Light fraction organic N, ammonium, nitrate and total N in a thin Black Chernozemic soil under bromegrass after 27 annual applications of different N rates

Anadequate supply of N for a crop depends among others on the amounts of N thataremineralized from the soil organic matter plus the supply of ammonium andnitrateN already present in the soil. The objective of this study was to determine thebehaviour of light fraction organic N (LFN), NH4-N, NO3-Nand total N (TN) in soil in response to different rates of fertilizer Napplication. The 0–5, 5–10, 10–15 and 15–30cm layers of a thin Black Chernozemic soil under bromegrass(Bromus inermis Leyss) at Crossfield, Alberta, Canada,weresampled after 27 annual applications of ammonium nitrate at rates of 0, 56,112,168, 224 and 336 kg N ha−1. The concentration andmass of TN and LFN in the soil, and the proportion of LFN mass within the TNmass usually increased with N rates up to 224 kg Nha−1. The increase in TN mass and LFN mass per unit ofNadded was generally maximum at 56 kg N ha−1 anddeclined with further increases in the rate of N application. The percentchangein response to N application was much greater for the LFN mass than for the TNmass for all the N rates and all soil depths that were sampled. Mineral N intheform of NH4-N and NO3-N did not accumulate in the soil at≤ 112 kg N ha−1 rates, whereas theiraccumulation increased markedly with rates of ≥ 168 kg Nha−1. In conclusion, long-term annual fertilization at≤ 112 kg N ha−1 to bromegrass resulted insubstantial increase in the TN and LFN in soil, with no accumulation ofNH4-N and NO3-N down the depth. The implication of thesefindings is that grasslands for hay can be managed by appropriate Nfertilization rates to increase the level of organic N in soil.