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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(1)

Fertiliser N and P application on two Vertosols in north-eastern Australia. 3. Grain N uptake and yield by crop/fallow combination, and cumulative grain N removal and fertiliser N recovery in grain

David W. Lester A B C F , Colin J. Birch B E and Chris W. Dowling A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Formerly Incitec Fertilizers, PO Box 623, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

C Present address: Leslie Research Centre, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, PO Box 2282, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

D Back Paddock Company Pty Ltd, PO Box 823, Cleveland, Qld 4163, Australia.

E Present address: Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, The University of Tasmania, Burnie Campus, Burnie, Tas. 7320, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: david.lester@deedi.qld.gov.au

Crop and Pasture Science 61(1) 24-31 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP09106
Submitted: 2 April 2009  Accepted: 18 September 2009   Published: 17 December 2009

Abstract

The grain N uptake response of an opportunity cropping regime comprising summer and winter cereal and legume crops to fertiliser nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) applications was studied in 2 long-term experiments with contrasting durations of cultivation. At the longer cultivation duration Colonsay site (>44 years at commencement), grain N uptake increased with fertiliser N application in 15 of 17 harvested crops from 1985 to 2003. Grain sorghum on short-fallow consistently responded to applied fertiliser N at higher rates (≥80 kg N/ha) than crops grown on long-fallow where either fertiliser at nil or 40 kg N/ha maximised grain N uptake. Winter cereal response to applied N was influenced by fallow length, generally smaller responses in long fallow years, although in-crop rainfall affected this. Short-fallow crops responded up to 40 or 80 kg applied N/ha, while seasonal growing-season rainfall affected the responses of the double-crop winter cereals the most. Responses to applied fertiliser N at the shorter duration cultivation Myling site (9 years at commencement) generally occurred only under high-intensity cropping periods, or in those crops sown following periods of slower potential N mineralisation. Phosphorus fertiliser application influenced grain N uptake at both locations in some years, with winter cereals, legumes, and sorghum sown following long-fallow generally significant.

Cumulative grain N uptakes in both experiments were independently influenced by fertiliser N and P treatments, P having an additive effect, increasing grain yield and grain N removed. Recovery efficiency of fertiliser N in grain, derived from cumulative N fertiliser application and grain N uptake, in general declined as amount of fertiliser N applied increased; however, as N supplies became less limiting to yield, P fertiliser generated higher fertiliser N recovery in grain. At Colonsay, RENG from cumulative uptake and removal was ≥0.48 with fertiliser P application for cumulative fertiliser N input ≤1340 kg N/ha (≈80 kg fertiliser N/ha.crop).

Additional keywords: sorghum, wheat, barley, chickpea, mungbean, nitrogen, phosphorus.


Acknowledgments

The authors thank Allan Lisle at the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, for biometry support, and the generous comments from several colleagues on this manuscript are gratefully appreciated.


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