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TECHNICAL REPORTS

Plant and Environment Interactions

Nitrate-Nitrogen Concentrations in the Perched Ground Water under Seepage-Irrigated Potato Cropping Systems

^a Horticultural Sciences Dep., Univ. of Florida, Fifield Hall, PO Box 110690, Gainesville, FL 32611
^b Soil and Water Science Dep., McCarty Hall, PO Box 110290, Gainesville, FL 32611
^c Statistics & Evaluation Center, American Cancer Society-NHO, 1599 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

^* Corresponding author (raom{at}ufl.edu).

Received for publication December 18, 2006. Excessive nitrogen rates for potato production in northeast Florida have been declared as a potential source of nitrate pollution in the St. Johns River watershed. This 3-yr study examined the effect of N rates (0, 168, and 280 kg ha^–1) split between planting and 40 d after planting on the NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water under potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Atlantic) in rotation with sorghum sudan grass hybrid (Sorghum vulgare x Sorghum vulgare var. sudanese, cv. SX17), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv. Iron Clay), and greenbean (Phaseolus vulgare cv. Espada). Soil solution from the root zone and water from the perched ground water under potato were sampled periodically using lysimeters and wells, respectively. Fertilization at planting increased the NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water, but no effect of the legumes in rotation with potatoes on nitrate leaching was detected. Fertilization of green bean increased NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water under potato planted in the following season. The NO₃–N concentration in the soil solution within the potato root zone followed a similar pattern to that of the perched ground water but with higher initial values. The NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water was proportional to the rainfall magnitude after potato planting. A significant increase in NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water under cowpea planted in summer after potato was detected for the side-dressing of 168 kg ha^–1 N applied to potato 40 d after planting but not at the 56 kg ha^–1 N side-dress. Elevation in NO₃–N concentration in the perched ground water under sorghum was not significant, supporting its use as an effective N catch crop.

Abbreviations: PSF, potato-sorghum-fallow • PSG, potato-sorghum-greenbean • PCF, potato-cowpea-fallow • PCG, potato-cowpea-greenbean • TCAA, Tri-County Agricultural Area