Nitrogen fixation in summer-grown soybean crops and fate of fixed-N over a winter fallow in subtropical sugarcane systems
Lee J. Kearney A , Emma Dutilloy A and Terry J. Rose
A B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157 Lismore, NSW 2480 Australia.
B Centre for Organics Research, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157 Lismore, NSW 2480 Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: terry.rose@scu.edu.au
Soil Research 57(8) 845-850 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR19044
Submitted: 21 February 2019 Accepted: 17 July 2019 Published: 5 September 2019
Abstract
Legumes including soybeans (Glycine max L.) can provide substantial nitrogen (N) inputs into cropping systems when grown as a part of a rotation. However, in the wet subtropics where land is fallowed for 4–6 months after soybean crops before planting of sugarcane (Saccharum L. spp. hybrids), climatic conditions over winter can be conducive to rapid mineralisation of N from residues with consequent N losses through nitrate leaching or denitrification processes. Using 15N natural abundance methodology, we estimated N2 fixation in 12 summer-grown soybean crops in the Australian wet subtropics, and tracked the fate of soybean residue-N from brown manure crops (residue from plants at late pod-filling left on the soil surface) using 15N-labelled residue in three of these fields over the winter fallow period. Disregarding two poor crops, N2 fixation ranged from 100–290 kg N ha–1 in shoots at mid pod-filling, equating to 170–468 kg N ha–1 including estimated root N contributions. Following the winter fallow, 61 and 68% of soybean residue-N was recovered in clay and peat soils respectively, to 0.9 m depth at one location (Coraki) but only 55% of residue-N could be accounted for to 0.9 m depth in a sandy soil at another location (Ballina). In addition, around 20% of the recovered 15N at this site was located at 0.3–0.6 m depth in the soil profile. Our results indicate that substantial loss of soybean residue-N can occur during winter fallows in the wet subtropics, suggesting that winter cover crops may be necessary to retain N in fields and minimise losses to the environment.
Additional keywords: fallow, legumes, 15N natural abundance, nitrate leaching.
References
Abiven S, Recous S (2007) Mineralisation of crop residues on the soil surface or incorporated in the soil under controlled conditions. Biology and Fertility of Soils 43, 849–852.| Mineralisation of crop residues on the soil surface or incorporated in the soil under controlled conditions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bell MJ, Moody PW, Halpin NV, Garside AL (2006) Impact of management of cane trash and legume residues on N mineralisation and crop N uptake. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 28, 129–141.
Bergersen FJ, Turner GL, Gault RR, Peoples MB, Morthorpe LJ, Brockwell J (1992) Contributions of nitrogen in soybean crop residues to subsequent crops and to soils. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 155–169.
| Contributions of nitrogen in soybean crop residues to subsequent crops and to soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Blanco-Canqui HB, Shaver TM, Lindquist JL, Shapiro CA, Elmore RW, Francis CA, Hergert GW (2015) Cover crops and ecosystem services: insights from studies in temperate soils. Agronomy Journal 107, 2449–2474.
| Cover crops and ecosystem services: insights from studies in temperate soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Chen B, Liu E, Tian Q, Yan C, Zhang Y (2014) Soil nitrogen dynamics and crop residues. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 34, 429–442.
| Soil nitrogen dynamics and crop residues. A review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Collino DJ, Salvagiotti F, Perticari A, Piccinetti C, Ovando G, Urquiaga S, Racca RW (2015) Biological nitrogen fixation in soybean in Argentina: relationships with crop, soil, and meteorological factors. Plant and Soil 392, 239–252.
| Biological nitrogen fixation in soybean in Argentina: relationships with crop, soil, and meteorological factors.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
FAOSTAT (2014) FAOSTAT. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/ [verified 23 October 2017].
Fillery IRP (2001) The fate of biologically fixed nitrogen in legume-based dryland farming systems: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 361–381.
| The fate of biologically fixed nitrogen in legume-based dryland farming systems: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Forster JC (1995) 3-Soil sampling, handling, storage and analysis. In ‘Methods in applied soil microbiology and biochemistry’. (Eds A Kassem, N Paolo) pp. 49–121. (Academic Press: London)
Francis GS, Haynes RJ, Williams PH (1995) Effects of timing of ploughing-in temporary leguminous pastures and two winter cover crops on nitrogen mineralisation, nitrate leaching and spring wheat growth. The Journal of Agricultural Science 124, 1–9.
| Effects of timing of ploughing-in temporary leguminous pastures and two winter cover crops on nitrogen mineralisation, nitrate leaching and spring wheat growth.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Garside AL, Bell MJ (2007) The value of legume breaks to the sugarcane cropping system – cumulative yields for the next cycle, potential cash returns from the legume, and duration of the break effect. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 29, 299–308.
Garside AL, Bell MJ (2011) Growth and yield responses to amendments to the sugarcane monoculture: effects of crop, pasture and bare fallow breaks and soil fumigation on plant and ratoon crops. Crop and Pasture Science 62, 396–412.
| Growth and yield responses to amendments to the sugarcane monoculture: effects of crop, pasture and bare fallow breaks and soil fumigation on plant and ratoon crops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Garside AL, Berthelsen JE, Richards CL, Toovey LM (1996) Fallow legumes on the wet tropical coast: some species and management options. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 18, 202–208.
