Nitrogen fertilizer sources for rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production planted in permanent beds
Abstract
Aim of study: The objective was to test the wheat response to five nitrogen (N) sources and one control plot (0N) without fertilization.
Area of study: This study was conducted at CEVAMEX for 12 crop seasons under the planting system of permanent beds with crop residue retention. CEVAMEX is located in the eastern region of the trans-Mexican volcanic belt.
Material and methods: The fertilizer sources used were calcium nitrate (10 kg N/ha), ammonium sulfate (40 kg N/ha), urea + zeolite (30 kg N/ha), foliar urea (3 kg N/ha), and granular urea (40 kg N/ha). The treatments were allocated in a randomized complete block design with three replicates.
Main results: The average grain yield was 2.7 Mg/ha; the yield difference between the fertilized treatments and the control plot (0N) was negligible. The slope regressions for the yield-year relationship of each treatment were not significantly different. The range of grain N uptake in the control plot (0N) was 37-88 kg/ha. This parameter, plus the N rate, explained 45-86% of yield variability. The soil N-NH4 concentration was associated with N uptake. Soil N-H4 concentration was generally greater than the N-NO3. According to the yield response index (RI) [ratio of fertilized treatment/control plot (0N)], which was generally < 1.1, the soil supplied the N amount required to produce acceptable yields. Therefore, the yield was independent of the RI, meaning that the N fertilizer did not affect the yield. However, the RI of granular and foliar urea was associated with the rainfall distribution during the grain filling stage.
Research highlights: Further studies should aim to test improved liquid and granular N formulations, which may enhance the RI.
Downloads
References
Andrews M, Raven JA PJ, 2013. Do plants need nitrate? The mechanisms by which nitrogen form affects plants. Ann Appl Biol 163: 174–199. https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12045
Dessureault-Rompré J, Zebarth BJ, Burton DL, Gregorich EG, Goyer C, Georgallas A, Grant CA, 2013. Are soil mineralizable nitrogen pools replenished during the growing season in agricultural soils? Soil Sci Soc Am J 77: 512–524. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2012.0328
Edmonds DE, Abreu SL, West A, Caasi DR, Conley TO, Daft MC, Desta B, England BB, Farris CD, Nobles TJ, Patel NK, Rounds EW, Sanders BH, Shawaqfeh SS, Lakmini Lokuralalage, Manandhar R, Raun WR, 2009. Cereal nitrogen use efficiency in sub Saharan Africa. J Plant Nutr 32: 2107–2122. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904160903308184
Fradgley NS, Bentley AR, Swarbreck SM, 2021. Defining the physiological determinants of low nitrogen requirement in wheat. Biochem Soc Trans 49(2): 609–616. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20200282
Girma K, Hotlz SL, Arnall DB, Fultz LM, Hanks TL, Lawles KD, Mack CJ, Owen KW, Reed SD, Santillano J, Walsh O, White MJ, Raun WR, 2007. Weather, fertilizer, previous year yield, and fertilizer levels affect ensuing year fertilizer response of wheat. Agron J 99: 1607–1614. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2007.0030
Govaerts B, Sayre K, Lichter K, Dendooven L, Deckers J, 2007. Influence of permanent raised bed planting and residue management on physical and chemical soil quality in rain fed maize/wheat systems. Plant Soil 291: 39–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9172-6
Grinsven HJM, Ebanyat P, Glendining M, Gu B, Hijbeek R, Lam SK, Lassaletta L, Mueller ND, Pacheco FS, Quemada M, Bruulsema TW, Jacobsen BH, ten Berge HFM, 2022. Establishing long-term nitrogen response of global cereals to assess sustainable fertilizer rates. Nat Food 3: 122–132. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00447-x
Ichami SM, Shepherd KD, Sila AM, Stoorvogel JJ, 2019. Fertilizer response and nitrogen use efficiency in African smallholder maize farms. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 113: 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-018-9958-y
Johnson GV, Raun WR, 2003. Nitrogen response index as a guide to fertilizer management. J Plant Nutr 26: 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1081/PLN-120017134
Jakkula VS, Wani SP, 2018. Zeolites: Potential soil amendments for improving nutrient and water use efficiency and agriculture productivity. Sci Rev Chem Commun 8: 1–15.
