Nitrogen interception in floodwater of rice field in Taihu region of China

A field experiment located in Taihu Lake Basin of China was conducted, by application of urea or a mixture of urea with manure, to elucidate the interception of nitrogen (N) export in a typical rice field through “zero-drainage water management” combined with sound irrigation, rainfall forecasting and field drying. N concentrations in floodwater rapidly declined before the first event of field drying after three split fertilizations, and subsequently tended to return to the background level. Before the first field drying, total particulate nitrogen (TPN) was the predominant N form in floodwater of plots with no N input, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) on plots that received urea only, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) on plots treated with the mixture of urea and manure. Thereafter TPN became the major form. No N export was found from the rice field, but total nitrogen (TN) of 15.8 kg/hm2 was remained, mainly due to soil N sorption. The results recommended the zero-drainage water management for full-scale areas for minimizing N export.