Effect of high frequency subsurface drip fertigation on plant growth and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of red cabbage

High emissions of nitrogen to the environment are one of the major drawbacks of modern agriculture. Subsurface drip fertigation (SDF) is a technology to apply fertilizer in small amounts continuously and directly into the root zone with the potential of mitigating deep percolation losses when accurately managed. Our study was established to analyze possible benefits of SDF, i.e. nitrate losses reduction without decrease in yield, as alternative to the conventional application of nitrogen fertilizer. In this five-year field study, effects of SDF on red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) growth, yield, root distribution and nitrogen uptake were evaluated. The experiments took place in northern Germany. Application of fertilizer in a solution with water was managed to match the needs of crops and placed directly in the root zone through permanently buried driplines. The outcomes of crop growth under SDF were compared with a control crop receiving fertilizer at one or two dates by surface broadcasting. Yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency were higher for crops grown under SDF. Total dry mass increase was especially high under dry conditions (34%) but as well under wet conditions with efficient management (20%). Head dry mass of crops grown under SDF had a stronger reaction to the available nitrogen than crops under conventional application, with values of 0.19 and 0.1 Mg ha-1 per kg N ha-1 respectively. Moreover, SDF treatment resulted on average ca. 14 kg ha−1 higher nitrogen uptake. In SDF plots, yield formation and nitrogen uptake was higher for plants grown directly above drip lines. Effect of the distance to nitrogen source was supported with numerical simulations. The root structure showed different distributions for the two treatments, particularly in years with low rainfall. Overall, the results showed the potential of SDF to effectively control nitrogen supply, thereby increasing yield formation of marketable plant organs.