A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China (42°24"N, 128°06"E, and 738 m elevation). A randomized complete...A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China (42°24"N, 128°06"E, and 738 m elevation). A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999. Changpai Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May, 1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination. In each year, the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007, and soil nitrifying, denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured. Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities (NEA) in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006, by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007. Soil denitrifying enzyme activities (DEA) were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 (P 〈 0.012) and August 2006 (P 〈 0.005) samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007, and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found. This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.展开更多
[Objective] The aim was to investigate the differences in nitrification and denitrification activities and the N20 emission of orchard soils cultivated for different periods of time. [Method] Incubation experiment was...[Objective] The aim was to investigate the differences in nitrification and denitrification activities and the N20 emission of orchard soils cultivated for different periods of time. [Method] Incubation experiment was conducted to determine the ni- trification and denitrification activities and N20 emission of three types of orchard soil samples that had been cultivated for 5, 12 and 20 years, respectively, by using the virgin soil sample as control. [Result] After 26 d of incubation, the nitrification rates of nitrogen fertilizer in the virgin soil sample and the orchard soil samples cultivated for 5, 12 and 20 years were 6.85%, 10.26%, 13.29% and 12.90%, respectively, which were positively correlated with content of soil organic matter, ammonium nitro- gen and total nitrogen (P〈0.05), and negatively correlated with soil carbon-nitrogen ratio and pH value (P〈0.05). The denitrification activities of these soil samples in- creased with the increase of cultivation years. The amount of nitrogen loss by deni- trification accounted for 0.01%-3.11% of the amount of fertilizer nitrogen, and had a positive correlation with the content of soil organic matter (P〈0.05). The N20 emis- sions of orchard soil samples were higher than that of the virgin soil samples (P〈 0.05). [Conclusion] In South China, the nitrification activity of orchard soil is relatively low, but it has a tendency to increase as the cultivation years increases; the denitri- fication activity is relatively high, and increases significantly with the increase of culti- vation years.展开更多
The moving dynamics of nitrate nitrogen(NO3-N)in soil of maize field on meadow soil of Daling river valley in Liaoning and its rational fertilization controlling were discussed in this study by the designing of diff...The moving dynamics of nitrate nitrogen(NO3-N)in soil of maize field on meadow soil of Daling river valley in Liaoning and its rational fertilization controlling were discussed in this study by the designing of different kinds of N application methods.The results showed that the content of NO3-N in soil was increased with the amount of nitrogen fertilizer;At the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer,the content of NO3-N in soil showed a trend of chemical fertilizerstraw treatmentslow controlled release fertilizer.Based on the requirement of roots in different growth stages to nutrition,the migration directions of NO3-N could be regulated by each layer of soil.In the early growth stage,the NO3-N would move upward,while it moved downward in the late growth stage.Straw returning treatment could improve the keeping ability of soil to NO3-N and avoid the downward migration of NO3-N,as well as reduce the damage of groundwater pollution.The use of slow controlled release fertilizer had achieved the continuing releasing of nutrition.Moreover,the peak of nutrition releasing had been delayed for 30 d,which had met the requirement of nutrient supply in maturing stage.The yield of slow controlled release fertilizer treatment was the highest with the least accumulation of NO3-N and less negative influence on environment.The yield of straw returning treatment and chemical fertilizer treatment was closed to each other.展开更多
