Nitrate nitrogen accumulation and leaching pattern at a winter wheat: summer maize cropping field in the North China Plain

Excess application of nitrogen has proved to be one of the detrimental impact factors on soil and groundwater quality in the North China Plain (NCP). A 4-year (from October 2008 to September 2012) field experiment was carried out to investigate the impact of N application rate on NO3–N dynamics in soils, its leaching pattern, and movement in deep soils under different nitrogen (N) application rates in a sprinkler irrigated winter wheat (Triticum...