Nitrogen fertilizer misplacement and field boundaries.

Abstract

The use of nitrogenous fertilizers is currently under scrutiny, with increased concern over excess cereal production and the possible detrimental effects to the environment. Application of fertilizer into field boundaries is economically wasteful and is considered, together with herbicides, to play a major role in the degeneration of field boundary vegetation and a corresponding increase in less desirable annuals (Marshall, 1988). However, there is a dearth of published quantitative data on the types of fertilizer distributors currently in use, their associated distribution patterns and the precautions taken to reduce fertilizer misplacement into the field boundary.