Soil-bentonite (SB) vertical slurry cutoff wall is a useful treatment for urban industrial contaminated sites. Due to the clay-heavy metal interaction, significant changes would occur in the engineering behavior of ...Soil-bentonite (SB) vertical slurry cutoff wall is a useful treatment for urban industrial contaminated sites. Due to the clay-heavy metal interaction, significant changes would occur in the engineering behavior of SB cutoff walls. However, previous study is limited to kaolinitic soils or montmorillonitic soils along using solidum chloride and/or calcium chloride as target contaminant. In this work, a series of oedometer tests were conducted to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) on the compressibility and the permeability of kaolin-bentonite (KB) mixtures, a simplified model of in-situ SB cutoff wall backfills. In addition, sedimentation tests were conducted to interpret the mechanism controlling the change of compressibility and permeability from the perspective of soil fabric. The Pb-contaminated KB mixtures for oedometer tests and sedimentation tests were prepared with bentonite contents of 0, 5%, 10%, and 15% by dry mass, and they were mixed with pre-determined volume of lead nitrate solution based on designed Pb concentration and solid-to-solution ratio. The Pb concentration was controlled as 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10, and 50 mg/g with a solid-to-solution ratio of approximate 0.5. The prepared KB mixtures with bentonite contents of 0, 5%, and 10% were chosen for the sedimentation tests. They were freeze-dried and mixed with DDI with a solid-to-solution ratio of 10 g/100 mL. The results indicate that pH, compressibility, and permeability of KB mixture changed considerably with respect to Pb concentration. It is concluded that the fabric of KB mixture, depending on the particle-particle interaction subjected to different ranges of pH and Pb concentration, governs the sedimentation behavior and permeability. The results of liquid limit (WE) cannot be explained in terms of the sedimentation behavior since it is only ionic-dependent.展开更多
Mapping the spatial distribution of soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3=N) is important to guide nitrogen application as well as to assess environmental risk of NO3-N leaching into the groundwater. We employed univariate and...Mapping the spatial distribution of soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3=N) is important to guide nitrogen application as well as to assess environmental risk of NO3-N leaching into the groundwater. We employed univariate and hybrid geostatistical methods to map the spatial distribution of soil NO3-N across a landscape in northeast Florida. Soil samples were collected from four depth increments (0-30, 30-60, 60-120 and 120-180 cm) from 147 sampling locations identified using a stratified random and nested sampling design based on soil, land use and elevation strata. Soil NO3-N distributions in the top two layers were spatially autocorrelated and mapped using lognormal kriging. Environmental correlation models for NO3-N prediction were derived using linear and non-linear regression methods, and employed to develop NO3-N trend maps. Land use and its related variables derived from satellite imagery were identified as important variables to predict NO3-N using environmental correlation models. While lognormal kriging produced smoothly varying maps, trend maps derived from environmental correlation models generated spatially heterogeneous maps. Trend maps were combined with ordinary kriging predictions of trend model residuals to develop regression kriging prediction maps, which gave the best NO3-N predictions. As land use and remotely sensed data are readily available and have much finer spatial resolution compared to field sampled soils, our findings suggested the efficacy of environmental correlation models based on land use and remotely sensed data for landscape scale mapping of soil NO3-N. The methodologies implemented are transferable for mapping of soil NO3-N in other landscapes.展开更多
A comparative study was conducted to determine the NH4+ and NO3- concentrations in soil profiles and to examine the net nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification in adjacent forest, grassland, and cropland soils o...A comparative study was conducted to determine the NH4+ and NO3- concentrations in soil profiles and to examine the net nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification in adjacent forest, grassland, and cropland soils on the Tibetan Plateau. Cropland soil showed significantly higher inorganic N concentrations in soil profiles compared with forest and grassland soils. NO3- -N accounted for 70%–90% of inorganic N in cropland soil, while NH4+ -N was the main form of inorganic N in forest and grassland soils. The average net N mineralization rate at 0–20 cm depth was approximately twice in cropland soil (1.48 mg kg-1 d-1) as high as in forest (0.83 mg kg-1 d-1) or grassland soil (0.72 mg kg-1 d-1). Cropland showed strong net nitrification, with the net rate almost equal to the total net N mineralization. Urea addition stimulated soil respiration, particularly in forest soil. Most urea-N, however, remained as NH4+ in forest and grassland soils, while NO3- was the main form of inorganic N to increase in cropland soil. Higher rates of net nitrification in cropland soils suggest that land use change on the Tibetan Plateau may lead to high N losses through nitrate leaching.展开更多
Ordinary high nitrogen fertilizer often results in nitrate (NO3--N) leaching and low recovery. Microplot and field plot experiments were conducted to determine the effect of controlled release nitrogen fertilizer (CRN...Ordinary high nitrogen fertilizer often results in nitrate (NO3--N) leaching and low recovery. Microplot and field plot experiments were conducted to determine the effect of controlled release nitrogen fertilizer (CRNF) on reco very and nitrate leaching on paddy soils. During two early rice cropping seasons (2002 and 2003), a single basal application of CRNF at 90 kg N ha-1 increased grain yields by 7.7%to 11.6%compared with two applications of urea. Estimated by the difference method fertilizer N recovery of CRNF (mean 76.3%) was 38.9 pe rcentage point higher than that of urea (mean 37.4%); estimated by 15N isotope method (mean 49.6%) CRNF (mean 67.1%) was 35.9 percentage point higher than ur ea (mean 31.2%). NO3--N leaching losses were 9.19 and 6.70 kg ha-1 for urea and CRNF, respectively. NO3--N leaching during the early rice cropping season was 27.1 %lower from CRNF than from two applications of urea. These losses repr esent 10.2%and 7.4%of applied urea-N and CRNF-N. Results from this study ind icate that CRNF improves N recovery and reduces NO3--N leaching and increases rice yield.展开更多
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed biochar on the nitrification rate in acidic soils. A15 N tracer experiment with(15 NH4)2 SO4 was conducted to determine the nitrification rates of 4 acidic ...This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed biochar on the nitrification rate in acidic soils. A15 N tracer experiment with(15 NH4)2 SO4 was conducted to determine the nitrification rates of 4 acidic agricultural soils with p H 4.03-6.02 in Yunnan Province, Southern China. The accumulation of15 N-NO3-and nitrification rates decreased with the addition of biochar at the end of incubation, suggesting that biochar could be a nitrification inhibitor in acidic fertilized soil. Nitrification rates in soil with p H 4.03 were evidently lower than those in soil with p H 4.81-6.02 with or without biochar. Decreased nitrification rates were detected in the acidic soils with biochar. Soil p H controlled nitrification more than biochar in certain strongly acidic soils.展开更多
The effects of different chemical fertilizer combinations (N, P and K) oncrop yield, N uptake and nitrate distribution and accumulation to a depth of 100 cm were studied ina cinnamon fluvo-aquic soil profile (Beijing)...The effects of different chemical fertilizer combinations (N, P and K) oncrop yield, N uptake and nitrate distribution and accumulation to a depth of 100 cm were studied ina cinnamon fluvo-aquic soil profile (Beijing) with a continuous winter wheat-summer maize croppingsystem for nine years. The experiment consisted of 7 treatments: no fertilizer control (CK); Nalone, N in combination with K (NK), P (NP), and P and K (NPK and N1PK); and P and K in combinationwithout N (PK). The rate of N was 150 kg ha^(-1) for the N treatments except Treatment N1PK withhigher N rate (195 kg ha^(-1)), and the rates of P (P_2O_5) and K (K2O) were 75 and 37.5 kg ha^(-1),respectively. The applications of N combined with P and K (NK, NP and NPK) resulted in higher cropyields than a single application of N. The yields followed the order: NPK > NP > N1PK > PK > NK > N> CK for winter wheat, and NPK > N1PK > NP > NK > N > PK > CK for summer maize. Supplement of N withP or K, or both P and K resulted in a higher average N uptake of the two crops, which was in adecreasing order NPK > NP > N1PK > NK > N > PK > CK. The combinations also increased apparent Nrecovery more than N alone and CK. The nitrate content in the profile was thus reduced more in thecombination treatments. The nitrate accumulation in the soil profiles followed the order: N > NK >N1PK > NPK > NP > CK > PK. Higher N uptake by the adequately fertilized crops (Treatment NPK)reduced nitrate accumulation in the profile and thus reduced nitrate leaching. The optimum N:P:Kratio was thus of paramount importance in increasing yields and N uptake of crops and reducingnitrate leaching losses.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.90411020)Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program)(2002CB412502).
文摘A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China (42°24"N, 128°06"E, and 738 m elevation). A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999. Changpai Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May, 1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination. In each year, the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007, and soil nitrifying, denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured. Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities (NEA) in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006, by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007. Soil denitrifying enzyme activities (DEA) were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 (P 〈 0.012) and August 2006 (P 〈 0.005) samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007, and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found. This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian(2008J0120)the Projects for the Nonprofit Specialized Research Institutes in Fujian Province(2009R10032-1,2010R1024-2)Youth Innovation Fund of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences(2010QB-7),Key Project of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences~~
文摘[Objective] The aim was to investigate the differences in nitrification and denitrification activities and the N20 emission of orchard soils cultivated for different periods of time. [Method] Incubation experiment was conducted to determine the ni- trification and denitrification activities and N20 emission of three types of orchard soil samples that had been cultivated for 5, 12 and 20 years, respectively, by using the virgin soil sample as control. [Result] After 26 d of incubation, the nitrification rates of nitrogen fertilizer in the virgin soil sample and the orchard soil samples cultivated for 5, 12 and 20 years were 6.85%, 10.26%, 13.29% and 12.90%, respectively, which were positively correlated with content of soil organic matter, ammonium nitro- gen and total nitrogen (P〈0.05), and negatively correlated with soil carbon-nitrogen ratio and pH value (P〈0.05). The denitrification activities of these soil samples in- creased with the increase of cultivation years. The amount of nitrogen loss by deni- trification accounted for 0.01%-3.11% of the amount of fertilizer nitrogen, and had a positive correlation with the content of soil organic matter (P〈0.05). The N20 emis- sions of orchard soil samples were higher than that of the virgin soil samples (P〈 0.05). [Conclusion] In South China, the nitrification activity of orchard soil is relatively low, but it has a tendency to increase as the cultivation years increases; the denitri- fication activity is relatively high, and increases significantly with the increase of culti- vation years.
基金Supported by Scientific Research Fund of Agricultural Public-welfare Industry from Ministry of Agriculture"Study on Quantitative Evaluation and Controlling Technique of Carbon-nitrogen Budget in BohaiCostal Region"(200803036)National Scientific and Technological Supporting Project"Study and Demonstration on Key Technique of High-efficiency Fertilization with Single Cropping in one year in Northeastern Cold Region"(2008BADA4B06)~~
文摘The moving dynamics of nitrate nitrogen(NO3-N)in soil of maize field on meadow soil of Daling river valley in Liaoning and its rational fertilization controlling were discussed in this study by the designing of different kinds of N application methods.The results showed that the content of NO3-N in soil was increased with the amount of nitrogen fertilizer;At the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer,the content of NO3-N in soil showed a trend of chemical fertilizerstraw treatmentslow controlled release fertilizer.Based on the requirement of roots in different growth stages to nutrition,the migration directions of NO3-N could be regulated by each layer of soil.In the early growth stage,the NO3-N would move upward,while it moved downward in the late growth stage.Straw returning treatment could improve the keeping ability of soil to NO3-N and avoid the downward migration of NO3-N,as well as reduce the damage of groundwater pollution.The use of slow controlled release fertilizer had achieved the continuing releasing of nutrition.Moreover,the peak of nutrition releasing had been delayed for 30 d,which had met the requirement of nutrient supply in maturing stage.The yield of slow controlled release fertilizer treatment was the highest with the least accumulation of NO3-N and less negative influence on environment.The yield of straw returning treatment and chemical fertilizer treatment was closed to each other.
