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Deep Nitrate Movement in the Unsaturated Zone of a Simulated Urban Lawn

Conservation and Survey Div., Institute of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844,

M.E. Burbach

Water Center, Institute of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844,

D.G. Watts

Biological Systems Eng. Dep., Institute of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844,

R.C. Shearman

Agronomy Dep., Institute of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844,

R.F. Spalding^*

Agronomy Dep. and Water Center, Institute of Agric. and Nat. Res., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

The increasing incidence of NO₃ contamination in municipal wells is a growing concern in the Midwest. While leachates from N fertilizers applied to agricultural lands can impact the water quality in municipal wells, there is also the potential for leachates from turfgrass fertilizers to be groundwater contaminants. In this study, five plots were treated with ammonium nitrate (34-0-0,N-P-K) at rates of 0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.4 kg N/100 m² and irrigated- The turf received approximately 640 mm of water during the 34-d study. Analysis of soil water from 15, 6-m continuous cores showed that as much as 95% of the NO₃ applied in late August leached below the turfgrass root zone. Average NO₃ concentrations in the pulse ranged from 34 to 70 mg/L NO₃-N. Thirty-four days after fertilization the center of the pulse was at 1.2 m with the leading edge at 2 to 2.5 m. This vertical rate of movement is similar to that predicted by the one-dimensional CMLS model. The relatively high uniform NO₃ concentrations in the unfertilized plot indicated that with excessive irrigation the water alone supplies NO₃ in excess of the turfgrass need.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. M. Quiroga-Garza, G. A. Picchioni, and M. D. Remmenga Bermudagrass Fertilized with Slow-Release Nitrogen Sources. I. Nitrogen Uptake and Potential Leaching Losses J. Environ. Qual., March 1, 2001; 30(2): 440 - 448. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]