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1 BIOMASS AND NITROGEN ACCUMULATION IN WHITE OAT UNDER WATER DEFICIT
2
3 ACÚMULO DE BIOMASSA E NITROGÊNIO DE AVEIA-BRANCA EM FUNÇÃO DO DÉFICIT
4 HÍDRICO
5
6 ABSTRACT: Knowledge on nitrogen absorption rate by crops can indicate important managements,
7 especially the definition of doses of this nutrient and the best time for topdressing application in soil. This
8 study aimed to evaluate and compare the accumulation of biomass and nitrogen in white oat cultivated under
9 severe, moderate and no water deficit. Treatments consisted of levels of irrigation, with four replicates, in a
10 strip-block design. The treatments under severe deficit (L1), moderate deficit (L3) and no deficit (L5)
11 received 11%, 60% and 100% of the water volume evapotranspired by the crop (ETc). For each treatment, 6
12 plants were collected in each replicate. After collection, plants were separated into leaves, culm and
13 reproductive structures (panicle + grains). Second- and third-order regressions were tested to model the
14 behavior of biomass and nitrogen accumulation in white oat leaves, culms, reproductive structures and total
15 over time. Regression analysis was carried out at 0.05 probability level, for the best fit in each situation. The
16 maximum total nitrogen accumulation in white oat plants in the treatments L1, L3 and L5 was 50 kg ha -1,
17 163 kg ha-1 and 246 kg ha-1, respectively. Severe water deficit drastically reduced biomass and nitrogen
18 accumulation in white oat. Severe water deficit causes earlier peak of biomass and nitrogen accumulation,
19 reduces nitrogen accumulation rate and shortens cycle of white oats.
20 Key Words: Export. Extraction. Irrigation. Absorption rate. Dry mass.
21
22 INTRODUCTION
23 White oat has high agricultural importance worldwide. The area cultivated with this crop in the
24 world is 9.52 106 ha, with total production of 23.52 10 6 Mg and average yield of 2.47 Mg ha -1 (USDA, 2018).
25 Brazil is the fifth largest global producer and has shown a substantial increase in the area cultivated with
26 white oats over the last 10 years (CONAB, 2018). This crop can be used for the production of grains, forage
27 and straw in no-tillage system. For being cultivated in the winter and because the Brazilian and global
28 territories have low rainfall in this period, irrigation becomes fundamental to obtain high yields in white oat
29 (JAT et al., 2017).
30 Studies with the white oat crop are scarce in the literature and, when available, they are not recent
31 (FRIZZONE et al., 1995; KOLCHINSKI & SCHUCH, 2003; CECCON et al., 2004), making it difficult to
32 apply these results because, with the development of new cultivars, the cultivation practices tend to change
33 over time (ESCOSTEGUY et al., 2014). Since the importance of white oat in Brazil has expressively
34 increased, new studies are necessary to recommend agricultural managements, such as fertilization and
35 irrigation. These managements include the improvement in topdressing nitrogen fertilization, especially in
36 irrigated systems.
37 Nitrogen (N) is the nutrient extracted in largest amounts by white oat plants, which require on
38 average 27 kg per ton of grains produced, of which 70% is exported to the grains. With the high exportation
39 by the grains, N differs for instance from the second most extracted element by the crop, potassium (K),
40 whose export is about 29% (CANTARELLA et al., 1997). This fact leads to the need for replacing the large
41 quantities of N via fertilizer to the soil, compared to other nutrients. In addition, due to its high mobility in
42 soil (mass flow movement) and quantity required by crops, it is often the only nutrient applied in topdressing
43 fertilization, unlike phosphorus and potassium, which are more absorbed by the diffusion process and are
44 applied at planting and sowing.
45 Knowledge on nutrient absorption rate by crops can indicate important managements, especially the
46 definition of doses of nutrients to be applied and the best time for application. Depending on the type of soil,
47 sowing density, irrigation and cultivar, crop fertilization may have different recommendations from those
48 with the currently used standards, such as earlier fertilization and application of higher doses (ROSOLEM et
49 al., 2012; DJAMAN et al., 2013; WANG et al., 2017). Thus, research on the impact of water deficit on N
50 absorption by white oat is necessary for correct recommendation of N fertilization in this crop, according to
51 the production system adopted.
52 The hypotheses for the study are (i) severe water deficit in white oat drastically reduces biomass and
53 nitrogen accumulation, and (ii) severe water deficit causes earlier peak of biomass and nitrogen absorption
54 and shortens the cycle of white oat. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare biomass and nitrogen
55 accumulation in white oat cultivated under severe, moderate and no water deficit.
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58 MATERIAL AND METHODS
59 The experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinarian
