Fate of urine nitrogen on mineral and peat soils in New Zealand

A field lysimeter experiment was conducted over 150 days to examine the fate of synthetic urinary nitrogen (N) applied to peat and mineral soils, with and without a water table. At the start of the winter season, synthetic urine labelled with N-15, was applied at 500 kg N ha(-1). Plant uptake, leaching losses and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were monitored. Total plant uptake ranged from 11% to 35% of the urine-N applied depending on soil type and treatment. Plant uptake of applied N was greater in the presence of a water table in the mineral soil. Nitrate-N (NO3--N) was only detected in leachates from the mineral soil, at concentrations up to 146 mu g NO3--N mL(-1). Presence of a water table in the mineral soil reduced leaching losses (as inorganic-N) from 47% to 6%, increased plant uptake and doubled apparent denitrification losses. In the peat soils leaching losses of applied urine-N as inorganic-N were low (<5%). Losses of N as N2O were greater in the mineral soil than in the peat soils, with losses of 3% and <1% of N applied respectively after 100 days. Apparent denitrification losses far exceeded N2O losses and it is postulated that the difference could be due to dinitrogen (N-2) loss and soil entrapment of N-2.