The fates of (15)N-labeled fertilizer in a wheat–soil system as influenced by fertilization practice in a loamy soil

Appropriate fertilization practice is crucial to achieve maximum wheat grain yield with minimum nitrogen (N) loss. A field (15)N micro-plot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of application methods [split application (SA) and band application (BA)] and N rates (60, 150 and 240 kg ha(−1)) on the wheat grain yield, urea-(15)N fate and N efficiency in Jiangyan County, China. At high N rates, wheat grain yield was significantly higher for SA than BA treatment, but there was no difference at the lower N rates. Plant N derived from fertilizer was higher in SA than in BA treatment. The high N fertilizer application increased total N uptake by wheat derived from fertilizer, but wheat plant N derived from soil was not affected by the N rate. Fertilizer-N recovery in SA treatment was higher than in BA treatment. Residual N recovery in the 0–80 cm soil layer was 31–51%, which decreased with increasing N rate. The highest N loss was found for BA treatment at the N application of 240 kg ha(−1). The one-time BA of N fertilizer, especially for higher N rates, led to reduced wheat grain yield and N efficiency, and increased the N loss.