Nitrate leaching caused by overusing or misusing nitrogen (N) fertilizers in field vegetable cropping systems in China is a leading contributor to nitrate contamination of groundwater. Identification of the critical fertilizer N input rate could support management decisions that maintain yields while reducing the impact of nitrate leaching on groundwater. A four-season field experiment involving six N treatments (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 kg N ha-1) was undertaken to investigate the impacts of various N rates on N use efficiency (NUE), seasonal nitrate leaching loss (SNLL), nitrate residue (NR), and radish yield, and to identify the critical N fertilizer rate for both optimum yield and minimum nitrate leaching loss in a field vegetable (radish, Raphanus sativus L.) cropping system in northern China. The results showed that radish yield enhanced quadratically and NUE reduced linearly with increasing N addition, while the NR and SNLL increased exponentially. The yield did not increase markedly when N fertilization exceeded 180 kg N ha-1. SNLL and nitrate concentrations in the leachate averaged 11.5-71.5 kg N ha-1 and 5.1-35.6 mg N L-1, respectively, under N rates of 60-300 kg N ha-1. The results showed that N fertilizer rate ranging from 180 to 196 kg N ha-1 resulted in high yields and low nitrate leaching losses. Compared with those in response to the N fertilizer amount applied by local farmers, the NUE, NR, and SNLL in response to the N fertilizer amount identified in this study increased, decreased by 30.9%-35.0%, and decreased by 49.9%-55.7%, respectively, without any yield loss. Thus, a critical N fertilizer rate ranging from 180 to 196 kg N ha-1 is recommended to obtain optimum yields with minimal environmental risks in radish fields in northern China.
Keywords: Critical nitrogen application rate; Nitrate leaching; Nitrate residue; Nitrogen use efficiency; Radish yield.
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