Resumo

SALAZAR-SOSA, Enrique et al. Distribution of Available Nitrogen in the Soil Profile After Appliying Bovine Manure in Corn Forage. Terra Latinoam [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.4, pp.373-382. ISSN 2395-8030.

This study was conducted in the Comarca Lagunera Region, located in the central part of northern Mexico. This region is located between the meridians 102° 22' and 104° 47' W, and the parallels 24° 22' and 26° 23' N at an altitude of 1139 m. Work was done in the experimental agriculture field of the College of Agriculture and Animal Production, Division of Graduate Studies of the "Universidad Juárez de Durango". The objective of this study was to determine the best dose of cattle manure for the production of maize (Zea mays L.) and maize associated with soybean (Glycine max L.) as well as to measure nitrate leaching through the soil profile. The manure treatments were 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 Mg ha^-1 manure and a chemical control of 100-150-00 (N-P₂O₅K₂O) kg ha^-1 were applied during consecutive five years. The results indicated that the best treatments were 120 and 160 Mg ha^-1 manure, which yielded 100 and 95 Mg ha^-1 green forage maize, respectively. The nitrate concentration in the soil profile were different in each manure treatment, but in all treatments a tendency to decrease was detected in the depths of 180 and 210 cm with values varying from 330 mg kg^-1 in the layer of 0 to 30 cm to less than 100 mg kg^-1 at a depth of 150 cm. Ammonium concentration was highest in the first 30 cm depth with 20 mg kg^-1 and decreased to 10 mg kg ha^-1 in the rest of the profile. The organic matter content was 6% in the first 30 cm of depth and decreased up to 1.5% in following layer (30-60), decreasing as depth increased. Electrical conductivity followed a similar trend, but values were as high as 13 dS m^-1 in the 0-15 cm layer and then decreased up to 2 dS m^-1 as depth increased.

Palavras-chave : manure; ground layer; soil profile; nitrates; ammonium.