"Reduction of the Impact of Fertilization and Irrigation On
Processes in the Nitrogen Cycle in Vegetable Fields with BMPs" University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, September 2003
"The nitrogen (N) cycle is a set of transformations that affect N in the biosphere.
Through a series of microbial transformations in the soil, N is made available to
vegetable
crops. Thus, knowledge of this cycle by which N passes from air to soil to
organisms and back
to air, and how the components of the cycle are affected by
human activities, is required to
design effective strategies for decreasing
undesirable losses of N from vegetable production to
the environment.
Adequate management of fertilization and irrigation has always been recognized
as one of the keys to successful vegetable production in Florida. Thus, fertilization
and irrigation practices have aimed at supplying enough nutrients and water to
ensure economical yields. Since up to 200 lbs/A of exogenous N are recommended
for vegetable production in Florida, and fertilizer use efficiency seldom exceeds
75%,it is likely that fertilization affects the N cycle. Best Management Practices
(BMPs) aim at reconciling the needs of economical vegetable crop production with
those of environmental protection. Effective BMP implementation, therefore, requires
an understanding of how current cultural practices affect certain processes in
the N cycle in commercial vegetable fields. It is likely that a complete
understanding of these issues by farmers and vegetable professionals will
be a prerequisite for the success of the BMP program.
The goals of this article are to (1) present the N cycle as it relates to
crop production, (2) describe how fertilization and irrigation affect the
processes within N cycle, and (3) explain how the proposed BMPs may
help reduce the negative environmental impact of these cultural practices."
