Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Nitrogen demand and the recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer in wheat grown under elevated carbon dioxide in southern Australia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There are few reports on the effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) on fertilizer N recovery by crops under open-air conditions. This study was conducted at the Australian Grains Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (AGFACE) facility in southern Australia to investigate the effects of elevated [CO2] (550 μmol mol−1) on growth, N uptake and fertilizer 15N recovery by spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yitpi) over a 2-year period. 15N-enriched (10.22 atom%) granular urea was applied to microplots at 50 kg N ha−1 at varying seasonal rainfall and temperature scenarios (simulated by supplementary irrigation and late sowing) for three experimental periods [2008 normal sowing (2008NS), 2008 late sowing (2008LS) and 2009 normal sowing (2009NS)]. Elevated [CO2] increased wheat biomass (27–58%), N uptake (18–44%) and amount of plant N derived from soil (20–50%) at 2008NS and 2009NS (rainfed), but the effect was not apparent at 2008LS (hotter and drier) and supplementary irrigated plots for 2009NS (above-average rainfall). Tissue N concentration and N derived from fertilizer were unaffected by elevated [CO2] in any experimental period. Irrespective of [CO2], grain yield and whole plant fertilizer N uptake was 37–94 and 13–609%, respectively, higher under supplementary irrigated plots than that in rainfed counterparts. These results indicate that more fertilizer N will need to be applied to this wheat production zone under future [CO2] environments, and yield gains in hotter and drier climates will be lower than those in higher rainfall zones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amthor JS (2001) Effects of atmospheric CO2 concentration on wheat yield: review of results from experiments using various approaches to control CO2 concentration. Field Crops Res 73:1–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asseng S, Jamieson PD, Kimball B, Pinter P, Sayre K, Bowden JW, Howden SM (2004) Simulated wheat growth affected by rising temperature, increased water deficit and elevated atmospheric CO2. Field Crops Res 85:85–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Agricultural, Resource Economics, Sciences (2011) Australian crop report no. 157. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Azam F, Ashraf M, Lodhi A, Sajjad MI (1990) Availability of soil and fertilizer N to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) following rice straw amendment. Biol Fertil Soils 10:134–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Batts GR, Ellis RH, Morison JIL, Nkemka PN, Gregory PJ, Hadley P (1998) Yield and partitioning in crops of contrasting cultivars of winter wheat in response to CO2 and temperature in field studies using temperature gradient tunnels. J Agric Sci 130:17–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Meteorology (2010) Weather and climate data-monthly statistics. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/index.shtml. Accessed 10 September 2010

  • Cassman KG, Munns DN (1980) Nitrogen mineralization as affected by soil moisture, temperature, and depth. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:1233–1237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen D, Suter H, Islam A, Edis R, Freney JR, Walker CN (2008) Prospects of improving efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in Australian agriculture: a review of enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Aust J Soil Res 46:289–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen JH, Hewitson B, Busuioc A, Chen A, Gao X, Held I, Jones R, Kolli RK, Kwon W-T, Laprise R, Rueda VM, Mearns L, Menéndez CG, Räisänen J, Rinke A, Sarr A, Whetton P (2007) Regional climate projections. In: Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M et al (eds) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Conroy JP, Seneweera S, Basra A, Rogers G, Nissen-Wooller B (1994) Influence of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and temperature on growth, yield and grain quality of cereal crops. Aust J Plant Physiol 21:741–758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corbeels M, Hofman G, Cleemput OV (1999) Fate of fertilizer N applied to winter wheat growing on a Vertisol in a mediterranean environment. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 53:249–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cotrufo MF, Ineson P, Scott A (1998) Elevated CO2 reduces the nitrogen concentration of plant tissues. Glob Change Biol 4:43–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cramb J, Perry MW, McKeague S, Mulcahy MJ (2000) Environment. In: Anderson WK, Garlinge JR (eds) The wheat book: principles and practice. Agriculture Western Australia, Perth, pp 1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauck RD, Bremner JM (1976) Use of tracers for soil and fertilizer nitrogen research. Adv Agron 28:219–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houghton JT, Ding Y, Griggs DJ, Noguer M, van der Winden PJ, Dai X, Maskell K, Johnson CA (2001) Climate change 2001: the scientific basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the third assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovenden MJ, Newton PCD, Carran RA, Theobald P, Wills KE, Vander Schoor JK, Williams AL, Osanai Y (2008) Warming prevents the elevated CO2-induced reduction in available soil nitrogen in a temperate, perennial grassland. Glob Change Biol 14:1018–1024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hungate BA, Johnson DW, Dijkstra P, Hymus G, Stiling P, Megonigal JP, Pagel AlishaL, Moan JainaL, Day Frank, Jiahong Li, Hinkle CR, Drake BG (2006) Nitrogen cycling during seven years of atmospheric CO2 enrichment in a scrub oak woodland. Ecology 87:26–40

