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Impacts of Variable Rate Nitrogen (VRN) on Nitrate-N Losses from Tile Drained Maize in Minnesota, USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2017

G. Wilson ,
A. Laacouri ,
J. Galzki  and
D. Mulla
G. Wilson
Affiliation:
Dept. Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
A. Laacouri
Affiliation:
Dept. Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
J. Galzki
Affiliation:
Dept. Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
D. Mulla*
Affiliation:
Dept. Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
*
†E-mail: mulla003@umn.edu
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Abstract

Little is known about the effectiveness of sensor-based variable rate nitrogen (VRN) fertilizer application at reducing nitrate-N losses. A variable rate in-season nitrogen (VRN) treatment was compared to a conventional pre-plant uniform rate nitrogen treatment in eight Minnesota, USA sub-fields. Water samples collected weekly during 2016 were analyzed for nitrate-N. The Drainmod model was able to accurately represent measured tile discharge and nitrate-N concentration data. Modeled nitrate-N losses in tile discharge were 16% lower in VRN than uniform treatments. These results show that in-season VRN fertilizer N management can significantly reduce nitrate-N loads from tile drained maize fields.

Keywords

VRNnitrate-Nwater qualitytile drainagemodeling
Type
Precision Nitrogen
Information
Advances in Animal Biosciences , Volume 8 , Special Issue 2: Papers presented at the 11th European Conference on Precision Agriculture (ECPA 2017), John McIntyre Centre, Edinburgh, UK, July 16–20 2017 , July 2017 , pp. 317 - 321
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

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