Prefer localized nitrogen applications over full-field applications

Targeted fertilization Managing deficiencies in field crops Cultural control

Preferring localized nitrogen applications over broadcast applications allows optimizing fertilization.

Original authors of this article:

Rémi Duval	ITB	duval@itbfr.org	Paris (75)
Alain Berthier	INRA	alain.berthier@epoisses.inra.fr	Epoisses (21)
François Dumoulin	CA 60	francois.dumoulin@agri60.fr	Fresnoy le Luat (60)
Rémy Ballot	INRA	remy.ballot@grignon.inra.fr	Grignon (78)

Presentation

Description of the technique

Make the first nitrogen application at sowing, in liquid or solid form, by placing it near the seed line using appropriate equipment. Applications during the growing season in liquid, solid, or gaseous form can also be localized.

Example of implementation: On beet, at sowing, applying nitrogen as a nitrogen solution or ammonium nitrate, localized 5-6 cm from the row and 4-5 cm deep, can save 15 to 30 units for the same yield, or even improve it by 3%. The remainder could be applied at the 4-leaf stage using hoeing / localization equipment.

On corn, localizing starter fertilizer (ammonium phosphate) at sowing primarily allows a rapid crop start. The remainder applied in solid, liquid, or gaseous form (anhydrous ammonia) can also be localized in the inter-row up to the 6-8 leaf stage.

Implementation period On established crops.

Spatial scale of implementation Field.

Application of the technique to...

All crops: Not generalizable. Localization of nitrogen applications can only be applied to spring crops sown with wide spacing (corn, beet, etc.). It is particularly justified for crops with high nitrogen needs from the early stages (beet...) while root system soil exploration is still limited.

All soil types: Easily generalizable. The choice of localization equipment must consider soil type; on clay-prone soils, coulters should be preferred over disc openers.

All climatic contexts: Sometimes difficult to generalize. On clay-prone soils, nitrogen localization under too wet conditions can cause compaction or smoothing.

Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system

"Environmental" criteria

Effect on air quality: Increasing. Nitrogen localization reduces ammonia emissions by volatilization. This technique also reduces leaching losses, potentially allowing a reduction in total applied dose and greenhouse gas emissions related to fertilizer production.

Effect on water quality: Increasing. Nitrogen localization reduces leaching transfer risks, especially on shallow soils.

Effect on fossil resource consumption: Decreasing. Nitrogen localization reduces losses by leaching or volatilization. This technique can thus reduce total applied dose and fossil energy consumption related to fertilizer production.

"Agronomic" criteria

Productivity: Variable. On beet, yield gains related to localized nitrogen fertilization have been demonstrated.

Soil fertility: Increasing. Nitrogen incorporation limits surface acidification that can be caused by broadcast nitrogen solution application.

Water stress: No effect (neutral).

Functional biodiversity: No effect (neutral).

"Economic" criteria

Operating costs: Decreasing. Nitrogen localization reduces losses by leaching or volatilization. This technique can thus reduce total applied dose.

Mechanization costs: Increasing. Localized nitrogen fertilization requires specific equipment: €4,000 to €12,000 to equip a beet drill, for example.

Margin: Increasing. Once equipment is amortized, localized nitrogen fertilization improves nitrogen fertilization efficiency, thus variable profitability depending on the crop.

"Social" criteria

Working time: No effect (neutral).

Observation time: No effect (neutral).

