An analysis of optimal fertigation implications in different soils on reducing environmental impacts of agricultural nitrate leaching

Excessive and incorrect use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture leads to high nitrate leaching to groundwater and harmful effects on the environment. The main objective of this research was to optimize the N fertigation scheduling for a surface micro-irrigation system in different soils. N uptake by corn and its losses were investigated for two fertigation scheduling scenarios including regional recommendation scheduling with three fertigation events and a weekly application schedule. The fertigation scheduling was then optimized to achieve both environmental objectives (minimizing nitrate losses) and corn N requirements (maximizing N uptake sufficiency). For this purpose, the HYDRUS-2D model, simulating water flow and N transport in soil, was linked to an optimization algorithm. In both scenarios, N uptake by plant was not adequate at different stages of growth in all three soil types, especially in the sandy loam soil. Optimization produced a decrease in nitrate leaching and an increase in N uptake as well as fully supplied plant requirements at different stages of corn growth. Optimization framework presented in this study and optimum fertigation scheduling in various soil textures can be applicable as a guideline for operators of micro-irrigation systems which reduce nitrate leaching and increase N uptake sufficiency.