A Typological Concept to Predict the Nitrogen Release from Organic Fertilizers in Farming Systems

Abstract

The prediction of nitrogen (N) mineralization or immobilization in organic fertilizers is an important tool to optimize fertilizer use, especially in intensive agricultural systems. Our aim was to derive a model to predict the N mineralization/immobilization from readily available information on the properties of organic fertilizers in farming practice. On the basis of a literature review, a characterization of organic fertilizers was performed, revealing a large variance in fertilizer properties within the defined categories and subcategories. A partial linear model was derived and used for the prediction of N mineralization/immobilization based on the type of fertilizer and the carbon (C) to organic nitrogen (Norg) ratio. Depending on the previously defined category, a strong mineralization (e.g., plant- and animal-based commercial fertilizers) or a predominant immobilization (e.g., compost and slurries) was detected. For a total of seven main categories and their subcategories, individual models were developed. This work shows that the mineralization properties of organic fertilizers can be sufficiently predicted through a simple classification into a fertilizer category and through the C to Norg ratio.