Effect of rice straw management on nitrogen balance and residual effect of urea-N in an annual lowland rice cropping sequence

Two field experiments were conducted in 1999 (wet season) and 2000 (dry season) on a Ustic Endoaquerts in central Thailand to examine the impact of rice straw management practices on rice yield, N uptake and fertilizer-N use efficiency. Treatments included a combination of urea broadcast at a rate of 70 kg N ha−1 with either straw or compost which were incorporated at a rate of 5 Mg ha−1. At maturity of the wet season rice, 15N recovery by the grain was low (11–14%) as well as straw-N derived from labeled N (5–7%). After harvest, 25–29% of applied N still remained in the soil, mainly in the 0 to 5-cm layer. Large amounts of fertilizer-N (53–55%) were lost (unaccounted for) from the soil/plant system during the first crop. Residual fertilizer-N recovery in the second rice crop was less than 3% from the original application. During both fallow seasons NO3−-N remained the dominant form of mineral N (NO3− + NH4+) in the soil but its concentration was low. In the wet season grain yield response to N application was significant (P =0.05). Organic material sources did not significantly change grain yield and N accumulation in rice. In terms of grain yield and N uptake at maturity, there was no significant residual effect of fertilizer-N on the subsequent rice crop. These results indicated that the combined use of organic residues with urea did not decrease total N losses or increase crop yield or uptake of N compared to urea alone.