In:
Agronomy Journal, Wiley, Vol. 104, No. 6 ( 2012-11), p. 1558-1568
Abstract:
Soil fertility decline and high N demand during plant growth are cited as main causes of low yield in yam ( Dioscorea spp.). As information regarding fertilizer N use in yam is lacking, a field experiment was undertaken in 2006 and repeated in 2007 in central Côte d'Ivoire using 15 N ( 15 NH 4 15 NO 3 ) labeled fertilizers to monitor N uptake and fertilizer use efficiency in D. alata . The 15 N‐labeled fertilizer was added in two splits (at 90 and 130 d after planting) for a target tuber yield of 40 Mg fresh tuber ha −1 . The application of mineral fertilizers increased total biomass production and tuber yield as well as N uptake from native soil organic matter. The recovery of 15 N‐labeled fertilizer applied at 90 and 130 d after planting was not significantly different but the year affected 15 N recovery by the plant. The maximum 15 N recoveries calculated from the sum of the 15 N recovery measured at both application dates were 46 and 23% in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Leaf dry matter and leaf N uptake were higher in 2006 than in 2007, but tuber dry matter was not different between years at the final harvest. Up to 170 kg N ha −1 was returned to the soil through the fallen shoots, indicating an important recycling of N for soil fertility replenishment. Thus, crop succession or intercropping are encouraged in a yam cropping system. Our results also show that the application of mineral fertilizers had a strong “priming effect” on the native soil N in both years.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0002-1962
,
1435-0645
DOI:
10.2134/agronj2011.0387
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2012
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1471598-3
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