60 Sciences, Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil (latitude 21 o14’44” S, longitude 48o17’00” W and altitude of 545
61 m). The climate of the region, according to Köppen’s classification, is Aw, subtropical, relatively dry in the
62 winter, with summer rains, average annual temperature of 22 ºC, coldest month temperature above 18 ºC and
63 normal annual rainfall of 1,424 mm (ALVARES et al., 2013). The soil of the experimental area is classified
64 as Latossolo Vermelho eutrófico (EMBRAPA, 2013) (Oxisol), and its physical and chemical attributes are
65 presented in Table 1.
66
67 Table 1. Physical and chemical attributes of the soil in the experimental area
Layer * * Total
BD* Clay Silt
FC* PWP* Sand Soil texture
(m) (kg m-3) (m3 m-3) (g kg-1)
0.00-0.20 1.45 0.45 0.33 310 470 220 Clay
0.20-0.40 1.49 0.41 0.30 270 530 200 Clay
Layer pH OM* Presin S H+Al Al K Ca Mg SB CEC V%
- - -
(m) CaCl2 (g dm ³) (mg dm ³) (mmolc dm ³)
0.00-0.20 5.6 40 67 5 21 1 3.4 36 13 52.7 73.9 71
0.20-0.40 5.8 40 68 5 20 1 3.2 36 11 50.3 70.4 71
68 *BD: Bulk density; FC: Field capacity; PWP: Permanent wilting point; : Volumetric moisture content (m 3 m-3); OM:
69 Organic matter; SB: Sum of bases; CEC: Cation Exchange capacity; V%: base saturation.
70
71 White oat (cv. IAC 7) was sown on May 2, 2018, at density of 80 kg ha -1, using seeds with 95%
72 germination at spacing of 0.17 m between rows, in an area which had been under fallow since 2017, where
73 white was cultivated between May and August 2017. Between 2013 and 2017, the area was cultivated with
74 Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu. Liming was carried out 30 days prior to the experiment, using a dose of
75 1.5 t ha-1 of limestone with RNV of 80. Fertilization at planting consisted of 20 kg ha -1 of N, 160 kg ha-1 of
76 P2O5 and 160 kg ha-1 of K2O. Topdressing fertilization was performed only with N (urea), at dose of 100 kg
77 ha-1 of N split into two portions, the first one applied at the oat tillering stage (60% of the dose at 20 DAE)
78 and the second one at the booting stage (40% of the dose at 45 DAE) (ESCOSTEGUY et al., 2014).
79 In the study, treatments consisted of five levels of irrigation: L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5, which received
80 11%, 31%, 60%, 87% and 100%, respectively, of the water volume evapotranspired by the crop (ETc).
81 Treatments were arranged in a strip-block experimental design, with four replicates. Biomass and nitrogen
82 accumulation were compared using the treatments L1, L3 and L5, which represented severe, moderate and
83 no stress, respectively.
84 A “line-source sprinkler” experimental layout was used. This experimental layout allows distributing
85 irrigation water with variable water depths as the treatment becomes distant from the central line of
86 sprinklers (LAUER, 1983). In addition, a field test was conducted to define the distribution fractions of the
87 water applied by the sprinklers (Figure 1). In this test, collectors were positioned 1 m apart, up to the limit
88 distance of water application by the sprinklers, in a line perpendicular to the irrigation line, with 4 replicates.
Irrigation
Distance
Treatment distribution
(m)
factor
0.00 – 2.40 L5 1.00
2.41 – 4.80 L4 0.87
4.81 –7.20 L3 0.60
7.21 – 9.60 L2 0.31
9.61 –12.00 L1 0.11
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89 Figure 1. Fractions of distribution of the water applied by the sprinklers as a function of the distance or
90 treatments from the irrigation line, with sprinklers spaced by 6 m in the line, obtained in field test.
91
92 The water application intensity by the sprinklers was measured in the field, resulting in a rate of 12
93 mm hour-1. The coefficients of water application uniformity (CUC) and distribution (CUD) of the irrigation
94 system were 89% and 84%, respectively. The experimental plots were 5 m long and 2.4 m wide. The first 0.5
95 m on each side of the plots were considered as borders. Irrigation management was carried out based on crop
96 water requirement, according to the FAO-56 method, using climatic data obtained daily in the automated
97 agrometeorological station of FCAV/Unesp. Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) was estimated daily by the
98 Penman-Monteith equation (ALLEN et al., 1998). Oat crop evapotranspiration (ETc) was calculated as the
99 product of ETo and the crop coefficients (kc), according to Allen et al. (1998).
100 Irrigation was always conducted when the water deficit in the treatment without water deficit (L5)
101 was equal to 23 mm. This water depth was calculated based on the oat crop coefficient at each phenological
102 stage and soil physical attributes (Table 1). This calculation used effective root depth of 0.40 m and soil
103 water availability factor of 50% (ALLEN et al., 1998).
104 Maximum and minimum temperatures, as well as the average for the period were 28.2 °C, 14.2 °C
105 and 20.6 °C, respectively (Figure 2A). Cumulative rainfall and ETc along the oat cycle were 50.9 mm and
106 170.6 mm, respectively (Figure 2B). The irrigation depth for the treatment with 100% ETc (L5) was 140
107 mm, with values varying at the same proportion of the water application rate for the other treatments.
1
A B

