Effect of sorghum residues on wheat productivity in semi-arid Argentina

Effect of sorghum residues on wheat productivity in semi-arid Argentina. 1. Stover decomposition and N distribution in the crop.

Humification and residual effects of three month-fallowed sorghum residues on the productivity of winter wheat in a petrocalcic Haplustoll soil in semi-arid Argentina were studied. ¹⁵N-labelled urea was applied at sorghum harvesting-mulching (or beginning of fallow, F), wheat seeding (S) and tillering (T). Sorghum residues interacted strongly with N added to the soil. Total aerial plant dry matter (TADM) was lowest (4.94 Mg ha^-1) when N was added at the beginning of fallow thus indicating a strong N immobilization, and highest (8.30 Mg ha^-1) when N was incorporated at S. The N uptake followed a similar pattern. The percentage of N derived from fertilizer and that of recovery as well as the N content of the TADM increased from F to S to T. These data suggest that the sorghum residues immobilize larger amounts of N when it is applied at the beginning of fallowing than when it is incorporated at a later time such as seeding and tillering.

Rosell R.A., Galantini J.A., Iglesias J.O., Miranda R. 1992. Effect of sorghum residues on wheat productivity in semi-arid Argentina. I. Stover decomposition and N distribution in crop. The Science of the Total Environment (Netherlands), 117/118: 253-261.
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