Resumo: O nitrogênio é nutriente absorvido em maiores quantidades na cultura do milho e o que proporciona maiores produtividades de grãos, sendo seu uso no sistema solo-planta alterado pelo sistema de cultivo utilizado. Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de sistemas de cultivo e doses de nitrogênio na produção de matéria seca, nitrogênio na planta, nitrogênio foliar, produtividade de grãos e eficiência do nitrogênio no milho, foi implantado experimento de campo nos anos de 2008 e 2009, em um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo, distrófico, sob irrigação. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em parcelas subdivididas, com oito repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas pela semeadura direta (SD) e plantio convencional (PC). Nas subparcelas, foram aplicadas seis doses de N (0; 40; 80; 120; 160 e 200 kg ha-1) na forma de uréia. Em 2009 a fim de avaliar a velocidade de decomposição e liberação do nitrogênio do feijão utilizado como cobertura morta, esses resíduos foram acondicionados em sacolas de náilon, as quais foram dispostas sobre o solo nas parcelas correspondente a SD e o seu conteúdo analisado em intervalos de 25 dias, até 100 dias após sua instalação. A adubação nitrogenada aumentou significativamente as variáveis relacionadas com a produtividade, sendo que a SD proporcionou a maior produção de matéria seca da parte aérea, matéria seca do grão, nitrogênio na parte aérea, nitrogênio do grão, produtividade de grãos, eficiência de absorção e uso do nitrogênio. A faixa de suficiência de nitrogênio na folha variou de 25,7 a 28,4 g kg-1. As doses máximas econômicas em 2008 e 2009 foram respectivamente de 125 e 160 kg ha-1 N / Abstract: Nitrogen is the nutrient absorbed in largest quantities in maize which provides more grain yields, and its use in soil-plant system is modified by the tillage system utilized. Aiming to evaluate the effect of cropping systems and nitrogen rates on dry matter production, nitrogen in the plant, leaf nitrogen, grain yield and nitrogen efficiency in maize, field experiment was established in 2008 and 2009 in a dystrophic red-yellow Argisoil under irrigation. The split-plot experimental design were used with eight replications. The plots were established by no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT). Subplots were set in six levels of N(0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg ha-1) as urea. In 2009, in order to assess the speed of decomposition and nitrogen release from the bean plant used as cover crop, plant residues were packaged in nylon bags, which were arranged on the ground in the plots corresponding to NT and its contents examined at intervals of 25 days until 100 days after its installation. The nitrogen fertilization increased significantly the variables related to productivity, being that no-tillage provided the highest dry matter yield on shoot, dry matter of grain, nitrogen on shoot, grain nitrogen, grain yield, nitrogen uptake efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency. The sufficiency range of leaf nitrogen ranged from 25.7 to 28.4 g kg-1. The maximum economic rates in 2008 and 2009 season were respectively 125 and 160 kg ha-1N / Orientador: Edson Luiz Mendes Coutinho / Coorientador: Adeodato Ari Cavalcante Salviano / Banca: Luiz Evaldo de Moura Pádua / Banca: Takashi Muraoka / Banca: José Carlos Barbosa / Banca: José Eduardo Corá / Doutor

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-02-08T10:12:21Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Gustavo de Melo Oliveira Gonçalves - 2016.pdf: 1630959 bytes, checksum: 90d5f7c22407381803a1e520c265c080 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-02-08T10:12:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Gustavo de Melo Oliveira Gonçalves - 2016.pdf: 1630959 bytes, checksum: 90d5f7c22407381803a1e520c265c080 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-08T10:12:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Gustavo de Melo Oliveira Gonçalves - 2016.pdf: 1630959 bytes, checksum: 90d5f7c22407381803a1e520c265c080 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In the last years, due to the government effort, especially in the Tocantins State, there have been significante increase on flooded rice production areas. However, there are few studies about nitrogen sources and doses in that region, which could improve the nitrogen efficiency use and provide higher incomes for farmers. This study aimed to determine the effects of different sources and doses of nitrogen in flooded lowland soils in the pH, redox potential and the concentration of ions in the soil solution in order to obtain the economicallyand environmentally best mineral nitrogen source and dose. The samples were collected in the 2014/2015 season at the Embrapa Rice and Beans Experimental Field - Palmital Farm-, in a Dystric Gleysol. The design was a complete randomized blocks, with four replications, two sources of nitrogen (common urea and slow release urea), three nitrogen rates (30, 70, 150 kg ha-1), and a control, without any N application.Soil solution samples were collected weekly, during the flooded period in rice cultivation, BRS Catiana genotype. The pH analysis and Eh (redoxpotential) were immediately read, just after the soil solution sampling, in the field, and thenHCl (2M) acidified,, and