Replacing organic with mineral N fertilization does not reduce nitrate leaching in double crop forage systems under Mediterranean conditions

These findings highlighted that, under Mediterranean conditions and with the N input rates, nitrate leaching in autumn-winter cannot be easily controlled through N fertilizer management because it is mainly associated to the natural water surplus and the low N uptake from the winter crop. The cattle manure has proved to be the most conservative in terms of N leaching, while replacing organic with mineral sources of N did not reduce nitrate leaching.