Quantification of the carbon and nitrogen cycles in long‐term field experiments in Prague

Abstract

The oldest still existing long‐term field experiments in Czech Republic were founded in 1955. In Prague Ruzyné, there are five of nine experiments founded by Škarda. Data of two of these experiments (Block III and Block B) were used to evaluate the carbon and nitrogen cycles in time period 1966–1997. These two experiments have a similar design. They differ in the crop rotation. Four variants of organic and mineral fertilisation, receiving similar doses of fertilisers, have been selected. The same was calculated for the same time period for a mini‐plot bare fallow field experiment founded in 1958 by Novák. The results of these experiments conducted in one locality (the same soil and climatic conditions) show the effect of the cultivated crops on the carbon and nitrogen cycles (comparing bare fallow experiment with the cropped ones), the effect of organic and mineral fertilisation (among all experiments), and the effect of crop rotation (comparing Block III to Block B) on these cycles.