基金Project(51278100) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProjects(BK2010060, BK2012022) supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, ChinaProject(103) supported by the Scientific Innovation Research of University Graduate Students of Jiangsu Province, China
文摘Soil-bentonite (SB) vertical slurry cutoff wall is a useful treatment for urban industrial contaminated sites. Due to the clay-heavy metal interaction, significant changes would occur in the engineering behavior of SB cutoff walls. However, previous study is limited to kaolinitic soils or montmorillonitic soils along using solidum chloride and/or calcium chloride as target contaminant. In this work, a series of oedometer tests were conducted to investigate the effects of lead (Pb) on the compressibility and the permeability of kaolin-bentonite (KB) mixtures, a simplified model of in-situ SB cutoff wall backfills. In addition, sedimentation tests were conducted to interpret the mechanism controlling the change of compressibility and permeability from the perspective of soil fabric. The Pb-contaminated KB mixtures for oedometer tests and sedimentation tests were prepared with bentonite contents of 0, 5%, 10%, and 15% by dry mass, and they were mixed with pre-determined volume of lead nitrate solution based on designed Pb concentration and solid-to-solution ratio. The Pb concentration was controlled as 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10, and 50 mg/g with a solid-to-solution ratio of approximate 0.5. The prepared KB mixtures with bentonite contents of 0, 5%, and 10% were chosen for the sedimentation tests. They were freeze-dried and mixed with DDI with a solid-to-solution ratio of 10 g/100 mL. The results indicate that pH, compressibility, and permeability of KB mixture changed considerably with respect to Pb concentration. It is concluded that the fabric of KB mixture, depending on the particle-particle interaction subjected to different ranges of pH and Pb concentration, governs the sedimentation behavior and permeability. The results of liquid limit (WE) cannot be explained in terms of the sedimentation behavior since it is only ionic-dependent.
基金Project supported by the United States Department of Agriculture through the "Nutrient Science for Improved Watershed Management" program (No.2002-00501)
文摘Mapping the spatial distribution of soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3=N) is important to guide nitrogen application as well as to assess environmental risk of NO3-N leaching into the groundwater. We employed univariate and hybrid geostatistical methods to map the spatial distribution of soil NO3-N across a landscape in northeast Florida. Soil samples were collected from four depth increments (0-30, 30-60, 60-120 and 120-180 cm) from 147 sampling locations identified using a stratified random and nested sampling design based on soil, land use and elevation strata. Soil NO3-N distributions in the top two layers were spatially autocorrelated and mapped using lognormal kriging. Environmental correlation models for NO3-N prediction were derived using linear and non-linear regression methods, and employed to develop NO3-N trend maps. Land use and its related variables derived from satellite imagery were identified as important variables to predict NO3-N using environmental correlation models. While lognormal kriging produced smoothly varying maps, trend maps derived from environmental correlation models generated spatially heterogeneous maps. Trend maps were combined with ordinary kriging predictions of trend model residuals to develop regression kriging prediction maps, which gave the best NO3-N predictions. As land use and remotely sensed data are readily available and have much finer spatial resolution compared to field sampled soils, our findings suggested the efficacy of environmental correlation models based on land use and remotely sensed data for landscape scale mapping of soil NO3-N. The methodologies implemented are transferable for mapping of soil NO3-N in other landscapes.
基金Project the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.40461005).
文摘A comparative study was conducted to determine the NH4+ and NO3- concentrations in soil profiles and to examine the net nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification in adjacent forest, grassland, and cropland soils on the Tibetan Plateau. Cropland soil showed significantly higher inorganic N concentrations in soil profiles compared with forest and grassland soils. NO3- -N accounted for 70%–90% of inorganic N in cropland soil, while NH4+ -N was the main form of inorganic N in forest and grassland soils. The average net N mineralization rate at 0–20 cm depth was approximately twice in cropland soil (1.48 mg kg-1 d-1) as high as in forest (0.83 mg kg-1 d-1) or grassland soil (0.72 mg kg-1 d-1). Cropland showed strong net nitrification, with the net rate almost equal to the total net N mineralization. Urea addition stimulated soil respiration, particularly in forest soil. Most urea-N, however, remained as NH4+ in forest and grassland soils, while NO3- was the main form of inorganic N to increase in cropland soil. Higher rates of net nitrification in cropland soils suggest that land use change on the Tibetan Plateau may lead to high N losses through nitrate leaching.
