Soil- and plant-based nitrogen-fertilizer recommendations in arable farming

Under- as well as overfertilization with nitrogen (N) will result in economic loss for the farmer due to reduced yields and quality of the products. Also from an ecological perspective, it is important that the grower makes the correct decision on how much and when to apply N for a certain crop to minimize impacts on the environment. To aggravate the situation, N is a substance that is present in many compartments in different forms (nitrate, ammonium, organic N, etc.) in the soil-plant environment and takes part in various processes (e.g., mineralization, immobilization, leaching, denitrification, etc.). Today, many N-recommendation systems are mainly based on yield expectation. However, yields are not stable from year to year for a given field. Also the processes that determine the N supply from other sources than fertilizer are not predictable at the start of the growing season. Different methodological approaches are reviewed that have been introduced to improve N-fertilizer recommendations for arable crops. Many soil-based methods have been developed to measure soil mineral N (SMN) that is available for plants at a given sampling date. Soil sampling at the start of the growing period and analyzing for the amount of NO3--N (and NH4+-N) is a widespread approach in Europe and North America. Based on data from field calibrations, the SMN pool is filled up with fertilizer N to a recommended amount. Depending on pre-crop, use of organic manure, or soil characteristics, the recommendation might be modified ( +/- 10-50kg N ha(-1)). Another set of soil methods has been established to estimate the amount of N that is mineralized from soil organic matter, plant residues, and/or organic manure. From the huge range of methods proposed so far, simple mild extraction procedures have gained most interest, but introduction into practical recommendation schemes has been rather limited. Plant-analytical procedures cover the whole range from quantitative laboratory analysis to semiquantitative quick tests carried out in the field. The main idea is that the plant itself is the best indicator for the N supply from any source within the growth period. In-field methods like the nitrate plant sap/petiole test and chlorophyll measurements with hand-held devices or via remote sensing are regarded as most promising, because with these methods an adequate adjustment of the N-fertilizer application strategy within the season is feasible. Prerequisite is a fertilization strategy that is based on several N applications and not on a one-go approach.