2
108
109 Figure 2. Daily maximum, minimum and average temperatures (A) and daily rainfall, ETc and irrigation
110 depth (B) for the experimental period from May 2, 2017 to August 11, 2018.
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112 Along the white oat cycle, plants were collected 7 times to determine biomass and nitrogen
113 accumulation by the crop as a function of water deficit. The collections were carried out in the treatments L1,
114 L3 and L5 at 15, 28, 40, 50, 57, 71 and 90 days after emergence (May 6, 2018). For each treatment, six
115 plants were collected in each replicate, forming a sample composed of 24 plants per treatment. After
116 collection, plants were separated into leaves, culm and reproductive structures (panicle + grains), according
117 to Soratto et al. (2013). Then, the samples were washed in running water, aqueous solution of neutral
118 detergent at 1% and deionized water. The population of plants at the time of each collection was determined
119 in each replicate, a variable used to estimate biomass and nitrogen accumulation in the treatments.
120 After being washed, the samples were dried in a forced air circulation oven at 65 ºC until constant
121 weight, and then weighed to determine dry mass and estimate biomass accumulation. The samples were
122 ground in Wiley-type mill to determine nitrogen content, according to the method proposed by Bataglia et al.
123 (1983).
124 Second- and third-order regressions were tested to model the behavior of biomass and nitrogen
125 accumulation in the leaves, culm, reproductive structures and total of white oat cultivated under severe (L1),
126 moderate (L2) and no water deficit (L5) as a function of time. Regression analysis at 0.05 probability level
127 was carried out for the best fit in each situation. The daily rate of accumulation of total N absorbed by white
128 oat was obtained by the first derivative of the equations fitted for the total accumulation of each treatment.
129
130 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
131 Biomass and nitrogen accumulation by white oat cultivated with and without water deficit, as well as
132 the daily rate of total N accumulation, were evaluated. Based on the biomass accumulated in the culm, leaves
133 and reproductive structures, it is possible to note that white oat cultivated under deficit irrigation levels (L1
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134 and L3) showed a large reduction in its growth (Figure 3). The maximum total biomass accumulated in the
135 treatment without water restriction (L5) was 331% higher for the culm, 151% for the leaves, 314% for the
136 reproductive structures and 265% for the total accumulation than the respective values found in the treatment
137 with highest water restriction (L1). This demonstrates the deleterious effect of water restriction on white oat
138 growth. By comparing the total biomass accumulation between the L5 treatment and the moderate water
139 deficit (L3), it is possible to see that maximum biomass accumulation in L5 was 46% higher than that in L3,
140 a value much lower than the difference from the treatment with severe water deficit (265%). In all treatments
141 (L1, L3 and L5), the maximum biomass accumulations in the culm and reproductive structures were similar,
142 but higher than those observed in the leaves.
143
Biomass Culm (kg ha-1)

