Yield, Nitrogen Dynamics, and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Machine-harvested Cucumber

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Date

2009

Authors

Van Eerd, L.L.
O'Reilly, K.A.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

HORTSCIENCE

Abstract

The increase in fertilizer costs as well as environmental concerns has stimulated growers to re-evaluate their fertilizer applications to optimize nitrogen use efficiency(NUE) while maintaining crop yields and minimizing N losses. With these objectives, field trials were conducted at seven sites with five N rates (0 to 220 kg N/ha) of ammonium-nitrate applied preplant broadcast and incorporated as well as a split application treatment of 65 + 45 kg N/ha. In three contrasting years (i.e., cool/wet versus warm/dry versus average), N treatment had no observable effect on grade size distribution or brine quality. Based on the zero N control treatment, the limited yield response to fertilizer N was the result of sufficient plant-available N over the growing season. In the N budget, there was no difference between N treatments in crop N removal, but there was a positive linear relationship between N applied and the quantity of N in crop residue as well as in the soil after harvest. As expected, apparent fertilizer N recovery and N uptake efficiency were lower at 220 versus 110 kg N/ha applied preplant or split. The preplant and split applications of 110 kg N/ha were not different in yield, overall N budget, or NUE. Considering the short growing season, planting into warm soils, and the generally productive, nonresponsive soils in the region, growers should consider reducing or eliminating fertilizer N applications in machine-harvested cucumber.

Description

Keywords

Cucumis sativus, nitrate, soil mineral nitrogen, harvested index, pickles, brine quality

Citation

Van Eerd, L. L. and K. A. O'Reilly. 2009. Yield, Nitrogen Dynamics, and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Machine-harvested Cucumber. HORTSCIENCE 44(6):1712-1718.

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