BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Agron.

Sec. Agroecological Cropping Systems

Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fagro.2025.1625163

This article is part of the Research TopicInnovative Approaches in Nutrient Management for Sustainable Cropping SystemsView all 8 articles

SUBSURFACE BANDING INCREASES AMMONIA EMISSIONS UNDER RAINFED COTTON IN SANDY SOILS IN FLORIDA

Provisionally accepted
Kulpreet  SinghKulpreet SinghEajaz  A DarEajaz A DarSatinderpal  SinghSatinderpal SinghAkash  ShahAkash ShahLakesh  SharmaLakesh SharmaHardeep  SinghHardeep Singh*
  • University of Florida, Gainesville, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization is a significant pathway for nitrogen (N) loss. The acidic, sandy soils of Florida offer ideal conditions for NH3 losses in rainfed cotton production systems.To assess NH3 losses under various N placement methods and rates, the experiment was conducted in 2023 and 2024 using a randomized complete block design with four replications.The study employed two placement methods: surface broadcasting and subsurface banding, and two N rates: 67.5 and 102 kg N/ha. Ammonia emissions were measured using open-chamber traps, with sampling conducted multiple times per week. Daily NH3 emissions (g/ha/day) were averaged over each week, and cumulative emissions (g/ha) were calculated by summing weekly averages across the sampling period. These cumulative values were then used to estimate total NH₃-N losses, expressed as a percentage of the total N applied. Sampling weeks were referenced as WAF (Weeks After Fertilization) to standardize timing across both years. Results indicated that both daily and cumulative NH₃ emissions were significantly higher with subsurface banding compared to surface broadcasting, leading to greater N-NH₃ losses under banding. In addition, neither placement method nor N rate significantly influenced cotton lint yield. These findings suggest that, under the conditions of this study, subsurface banding increased NH3 volatilization losses in rainfed cotton grown on sandy soils in Florida.

Keywords: ammonia volatilization, Nitrogen, Subsurface band, Surface Broadcast, Cotton

Received: 08 May 2025; Accepted: 09 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Singh, Dar, Singh, Shah, Sharma and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Hardeep Singh, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States

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