Lea P, Azevedo R, 2006. Nitrogen use efficiency. 1. Uptake of nitrogen from the soil. Ann Appl Biol 149: 243–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2006.00101.x
Limon-Ortega A, Villaseñor-Mir E, 2006. Nitrogen fertilizer management and recommendations for wheat production in central Mexico. Crop Manage 5: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1094/CM-2006-0525-01-RS
Limon-Ortega A, 2021. Nitrogen use and agronomic efficiency of rainfed wheat in permanent beds as affected by N fertilizer, precipitation and soil nitrate. J Agric Sci 159: 199–205. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859621000411
Liu S, Wang X, Yin X, Savoy H, McLure A, Essington ME, 2019. Ammonia volatilization loss and corn nitrogen nutrition and productivity with efficiency enhanced UAN and urea under no-tillage. Sci Rep 9: 6610. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42912-5
López-Bellido L, Muñoz-Romero V, Fernández-García P, López-Bellido RJ, 2014. Ammonium accumulation in soil: the long-term effects of tillage, rotation and N rate in a Mediterranean Vertisol. Soil Use Manage 30: 471–479. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12147
Monti A, Venturi G, 2007. A simple method to improve the estimation of the relationship between rainfall and crop yield. Agron Sustain Dev 27: 255–260. https://doi.org/10.1051/agro:2007019
Mummed BA, Seleshi Y, 2024. The implication of spatiotemporal rainfall distribution on the estimation of areal rainfall characteristics in Upper Erer Sub-basin, Ethiopia. Water Pract Technol 19: 1290–1306. https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2024.057
Nyiraneza J, Ziadi N, Zebarth BJ, Sharifi M, Burton DL, Drury CF, Bittman S, Grant CA, 2011. Prediction of soil nitrogen supply in corn production using soil chemical and biological indices. Soil Sci Soc Am J 76: 925–935. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2011.0318
Ortiz-Monasterio JI, Raun W, 2007. Reduced nitrogen and improved farm income for irrigated spring wheat in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, using sensor based nitrogen management. J Agric Sci 145: 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859607006995
O’Sullivan C, Palta JA, Farrell M, Treble K, 2016. Genotypic variability in wheat for preference of NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻ or NH₄⁺–NO₃⁻. In: Proceedings of the 2016 International Nitrogen Initiative Conference “Solutions to improve nitrogen use efficiency for the world”, 4–8 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia.
Powlson DS, Dawson CJ, 2022. Use of ammonium sulphate as a sulphur fertilizer: Implications for ammonia volatilization. Soil Use Manage 38: 622–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12733
Raun WR, Solie JB, Stone ML, Zavodny DL, Martin KL, Freeman KW, 2005a. Automated calibration stamp technology for improved in-season nitrogen fertilization. Agron J 97: 338–342. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2005.0338a
Raun WR, Solie JB, Stone ML, Martin KL, Freeman KW, Mullen RW, Zhang H, Schepers JS, Johnson GV, 2005b. Optical sensor-based algorithm for crop nitrogen fertilization. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 36: 2759–2781. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103620500303988
Raun WR, Solie JB, Stone ML, 2011. Independence of yield potential and crop nitrogen response. Precis Agric 12: 508–518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-010-9196-z
Raun WR, Dhillon J, Aula L, Eickhoff E, Weymayer G, Figueiredo B, Lynch T, Omara P, Nambi E, Oyebiyi F, Fornah A, 2019. Unpredictable nature of environment on nitrogen supply and demand. Agron J 111: 2786–2791. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.04.0291
Singh B, 2018. Are nitrogen fertilizers deleterious to soil health? Agron 8: 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8040048
Thomason WE, Raun WR, Johnson GV, Freeman KW, Wynn KJ, Mullen RW, 2002. Production system techniques to increase nitrogen use efficiency in winter wheat. J Plant Nutr 25: 2261–2283. https://doi.org/10.1081/PLN-120014074
Walsh OS, Marshall J, Nambi E, Shafian S, Jayawardena D, Jackson C, Lamichhane R, Owusu Ansah E, McClintick-Chess J, 2022. Spring wheat yield and grain quality response to nitrogen rate. Agron J 114: 2562–2572. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21101
Zadoks JC, Chang TT, Konzak CF, 1974. A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14: 415–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3180.1974.tb01084.x
Copyright (c) 2025 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the print and online versions of this journal are the property of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. You may read the basic information and the legal text of the licence. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the final version of the work produced by the publisher, is not allowed.
