Open AccessSoil nitrogen sequestration in a long-term fertilizer experiment in central China
Author(s) -
Xi Han,
Cheng Hu,
Yunfeng Chen,
Yan Qiao,
Donghai Liu,
Jun Fan,
Shuanglai Li,
Zhang Zhi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
spanish journal of agricultural research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2171-9292
pISSN - 1695-971X
DOI - 10.5424/sjar/2020181-15691
Subject(s) - fertilizer , agronomy , manure , carbon sequestration , nitrogen , zoology , cropping system , human fertilization , soil test , soil fertility , soil ph , soil water , environmental science , chemistry , soil science , biology , crop , organic chemistry
Aim of study: To evaluate the effects of a long-term manuring and fertilization experiment on the soil total N concentration and its storage and sequestration rates in the rice-wheat cropping system.Area of study: A rice-wheat rotation area in central China.Material and methods: A 35-yr long-term fertilizer experiment was conducted with 9 treatments: unfertilized (Control), N, P, and K fertilizers, manure (M) and M combined with N, P, and K fertilizers treatments. Soil total N input amount, total N concentration, total N storage amount and N sequestration rate in soil were calculated.Main results: The soil total N input amount, N concentration, N storage amount and N sequestration rate were significantly influenced by M and chemical fertilizers. In total, 0.017-0.021 g N/kg soil accumulated in the organic M plots, whereas only 0.005-0.007 g in chemical fertilizer alone plots. The highest soil total N storage amount was 6.09 t/hain the M alone plot, and the lowest value was 4.46 tN/ha in the N fertilizer alone plot. The highest N sequestration rate in soil was 0.061 t N/ha/yr in the high amount M plus NPK fertilizers plot, and the lowest value was 0.002 tN/ha/yr in the N fertilizer alone plot. A significant nonlinear regression relationship existed between the total N sequestration rate in soil and annual total N input amount. Moreover, the average soil total N concentration was significantly positively correlated with the average grain yield of crop and soil organic C concentration. The soil total N sequestration rate in M alone or M combined with inorganic fertilizer treatments were increased compared with inorganic fertilizer alone treatments.Research highlights: Considering crop yields and total N sequestration rate in soil, the use of manure combined with inorganic fertilizer should be recommended in the rice-wheat cropping system.