Crops grown in sandy soils require frequent irrigation. As a result, nitrogen (N) fertilizers. such as ammonium sulfate((NH4)2SO4), are leached from the rooting zone of crops. This loss of N increases N fertilizer use and the potential for nitrate (NO3-) contamination of water. Ammonium-loaded clinoptilolite (NH4+-Cp) may reduce this N leaching, increase N fertilizer use-efficiency, and prevent NO3- contamination of water while sustaining normal crop growth.
The potential of NH4+-Cp as a N fertilizer was assessed in three leaching experiments without plants and two leaching experiments with plants. Pots containing rounded quartz sand were amended with (NH4)2SO4 and one of three NH4+-Cp size fractions: small (
Finally, in two leaching studies, pots containing the sandy soil were planted with sweet corn and grown for 35 d and 42 d, respectively. No differences were found among N sources in corn relative growth rates, leaf area ratios, and net assimilation rates, even though the corn plants that were fertilized with NH4+-Cp assimilated significantly more N than the (NH4)2SO4-fertilized plants. The pots fertilized with NH5+-Cp leached
In the greenhouse, NH4+-Cp is a slow-release fertilizer that will reduce N leaching while maintaining normal plant growth. However, field studies are needed to confirm the suitability of NH4+-Cp as a slow-release fertilizer under field conditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTAHS/oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-8289 |
| Date | 01 May 1997 |
| Creators | Perrin, T. Scott |
| Publisher | DigitalCommons@USU |
| Source Sets | Utah State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | All Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. |
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