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Nitrate standards and integrated nitrogen management in row crops

Research project NP/DD/23 (Research action NP)

Persons :

  • M.  FRANKINET Marc - Centre Wallon de Recherches agronomiques (CRA-W)
    Financed belgian partner
    Duration: 1/3/1998-28/3/2001

Description :

To be sustainable, agriculture must develop integrated production methods aimed at reconciling the need for profitability with the need to preserve soil fertility and reduce losses into the environment. One of the major drawbacks of intensive farming is that it leads to increasing levels of nitrate in water used for human consumption. As shown by the inventory currently being drawn up at the CRA (recommendations, prenormative research and norms for a sustainable agrofood production chain, SSTC), increasingly binding and specific standards are coming into force in this area.

The objective of this project is to determine whether a fertiliser recommendation based on the forecast balance of plant requirements and soil supply can actually optimise yield and reduce the amount of mineral N remaining in the soil profile after harvest, which is about to be standardised.

A specific experiment based on monitoring soil mineral N in autumn and previous observations made by the CRA will be used to calibrate a mathematical model of nitrate leaching in winter. This model will allow us to calculate real losses and to identify critical situations (soil N content and distribution in the profile in early winter).

In the long term, the proposal will result in recommendations andstandards proposals aimed at ensuring high-quality water for human consumption.

Documentation :

Gestion intégrée de l'azote en cultures arables et normes nitriques: rapport final , partie 1    Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0814)
[To download

Gestion intégrée de l'azote en cultures arables et normes nitriques: rapport final , partie 2    Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0815)
[To download

Gestion intégrée de l'azote en cultures arables et normes nitriques: résumé opérationnel    Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0816)
[To download

Gestion intégrée de l'azote en cultures arables et normes nitriques: summary    Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0817)
[To download

Gestion intégrée de l'azote en cultures arables et normes nitriques: rapport final , partie 3    Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0818)
[To download