Biomass Leaf (kg ha-1)

A B

3500
7500 f(x) = − 0.0961685 x³ + 13.4654 x² − 401.243 x
f(x) = − 1.329968517 x² + 144.8652744 x − 560.7115518
+ 3276.76
R² = 0.983170343848749 R² 2500
= 0.845756509807403
5500 f(x) = − 1.004656502 x² + 109.8951773 x − 452.519173
f(x) = − 0.0544035 x³ + 7.658 x² − 223.926 x + 1827.13 R² = 0.873586910511547
3500
R² = 0.988479319649098 1500
f(x) = − 0.544297307 x² + 57.78530562 x − 187.1468974
1500 R² =500
0.864686314547921
f(x) = − 0.0220495 x³ + 2.93161 x² − 77.8897 x
+ 555.777
-500 R² = 0.986963078324248 -500
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
DAE DAE

L L
1 1

144
Biomass Total (kg ha-1)
Biomass RS (kg ha-1)

C D

f(x) = 0 19000
R² = 7500
0
f(x) = − 0.111357 x³ + 14.3763 x² − 221.244 x
f(x) = − 0.0682754 x³ + 11.585 x² − 462.074 x + 5197.2
R² = 0.986072668853676
14000 + 205.987
5500 R² = 0.988359477635807
f(x) = − 0.0722746 x³ + 9.46036 x² − 146.698 x
9000 + 185.406
3500
R² = 0.991046287492206
1500 4000 f(x) = − 0.0382283 x³ + 4.53672 x² − 62.9764 x
+ 87.8131
-500 -1000 R² = 0.981120135723476
20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
DAE DAE

L L
1 1

145
146 Figure 3. Biomass accumulation in the culm (A), leaves (B), reproductive structures – RS (C) and total (D)
147 in white oat cultivated under levels of irrigation. L1: 11% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc); L3: 60% ETc;
148 L5: 100% ETc
149
150 For culm and leaves, biomass accumulation decreases from a certain point. This occurs due to leaf
151 senescence and lodging of some plants, a normal fact in field experiments evaluating nutrient accumulation
152 (SORATTO et al., 2013). The maximum total biomass accumulation for white oat (Figure 3D) occurred at
153 71 DAE in the treatment L1, 78 DAE in L3 and 77 DAE in L5. Thus, the L1 treatment showed maximum
154 biomass accumulation 7 days earlier than the others, demonstrating the effect of severe water deficit in
155 promoting reduction in oat cycle. In the treatment with moderate water deficit (L3), such earlier maximum
156 biomass accumulation was not observed.
157 In relation to N accumulation in the biomass, the L5 treatment showed maximum values of 62, 92,
158 144 and 246 kg ha-1 of N in the culm, leaves, reproductive structures and total accumulation, respectively.
159 These values were 67% and 500%, 37% and 273%, 38% and 418% and 51% and 396% higher than those
160 found in the L3 and L1 treatments, respectively (Figure 4). As observed for biomass, the treatment with
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161 highest water deficit showed maximum N accumulation at 66 DAE, whereas both L3 and L5 had maximum
162 points at 72 DAE, indicating the reduction in oat cycle when cultivated under severe water deficit. The N
163 accumulated in reproductive structures was on average 150% and 50% higher than that accumulated in the
164 culm and leaves, respectively, considering all treatments. The maximum biomass and N accumulation for the
165 treatments occurred between the milk and dough stages of white oat.
166
A B
N Culm (kg ha-1)

N Leaf (kg ha-1)

70 120
60 100
f(x) = − 0.000622936 x³ + 0.0723588 x² − 1.17008 x
50 + 2.4015 f(x)
80= − 0.045568938 x² + 4.399928404 x − 14.08272566
40 R² = 0.952535116700797 R² = 0.821022585964358
60= − 0.032977196 x² + 3.211266065 x − 11.07427004
f(x)
30 f(x) = − 0.00034197 x³ + 0.0376551 x² − 0.419822 x R² = 0.896604351346171
− 1.16672
20 R² = 0.980733939159768 40
10 20= − 0.012013569 x² + 1.089161541 x + 0.036758499
f(x)
f(x) = − 0.0000654036 x³ + 0.00548553 x² + 0.126375 x R² =00.940515814392065
0− 3.16072
R² =00.946464300154314
20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
DAE DAE

L L
1 1

167 C D
N RS (kg ha-1)

N Total (kg ha-1)

f(x)160
=0
250
140
R² = 0 f(x) = − 0.00115695 x³ + 0.120598 x² + 0.654466 x
f(x) = − 0.000935383 x³ + 0.169057 x² − 6.90239 x 200 − 5.89215
120 + 79.6133
R² = 0.962181664929135
100 R² = 0.983995172590105 150 f(x) = − 0.000947416 x³ + 0.103683 x² − 0.28674 x
80 − 0.338883
60 100 R² = 0.992523639303904
40 50
20 f(x) = − 0.000197086 x³ + 0.0151587 x² + 0.609431 x
0 0− 0.078948
R² = 0.992947764844298
20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
DAE DAE

L L
1 1

168
169 Figure 4. Nitrogen accumulation in the culm (A), leaves (B), reproductive structures – RS (C) and total (D)
170 in white oat cultivated under irrigation levels. L1: 11% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc); L3: 60% ETc; L5:
171 100% ETc.
172
173 The maximum rate of total N accumulation was 0.94, 3.50 and 4.83 kg ha -1 day-1 for the treatments
174 L1, L3 and L5, respectively (Figure 5). The accumulation rate in the treatment without water deficit (L5) was
175 38% and 414% higher than those in the treatments with moderate (L3) and severe (L5) water deficit,
176 respectively. The maximum accumulation rate occurred at 32, 36 and 36 DAE of white oat in the treatments
177 L1, L3 and L5, respectively, demonstrating once again that white oat cycle is shortened when it is cultivated
178 under severe water deficit. Due to leaf abscission and lodging of plants at the end of the oat production cycle,
179 the accumulation rate from 72 DAE was negative for all treatments, as previously discussed.
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N accumulation rate
(kg ha-1 day-1) 5
4 f(x) = − 0.00363385165778969 x² + 0.26040767247529 x + 0.167389093999215
R² = 0.998772328725499
3 f(x) = − 0.00276965009892857 x² + 0.198948824828846 x − 0.0733378797574436
2 R² = 0.999591827866386
1 L
f(x) = − 0.000742645537978179 x² + 0.0482076822268665 x + 0.155870744920341
1
0 R² = 0.980045341570701
-1 0 20 40 60 80 100
-2
-3
-4
DAE
180 -5
181 Figure 5. Total nitrogen accumulation rate by white oat. L1: 11% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc); L3: 60%
182 ETc; L5: 100% ETc
183
184 Despite the lower N accumulation compared to L3 and L5 treatments, the proportions of N
185 accumulated by the leaves, culm and reproductive structures in the L1 treatment, relative to the total
186 accumulated, remained very close to those of the other treatments along the entire cycle (Figure 6). At the
187 end of the cycle, at 90 DAE, more than 70% of the total N accumulated was found in the reproductive
188 structures of the crop, regardless of treatment. In addition, it was observed that the treatment without water
189 restriction started forming the reproductive structures (40 DAE) earlier than the treatments with water deficit
190 (50 DAE).
191
Leaf Culm Reproductive structures
100%
90%
80%
70%
Proportion (%)

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
15 28 40 50 57 71 90
192 Days after emergence
193 Figure 6. Proportion of the total nitrogen extracted by white oat cultivated under irrigation levels as a
194 function of the quantity absorbed by the leaves, culm and reproductive structures. L1: 11% of crop
195 evapotranspiration (ETc); L3: 60% ETc; L5: 100% ETc
196
197 Despite receiving the same dose of N throughout the cycle, there was a large difference in total
198 accumulation of biomass (265%) and N (396%) when white oat was maintained without water deficit (L5)
199 and under severe water deficit (L1) (Figure 3). As nutrient absorption is influenced by water availability in
200 soil, especially for nutrients absorbed in larger amounts through mass flow, such as N, the water deficit
201 drastically affects nutrient accumulation in plants (LISAR et al, 2012) and, consequently, crop yield
202 (DJAMAN et al., 2013). Since the rainfall for the experimental period was concentrated at the end of the
203 cycle and was low (50 mm) (Figure 2), the effect of water deficit treatments on white oat growth can be
204 confirmed.
205 It was observed that the smallest percentage difference in the maximum accumulation of biomass
206 and N for treatments with severe and moderate water deficits, compared to the treatment without water
207 deficit, occurred for the leaves (Figures 3B and 4B). Stressed plants tend to reduce proportionally more the
208 growth of vegetative parts which are physiologically less important, such as the culms (LISAR et al., 2012).
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209 As the leaves perform photosynthesis and are responsible for the production of photoassimilates, which serve
210 for grain filling, stressed plants prioritize the growth of the photosynthetically active structures.
211 Thus, leaf production in stressed plants tends to be closer to the leaf production of non-stressed
212 plants than the production of culms. This occurs because, if the water deficit stops, due to rainfall and
213 irrigation for example, plants have a significant leaf area for the production of photoassimilates. However,
214 when the water deficit remains until the end of the crop cycle, the losses of yield will be expressive, as
215 observed in the present study, even if the relative reduction in the accumulation of leaves is lower. For the
216 treatment under severe water deficit (L1), the percentage reduction in maximum accumulation of biomass
217 (314%) and N (418%) in the reproductive structures (Figure 3 and 4), compared to the treatment without
218 deficit (L5), was much higher than the percentage reduction in the accumulation for the leaves (37%).
219 The amount of N supplied by mineral fertilization to white oat during its cycle was 120 kg ha -1, with
220 20 kg ha-1 at sowing and 100 kg ha-1 as topdressing. However, the maximum total N accumulation of the crop
221 maintained without water deficit (L5) was equal to 246 kg ha -1. Considering that N fertilization had 100%
222 efficiency, the soil provided for the crop at least 126 kg ha -1 of N. This quantity resulted from the amount of
223 N already existing in the soil solution and the mineralization of organic matter, which is the main N reservoir
224 in tropical soils (SILVA & MENDONÇA, 2007). Some studies have associated the effects of exudates
225 released by the roots of plants of the genus Urochloa to the mitigation of nitrification processes, reducing N
226 losses by leaching (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2009). Thus, as the experimental area had been cultivated with
227 Urochloa brizantha for 4 years, the large amount of N provided by the soil for the white oat crop is justified.
228 For L1 and L3 treatments, the maximum total N accumulation was equal to 50 and 163 kg ha -1,
229 respectively. This demonstrates that the minimum amount of N provided by the soil for the L5 treatment was
230 higher than the total amount of N absorbed by the L1 treatment and very close to that absorbed by the L3
231 treatment. Thus, when the crop is cultivated under deficit irrigation and under non-irrigated conditions, for
232 soils with fertility similar to that of the soil in the present study, topdressing N fertilization can be performed
233 at lower doses than when the crop is cultivated under supplementary irrigation. This fact demonstrates the
234 importance of determining the maximum amount of N absorbed in each crop production system. For white
235 oat plantations maintained under high water deficit, for instance, besides the fact that the recommended N
236 dose is lower than that for irrigated plantations, it is observed that topdressing N fertilization should be
237 performed earlier compared to irrigated plantations (Figure 4D and 5). On the other hand, growing white oat
