Abstract
Calculations in nitrogen (N) balance research using15N involve several steps that require care to avoid errors. The objective of this paper is to provide examples of these calculations using established procedures and to present shortened alternative calculations that give the same result. The calculations examined include determination of the amount of N to apply, determination of the atom %15N abundance needed in the labeled fertilizer, preparation of the labeled fertilizer, and calculation of the fertilizer N recovered. Calculations needed in the preparation of the labeled fertilizer using established procedures include the determination of the mean atomic weight of the enriched source from which the labeled fertilizer is prepared. This determination is not needed in the shortened alternative calculations, because the procedure places the calculations on a mole basis rather than a mass basis.
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References
Hauck RD and Bremner JM (1976) Use of tracers for soil and fertilizer nitrogen research.In Brady NC (ed.) Advances in Agronomy 28: 219–266
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Cabrera, M.L., Kissel, D.E. Review and simplification of calculations in15N tracer studies. Fertilizer Research 20, 11–15 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055396
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055396