Caron, J., Rancourt, G. T., Bélec, C., Tremblay, N. and Parent, L.-É. 2014. Nitrogen budget for fertilized carrot cropping systems in a Quebec organic soil. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 139-148. After reclamation, organic soils tend to shift from net N immobilization to net N mineralization. The N amounts mineralized annually can be sufficient to cover the N needs of the crop, reducing the need for supplemental N fertilization. The objective of this study was to assess N budgets and to infer the apparent N mineralization in fertilized and unfertilized carrot (Daucus carota L.) crops in an organic soil in southwestern Quebec. Five pre-plant N fertilization treatments (0, 25, 50, 75, and a split 25 25 kg N ha-1) were applied over a 3-yr period to non-irrigated carrots. Crop yield and plant and soil N contents were measured. Apparent net N mineralization was an important source of N, averaging 117 kg N ha-1 yr-1. Crop yield was not affected by the N fertilization rate, by splitting of the fertilizer application or by the previous year's crop. Increasing the N fertilizer rate increased the soil nitrate content below the root zone (~40 cm below the surface), enhancing the risk of nitrate leaching. Thus, because soil N mineralization was sufficient for the carrots' requirements in this organic soil, supplemental N fertilization was found to be unnecessary and could exacerbate the environmental risk of nitrate leaching.
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Canadian Journal of Soil Science
Vol. 94 • No. 2
May 2014
Vol. 94 • No. 2
May 2014
Daucus carota
Daucus carota
fertilisation azotée
histosol
histosol
leaching
lessivage