NITROGEN: IS LESS MORE?Studies in Ml and NY Highlight Potential for Reducing Nitrogen Rates on Muck Soils

摘要

In the Great Lakes region, dry bulb onions are primarily produced on muck soils. Also called organic soils or Histosols, these unique soils are formed by the accumulation of partially decomposed plant material in marshy areas over centuries. As a result, muck soils are characterized by high levels of organic matter relative to mineral soils, often containing between 20 and 80 percent organic matter. Despite their potential to be naturally low in a number of other essential plant nutrients, organic matter mineralization in muck soils can release substantial amounts of nitrogen (N) for plant uptake each year.