Gentry LE, Below FE, David MB, Bergerou JA (2001) Source of soybean credit in maize production. Plant and Soil 236, 175–184.
| Source of soybean credit in maize production.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hardarson G, Atkins C (2003) Optimising biological N2 fixation by legumes in farming systems. Plant and Soil 252, 41–54.
| Optimising biological N2 fixation by legumes in farming systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Herridge DF, Peoples MB, Boddey RM (2008) Global inputs of biological nitrogen fixation in agricultural systems. Plant and Soil 311, 1–18.
| Global inputs of biological nitrogen fixation in agricultural systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kaye JP, Quemada M (2017) Using cover crops to mitigate and adapt to climate change. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 37, 4
| Using cover crops to mitigate and adapt to climate change. A review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kihara J, Martius C, Bationo A, Vlek PLG (2011) Effects of tillage and crop residue application on soybean nitrogen fixation in a tropical Ferralsol. Agriculture 1, 22–37.
| Effects of tillage and crop residue application on soybean nitrogen fixation in a tropical Ferralsol.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ladd JN, Oades JM, Amato M (1981) Distribution and recovery of nitrogen from legume residues decomposing in soils sown to wheat in the field. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 13, 251–256.
| Distribution and recovery of nitrogen from legume residues decomposing in soils sown to wheat in the field.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mcdonald L (2006) The effect of time of ratooning on sugarcane growth in the Burdekin. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 28, 261–272.
Miranda KM, Espey MG, Wink DA (2001) A rapid, simple spectrophotometric method for simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite. Nitric Oxide 5, 62–71.
| A rapid, simple spectrophotometric method for simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 11178938PubMed |
Nachimuthu G, Bell MJ, Halpin N (2017) Nitrogen losses in terrestrial hydrological pathways in sugarcane cropping systems of Australia. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 72, 32A–35A.
| Nitrogen losses in terrestrial hydrological pathways in sugarcane cropping systems of Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Noble AD, Garside AL (2000) Influence of soybean residue management on nitrogen mineralisation and leaching and soil pH in a wet tropical environment. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 22, 139–146.
Park SE, Webster TJ, Horan HL, James AT, Thorburn PJ (2010) A legume rotation crop lessens the need for nitrogen fertiliser throughout the sugarcane cropping cycle. Field Crops Research 119, 331–341.
| A legume rotation crop lessens the need for nitrogen fertiliser throughout the sugarcane cropping cycle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Peoples MB, Gault RR, Lean B, Sykes JD, Brockwell J (1995) Nitrogen fixation by soybean in commercial irrigated crops of central and southern New South Wales. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 27, 553–561.
| Nitrogen fixation by soybean in commercial irrigated crops of central and southern New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Prasertsak P, Freney JR, Denmead OT, Saffigna PG, Prove BG, Reghenzani JR (2002) Effect of fertilizer placement on nitrogen loss from sugarcane in tropical Queensland. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 62, 229–239.
| Effect of fertilizer placement on nitrogen loss from sugarcane in tropical Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rochester IJ, Peoples MB, Constable GA, Gault RR (1998) Faba beans and other legumes add nitrogen to irrigated cotton cropping systems. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38, 253–260.
| Faba beans and other legumes add nitrogen to irrigated cotton cropping systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rose TJ, Rengel Z, Ma Q, Bowden JW (2008) Post-flowering supply of P, but not K, is required for maximum canola seed yields. European Journal of Agronomy 28, 371–379.
| Post-flowering supply of P, but not K, is required for maximum canola seed yields.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rose TJ, Quin P, Morris SG, Kearney LJ, Kimber S, Rose MT, Van Zwieten L (2018a) No evidence for higher agronomic N use efficiency or lower nitrous oxide emissions from enhanced efficiency fertilisers in aerobic subtropical rice. Field Crops Research 225, 47–54.
| No evidence for higher agronomic N use efficiency or lower nitrous oxide emissions from enhanced efficiency fertilisers in aerobic subtropical rice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rose TJ, Kearney LJ, Erler DV, Rose MT, Van Zwieten L, Raymond CA (2018b) Influence of growth stage and seed nitrogen on B values and potential contributions to error in estimating biological N2 fixation using the 15N natural abundance method. Plant and Soil 425, 389–399.
| Influence of growth stage and seed nitrogen on B values and potential contributions to error in estimating biological N2 fixation using the 15N natural abundance method.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rose TJ, Kearney LJ, Erler DV, Van Zwieten L (2019) Integration and potential nitrogen contributions of green manure inter-row legume crops in coppiced tree cropping systems. European Journal of Agronomy 103, 47–53.
| Integration and potential nitrogen contributions of green manure inter-row legume crops in coppiced tree cropping systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schipanski ME, Drinkwater LE, Russelle MP (2010) Understanding the variability in soybean nitrogen fixation across agroecosystems. Plant and Soil 329, 379–397.
| Understanding the variability in soybean nitrogen fixation across agroecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shearer G, Kohl DH (1986) N2-fixation in field settings: estimations based on natural 15N abundance. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 13, 699–756.
Shoko MD, Pieterse PJ, Zhou M (2009) Effect of soybean (Glycine max) as a breakcrop on the cane and sugar yield of sugarcane. Sugar Tech 11, 252–257.
| Effect of soybean (Glycine max) as a breakcrop on the cane and sugar yield of sugarcane.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thönnissen C, Mimore DJ, Ladha JK, Olk DC, Schmidhlater U (2000) Legume decomposition and nitrogen release when applied as green manures to tropical vegetable production systems. Agronomy Journal 92, 253–260.
| Legume decomposition and nitrogen release when applied as green manures to tropical vegetable production systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Unkovich M, Baldock J, Peoples M (2010) Prospects and problems of simple linear models for estimating symbiotic N2 fixation by crop and pasture legumes. Plant and Soil 329, 75–89.
| Prospects and problems of simple linear models for estimating symbiotic N2 fixation by crop and pasture legumes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