immediately frozen for later analysis of the following ions: Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Zn, Mn, MOS, NO3- and NH4+. The sources used did not affect the release of nutrients dynamics to the soil solution. The anaerobic condition caused changes in the Eh and ions solubility in the soil solution. The doses applied changed Ca and MOS concentrations in solution, and the dose of 150 kg ha-1 N showed the highest values for both. / Nos últimos anos, devido incentivos do governo, especialmente no Estado do Tocantins, houve significante aumento em áreas de produção de arroz irrigado. No entanto, existem poucos estudos sobre fontes de nitrogênio e doses naquela região, o que poderia melhorar a eficiência de uso de nitrogênio e proporcionar maiores rendimentos para os produtores rurais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar os efeitos de diferentes fontes e doses de nitrogênio em solos de várzea inundados no pH, potencial redox e na concentração de íons da solução do solo, visando a obtenção da fonte e dose de fertilizante economicamente viável e ambientalmente sustentável. As amostras foram coletadas na safra 2014/2015 no Campo Experimental da Fazenda Palmital, da Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, em Gleissolo Háplico. O delineamento utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições, sendo duas fontes de nitrogênio (ureia comum e ureia de liberação lenta), três doses de N aplicadas em cobertura (30, 70, 150 kg ha-1), e a testemunha absoluta, sem aplicação alguma de N. Foram coletadas amostras de solução do solo, semanalmente, durante o período de inundação no cultivo do arroz, cultivar BRS Catiana. As análises de pH e Eh (potencial de oxirredução) foram feitas logo após a coleta da solução do solo no campo, e então, acidificadas com HCl (2M), e imediatamente congeladas para posterior análise dos seguintes elementos: Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Zn, Mn, MOS, NO3- e NH4+. As fontes utilizadas não interferiram na dinâmica de liberação dos nutrientes para solução do solo. A condição de anaerobiose causou modificações no estado de oxirredução e alterou a solubilidade dos nutrientes na solução do solo. As doses aplicadas alteraram as concentrações de Ca e MOS na solução, sendo a dose de 150 kg ha-1 de N a dose que apresentou os maiores valores para ambos.

Devido ao aprimoramento das práticas silviculturais e do melhoramento genético para seleção de genótipos mais produtivos, a produtividade do Pinus taeda no Brasil é reconhecida entre as maiores do mundo. Mesmo com alta produtividade em determinados sítios, sua variação é consideravelmente grande. Sabe-se que a disponibilidade de água, luz e nutrientes são fatores essenciais para a produção de madeira, onde a eficiência de uso desses recursos influenciam nesta variação do produtividade. Contudo, a ausência de fertilização em plantios de Pinus é majoritária nas áreas comerciais no Brasil, devido ao bom crescimento em solos de baixa fertilidade e por dificilmente apresentarem deficiência visual de nutrientes. Para compreender quais fatores influenciam na produção e partição de biomassa, se faz necessário o estudo da ecologia da produção. Diante disso, o presente trabalho tem como principais objetivos: i) estudar a influência de diferentes classes de solo no crescimento do Pinus taeda; ii) estudar a resposta da produtividade da espécie submetida à fertilização e ao desbaste; iii) avaliar a interceptação de luz; e iv) estimar a eficiência do crescimento (EC), uso da luz (EUL) e do nitrogênio (EUN) em povoamentos de Pinus taeda no sul do Brasil. Utilizou-se para este estudo parcelas quadrigêmeas da rede experimental do programa de Produtividade Potencial do Pinus no Brasil, as quais compõem um gradiente edafoclimático nos estados do Paraná e de Santa Catarina. As parcelas foram submetidas aos seguintes tratamentos: controle (C), fertilizado (F), desbastado (D), desbastado e fertilizado (DF). Foi calculado o índice de sítio, o incremento corrente anual, o incremento médio anual, índice de uniformidade do povoamento, a produtividade primária líquida de madeira e o índice de área foliar (IAF). Realizou-se análises de solo (0-20 cm) e foliar. Os dados das variáveis climáticas calculadas foram obtidos das estações meteorológicas mais próximas aos sítios avaliados. A produtividade mínima e máxima das parcelas controle foi de, respectivamente, 20,3 e 56,9 m³ ha-1 ano-1 com idade média de 13 anos. Houve efeito significativo dos tratamentos F e DF, com ganho máximo no estoque de volume por parcela de 33 e 63%, respectivamente. A resposta da fertilização e da fertilização com desbaste ocorreram em áreas menos férteis e com menor teor de matéria orgânica do solo. A uniformidade dos povoamentos correlacionou-se positivamente com as parcelas de maior área basal em 2014 e com a EC, EUL e EUN calculadas em 2013. Os valores médios da EC, EUL e EUN aos 12,4 anos de idade foram de 2,1 Mg ha-1 IAF-1, 0,55 g MJ-1 e 93 kg lenho kg-1 N ano-1, respectivamente. Houve relação linear positiva da EC, EUL e EUN com a produção de biomassa total acima do solo. Ocorreu maior influência das variáveis edáficas na eficiência do uso dos recursos naturais comparado com as variáveis climáticas. / Due to the improvement of silviculture practices and breeding for the selection of more productive genotypes, the loblolly