Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, Vol 63, No 4 (1998)

Dynamics of Nitrogen Intake and Dry Matter Accumulation of Burley Tobacco in Dependence of Nitrogen Fertilization

M. POSPIŠIL, Z. MUSTAPIĆ, Đurđica VASILJ

Pages: 265-275

Summary


Three-year field trials (1988-1990) set up in north-west Croatia (BoŽjakovina) were aimed at determining nitrogen intake and nitrogen requirements of burley tobacco for a defined projected yield. The effect of increasing nitrogen quantities (0, 100, 200, 300 kg N/ha) on the growth rhythm and dynamics of dry matter accumulation was studied on cultivars Čulinec and Burley T. Analyses of plant material during the growing season (50, 70, 93, 119 days after planting) served to determine the total nitrogen content in the leaf and stalk, as well as intake dynamics, and thus also the dynamics of plant requirements for this nutrient for a defined yield.
Dry matter accumulation and nitrogen intake varied per investigation years in dependence on weather conditions, notably precipitation. The Čulinec cultivar accumulated larger dry matter quantity than Burley T. in all fertilizing treatments and in all growing phases in all investigation years.
Fertilization involving nitrogen rates up to 300 kg N/ha resulted in a significant increase of dry matter in the leaf and stalk in all growing phases. In all fertilizing treatments, the most intensive accumulation of dry matter in different plant parts of burley tobacco was recorded between 50 and 70 days after planting, to slow down a little in the following 20 days. In the last part of the growing period there was no further accumulation of dry matter in the leaf (it dropped due to harvests) whereas it continued to rise in the stalk.
Total nitrogen content in the leaf and stalk dry matter grew with the increase of nitrogen rates in fertilization to 200 kg N/ha in both cultivars while it remained at the same level with further increases. Nitrogen uptake per hectare grew in all the three investigation years with increasing nitrogen rates to 300 kg N/ha in both cultivars, particularly in Čulinec. Dynamics of nitrogen intake per hectare followed the dynamics of dry matter accumulation, so nitrogen requirements of both cultivars were highest between 50 and 90 days after planting.

Keywords


burley tobacco; nitrogen fertilization; dry matter

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