238 under moderate deficit irrigation (L3) does not alter the moment of the peaks of biomass and N compared to
239 the treatment without deficit (L5), so the same time should be adopted for topdressing N fertilization.
240 Irrigation with moderate deficit is an interesting management, since it uses a smaller water volume for
241 irrigation and, according to the present study, the growth of white oat is not drastically affected by this
242 practice. Thus, for straw production in no-tillage system and forage production, deficit irrigation in white oat
243 is a technically feasible technique.
244 Evaluating N extraction by wheat cultivars, Wang et al. (2017) observed that the difference in the
245 quantity of N extracted between the contrasting genotypes was 20% (30 kg ha -1). For cotton, as the planting
246 density increases, the peak of nutrient absorption occurs earlier and is superior to that of plantations with low
247 density, suggesting an earlier topdressing fertilization and higher doses of fertilizers (ROSOLEM et al.,
248 2012). Djaman et al. (2013), evaluating nutrient accumulation in corn cultivated under irrigation levels,
249 observed a difference of 100 kg ha -1 in the total N extracted by the crop when subjected to full irrigation and
250 no irrigation. Corroborating the results found in the present experiment, these studies demonstrate the
251 importance of the recommendation of fertilization for each production system. Depending on the cultivars,
252 density in the plantations and irrigation levels, the recommendation of fertilization for the various crops
253 should indicate different nutrient doses when compared to the standard recommendations. If performed
254 adequately, these specific recommendations can lead to increased crop yields, higher fertilization efficiency
255 and increased revenue for producers.
256 The percentage export of N to the reproductive structures (Figure 6) was close to the 74%
257 recommended for oat by Cantarella et al. (1997), indicating a strong influence of the genetic factor on the
258 redistribution of photoassimilates between plant structures. The reduction in the cycle of white oat cultivated
259 under severe water deficit is due to the need for propagation when the species are kept under unfavorable
260 conditions to their growth, producing grains more quickly to generate new individuals (LISAR et al., 2012).
261
262 CONCLUSIONS
263 Severe water deficit drastically reduced biomass and nitrogen accumulation in white oat. Severe
264 water deficit causes earlier peak of nitrogen absorption, reduces the daily accumulation rate and shortens the
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265 cycle of white oat. The proportion of nitrogen accumulated in leaves, culm and reproductive structures of
266 white oat does not change according to water deficit.
267
268 RESUMO: O conhecimento da marcha de absorção do nitrogênio pelas culturas pode indicar
269 manejos importantes, destacando-se a definição de doses do nutriente e o melhor momento para a aplicação
270 em cobertura no solo. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar e comparar o acúmulo de biomassa e nitrogênio de
271 aveia-branca cultivada sob déficit hídrico severo, moderado e sem déficit hídrico. Os tratamentos foram
272 constituídos por níveis de irrigação, com quatro repetições, em delineamento de blocos em faixas. Os
273 tratamentos sob déficit hídrico severo (L1), moderado (L3) e sem déficit (L5) receberam 11%, 60% e 100%
274 da quantidade de água evapotranspirada pela cultura (ETc). Para cada tratamento, 6 plantas foram coletadas
275 em cada repetição. Após a coleta as plantas foram separadas em folhas, caule e estruturas reprodutivas
276 (panícula + grãos). Foram testadas regressões de segundo e terceiro grau para modelar o comportamento do
277 acúmulo de biomassa e de nitrogênio das folhas, colmo, estruturas reprodutivas e total da aveia-branca em
278 função do tempo. Foi realizada análise de regressão, ao nível de 5% de probabilidade, para o melhor ajuste
279 em cada situação. O máximo acúmulo total de nitrogênio da aveia-branca dos tratamentos L1, L3 e L5 foi de
280 50 kg ha-1, 163 kg ha-1 e 246 kg ha-1, respectivamente. O déficit hídrico severo diminui drasticamente o
281 acúmulo de biomassa e de nitrogênio da aveia-branca. O déficit hídrico severo antecipa o pico de acúmulo de
282 biomassa e de nitrogênio, a taxa de acúmulo desse nutriente e o ciclo da aveia-branca.
283 Palavras-chave: Exportação. Extração. Irrigação. Marcha de absorção. Massa seca.
284
285 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
286 The authors thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for
287 granting the scholarship to the first author and to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível
288 Superior (CAPES) for granting the scholarships to the third and fourth author.
289
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