Nitrogen management in calcareous soils: Problems and solutions

Nitrogen (n) is the most widely applied plant nutrient and is a key constituent of animal manures. improvement in crop yields and high economic returns have been made possible through supplementation of crops with organic and inorganic fertilizers. the movement of n in the environment has been extensively studied and documented. the fate of n ranges from nitrification,denitrification,nitrous oxide formation,leaching of nitrate,and volatilization of ammonia. even with this knowledge the variation in n movement within the soil,air and water varies greatly with changed edaphic factors. for instance the fate of n fertilizer under calcareous soil systems still has not been investigated widely. we reviewed the sporadic information available on n fate and management in calcareous soils especially in pakistan. we discussed the sources and fate of n in calcareous soils of pakistan and also the currently adopted and newly developed method to reduce the n losses. © 2016,university of agriculture. all rights reserved.