Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations
Intensively managed forest plantations often require fertilization to maintain site fertility and to improve growth and yield over successive rotations. We applied urea-based “enhanced-efficiency fertilizers” (EEF) containing 0.5 atom% <sup>15</sup>N at a rate of 224 kg N ha<sup>−1...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/352 |
| _version_ | 1797541055291195392 |
|---|---|
| author | Joshua L. Sloan Francis K. Salifu Douglass F. Jacobs |
| author_facet | Joshua L. Sloan Francis K. Salifu Douglass F. Jacobs |
| author_sort | Joshua L. Sloan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Intensively managed forest plantations often require fertilization to maintain site fertility and to improve growth and yield over successive rotations. We applied urea-based “enhanced-efficiency fertilizers” (EEF) containing 0.5 atom% <sup>15</sup>N at a rate of 224 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> to soils under mid-rotation black walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i> L.) plantations to track the fate of applied <sup>15</sup>N within aboveground ecosystem components during the 12-month period after application. Treatments included Agrotain Ultra (urea coated with a urease inhibitor), Arborite EC (urea coated with water-soluble boron and phosphate), Agrium ESN (polymer-coated urea), uncoated urea, and an unfertilized control. Agrotain Ultra and Arborite EC increased N concentrations of competing vegetation within one month after fertilization, while neither Agrium ESN nor uncoated urea had any effect on competing vegetation N concentrations during the experiment. Agrotain Ultra and Arborite EC increased δ<sup>15</sup>N values in leaves of crop trees above those of controls at one and two months after fertilization, respectively. By contrast, Agrium ESN and uncoated urea had no effect on δ<sup>15</sup>N values in leaves of crop trees until three months after fertilization. Fertilizer N recovery (FNR) varied among ecosystem components, with competing vegetation acting as a sink for applied nutrients. There were no significant differences in FNR for all the urea-based EEF products compared to uncoated urea. Agrium ESN was the only EEF that exhibited controlled-release activity in this study, with other fertilizers behaving similarly to uncoated urea. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:09:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-84f4ade0d7a84276b78e2f496c40b049 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:09:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-84f4ade0d7a84276b78e2f496c40b0492023-11-21T10:50:23ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-03-0112335210.3390/f12030352Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) PlantationsJoshua L. Sloan0Francis K. Salifu1Douglass F. Jacobs2Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USASalifu Environmental Solutions, Calgary, AB T3P0G2, CanadaHardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAIntensively managed forest plantations often require fertilization to maintain site fertility and to improve growth and yield over successive rotations. We applied urea-based “enhanced-efficiency fertilizers” (EEF) containing 0.5 atom% <sup>15</sup>N at a rate of 224 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> to soils under mid-rotation black walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i> L.) plantations to track the fate of applied <sup>15</sup>N within aboveground ecosystem components during the 12-month period after application. Treatments included Agrotain Ultra (urea coated with a urease inhibitor), Arborite EC (urea coated with water-soluble boron and phosphate), Agrium ESN (polymer-coated urea), uncoated urea, and an unfertilized control. Agrotain Ultra and Arborite EC increased N concentrations of competing vegetation within one month after fertilization, while neither Agrium ESN nor uncoated urea had any effect on competing vegetation N concentrations during the experiment. Agrotain Ultra and Arborite EC increased δ<sup>15</sup>N values in leaves of crop trees above those of controls at one and two months after fertilization, respectively. By contrast, Agrium ESN and uncoated urea had no effect on δ<sup>15</sup>N values in leaves of crop trees until three months after fertilization. Fertilizer N recovery (FNR) varied among ecosystem components, with competing vegetation acting as a sink for applied nutrients. There were no significant differences in FNR for all the urea-based EEF products compared to uncoated urea. Agrium ESN was the only EEF that exhibited controlled-release activity in this study, with other fertilizers behaving similarly to uncoated urea.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/352nutrient cyclingplantation productivityplant growthcompeting vegetationfertilizer N recoveryfertilization |
| spellingShingle | Joshua L. Sloan Francis K. Salifu Douglass F. Jacobs Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations Forests nutrient cycling plantation productivity plant growth competing vegetation fertilizer N recovery fertilization |
| title | Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations |
| title_full | Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations |
| title_fullStr | Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations |
| title_short | Nitrogen Recovery from Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers and Urea in Intensively Managed Black Walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i>) Plantations |
| title_sort | nitrogen recovery from enhanced efficiency fertilizers and urea in intensively managed black walnut i juglans nigra i plantations |
| topic | nutrient cycling plantation productivity plant growth competing vegetation fertilizer N recovery fertilization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/352 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joshualsloan nitrogenrecoveryfromenhancedefficiencyfertilizersandureainintensivelymanagedblackwalnutijuglansnigraiplantations AT francisksalifu nitrogenrecoveryfromenhancedefficiencyfertilizersandureainintensivelymanagedblackwalnutijuglansnigraiplantations AT douglassfjacobs nitrogenrecoveryfromenhancedefficiencyfertilizersandureainintensivelymanagedblackwalnutijuglansnigraiplantations |