TY - GEN
T1 - Risk of nitrate leaching at grassland renovation in spring versus autumn in the Netherlands
AU - van Middelkoop, J.C.
AU - van Schooten, H.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - In the Netherlands farmers renovate grassland when the botanical composition has deteriorated. This is done by destroying the sward followed by tillage and reseeding. Farmers prefer renovation in August over renovation in spring due to a higher success rate and reduced loss of production. The risk of nitrogen (N) loss by leaching, however, is expected to be higher in August because of high N mineralization from the old sward. In the Netherlands grassland renovation in the period 1 June–31 August is only allowed with a reduction on the N application standard of 50 kg ha –1. To assess how much this and other measures reduce the risk of N leaching, a field experiment was laid out. The treatments were reduction of tillage or N fertilization, mechanical destruction, and use of a nitrification inhibitor, compared with regular renovation in August, renovation in spring, and cultivation of maize. Observations were soil-mineral N in autumn, and nitrate concentration in groundwater the following February. All measures reduced the risk of nitrate leaching. The risk of nitrate leaching with grassland renovation in August was, however, still higher than no renovation, renovation in spring, or cultivation of maize. The highest risk of N leaching was found on the treatment with renovation in August by mechanical destruction of the sward.
AB - In the Netherlands farmers renovate grassland when the botanical composition has deteriorated. This is done by destroying the sward followed by tillage and reseeding. Farmers prefer renovation in August over renovation in spring due to a higher success rate and reduced loss of production. The risk of nitrogen (N) loss by leaching, however, is expected to be higher in August because of high N mineralization from the old sward. In the Netherlands grassland renovation in the period 1 June–31 August is only allowed with a reduction on the N application standard of 50 kg ha –1. To assess how much this and other measures reduce the risk of N leaching, a field experiment was laid out. The treatments were reduction of tillage or N fertilization, mechanical destruction, and use of a nitrification inhibitor, compared with regular renovation in August, renovation in spring, and cultivation of maize. Observations were soil-mineral N in autumn, and nitrate concentration in groundwater the following February. All measures reduced the risk of nitrate leaching. The risk of nitrate leaching with grassland renovation in August was, however, still higher than no renovation, renovation in spring, or cultivation of maize. The highest risk of N leaching was found on the treatment with renovation in August by mechanical destruction of the sward.
M3 - Conference paper
T3 - Grassland Science in Europe
SP - 762
EP - 764
BT - Why grasslands?
A2 - Klootwijk, C.W.
A2 - Bruinenberg, M.
A2 - Cougnon, M.
A2 - Hoekstra, N.J.
A2 - Ripoll-Bosch, R.
A2 - Schelfhout, S.
A2 - Schils, R.L.M.
A2 - Vanden Nest, T.
A2 - van Eekeren, N.
A2 - Voskamp-Harkema, W.
A2 - van den Pol-van Dasselaar, A.
PB - Brill
CY - Leiden
T2 - 30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation (EGF2024)
Y2 - 9 June 2024 through 13 June 2024
ER -