Brachiaria species influence nitrate transport in soil by modifying soil structure with their root system.

ABSTRACT: Leaching of nitrate from fertilisers diminishes nitrogen use efficiency (the portion of nitrogen used by a plant) and is a major source of agricultural pollution. To improve nitrogen capture, grasses such as brachiaria are increasingly used, especially in South America and Africa, as a cover crop, either via intercropping or in rotation. However, the complex interactions between soil structure, nitrogen and the root systems of maize and different species of forage grasses remain poorly understood. This study explored how soil structure modification by the roots of maize (Zea maize), palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu) and ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis) affected nitrate leaching and retention, measured via chemical breakthrough curves. All plants were found to increase the

SUBMITTER: Galdos MV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7081357 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature