Abstract
It remains uncertain how oat (Avena sativa L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) impact both nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) recycling in cover crop-maize (Zea mays L.) systems as well as N and S diagnostic methods in maize. Field trials were conducted at three sites in the southeastern Argentinean Pampas to evaluate the effect of oat, hairy vetch, and bare fallow combined with four N and S fertilization treatments (unfertilized, N-, S-, and NS-fertilized) on maize. Soil N and S content at maize sowing, chlorophyll meter reading (CMR) at silking, and grain yield were determined. Overall, soil NO3−-N content (0–60 cm) at maize sowing was hairy vetch > bare fallow > oat, while SO4−2-S content was hairy vetch > bare fallow = oat. Maize yield response to N was predicted from soil NO3−-N content (R2 = 0.80). The CMR was negatively correlated with cover crop residue quality (carbon (C)/N and C/S ratios). Also, CMR accurately predicted variations in maize grain yield. In the unfertilized treatment, maize yield was hairy vetch > bare fallow > oat, in two of the three sites. There was no yield response to N or S with hairy vetch. Oat and hairy vetch differentially affected N and S recycling in cover crop-maize cropping systems. Soil NO3−-N and SO4−2-S content at maize sowing combined with CMR are reliable diagnostic tools to assess maize N and S, allowing for sustainable fertilization management.
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Abbreviations
- CC:
-
Cover crop
- CMR:
-
Chlorophyll meter reading
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Acknowledgments
Authors wish to thank Dr. N. Cafaro La Menza for his critical reading of the manuscript, Ms. R. Veenstra for English editing, and G. Divito, G. Berg, and staff from Santo Domingo, El Silencio, and San Lorenzo farms.
Funding
This research was supported by Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (2019-PE-E1-I011–001), Facultad de Ciencias Agracias—Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (project “Nutrient release and greenhouse gas emissions in systems with cover crops”), and Asociación Argentina de Productores en Siembra Directa.
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Highlights
•Hairy vetch reduced N and S fertilizer requirements.
•Oat increased N fertilizer requirements.
•Soil N and S availability were differentially affected by oat and hairy vetch.
•Chlorophyll meter readings detected variations in N and S maize status.
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Carciochi, W.D., Crespo, C., Eliceche, M. et al. Nitrogen and Sulfur Recycling and Diagnostic in Cover Crop-Maize Systems. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 21, 801–812 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00402-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00402-y