Favored or disadvantaged organisms

Disadvantaged Bioagressors

Organism	Impact of the technique	Type
White amaranth	MEDIUM	weeds
Blite amaranth	MEDIUM	weeds
Prostrate amaranth	MEDIUM	weeds
Hybrid amaranth	MEDIUM	weeds
Reflexed amaranth	MEDIUM	weeds
Sterile brome	MEDIUM	weeds
Manyseed goosefoot	MEDIUM	weeds
Wild oat	MEDIUM	weeds
Theophrastus' abutilon	MEDIUM	weeds
Yarrow	MEDIUM	weeds
Agrostis capillaris	MEDIUM	weeds
Creeping bentgrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Field lady's mantle	MEDIUM	weeds
Ragweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Greater ammi	MEDIUM	weeds
Cow parsley	MEDIUM	weeds
Stinking chamomile	MEDIUM	weeds
Corn chamomile	MEDIUM	weeds
Tower rockcress	MEDIUM	weeds
Common mugwort	MEDIUM	weeds
Common orache	MEDIUM	weeds
Sterile oat Ludovician	MEDIUM	weeds
Wild oat	MEDIUM	weeds
Intermediate wintercress	MEDIUM	weeds
Three-lobed beggarticks	MEDIUM	weeds
Cornflower	MEDIUM	weeds
Calepina	MEDIUM	weeds
Shepherd's purse	MEDIUM	weeds
Hairy bittercress	MEDIUM	weeds
Wild carrot	MEDIUM	weeds
Milk thistle	MEDIUM	weeds
Bermuda grass	MEDIUM	Cynodon dactylon
Couch grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Corn marigold	MEDIUM	weeds
Lamb's quarters	MEDIUM	weeds
Nettle-leaved goosefoot	MEDIUM	weeds
Maple-leaved goosefoot	MEDIUM	weeds
Smooth hawksbeard	MEDIUM	weeds
Sticky mouse-ear chickweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Jimsonweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Large crabgrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Perennial wall-rocket	MEDIUM	weeds
Common stork's-bill	MEDIUM	weeds
Dwarf spurge	MEDIUM	weeds
Sun spurge	MEDIUM	weeds
Common fennel	MEDIUM	weeds
Lesser celandine	MEDIUM	weeds
Common fumitory	MEDIUM	weeds
Fine-leaved fumitory	MEDIUM	weeds
Cleavers	MEDIUM	weeds
Woolly thistle	MEDIUM	weeds
Tuberous pea	MEDIUM	weeds
Field gromwell	MEDIUM	weeds
Long-stalked cranesbill	MEDIUM	weeds
Cut-leaved cranesbill	MEDIUM	weeds
Dove's-foot cranesbill	MEDIUM	weeds
Round-leaved cranesbill	MEDIUM	weeds
Small-flowered cranesbill	MEDIUM	weeds
False viper's bugloss	MEDIUM	weeds
Creeping soft grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Rigid ryegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Toad rush	MEDIUM	weeds
Field sow-thistle	MEDIUM	weeds
Prickly sow-thistle	MEDIUM	weeds
Prickly lettuce	MEDIUM	weeds
Henbit dead-nettle	MEDIUM	weeds
Red dead-nettle	MEDIUM	weeds
Virginia fanpetals	MEDIUM	weeds
Common nipplewort	MEDIUM	weeds
Common toadflax	MEDIUM	weeds
Lesser toadflax	MEDIUM	weeds
Narrowleaf toadflax	MEDIUM	weeds
Field bindweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Hedge bindweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Red campion	MEDIUM	weeds
Chamomile	MEDIUM	weeds
Pineapple weed	MEDIUM	weeds
Common mallow	MEDIUM	weeds
Apple mint	MEDIUM	weeds
Annual mercury	MEDIUM	weeds
Black nightshade	MEDIUM	weeds
Common chickweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Wild mustard	MEDIUM	weeds
Black mustard	MEDIUM	weeds
Field forget-me-not	MEDIUM	weeds
Branched broomrape	MEDIUM	weeds
Witchgrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Proso millet	MEDIUM	weeds
Cockspur grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Fall panicgrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Dallis grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Field chickweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Drava chickweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Mexican poppy	MEDIUM	weeds
Common poppy	MEDIUM	weeds
Venus' comb	MEDIUM	weeds
Field pansy	MEDIUM	weeds
Parsley	MEDIUM	weeds
Hood canarygrass	MEDIUM	weeds
American pokeweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Hawkweed oxtongue	MEDIUM	weeds
Ribwort plantain	MEDIUM	weeds
Greater plantain	MEDIUM	weeds
Creeping cinquefoil	MEDIUM	weeds
Giant horsetail	MEDIUM	weeds
Horsetails	MEDIUM	weeds
Annual meadow grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Kentucky bluegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Wild radish	MEDIUM	weeds
Radish	MEDIUM	weeds
Perennial ryegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Italian ryegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Corn buttercup	MEDIUM	weeds
Marsh buttercup	MEDIUM	weeds
Creeping buttercup	MEDIUM	weeds
Amphibious bistort (terrestrial form)	MEDIUM	weeds
Common knotgrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Black bindweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Lady's thumb	MEDIUM	weeds
Pale persicaria	MEDIUM	weeds
Curly dock	MEDIUM	weeds
Sheep's sorrel	MEDIUM	weeds
Broad-leaved dock	MEDIUM	weeds
Rampion mignonette	MEDIUM	weeds
Field madder	MEDIUM	weeds
Hedge mustard	MEDIUM	weeds
Johnson grass	MEDIUM	weeds
Yellow nutsedge	MEDIUM	weeds
Corn spurry	MEDIUM	weeds
Venus' looking-glass	MEDIUM	weeds
Common chickweed	MEDIUM	weeds
Groundsel	MEDIUM	weeds
Yellow bristlegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Green foxtail	MEDIUM	weeds
Whorled bristlegrass	MEDIUM	weeds
Field pennycress	MEDIUM	weeds
Hedge parsley	MEDIUM	weeds
Knotted hedge parsley	MEDIUM	weeds
Coltsfoot	MEDIUM	weeds
Sumatran fleabane	MEDIUM	weeds
Common vervain	MEDIUM	weeds
Rat's-tail fescue	MEDIUM	weeds
Squirrel-tail fescue	MEDIUM	weeds
Persian speedwell	MEDIUM	weeds
Wall speedwell	MEDIUM	weeds
Brooklime	MEDIUM	weeds
Ivy-leaved speedwell	MEDIUM	weeds
Square-stalked willowherb	MEDIUM	weeds
Fool's parsley	MEDIUM	weeds

For more information

Beet or corn - Better yield by localizing nitrogen at sowing, Amandine Laurent, JA n°581, Press article, 2003.
Localized nitrogen incorporation: optimal technique for beet, Beet Technical Institute, Multimedia, 2014.
Localized nitrogen incorporation is still relevant, Beet Technical Institute, Beet technique n°926, Press article, 2010.

Evaluation of this practice according to the ESR analysis grid

Redesign. Integrated protection requires a combination of all available means that necessitate a redesign of systems to make them less dependent on phytosanitary products. This involves an approach favoring prevention and prophylaxis to place crops in the best conditions while disadvantaging bio-aggressors.

Appendices

S'applique aux cultures suivantes

Défavorise les bioagresseurs suivants