Fertilizer systems deployment and zeolite application on nutrients status and nitrogen use efficiency

Abstract

Nitrate leaching (NL) has become an issue in intensive agricultural systems with destructive results on the environment. The efficacy of zeolite incorporation with different organic and inorganic fertilizers was investigated in order to improve crop yield, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in canola and wheat during 2014–2018. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design, with the split-plot layout. Two crop rotations of “canola-soybean-wheat” and “canola-wheat” were applied in the main-plots and nine fertilizing management systems (F₁: urea, F₂: urea + zeolite, F₃: composted manure, F₄: composted manure + zeolite, F₅: urea + composted manure, F₆: urea + composted manure + zeolite, F₇: urea + azocompost, F₈: urea + azocompost + zeolite and F₉: Control) provided the sub-plots. The highest yields in canola and wheat were observed with the application of F₆ and F₈ treatments. The highest nitrogen (N) uptake was found in the second year through F₆ and F₈ application (115.1 and 120.4; 115.1 and 114.4 kg ha⁻¹), while the lowest was found in the F₉ (30.3 and 28.0 kg ha⁻¹) in canola and wheat, respectively. The highest and the lowest rates of NL were obtained in the F₁ and F₉ treatments, respectively. Zeolite incorporation into integrated fertilizer management systems fulfilled the experimental goals in preserving more nutrients in the rhizosphere.

Keywords:

• azocompost
• composted manure
• nitrogen use efficiency
• nutrient leaching
• nutrient uptake
• zeolite

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Iranian National Science Foundation, Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran [grant number: 87042085] (http://en.isti.ir). The authors also wish to acknowledge the Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University for its supports and assistance. The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which helped to improve the quality of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was by reported the author(s).