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Title: PLANT-SOIL-MICROBE N RELATIONSHIPS IN HIGH RESIDUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Author
item Dinnes, Dana
item Jaynes, Dan
item Kaspar, Thomas
item Colvin, Thomas
item Cambardella, Cynthia
item Karlen, Douglas

Submitted to: South Dakota No Till Association Annual Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2001
Publication Date: 1/25/2001
Citation: DINNES, D.L., JAYNES, D.B., KASPAR, T.C., COLVIN, T.S., CAMBARDELLA, C.A., KARLEN, D.L. PLANT-SOIL-MICROBE N RELATIONSHIPS IN HIGH RESIDUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. SOUTH DAKOTA NO TILL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. 2001. P. 45-50.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Improving no-till N fertilizer use efficiency provides benefits not only to the environment, but also for farm economics. No-till soils vary dramatically from tilled soils in C content, O2 status, water content and temperature. Understanding that these and other factors affect the soil-N cycle can help to manage N fertilizer by accounting for the effects of high levels of surface residues on no-till's N mineralization and immobilization processes. With cool early season soil temperatures, the timing and placement of N fertilizer for no-till corn is critical. Readily plant-available N starter fertilizer placed near the seed at planting, and an additional in-season application, can provide an effective no-till N program. Also, because of high surface residue levels, knifing or injecting of N fertilizer is more effective than surface applications. With N fertilizer prices nearly doubling within the past year, there is now adequate economic pressure to minimize N fertilizer costs and make efforts to make one's crop production program as efficient as possible. Because much remains to be learned about the N cycle in no-till environments, it is very important for the no-till farmer to keep up-to-date on new knowledge and technologies from the soil sciences to improve their N management and farm profitability.