Impact of Organic Digestate on Soil and Crop Nitrogen During Critical Periods of Winter Oilseed Rape Growth

We hypothesized that the application of digestate (D) to winter oilseed rapeseed would have the same effect on seed production as nitrogen fertilizer (Nf). It impacts yield by altering the mass of readily available N in the vegetative and reproductive periods of plant growth. This allows for a good yield forecast. This hypothesis was assessed in field experiments with rapeseed carried out in 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018. The experiment included three N fertilization systems (FSs): AN, based on ammonium nitrate (AN); D, with digestate-based N; DAN, using 2/3 of digestate + 1/3 of AN—and five Nf doses: 0, 80, 120, 160, and 240 kg N ha−1. The net seed yield increase due to N application was 1.44 t ha−1 in the AN system, 1.53 t ha−1 in D, and 1.77 t ha−1 in DAN. The optimal N rates were 160, 250, and 224 kg N ha−1. The N economy of winter oilseed rapeseed was assessed in two periods: vegetative—before anthesis (from the rosette stage to the beginning of anthesis, BBCH 30–BBCH 60) and reproductive (from the beginning of anthesis to full maturity, BBCH 60–BBCH 89). The mass of available N at the beginning of anthesis increased by 54.3% (151 kg N ha−1 to 233 N ha−1) and doubled (151 kg N ha−1 to 302 kg N ha−1) compared to its value at the rosette stage, taking into account the mass of N in the rapeseed canopy and its total mass in the soil/rapeseed continuum. No differences in NUE were found for the tested N carriers. The net increase in N available resources resulting from the application of N fertilizer was 55.1, 104.9, 102.8, and 93.0 kg N ha−1 for respective plots fertilized with 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg N ha−1. Three N indices were measured at the beginning of rapeseed anthesis—N in crop biomass (NAF, r = 0.87 ***), N balance (Nb60, r = 0.87 ***), and N released from soil resources (Ngain60, r = 0.79 ***)—and showed potential for seed yield (SEY) prediction. The linear dependence of SEY on these indicators indicates that the potential of the rapeseed canopy to effectively accumulate N during the vegetative growth was too low. This limitation was fully confirmed by analogous N management indicators, but developed for rapeseed during the seed-filling period. The key indicator of SEY at harvest was the N mass in rapeseed biomass (NAH, r = 0.95 ***). N from digestate acted as a slow-release fertilizer, giving it an advantage over ammonium nitrate. In summary, digestate is an optimal N carrier under conditions of average rapeseed yield.