Abstract

ALVAREZ, Roberto; STEINBACH, Haydee S  and  DE PAEPE, Josefina L. Cienc. suelo [online]. 2016, vol.34, n.2, pp.231-244. ISSN 1850-2067.

A surface balance for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) was performed for the Argentine Pampas during the 1870-2010 time interval, comprising the agricultural expansion period in the region. Nitrogen inputs accounted in the balance were atmospheric deposition, symbiotic fixation, and fertilization. Outputs included were grain harvest and livestock products. P and S balances included atmospheric deposition and fertilization as inputs and the same outputs than in the case of N balance. Annual and cumulative balances were calculated and also an annual output/input ratio. National information and official statistics were used to determine the nutrient outputs whereas atmospheric deposition, symbiotic fixation, and fertilizer inputs were estimated. Cumulative N input was of 202 Mt, atmospheric deposition (36%) and symbiotic fixation (58%) represented the main components. The output was of 76 Mt, with grain harvest as main factor (83%), thus resulting in a positive N balance of 126 Mt. This nutrient flow is equivalent to one quart of the soil N stock to 1 m depth. As previous studies showed that soil N stock did not changed between 1960-1980 and 2007-2008, period during which a positive N balance of 52 Mt was calculated, this resulted in a loss of 26 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 due to gas emissions and leaching in recent decades. Phosphorus input was 4.2 Mt, mainly explained by fertilization (67%), and the output was 12.2 Mt, generated mainly by grain harvest (76%), which determined a negative balance of -8.0 Mt. Sulfur input was 3.9 Mt, mainly determined by atmospheric deposition (81%) and the output was 5.6 Mt, mainly due to grain harvest (82%) resulting also in a negative balance of -1.7 Mt. These results indicate P and S losses from soil stocks. The N output/input ratio varied from 0.2 to 0.7 along the study period, while the P and S ratios have been higher than 1 since decades.

Keywords : Nutrient balance; Nutrient ouput/input ratio; Argentine Pampas Region.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )