Ammonium-charged zeolitite effects on crop growth and nutrient leaching: greenhouse experiments on maize (Zea mays)

•We describe the selection of zeolitite/soil ratio with two greenhouse experiments.•The effect of NH4-charged zeolitite on nitrate leaching and plant characteristics was assessed in lysimeters.•We carried out a ranking approach of all parameters analyzed for overall evaluation.•The applications of 30 or 50 t ha− 1 NH4-charged zeolitite may be scaled-up in open field studies.•The reduction of chemical fertilizer was feasible, allowing a limitation in groundwater pollution by nitrates.

Nitrate leaching and the resulting groundwater contamination from intensive crop production has become a major concern for long-term farmland efficiency and environmental sustainability in Italy. The aim of this study was to evaluate a water-saving NH4-charged zeolitite (produced by a new prototype) for minimizing NO3-leaching from soil and optimizing corn growth and yield. Forty-eight zeolitite:soil lysimeters in two trials were installed in a greenhouse to study the growth and yield characteristics of maize (Zea mays) as well as the nitrate concentration in leachate under different fertilizing conditions (i.e., standard, high or 70%, medium or 50% and low or 30% of conventional fertilization rate) and NH4-charged zeolitite (control, 0; dose-1, 50 t ha− 1 and dose-2, 100 t ha− 1) treatments. The results implicitly suggest that plants may have a better response if NH4-charged zeolitite is used with a limited amount of conventional fertilizer, allowing a reduction of nitrate concentration in drainage.