Anion‐exchange membranes used to assess management impacts on soil nitrate |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Our goal was to determine if anion‐exchange membranes (AEMs), which can be placed in situ in soils and act as anion exchangers, were better soil nitrate (NO3‐) assessment tools than soil extraction. During winter 1993–1994 we compared NO3‐ in the surface of tilled and non‐tilled soils that were subjected to rye cover crop and fallow winter coverage treatments. Estimates of soil solution concentrations of NO3‐ based on KC1 extracts of the AEMs were between 1 to 5 fold higher than concentrations based on soil extracts. Both methods of NO3‐ assessment documented a general decline in NO3‐ availability during the winter; however, only the AEM NO3‐ data produced statistically significant results. AEM data suggested that the combination of fall tillage and winter fallowing increased soil NO3‐ contents and led to more potential for loss of NO3‐ during the 1993–1994 winter than reduced tillage practices or planting a rye cover crop. |
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