N-catch crops affect soil profile nitrate-N accumulation during vegetable cultivation

Abstract

To reduce nitrate leaching, the effects of three N-catch crops of sweet corn (Zea mays L.), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), and sweet sorghum (SorghumLinn.) on nitrate-N accumulation in the soil profile were examined using an incubation experiment. Results showed that the biomass and N absorbed by sweet corn were the largest compared with the other two N-catch crop treatments. Root length density for sweet corn, amaranth, and sweet sorghum in the 0–150 cm soil layer was 0.66, 0.34 and 0.46 cm/cm³, respectively, and root dry weight was 0.065, 0.021 and 0.038 mg/cm³, respectively. In the 0–200 cm soil layer, nitrate-N accumulation for fallow, mature sweet sorghum, amaranth, and sweet corn was 1124.7, 899.4, 867.4 and 794.2 kg/hm², respectively, where the treatment of sweet corn had the smallest N-accumulation. The nitrate-N leachability of fallow, sweet corn, amaranth, and sweet sorghum treatment was 3.6, 1.9, 2.4 and 2.6 kg/hm², respectively, indicating that cropping of sweet corn, amaranth, and sweet sorghum could reduce the leachability by 47%, 35% and 28% in comparison with fallow treatment. Therefore, the cultivation of N-catch crops can reduce nitrate leaching in seasonal soil, and the sweet corn might be the most suitable catch crop.

Key words： N-catch crops; soil NO₃-N; leaching

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30940048 and No. 30571110) and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (the 863 project) (No. 2008AA06Z315) and the National Great Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs Funded by Ministry of Science & Technology of China During the 11th Five-year Plan (No. 2006BAD17B05).

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