen and crop rotation in relation to movement of nitrate nitrogen through soil profiles. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 34, 448–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osterberg, D., & Wallinga, D. (2004). Addressing externalities from swine production to reduce public health and environmental impacts. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1703–1708.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patni, N. K., Masse, L., Jui, P. Y. (1998). Groundwater quality under conventional and no tillage: I. Nitrate, electrical conductivity, and pH. Journal of Environmental Quality, 27, 869–877.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabalais, N. N., Turner, R. E., & Scavia, D. (2002). Beyond science into policy: Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia and the Mississippi River. Bioscience, 52, 129–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall, G. W., & Iragavarapu, T. K. (1995). Impact of long-term tillage systems for continuous corn on nitrate leaching to subsurface drainage. Journal of Environmental Quality, 24, 360–366.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Randall, G. W., Vetsch, J. A., & Huffman, J. R. (2003). Corn production on a subsurface drained mollisol as affected by time of nitrogen application and nitrapyrin. Agronomy Journal, 95, 1213–1219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Randall, G. W., & Vetsch. J. A. (2005). Nitrate losses in subsurface drainage from a corn–soybean rotation as affected by fall and spring application of nitrogen and nitrapyrin. Journal of Environmental Quality, 34, 590–597.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, C. W., & Smith, M. S. (1982). Denitrification in no-till and plowed soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 46, 1168–1173.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS (2003). The SAS systems for windows. Release 9.1. Cary, NC: SAS Institute.

  • Sommer, S. G., & Hutchings, N. J. (2001). Ammonia emission from field applied manure and its reduction–Invited paper. European Journal of Agronomy, 15, 1–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, C. S., Drury, C. F., Reynolds, W. D., Groenevelt, P. H., & Dadfar, H. (2002). Water and nitrate loss through tiles under a clay loam soil in Ontario after 42 years of consistent fertilization and crop rotation. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 93, 121–130.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1995). National water quality inventory: 1994 Report to Congress. Washington, DC: USEPA Office of Water, US Government Printing Office.

  • USEPA/USDA (1998). Unified national strategy for animal feeding operations. Federal Regional, 63, 50192–50209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voy, K. D. (1995). Soil survey of Floyd County, Iowa. USDA-SCS in cooperation with Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University, Cooperative Extension Service.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Irrigation and Drainage, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    A. Bakhsh

  2. Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    A. Bakhsh, R. S. Kanwar & C. Pederson

  3. Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    T. B. Bailey

Authors
  1. A. Bakhsh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. S. Kanwar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. Pederson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. B. Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. S. Kanwar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bakhsh, A., Kanwar, R.S., Pederson, C. et al. N-Source Effects on Temporal Distribution of NO3-N Leaching Losses to Subsurface Drainage Water. Water Air Soil Pollut 181, 35–50 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9274-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9274-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation