Prediction of nitrogen uptake by sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) by scoring organic matter and nitrogen management (N-score), in Hokkaido, Japan

Figures & data

Figure 1 Placement of nitrogen-15 (¹⁵N)-labeled fertilizer and the areas where sugar beet was sampled. The 10 sugar beet plants surrounded by a broken line were sampled at harvest time, October 20, 2005. @, Sugar beet plant; •, hole where ¹⁵N-labeled nitrogen was applied.

Table 1 Field description

Site ID	Year	Area/district	City/town/village	Soil type	Nitrogen treatment (number of plots)	Nitrogen fertilizer amount† (kg N ha^−1)
1	2003	Tokachi-central	Makubetsu	Andosol	4	160–220
2	2003	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Andosol	4	108–200
3	2003	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Andosol	4	80–200
4	2004	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	2	144–168
5	2004	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	2	168–192
6	2004	Abashiri	Abashiri	Sand-dune Regosol	2	168–216
7	2004	Abashiri	Bihoro	Andosol	2	168–208
8	2004	Abashiri	Bihoro	Brown Forest soil	2	149–183
9	2004	Abashiri	Higashimokoto	Gray Lowland soil	2	156–204
10	2004	Abashiri	Saroma	Gray Upland soil	4	162–222
11	2004	Abashiri	Shari	Andosol	1	220
12	2004	Hokkaido-central	Chitose	Volcanogenous Regosol	4	66–126
13	2004	Hokkaido-central	Naganuma	Gray Lowland soil	3	154–216
14	2004	Tokachi-central	Honbetsu	Andosol	4	112–192
15	2004	Tokachi-central	Memuro	Andosol	1	200
16	2004	Tokachi-central	Obihiro	Wet Andosol	2	176–198
17	2004	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Brown Forest soil	4	140–200
18	2004	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Wet Andosol	1	200
19	2004	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Andosol	1	200
20	2004	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Andosol	3	107–180
21	2004	Tokachi-central	Shihoro	Wet Andosol	2	150–180
22	2004	Tokachi-coastal	Churui	Andosol	2	160–200
23	2004	Tokachi-coastal	Taiki	Brown Lowland soil	4	160–220
24	2004	Tokachi-mountainous	Shikaoi	Wet Andosol	4	0–160
25	2005	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	2	144–168
26	2005	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	2	132–192
27	2005	Abashiri	Higashimokoto	Andosol	3	110–176
28	2005	Abashiri	Saroma	Gray Upland soil	5	48–192
29	2005	Hokkaido-central	Chitose	Volcanogenous Regosol	4	48–135
30	2005	Hokkaido-central	Naganuma	Gray Lowland soil	3	88–176
31	2005	Tokachi-central	Honbetsu	Andosol	5	57–228
32	2005	Tokachi-central	Memuro	Andosol	9	48–335
33	2005	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Brown Forest soil	4	100–160
34	2005	Tokachi-central	Sarabetsu	Andosol	4	100–200
35	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Churui	Andosol	2	140–200
36	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	184–244
37	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Andosol	2	206–286
38	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Andosol	2	180–220
39	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	200–263
40	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	209–233
41	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	176–198
42	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Andosol	2	183–223
43	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	200–265
44	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Peat soil	2	180–238
45	2005	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	2	272–318
46	2005	Tokachi-mountainous	Shikaoi	Wet Andosol	2	0–27
47	2006	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	5	42–231
48	2006	Abashiri	Abashiri	Brown Forest soil	2	144–168
49	2006	Abashiri	Saroma	Gray Upland soil	5	48–264
50	2006	Tokachi-central	Honbetsu	Andosol	6	45–225
51	2006	Tokachi-central	Memuro	Andosol	11	49–392
52	2006	Tokachi-coastal	Toyokoro	Gray Lowland soil	7	54–324
53	2006	Tokachi-mountainous	Shikaoi	Wet Andosol	2	0–21
54	2006	Tokachi-mountainous	Shimizu	Wet Andosol	2	80–192
55	2006	Tokachi-mountainous	Shimizu	Wet Andosol	2	80–160
†Nitrogen (N) fertilizer amount applied in the cropping season. Some were applied just before transplanting, others were broadcasted until late May.

Table 2 Field description data

Site ID	Previous crop	Organic matters and fertilizers applied after harvest of previous crop and history of land use
1	Winter wheat	Nothing applied.
2	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1, spring: poultry manure 4 Mg ha^−1.
3	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 200 kg ha^−1(92 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
4	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
5	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
6	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1.
7	Sugar beet	Last fall: cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1(Beet-top was applied last fall).
8	Potato	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1.
9	Sugar beet	Nothing applied (Beet-top was applied last fall).
10	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
11	Winter wheat	Spring: poultry manure 2 Mg ha^−1.
12	Winter wheat	Spring: poultry manure 50 Mg ha^−1.
13	Paddy rice	Nothing applied, but this had been paddy field until the last year. From the investigated year, this was converted to upland field.
14	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 400 kg ha^−1 (184 kg N ha^−1) for green manure.
15	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1.
16	Winter wheat	Spring: pig manure 1.5 Mg ha^−1.
17	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1, spring: cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
18	Winter wheat	Spring: poultry manure 5 Mg ha^−1.
19	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 200 kg ha^−1(92 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
20	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1 + calcium cyanamide 200 kg ha^−1 (40 kg N ha^−1), spring: poultry manure 10 Mg ha^−1.
21	Potato	Last fall: cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1.
22	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1 + cattle urine 10 Mg ha^−1.
23	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1 (every year over for a decade).
24	Winter wheat	Last fall: pig slurry 150 Mg ha^−1 + cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1(every year over for a decade).
25	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
26	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
27	Sugar beet	Nothing applied (Beet-top was applied last fall).
28	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1.
29	Winter wheat	Spring: poultry manure 63 Mg ha^−1.
30	Sugar beet	Nothing applied, but this had been paddy field until two years ago. From the last year, this was converted to upland field (Beet-top was applied last fall).
31	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 400 kg ha^−1 (184 kg N ha^−1) for green manure.
32	Winter wheat	Nothing applied.
33	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1, spring: cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1.
34	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 200 kg ha^−1 (92 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
35	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle urine 20 Mg ha^−1 + cattle manure† 40 Mg ha^−1(every year over for a decade).
36	Winter wheat	Nothing applied.
37	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 20 Mg ha^−1.
38	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 20 Mg ha^−1.
39	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 400 kg ha^−1 (84 kg N ha^−1) for green manure.
40	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 200 kg ha^−1 (92 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1.
41	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 20 Mg ha^−1.
42	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 150 kg ha^−1 (69 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 30 Mg ha^−1.
43	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 250 kg ha^−1 (115 kg N ha^−1) for green manure.
44	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 10 Mg ha^−1.
45	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 10 Mg ha^−1.
46	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1 + pig slurry 50 Mg ha^−1, spring: pig manure 40 Mg ha^−1.
47	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
48	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
49	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 60 Mg ha^−1.
50	Winter wheat	Last fall: urea 400 kg ha^−1 (184 kg N ha^−1) for green manure.
51	Winter wheat	Nothing applied.
52	Winter wheat	Last fall: calcium cyanamide 200 kg ha^−1 (40 kg N ha^−1).
53	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle manure† 50 Mg ha^−1 + pig slurry 50 Mg ha^−1.
54	Winter wheat	Last fall: ammonium sulfate 200 kg ha^−1 (42 kg N ha^−1) for green manure + cattle manure† 20 Mg ha^−1.
55	Winter wheat	Last fall: cattle slurry 80 Mg ha^−1 + cattle urine 100 Mg ha^−1.
†In this study, cattle manure means the cattle excrement without being composted, the composted cattle manure (several years) and the cattle manure mixed with bark.

Table 3 N-scoring of organic matter application and field practices

Organic matter application/field practice	N-score
Cattle manure†, single year application	1.0 kg N Mg^−1 of manure
Cattle manure†, more than 10 years consecutive application	3.0 kg N Mg^−1 of manure
Cattle slurry	1.3 kg N Mg^−1 of slurry
Pig slurry	1.3 kg N Mg^−1 of slurry
Cattle urine	2.5 kg N Mg^−1 of urine
Pig manure	3.7 kg N Mg^−1 of manure
Poultry manure	13 kg N Mg^−1 of manure
Nitrogen fertilizer amount at sowing green manure	100% of the nitrogen amount (kg N ha^−1)
Incorporating sugar beet leaf	40 kg N ha^−1
Converting to upland field from paddy rice field within 2 years	10 kg N ha^−1
†In this study, cattle manure means the cattle excrement without being composted, the composted cattle manure (several years) and the cattle manure mixed with bark.

Table 4 Nitrogen (N) uptake as determined from ¹⁵N measurement and N recovery rate of ¹⁵N applied at each depth

^15N-applied depth (cm)	^15N atom (%)		N uptake from applied ^15N-labeled N (g m^−2)			N recovery rate (%)
	Leaf	Root	Leaf	Root	Total
0–20	1.16	1.03	2.4	1.3	3.7	74.0
20–40	1.18	1.15	1.8	1.5	3.3	66.0
40–60	1.10	1.03	2.4	1.0	3.4	68.0
60–80	1.01	0.90	1.4	1.0	2.4	48.0
80–100	0.83	0.74	1.1	0.7	1.8	36.0

Figure 2 Representative data demonstrating the relationship between nitrogen (N) uptake by sugar beet and N supply (defined as N fertilizer amount + soil nitrate N at 0–60 cm depths) in the Tokachi-central area. ○, No organic matter applied; ×, organic matter applied. Regression on ○, y = 0.61x +  68, n = 24, r = 0.88, **(p < 0.01). Regression on ×, y = 0.24x + 250, n = 45, r = 0.48, **(p < 0.01).

Figure 3 Relationship between nitrogen (N) uptake by sugar beet and N-score + fertilizer N amount. ×, Excess organic matter (N-score is over 220, and/or more than 30 Mg ha⁻¹ manure applied consecutively), n = 18; •, confounding problems (diseased sugar beet or the topsoil is too hard), n = 13; ○, the majority of cases except the above cases, y = 0.68x + 100, n = 140, r = 0.75, *** (p < 0.001).