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson MF, McIntyre S, Hobbs RJ, Stein JL, Garnett S, Kinloch J (2005) Integrating a global agro-climatic classification with bioregional boundaries in Australia. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 14:197–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell RF (1996) The Australian soil classification. Australian soil and land survey handbook. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS, Fox RH, Rayner JH (1985) Interactions between fertilizer nitrogen and soil nitrogen-the so-called ‘priming’ effect. J Soil Sci 36:425–444

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K-I, Clay DE, Carlson CG, Clay SA, Trooien T (2008) Do synergistic relationships between nitrogen and water influence the ability of corn to use nitrogen derived from fertilizer and soil? Agron J 100:551–556

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim H-Y, Lim S–S, Kwak J-H, Lee D-S, Lee S-M, Ro H-M, Choi W-J (2011) Dry matter and nitrogen accumulation and partitioning in rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to experimental warming with elevated CO2. Plant Soil 342:59–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball BA (1983) Carbon dioxide and agricultural yield: an assemblage and analysis of 430 prior observations. Agron J 75:779–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball BA, Pinter J, Paul J, Garcia RL, LaMorte RL, Wall GW, Hunsaker DJ, Wechsung G, Wechsung F, Kartschall T (1995) Productivity and water use of wheat under free-air CO2 enrichment. Glob Change Biol 1:429–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball BA, Kobayashi K, Bindi M (2002) Responses of agricultural crops to free-air CO2 enrichment. Adv Agron 77:293–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leakey ADB, Ainsworth EA, Bernacchi CJ, Rogers A, Long SP, Ort DR (2009) Elevated CO2 effects on plant carbon, nitrogen, and water relations: six important lessons from FACE. J Exp Bot 60:2859–2876

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loiseau P, Soussana JF (2000) Effects of elevated CO2, temperature and N fertilization on nitrogen fluxes in a temperate grassland ecosystem. Glob Change Biol 6:953–965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Su B, Currie WS, Dukes JS, Finzi A, Hartwig U, Hungate B, McMurtrie RE, Oren R, Parton WJ, Pataki DE, Shaw MR, Zak DR, Field CB (2004) Progressive nitrogen limitation of ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Bioscience 54:731–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma H, Zhu J, Liu G, Xie Z, Wang Y, Yang L, Zeng Q (2007a) Availability of soil nitrogen and phosphorus in a typical rice-wheat rotation system under elevated atmospheric [CO2]. Field Crops Res 100:44–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma H, Zhu J, Xie Z, Liu G, Zeng Q, Han Y (2007b) Responses of rice and winter wheat to free-air CO2 enrichment (China FACE) at rice/wheat rotation system. Plant Soil 294:137–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martín-Olmedo P, Rees RM, Grace J (2002) The influence of plants grown under elevated CO2 and N fertilization on soil nitrogen dynamics. Glob Change Biol 8:643–657

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell RAC, Mitchell VJ, Driscoll SP, Franklin J, Lawlor DW (1993) Effects of increased CO2 concentration and temperature on growth and yield of winter wheat at two levels of nitrogen application. Plant Cell Environ 16:521–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mollah M, Norton R, Huzzey J (2009) Australian grains free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (AGFACE) facility: design and performance. Crop Pasture Sci 60:697–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morison JIL, Lawlor DW (1999) Interaction between increasing CO2 concentration and temperature on plant growth. Plant Cell Environ 22:659–682