文摘Ordinary high nitrogen fertilizer often results in nitrate (NO3--N) leaching and low recovery. Microplot and field plot experiments were conducted to determine the effect of controlled release nitrogen fertilizer (CRNF) on reco very and nitrate leaching on paddy soils. During two early rice cropping seasons (2002 and 2003), a single basal application of CRNF at 90 kg N ha-1 increased grain yields by 7.7%to 11.6%compared with two applications of urea. Estimated by the difference method fertilizer N recovery of CRNF (mean 76.3%) was 38.9 pe rcentage point higher than that of urea (mean 37.4%); estimated by 15N isotope method (mean 49.6%) CRNF (mean 67.1%) was 35.9 percentage point higher than ur ea (mean 31.2%). NO3--N leaching losses were 9.19 and 6.70 kg ha-1 for urea and CRNF, respectively. NO3--N leaching during the early rice cropping season was 27.1 %lower from CRNF than from two applications of urea. These losses repr esent 10.2%and 7.4%of applied urea-N and CRNF-N. Results from this study ind icate that CRNF improves N recovery and reduces NO3--N leaching and increases rice yield.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31201688)Yunnan University’s Research Innovation Fund for Graduate Students
文摘This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed biochar on the nitrification rate in acidic soils. A15 N tracer experiment with(15 NH4)2 SO4 was conducted to determine the nitrification rates of 4 acidic agricultural soils with p H 4.03-6.02 in Yunnan Province, Southern China. The accumulation of15 N-NO3-and nitrification rates decreased with the addition of biochar at the end of incubation, suggesting that biochar could be a nitrification inhibitor in acidic fertilized soil. Nitrification rates in soil with p H 4.03 were evidently lower than those in soil with p H 4.81-6.02 with or without biochar. Decreased nitrification rates were detected in the acidic soils with biochar. Soil p H controlled nitrification more than biochar in certain strongly acidic soils.
基金Project supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, China (No. 95-17-03-01).
文摘The effects of different chemical fertilizer combinations (N, P and K) oncrop yield, N uptake and nitrate distribution and accumulation to a depth of 100 cm were studied ina cinnamon fluvo-aquic soil profile (Beijing) with a continuous winter wheat-summer maize croppingsystem for nine years. The experiment consisted of 7 treatments: no fertilizer control (CK); Nalone, N in combination with K (NK), P (NP), and P and K (NPK and N1PK); and P and K in combinationwithout N (PK). The rate of N was 150 kg ha^(-1) for the N treatments except Treatment N1PK withhigher N rate (195 kg ha^(-1)), and the rates of P (P_2O_5) and K (K2O) were 75 and 37.5 kg ha^(-1),respectively. The applications of N combined with P and K (NK, NP and NPK) resulted in higher cropyields than a single application of N. The yields followed the order: NPK > NP > N1PK > PK > NK > N> CK for winter wheat, and NPK > N1PK > NP > NK > N > PK > CK for summer maize. Supplement of N withP or K, or both P and K resulted in a higher average N uptake of the two crops, which was in adecreasing order NPK > NP > N1PK > NK > N > PK > CK. The combinations also increased apparent Nrecovery more than N alone and CK. The nitrate content in the profile was thus reduced more in thecombination treatments. The nitrate accumulation in the soil profiles followed the order: N > NK >N1PK > NPK > NP > CK > PK. Higher N uptake by the adequately fertilized crops (Treatment NPK)reduced nitrate accumulation in the profile and thus reduced nitrate leaching. The optimum N:P:Kratio was thus of paramount importance in increasing yields and N uptake of crops and reducingnitrate leaching losses.