Reactive nitrogen in a clay till hill slope field system

To assess the contribution of reactive nitrogen from groundwater to surface waters, we need more knowledge on how reactive nitrogen behaves in the glacial till systems underlying many agricultural fields. Groundwater sampled from suction cups and piezometers placed in the glacial till underlying a winter wheat field shows the nitrate concentration in water leaching to deeper than 2 m below ground surface (mbg) is ~ 60 mg L-1. Within 5 mbg, all of the nitrate is removed and this appears to take place within a redox zone rather than at a sharp redox front. Ammonium released from the till is negligible. A 2D dataset reveals that the depth to the redox zone undulates between 3 and 5 mbg, perhaps a result of local variations in infiltration. It appears that the nitrate is generally reduced by the oxidation of pyrite and locally by organic matter in lenses within the till.