Applying variable fertilization and irrigation to improve oats growth and reduce environmental impact

Modern agriculture faces an urgent challenge of optimizing the use of fertilizers, especially nitrogen, which is essential for healthy plant growth. However, overuse of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to severe environmental consequences, including surface and groundwater contamination, soil degradation, and the release of harmful greenhouse gases. This study aims to investigate how different fertilization and irrigation strategies affect oats growth, with a particular focus on nitrogen distribution in the soil, straw, and grain, as well as the overall performance of the crop. The research was conducted under controlled conditions, both in a vegetation hall that simulated real field conditions and in actual field settings at the Lubnów Agricultural Farm, located in the Ślęganiana catchment area near Wrocław, Poland. Various fertilization doses were tested, along with several irrigation schemes designed to replicate extreme rainfall events. The simulated rainfalls of 10 mm and 20 mm were applied at intervals of 2, 4, and 6 days, reflecting the unpredictability of real-world weather patterns. Additionally, the experiment incorporated four distinct soil types with different granulometric compositions to assess how soil texture and structure influence the effectiveness of nitrogen uptake by crops and irrigation practices. This approach allowed to better understand the interactions between soil characteristics, fertilization, and irrigation in real agricultural systems. The results of this study are critical for advancing sustainable farming practices concerning future climate changes and costs of fertilizer itself. By examining key crop parameters, such as stem length, biomass, and grain weight, it was possible to gain valuable insights into how different management strategies impact overall crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency with regard to crop production. As climate change continues to disrupt agricultural systems worldwide, optimizing fertilization and irrigation techniques will be essential to ensure food security while minimizing the environmental impact. This research not only contributes to improving oats cultivation, but also offers a broader perspective on how precision agriculture can address pressing global challenges in agriculture.

Research carried out as part of the OPUS-LAP project entitled "Sustainable nitrogen fertilization for agricultural crops based on open laboratory and field experiments with integrated near-real-time hydrological modeling" (grant number: 2022/47/I/ST10/02453).