pine productivity in Brazil is recognized as one of the biggest in the world. Even with the high productivity at certain sites, its variation is large. It is known that the availability of water, light and nutrients are essential for the wood production, and that the use efficiency of these resources influences the productivity variation. However, the absence of fertilization in pine plantations is majority in the commercial areas in Brazil due to good growth in low fertility soils and it hardly presents visual nutrient deficiency. To understand which factors influence the production and biomass partitioning, it is necessary to study the production ecology. Thus, the present work has as main objectives: i) to study the influence of different soil classes in loblolly pine growth; ii) to study the productivity response submitted to fertilization and thinning; iii) to evaluate the light interception; and iv) to estimate the growth efficiency (GE), use of light (LUE) and nitrogen (NUE) in loblolly pine stands in southern Brazil. For this study, it was used quadriplots from the experimental network of Pinus Potential Productivity in Brazil program, which composes an edaphoclimatic gradient in Parana and Santa Catarina states. The plots were submitted to the following treatments: control (C), fertilized (F), thinning (T), thinning and fertilized (TF). It was calculated the site index, the annual increment, the mean annual increment, the stand uniformity index, wood net primary productivity and the leaf area index (LAI). The soil (0-20 cm) and foliar analyzes were held. Data from the calculated climate variables was obtained from the closest weather stations to the evaluated sites. The minimum and maximum productivity of control plots were, respectively, 20.3 and 56.9 m³ ha-1 yr-1 with an average age of 13 years. There was a significant effect of F and TF treatments, with maximum gain in volume stock of 33 and 63%, respectively. The response of fertilization and fertilization with thinning occurred in less fertile areas and with lower soil organic matter content. The stands uniformity correlated positively with the basal area in 2014 and the GE, LUE and NUE calculated in 2013. The mean values of GE, LUE and NUE at the average age of 12,4 years were 2.1 Mg ha-1 LAI-1, 0.55 g MJ-1 and 93 kg wood kg-1 N year-1, respectively. There was a positive linear relationship of GE, LUE and NUE with the production of total biomass above ground. The soil variables influenced more on the use efficiency of natural resources than climatic variables.

<p>Wheat is a major source of calories and protein for humans worldwide. Wheat is the most widely grown crop, with cultivation areas and production systems on every continent. The cultivated land area is vast because of its importance and adaptability to various environmental conditions. Global wheat production has not kept up with the growing population, provoking the need to develop new methods and techniques to increase genetic gains. The first research chapter of this Ph.D. dissertation involves performing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify and examine transferability of marker-trait associations (MTAs) across environments. I evaluated yield and yield components traits among 270 soft red winter (SRW) wheat varieties. The population consists of experimental breeding lines adapted to the Midwestern and eastern United States and developed by public university breeding programs. Phenotypic data from a two-year field study and a 45K-SNP marker dataset were analyzed by FarmCPU model to identify MTAs for yield related traits. Grain yield was positively correlated with thousand kernel weight, biomass, and grain weight per spike while negatively correlated with days to heading and maturity. Sixty-one independent loci were identified for agronomic traits, including a region that with <i>–logP</i> of 16.35, which explained 18% of the variation in grain yield. Using 12 existing datasets from other states and seasons, in addition to my own data, I examined the transferability of significant MTAs for grain yield and days to heading across homogenous environments. For grain yield and days to heading, I only observed 6 out of 28 MTAs to hold up across homogenous environments. I concluded that not all marker-trait associations can be detected in other environments.</p><p>In the second research chapter of this Ph.D. dissertation, I dissected yield component traits under contrasting nitrogen environments by using field-based low-throughput phenotyping. I characterized grain yield formation and quality attributes in soft red winter wheat. Using a split-block design, I studied responses of 30 experimental lines, as sub-plot, to high nitrogen and low nitrogen environment, as main-plot, for two years. Differential N environments were imposed by the application, or lack thereof, of spring nitrogen application in a field, following a previous corn harvest. In this study, I measured agronomic traits, in-tissue nitrogen concentrations, nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen harvest index and end-use quality traits on either all or subset of the germplasm. My data showed that biomass, number of spikes and total grain numbers per unit area were most sensitive to low nitrogen while kernel weight remained stable across environments. Significant genotype x N-environment interaction allowed me to select N-efficient germplasm, that can be used as founding parents for a potential breeding population specifically for low-N environments. I did this selection on the basis of superior agronomic traits and the presence of the desirable gluten quality alleles such as <i>Glu-A1b </i>(<i>2*</i>) and <i>Glu-D1d </i>(<i>5+10</i>).</p>

Le raisonnement de la fertilisation azotée du blé a, depuis 40 ans, été largement orienté par le consensus autour de la méthode du bilan, avec comme principes fondamentaux : une nutrition azotée non limitante tout au long du cycle et l’estimation, de manière indépendante, des différents termes de l’équation du bilan pour caractériser la fourniture du sol et les besoins en azote de la plante. Au regard des enjeux de réduction des pollutions environnementales, de l’évolution des exigences qualitative du marché, ainsi que des difficultés de mise en oeuvre de la méthode, on s’interroge sur l’opportunité de renouveler ce paradigme. Pour proposer une nouvelle méthode qui réponde aux divers enjeux concernant l’azote, qui valorise au mieux les connaissances disponibles et dont la mise en oeuvre est cohérente avec les moyens des acteurs, nous avons mis en oeuvre une démarche de conception innovante, structurée en 3 étapes : un diagnostic des usages des outils actuels, une phase de conception, incluant des ateliers de conception et la mise au point de règle de décision à l’aide d’un modèle, et un test d’usage du prototype conçu.Le diagnostic des usages a mis en évidence plusieurs obstacles à la mise en oeuvre de la méthode du bilan, dont la fixation de l’objectif de rendement, ce qui a orienté la phase de conception vers l’exploration d’un concept de méthode de fertilisation azotée permettant de s’en affranchir. La méthode mise au point est basée sur le suivi régulier de l’état de nutrition azotée de la plante, l’acceptation de carences en azote non préjudiciables et des règles de décision tenant compte des conditions météorologiques au moment de l’apport. Nous montrons que la conception a rendu nécessaire la production de nouvelles connaissances, mais aussi la diversification des ressources et des compétences habituellement mobilisées. Ce travail enrichit les méthodes de conception d’outils d’aide à la décision en montrant comment l’articulation des 3 étapes permet de sortir du paradigme qui domine la fertilisation azotée depuis des décennies et d’élaborer un outil palliant les défauts des outils actuels. / Decisions about nitrogen fertilizer application on wheat have, for the last 40 years, been based on the balance sheet method, with the following underlying principles: non-limiting nitrogen nutrition throughout the crop cycle, and independent estimation of the various terms of the equation, to characterize soil nitrogen supply and plant nitrogen needs. Environmental pollution, changes in the qualitative requirements of the market and difficulties implementing this method have raised questions about whether it might be appropriate to switch to new ways of managing nitrogen fertilizer. We developed a new method meeting the diverse constraints relating to nitrogen use, making the best use of available knowledge and easily applicable by users, through a 3-steps innovative design approach: a diagnosis of the use of current tools, a design phase including design workshops, production of new knowledge, a modelbased prototyping, and the testing of a prototype method.The diagnosis of uses identified several barriers to the implementation of the balance sheet method, including the need to set a target yield. This directed the design phase towards the exploration of new ways of managing nitrogen fertilizer that did not require the fixing of a target yield. The method developed is based on the regular monitoring of plant nitrogen nutrition, the toleration of periods of nitrogen deficiency that are not prejudicial and the use of decision rules taking weather conditions at the time of nitrogen application into account.This design required the generation of new knowledge and a diversification of the resources and skills usually mobilized. This work enriches the methods for designing decision support tools and shows how a combination of 3 steps can be used to develop a tool for managing nitrogen fertilizer applications completely different from the dominant paradigm of the last 40 years, and compensating the defects of current methods.

Cover crops are instrumental in nutrient management and soil health. A field experiment was conducted from fall 2020 to summer 2021 to evaluate the efficiency of different cover crop termination techniques and supplemental nitrogen on sweet corn yield, ear quality and nitrogen use efficiency. The four termination types are herbicide and disk tillage (HDT), herbicide no-till (HNT), cultivation disk till (CDT), and roller crimped no-till (RCNT). These termination types were each divided into four different nitrogen treatment: 0%, 33%, 67% and 100% of the recommended doses (145 kg haˉ¹). Sweet corn yield was highest and % unfilled tip was lowest when cover crops terminated by CDT, followed by RCNT, HNT and HDT. The highest ear weight obtained when 100% of the recommended nitrogen rate was applied to the sweet corn. However, the highest nitrogen use efficiency was obtained when 67% of the recommended nitrogen application rate was used.

A better way to improve understanding and quantification of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emitted from intensive maize cropping systems is to develop an advanced emissions measurement method This study developed an open path (OP) method to measure N₂O emissions from four adjacent maize plots managed by tillage practices of no-till (NT) and chisel plow (ChP), and different nitrogen (N) treatments from 2014 to 2016. Anhydrous ammonia (220 kg NH₃-N ha^-1) was applied in once or equally split (full vs. split rate) and applied in different timing (Fall vs. Spring). The spring N application occurred either before planting (pre-plant) or in season (side-dress). Emissions measurements were conducted by using the OP method (the scanning OP Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (OP-FTIR) + the gas point-sampling system + a backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion model) and static closed chamber methods. The performance and feasibility of the OP measurements were assessed by a sensitivity analysis, starting with errors associated with the OP-FTIR for calculating N₂O concentrations, and then errors associated with the bLS model for estimating N₂O emissions. The quantification of N₂O concentrations using the OP-FTIR spectrum was influenced by ambient humidity, temperature, and the path length between a spectrometer and a retro-reflector. The optimal quantitative method mitigated these ambient interference effects on N₂O quantification. The averaged bias of the calculated N₂O concentrations from the spectra acquired from wide ranges of humidity (0.5 – 2.0 % water vapor content), temperature (10 – 35 °C), and path length (100 – 135 meters) was 1.4 %. The precision of the OP-FTIR N₂O concentrations was 5.4 part per billion(3σ) in a stationary flow condition for a 30-minute averaging period. The emissions measurement from multiple sources showed that the field of interest was likely interfered by adjacent fields. Fields with low emission rates were more sensitive to the adjacent fields with high emissions, resulting in substantial biases and uncertainties. The minimum detection limit of the N₂O emission rates was 1.2 µg m^-2 s^-1 (MDL; 3σ). The OP measurements showed that the NT practice potentially reduced N₂O emission compared with ChP. Under the long-term NT treatments, the split-N rate application (110 kg NH₃-N ha^-1 in the fall and spring) resulted in lower N₂O emissions than the full application (220 kg NH₃-N ha^-1 in the fall). The management of NT coupled with split-N rate application minimized N₂O emissions among treatments in this study, resulting in N₂O-N losses of 3.8, 13.2, and 6.6 N kg ha^-1 over 9-, 35-, and 20-days after the spring NH₃ application in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. The spring pre-plant N application in 2015 also resulted in higher N₂O emissions than the spring side-dress application in 2016, and the increased N₂O-N loss was corresponding to lower N recovery efficiency in 2015 measurements. A comparison of chamber and OP measurements showed that soil N₂O emissions were likely underestimated by 10x without considering the wind-induced effect on gas transport at the ground-atmospheric interface. This study showed that the OP method provides a great opportunity to study agricultural N₂O emissions as well as management optimization for the sustainability of the agroecosystems.

O uso de determinadas fontes nitrogenadas, doses e formas de nitrogênio (N) pode aumentar a eficiência de uso de N (EUN) em soqueiras de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.), mantendo, em longo prazo, elevados índices de produtividade, lucro e proteção ao ambiente. Experimentos de campo e de casa-de-vegetação foram desenvolvidos com os seguintes objetivos: (i) avaliar o efeito do manejo do N-fertilizante e dos ciclos de soqueira da cultura na produtividade, parâmetros tecnológicos, acúmulo de biomassa, acúmulo e balanço de nutrientes e nas alterações dos atributos químicos do solo; (ii) avaliar a produção de biomassa seca, metabolismo e nutrição de plantas de cana-de-açúcar cultivadas em solução nutritiva, com suprimento exclusivo ou misto de nitrato (NO3-) e amônio (NH4+) como fontes de N; (iii) avaliar a EUN do 15N-nitrato (15NH4NO3), 15N-amônio (NH415NO3) e 15N-amida [(15NH2)2CO] aplicados na quarta soqueira de cana-de-açúcar em condições de campo; e avaliar a EUN do 15N-amônio e 15N-nitrato aplicados em mudas de cana-de-açúcar cultivadas em solução nutritiva. No campo, o N-fertilizante foi repetido nas mesmas parcelas experimentais (parcelas estáticas), em anos subsequentes (quatro ou cinco soqueiras) e o manejo de N-fertilizante, que incluiu fontes e doses de N, não influenciou na produtividade de colmos e de açúcar no local 1 (Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo distrófico - LVAd). Entretanto, no local 2 (também LVAd), o NA100 e o NAC100 [nitrato de amônio (NA) e nitrato de amônio e cálcio (NAC), ambos na dose de 100 kg ha-1 de N] foram os manejos mais vantajosos para a obtenção das maiores produtividades de colmo e de açúcar em soqueiras quando comparado aos demais tratamentos. No geral, nos dois locais, o NAC150 (150 kg ha-1 de N) proporcionou os maiores acúmulos de biomassa, N e K nas plantas. Além disso, enquanto o controle (sem adição de N) apresentou as menores produções de biomassa e acúmulos de nutrientes (com exceção ao P), o balanço de nutrientes do solo nesse tratamento foi relativamente neutro após anos de cultivo da cana-de-açúcar. Em condições controladas, plantas de cana-de-açúcar supridas exclusivamente com amônio apresentaram menor produção de biomassa, acúmulo de nutrientes e área foliar do que os outros tratamentos (supridos com combinações de NO3-/NH4+ e somente com nitrato), indicando que o uso exclusivo dessa forma de N não foi eficiente para sustentar o crescimento vegetal. A maior EUN foi obtida com o fornecimento exclusivo de nitrato, que também proporcionou maior produção de biomassa seca, área foliar, acúmulo de macronutrientes, atividade fotossintética e crescimento do sistema radicular. A utilização de 15N indicou que, no campo, não houve diferença na EUN pelas plantas devido à utilização do 15N-nitrato e 15N-amônio. Em contraste, a EUN do 15N-amônio foi maior que a do 15N-nitrato durante o 1º, 4º e 7º dia após a aplicação do fertilizante (DAAF), em condições controladas. Contudo, o uso do 15N-nitrato teve maior EUN nas raízes e planta inteira que o 15N-amônio no 15º DAAF. Isso indica que a cana-de-açúcar pode aproveitar eficientemente as duas formas minerais de N, embora o aproveitamento do amônio seja mais rápido. / The use of different fertilizers and rates of nitrogen (N) can increase the N use efficiency (NUE) in sugarcane ratoon (Saccharum spp.), sustaining high yield levels, profitability and environmental protection in long-term. Thus, field and greenhouse studies were performed with the following objectives: (i) evaluate the effect of fertilizer-N management and ratoon crop cycles on sugarcane yield, technological parameters, biomass accumulation, nutrient content, temporal variation in soil chemical properties and soil nutrient balance; (ii) evaluate the biomass production, metabolism and nutrient acquisition of sugarcane plants cropped in nutrient solution, with solely or combined supply of ammonium and nitrate as N sources; (iii) evaluate the NUE of 15N-ammonium (15NH4NO3), 15N-nitrate (NH415NO3), and 15N-amide [(15NH2)2CO] applied to sugarcane under field conditions and the NUE of 15N-ammonium and 15N-nitrate applied to seedlings sugarcane under nutrient solutions. In the field, N fertilizers were replicated in the same experimental plots (static plots) in subsequent years (four or five ratoons) and the management of N-fertilizer, which included fertilizers and N rates, resulted in lack of influence on cane and sucrose yield at Site 1 (Typic Hapludox). However, at Site 2 (also Typic Hapludox), the N treatments AN100 and CAN100 [ammonium nitrate (AN) and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), both at a rate of 100 kg N ha-1] provided the highest cane and sugar yield as compared to the remaining treatments. Overall, at both sites, CAN150 (150 kg N ha-1) resulted in the highest biomass accumulation and N and K content by sugarcane. In addition, while the control (no N added) had the lowest biomass accumulation and nutrient content (except for P), the soil nutrient balance in this treatment was relatively neutral, after years of sugarcane cultivation. Under controlled conditions, NH4+-fed plants presented lower biomass accumulation, nutrient content and leaf area than the other treatments (different NO3-/NH4+ ratios and NO3--fed plants), indicating that this N form, when applied solely, was not effective for the proper plant growth. The highest NUE was obtained with NO3--fed plants, which also had the highest production of dry biomass, leaf area, nutrient accumulation, photosynthetic activity, and growth of the root system. The use of 15N-nitrate and 15N-ammonium indicated that there was no difference in NUE by plants in the field. In contrast, the NUE of 15N-ammonium was greater than 15N-nitrate during the 1st, 4th and 7th day after fertilizer application (DAFA), under controlled conditions. However, the use of 15N-nitrate had greater NUE in roots and whole plant than 15N-ammonium in the 15th DAFA. It can be concluded that sugarcane can use both N forms although the recovery of NH4+ was faster than NO3-.

O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido na área experimental da ESALQ-USP, localizada no município de Piracicaba/SP, em um Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo, textura areno-argiloso. O experimento teve como objetivo estudar a dinâmica do N no sistema solo-planta da cultura do milho, sob implantação do sistema plantio direto, e, pela técnica do 15N, avaliar a lixiviação de nitrato à profundidade de 0,80 m, a eficiência de utilização do N e o efeito residual do fertilizante nas culturas subseqüentes. O projeto envolveu dois cultivos de milho e um de aveia preta, cultivada na entressafra. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados (3x2), com 4 repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de doses de nitrogênio, na forma de sulfato de amônio (60, 120 e 180 kg ha-1 de N) e uma testemunha, além dos parcelamentos (30 kg ha-1 de N na semeadura e o restante em cobertura; 60 kg ha-1 de N na semeadura e o restante em cobertura). A aplicação de sulfato de amônio enriquecido com 15N foi feita, na dose de 120 kg ha-1 de N, em subparcelas, previamente definidas, apenas no primeiro cultivo do milho. Foram feitas as seguintes avaliações: densidade de fluxo de água e de nitrato na profundidade de 0,80 m do solo (dose de 120 kg ha-1 de N); massa de 100 grãos; massa de matéria seca; teor de N; rendimento de grãos de milho; átomos % 15N nas plantas e solo; fração do N fertilizante na solução do solo na profundidade de 0,80 m, e no perfil do solo; balanço do N na sucessão de culturas; efeito residual do N fertilizante (aplicado no primeiro cultivo de milho) na aveia e no segundo cultivo de milho. Pelos resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que: a) a perda de nitrato total por lixiviação, a 0,80 m de profundidade, no 1º cultivo de milho, na dose de 120 kg ha-1 de N, foi de aproximadamente 96 e 68 kg ha-1, para os parcelamentos com 60 kg ha-1 e 30 kg ha-1 de N na semeadura, respectivamente, dos quais apenas 3 e 1 kg ha-1 foram provenientes do fertilizante nitrogenado; b) na dose 120 kg ha-1 de N, o tratamento com maior quantidade de N aplicado na semeadura (60 kg ha-1), no cultivo de milho do ano agrícola 2003/2004, proporcionou um maior aproveitamento do N do fertilizante (65%), em relação ao tratamento com a dose de 30 kg ha-1 na semeadura (45%) e que, para esse ano, a recuperação do N fertilizante pelo solo, na camada 0-0,80 m, para ambos os tratamentos, 60-60 e 30-90 kg ha-1, foi de 40 e 49%, respectivamente; c) Ainda referindo-se aos tratamentos 60-60 e 30-90 kg ha-1, do N remanescente do sulfato de amônio (120 kg ha-1), aplicado no primeiro ano agrícola (efeito residual), 3,72 e 1,79% foram utilizados pela aveia preta e 2,84 e 2,06% pelo milho cultivado no ano subseqüente (2004/2005), permanecendo no solo (camada 0-0,80 m), 30,19 e 33,47% após o cultivo de aveia preta e 16,79 e 17,91% após o segundo cultivo de milho, respectivamente, para os referidos tratamentos. / The general objective of this work was to study the dynamics of nitrogen in the soil-plant system of two maize crops with a black oats one in between, introducing the no-tillage system. Besides, fertilizing the first maize crop with 15N enriched nitrogen fertilizer, it was also objective of this work to assess the total and the derived from fertilizer nitrate leached at the depth of 0.8 m, the nitrogen use efficiency by the crops and the residual effect of the labeled nitrogen fertilizer. The experiment was carried in the experimental areas of ESALQ-USP in the country of Piracicaba (SP), in a yellow red latossol, sandy-loamy texture. The first maize crop was in 2003/2004 and the second one in 2004/2005. The experimental design was randomized blocks (3 x 2), with four replications. Treatments consisted of nitrogen (as ammonium sulphate) levels (60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen) and the control, besides the splittings (30 and 60 kg ha-1 of nitrogen in the sowing and the rest in covering). The fertilization with 15N enriched ammonium sulphate in the first maize crop was made only for the level of 120 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, in subplots previously defined. The following measurements were carried out: soil-water and nitrate flux densities at the depth of 0.8 m (120 kg ha-1 of N); weight of 100 grains; weight of plant dry matter; nitrogen content; grain yield; total nitrogen; plant nitrogen use efficiency; fraction of the applied nitrogen in the soil solution at the depth of 0.8 m and in the soil profile; nitrogen balance in the crops succession; nitrogen residual effect in the black oat and the second maize crop. From the results, it could be concluded that: a) the leaching losses of total N, at the depth of 0,80 m, in the first maize crop, at the fertilization level of 120 kg ha-1 of N, were of 96 and 68 kg ha-1 for the splittings 60 and 30 kg ha-1 of N at sowing, respectively, from which only 3 and 1 kg ha-1 were derived from the nitrogen fertilizer; b) at the N fertilization level of 120 kg ha-1, the treatment with higher amount of applied N at sowing (60 kg ha-1) of the first maize crop (2003/2004) led to a higher plant N fertilizer recovery (65%) than the 30 kg ha-1of applied N at the sowing treatment (45%) and that, at the end of this crop cycle, the N fertilizer recovery by the 0-0,80 m soil layer, for 60-60 and 30-90 kg ha-1 treatments, were 40 and 49%, respectively; c) still for treatments 60-60 and 30-90 kg ha-1, from the total N applied in the first maize crop (120 kg ha-1), 3.72 and 1.79% were used by the black oats and 2.84 and 2.06% by the second maize crop, remaining in the soil (0-0.8 m layer), 30.19 and 33.47% after the black oats crop and 16.79 and 17.91% after the second maize crop, respectively for 60-60 and 30-90 kg ha-1 of N treatments.