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palta JA, Kobata T, Turner NC, Fillery IR (1994) Remobilization of carbon and nitrogen in wheat as influenced by postanthesis water deficits. Crop Sci 34:118–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pilbeam CJ (1996) Effect of climate on the recovery in crop and soil of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied to wheat. Fertil Res 45:209–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao ACS, Smith JL, Papendick RI, Parr JF (1991) Influence of added nitrogen interactions in estimating recovery efficiency of labelled nitrogen. Soil Sci Soc Am J 55:1616–1621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawson HM (1995) Yield responses of two wheat genotypes to carbon dioxide and temperature in field studies using temperature gradient tunnels. Aust J Plant Physiol 22:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reich PB, Hobbie SE, Lee T, Ellsworth DS, West JB, Tilman D, Knops JMH, Naeem S, Trost J (2006) Nitrogen limitation constrains sustainability of ecosystem response to CO2. Nature 440:922–925

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers GS, Milham PJ, Gillings M, Conroy JP (1996) Sink strength may be the key to growth and nitrogen responses in N-deficient wheat at elevated CO2. Aust J Plant Physiol 23:253–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair TR, Pinter PJ Jr, Kimball BA, Adamsen FJ, LaMorte RL, Wall GW, Hunsaker DJ, Adam N, Brooks TJ, Garcia RL, Thompson T, Leavitt S, Matthias A (2000) Leaf nitrogen concentration of wheat subjected to elevated [CO2] and either water or N deficits. Agric Ecosyst Environ 79:53–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sionit N, Mortensen DA, Strain BR, Hellmers H (1981) Growth response of wheat to CO2 enrichment and different levels of mineral nutrition. Agron J 73:1023–1027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torbert HA, Prior SA, Rogers HH, Runion GB (2004) Elevated atmospheric CO2 effects on N fertilization in grain sorghum and soybean. Field Crops Res 88:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner DA, Edis RB, Chen D, Freney JR, Denmead OT, Christie R (2010) Determination and mitigation of ammonia loss from urea applied to winter wheat with N-(n-butyl) thiophosphorictriamide. Agric Ecosyst Environ 137:261–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wall GW, Garcia RL, Kimball BA, Hunsaker DJ, Pinter PJ Jr, Long SP, Osborne CP, Hendrix DL, Wechsung F, Wechsung G, Leavitt SW, LaMorte RL, Idso SB (2006) Interactive effects of elevated carbon dioxide and drought on wheat. Agron J 98:354–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsung G, Wechsung F, Wall GW, Adamsen FJ, Kimball BA, Pinter PJ, Lamorte RL, Garcia RL, Kartschall T (1999) The effects of free-air CO2 enrichment and soil water availability on spatial and seasonal patterns of wheat root growth. Glob Change Biol 5:519–529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weerakoon WMW, Ingram KT, Moss DN (2005) Atmospheric CO2 concentration effects on N partitioning and fertilizer N recovery in field grown rice (Oryza sativa L.). Agric Ecosyst Environ 108:342–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf J (1996) Effects of nutrient supply (NPK) on spring wheat response to elevated atmospheric CO2. Plant Soil 185:113–123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zadoks JC, Chang TT, Konzak CF (1974) A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14:415–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the Australian Research Council, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries and The University of Melbourne. The authors wish to thank Mr. Peter Howie, Mr. Russel Argall, Mr. Xingyu Hao and Mr. Vincent Chan for field assistance, and Mr. Jianlei Sun, Dr. Brett Kuskopf and Mr. Ron Teo for chemical analyses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deli Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lam, S.K., Chen, D., Norton, R. et al. Nitrogen demand and the recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer in wheat grown under elevated carbon dioxide in southern Australia. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 92, 133–144 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-011-9477-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-011-9477-6

Keywords

Navigation