Methylene urea as a slow-release nitrogen source for processing tomatoes

Abstract

The potential for improved fertilizer N use efficiency was tested using a slow release N fertilizer, methylene urea (MU), on processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in a 2-year field study in the Sacramento Valley, California. Fertilizer N use efficiency of urea and a (50:50, w:w) mixture of urea and MU (uMU) was determined in direct-seeded and transplanted tomato plots with winter cover crop (CC) or winter fallow (F) using 15 N labeled fertilizers. Residual MU-N was estimated from tomato N uptake in the 15 N microplots, and from residual 15 N uptake of wheat grown after two tomato crops. No significant differences were found in the quantity and quality of tomato yields among fertilizer and management treatments during the first year. Total yields in transplanted FuMU plots were significantly lower in the second test year, suggesting slow mineralization of MU-N in the F treatment. On average, about 40% of added fertilizer N was taken up in both fertilizer treatments, and the recovery of 15 N in plant biomass and soil was 75-96 and 50-74% in seeded and transplanted blocks, respectively. In the laboratory, mineralization of MU started faster in soils with past MU use, but the enhanced mineralization did not affect the plant N uptake in the field. MU is potentially an environmentally attractive fertilizer, but without an immediate increase in yield and N use efficiency compared to conventional fertilizers, its use on row crops may not be economically feasible unless the positive environmental factors like decreased leaching of N are considered.

Evaluation of Slow-release Fertilizers on Bell Pepper

“…This suggests that more N was made available by slow-release fertilizers to meet the needs of the plant for growth and fruit production. Similar results have been reported for slow-release fertilizers on potato (Solanum tuberosum;Hutchinson et al, 2003) and tomato (Koivunen and Horwath, 2005).…”

“…; Albregts and Chandler, 1993); and methylene-urea slow-release fertilizers on citrus (Citrus spp. ; Zekri and Koo, 1991) and processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum; Koivunen and Horwath, 2005). Slow-release fertilizer can produce yields at least equal to those observed with split applications of soluble fertilizers in lettuce (Lactuca sativa; Khah and Arvanitoyannis, 2003), tomato (Senthil-Valavan and Kumaresan, 2006), and bell pepper (Wiedenfeld, 1986).…”

Nitrogen Release from Coated Urea Fertilizers in Different Soils

“…Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) research in California with methylene urea (MU) and urea demonstrated no difference in quantity or quality of tomato yields between the two fertilizers during the first year (Koivunen and Horwath 2005). In 11 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) field trials in western Canada, polymer-coated urea placed with the seed produced yields similar to those of side-banded urea and produced higher NUE for N application rates of 25 to 100 kg ha −1 (Haderlein et al 2001).…”

Evaluating farm performance using agri-environmental indicators: Recent experiences for nitrogen management in The Netherlands

“…Berry et al, 2003;Helander and Delin, 2004). Nitrogen Use Efficiency has been used in countries like The Netherlands , Italy (Sacco et al, 2003), Hungary (Ne´meth, 1995), Denmark (Kristensen and Thorup-Kristensen, 2004), Sweden (Koivunen and Horwath, 2005), Poland (Langeveld and Overbosch, 1996) and Lithuania (Kutra and Aksomaitiene, 2003), while applications of Residual Soil Mineral Nitrogen have been reported for France (Pervanchon et al, 2005), The Netherlands (Verhagen and Bouma, 1999;Langeveld et al, 2002a), Denmark (Kristensen and Thorup-Kristensen, 2004), Germany (Wachendorf et al, 2004), Lithuania (Kutra and Aksomaitiene, 2003), and Sweden (Helander and Delin, 2004). Groundwater Nitrate Concentration has been used in countries like Germany (Wachendorf et al, 2004), France (Pervanchon et al, 2005) and The Netherlands .…”