O sistema integração lavoura pecuária (ILP) atende muitas diretrizes para estabelecer um manejo sustentável de produção agropecuária. Consiste em integrar na mesma área, a produção agrícola e pecuária de forma que haja o cultivo de grãos e estabeleça uma pastagem para a criação de animais. O consórcio de milho com braquiária é uma tecnologia utilizada para se atingir os objetivos da ILP. Trata-se de técnica de cultivo de milho junto com a braquiária sem prejuízo ao milho, e que a braquiária possa se estabelecer na área após a colheita do milho. A eficiência da adubação nitrogenada (EAN) na cultura do milho é discutida na literatura em trabalhos que utilizaram fertilizantes marcados com 15N. Os dados são variados pelo motivo do nitrogênio ter dinâmica complexa no sistema produtivo. Trabalhos que avaliaram a EAN no consórcio de milho com braquiária são escassos na literatura internacional, e não se sabe quanto do fertilizante nitrogenado aplicado é absorvido pela planta forrageira, e se é necessário um aumento da dose para não ocorrer falta de nitrogênio neste sistema de produção. Esta tese foi realizada com os seguintes objetivos (i) avaliar a influência da braquiária no aproveitamento do fertilizante nitrogenado, em razão das formas de implantação do consórcio milho - braquiária utilizadas no Brasil, (ii) avaliar a eficiência do N proveniente de fertilizante de liberação gradual, (iii) verificar a possibilidade da aplicação a lanço de ureia revestida. A primeira pesquisa foi desenvolvida nas cidades de São Desidério-BA e Piracicaba-SP, e foi comprovado que a presença da braquiária não afetou a produtividade de milho nem a recuperação do 15N-fertilizante. As formas recomendadas para implantação do consórcio de milho com braquiária são: (i) braquiária semeada a lanço antes da semeadura do milho; (ii) braquiária no centro das entrelinhas de milho; (iii) braquiária junto com o fertilizante de semeadura do milho, (iv) braquiária junto com o fertilizante de cobertura incorporado nas entrelinhas. Não é necessário aumentar a dose do fertilizante nitrogenado em sistema de milho consorciado com braquiária, uma vez que a braquiária absorve no máximo 4,3 kg ha-1 do N-fertilizante. A segunda pesquisa foi realizada nas cidades de Taquarituba-SP e Uberlândia-MG, e demonstrou que a produtividade de milho e o acúmulo de N não variam com o uso de ureia de liberação controlada aplicadas a lanço e incorporada em relação à ureia comum. As ureias de liberação controlada não promovem maior recuperação do 15N-fertilizante pelo milho e pela braquiária em relação à ureia comum, nem a produção de biomassa da braquiária. O N do fertilizante absorvido pela braquiária consorciada com milho é menos de 1% de todo N acumulado no sistema, e no máximo 2% do N-fertilizante aplicado. As ureias de liberação controlada não viabilizam a aplicação a lanço, e dependem das mesmas condições climáticas que a ureia comum para obterem bom desempenho. / Crop-livestock integration system (CLI) attends many guidelines for establishing a sustainable agricultural production. CLI consists in integrating agricultural and livestock production in the same area, in order to establish a pasture for grazing animals after a grain production. Intercropping corn and palisadegrass is a technology used to obtain CLI objectives. In this technique the palisadegrass is cropped together with corn without affecting corn yield, and after harvest the palisadegrass grows in the area in order to form a pasture. Studies that evaluated nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in maize in crop systems with labeled 15N-fertilizer shows varied data. This is due to nitrogen\'s complex dynamics in the production system. However, studies that evaluated NUE in corn intercropped with palisadegrass are scarce in the literature, and it is unknown how much of nitrogen fertilizer applied is uptake by the palisadegrass, and if an increase in nitrogen rate is necessary to avoid lack of nitrogen in production system. The aims of this thesis was to evaluate: (i) the influence of palisadegrass in the use of nitrogen fertilizer, according to forms of implantation of palisade grass used in Brazil, (ii) the efficiency of N from gradual release fertilizer,(iii) the viability of broadcast application of coated urea on intercropping system. The first study was conducted in the sites of Sao Desidério-BA and Piracicaba-SP, and it demonstrated that the presence of palisadegrass did not affect corn yield neither 15N-fertilizer recovery. Intercropping system can be established by the followings forms: (i) palisadegrass broadcasted before maize sown, (ii) placed between the rows of maize, (iii) palisadegrass applied together with corn fertilizer, (iv) with topdressing fertilizer in furrows. It is not necessary increase N rate in the intercropping system because palisadegrass uptakes at most of 4.3 kg ha-1 of N-fertilizer. The second research was conducted in two sites, Taquarituba-SP and Uberlândia-MG, and demonstrated that the use of coated urea did not differ in corn yield and N uptake in relation to the common urea, either when it was incorporated or broadcast applied. The coated urea neither promotes better recovery of the 15N-fertilizer by corn and braquiária in relation to the common urea, nor increases the palisadegrass biomass production. Nitrogen fertilizer uptake by palisadegrass represents less than 1% of total N uptake in the intercropping system, and a maximum of 2% of N-fertilizer applied The slow release urea does not enable the broadcast placement, and its efficiency depends upon the same climatic conditions of the common urea.