ISSN:
1573-5036
Keywords:
ammonia volatilization
;
denitrification
;
grazing
;
model
;
nitrate leaching
;
nitrogen
;
simulation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract The model simulates the cycling of N in grassland systems grazed by beef cattle and predicts the annual amount of N in liveweight gain, and the amounts lost through ammonia volatilization, denitrification and leaching, on the basis of fertilizer application and soil and site characteristics. It aims to provide a better understanding of the way in which these various factors interact in their influence on N transformations. The model has been programmed to run on IBM-compatible personal computers and responds rapidly to changes in input parameters. The model has been constructed from the average annual amounts of N passing through various components of the N cycle in ten field systems grazed by beef cattle. The amounts were either measured directly or were calculated from empirical sub-models, assuming a balance between inputs to, and outputs from the soil inorganic N pool. The model is given wide applicability through the inclusion of a mineralization sub-model which is sensitive to soil texture, sward age, previous cropping history, and climatic zone. Another important sub-model determines the partitioning of soil inorganic N to either plant uptake or the processes of loss: the proportion partitioned to plant uptake decreases as the total amount of soil inorganic N increases. Outputs from the model indicate that fertilizer N has a strong influence on ammonia volatilization, denitrification and leaching at a given site but that, over a range of sites with a given rate of fertilizer N, total loss and the proportions lost by the three processes are greatly influenced by the amount of N mineralized by the soil. The model indicates how fertilizer N should be matched with mineralization to limit gaseous and leaching losses and to achieve optimum efficiency of N use in grazing systems.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00010397
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