Effect of lime on yield, N fixation, and plant N uptake from the soil by pasture on 3 contrasting trials in New Zealand

Abstract

The amount of plant nitrogen (N) uptake from the soil and fixed N in the herbage of clover species were measured using a 15 N dilution technique on mowing trials at 3 lime rates (0, 5000, and 10 000 kg/ha) at a low rainfall site (Matapiro soil) near Hastings over 5 years and at a high rainfall site (Mangatea soil) near Te Kuiti over 4 years. At the low rainfall site, measurements were also made over 5 years on a grazing trial at 2 lime rates (0, 7500 kg/ha). The dominant clover species was subterranean clover on the low rainfall site and white clover on the high rainfall site. Overall, the average proportion of clover N that was fixed from the atmosphere (PNfix) was about 0.8 of total N in clover. The average annual amount of fixed N in clover herbage was 35 kg/ha in the grazing trial on the Matapiro soil, 65 kg/ha on the mowing trial and 105 kg/ha in the trial on the Mangatea soil. Over all harvests and lime treatments, the amount of N fixed could be estimated as 0.04 x clover yield (kg DM/ha) on the high rainfall site and 0.046 x clover yield on the low rainfall site. The average annual amount of plant N uptake from the soil by grass, clover, and A96070Received 16 September 1996; accepted 18 February 1997 weeds was 150 kg/ha in the grazing trial and 160 kg/ha in the mowing trial on the Matapiro soil, and 240 kg/ha in the trial on the Mangatea soil. In the first 3 years, lime increased grass N uptake by an average of 24 kg/ha/yr over all trials. In the mowing trials, grass N uptake increased during the first 3 years by an average of 16 kg/ha when 5000 kg/ha of lime was applied, and by 33 kg/ha when 10 000 kg/ha was applied. This increase was attributed to an increase in net N mineralisation. However, the increase in net N mineralisation due to liming was a short term effect as lime had no significant effect on grass N uptake after 3 years.

Optimization of macroelement contents in raspberry leaves by liming in an extremely acid soil

“…Liming, due to the creation of the favourable conditions for the mineralization of organic matter, conditioned the increased content of the nitrogen mineral forms 334 B. Sikiric et al / Span J Agric Res (2011) 9(1), 329-337 in the soil. Therefore, the highest increase of both NH 4 + and NO 3 -was noted in the treatment with the highest lime rate (9 t ha -1 ) (Wheeler et al, 1997). The highest values of mineral nitrogen in the soil were noted in the second year of the experiment, when the effect of liming reached full-scale.…”

Integrated effects of abiotic stresses on inoculant performance, legume growth and symbiotic dependence estimated by 15N dilution

“…Addition of lime at 7.5 t ha −1 (Edmeades et al 1986) to a white clover-ryegrass pasture or 5-10 t ha −1 to a sub-clover-ryegrass pasture (Wheeler et al 1997) had no effect on DM, symbiotic dependence or N fixed by the clover (Table 10). Addition of lime at 5-10 t ha −1 to a white clover-ryegrass pasture (Wheeler et al 1997) did not affect legume symbiotic dependence, but fixed N was significantly higher at 5 t ha −1 lime due to an increase in clover DM (Table 10).…”

“…Broadcasting lime will ameliorate acidity in the surface soil, but subsoil acidity will remain to the possible detriment of plant growth. The effect of lime addition to acid soils on legume symbiotic performance has been studied predominately in clover-based pastures in the southern hemisphere, including New Zealand (Edmeades et al 1986;Wheeler et al 1997), Australia (Butler 1993;Peoples et al 1995Peoples et al , 1998Unkovich et al 1996) and…”

“…However, lucerne out-performed sub-clover in terms of DM production and amount of fixed N in each season, but the differences were most marked in the drought year of 1994 (Table 6), when sub-clover failed after the onset of severe drought following early autumn growth. Early autumn drought followed by severe winter frosts can markedly inhibit the germination and subsequent survival of sub-clover (Wheeler et al 1997).…”

Mineral Nitrogen and Microbial Biomass Dynamics under Different Acid Soil Management Practices for Maize Production

“…Liu et al (2004) had reported that acid soils limit microbial growth. However, most experiments in which pH has been manipulated by either acid or lime addition have been relatively short term, and so the soil microbial biomass (SMB) may not have had time to adjust to the radically altered conditions (Wheeler et al, 1997;Curtin et al, 1998). In many soils, lime application has the consequence of solubilizing organic matter.…”