TWO SOURCES OF ZEOLITE AS SUBSTITUTES OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER FOR WHEAT (Triticum aestivum) PRODUCTION IN TLAXCALA, MEXICO

Abstract

Nitrogen is the main nutrient added to the soil for wheat production, but its application increases production costs. Urea is the most used nitrogen fertilizer (NF) in Mexico, however only 10 to 60 % is absorbed by crops. To improve this efficiency, the use of slow-release fertilizers has been promoted, although their cost is high compared with traditional nitrogen sources. One alternative to increase the efficiency of NF is the use of minerals such as zeolite. One type of zeolite is the “clinoptiloliteâ€, an aluminum-silicate mineral. The objective of the study was to evaluate two sources of clinoptilolite (Chinobampo and Tehuacán). In four locations, six treatments were established: 1) 100 % NF; 2) 20 % zeoilte + 80 % NF; 3) 40 % zeolite + 60 % NF; 4) 60 % zeolite + 40 % NF; 5) 80 % zeolite + 20 % NF; and 6) 100 % zeolite. In treatments 2, 4 and 6 the seeds were mycorrhized before sowing. On average, treatment 3 yielded 2.9 ton ha-1, followed by treatment 2 with 2.6 ton ha-1, which yielded 2.3 and 3.0 ton ha-1 with zeolite Chinobampo and Tehuacán, respectively.