Long‐term effects of manure and fertilization on soil organic matter and quality parameters of a calcareous soil in NW China

Long‐term applications of inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure influence organic matter as well as other soil‐quality parameters, but the magnitude of change depends on soil‐climatic conditions. Effects of 22 annual applications (1982–2003) of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure (M) on total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TON), light‐fraction organic C (LFOC) and N (LFON), microbial‐biomass C (MB‐C) and N (MB‐N), total and extractable P, total and exchangeable K, and pH in 0–20 cm soil, nitrate‐N (NO ‐N) in 0–210 cm soil, and N, P, and K balance sheets were determined using a field experiment established in 1982 on a calcareous desert soil (Orthic Anthrosol) at Zhangye, Gansu, China. A rotation of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐wheat‐corn (Zea mays L.) was used to compare the control, N, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP, and MNPK treatments. Annual additions of inorganic fertilizers for 22 y increased mass of LFON, MB‐N, total P, extractable P, and exchangeable K in topsoil. This effect was generally enhanced with manure application. Application of manure also increased mass of TOC and MB‐C in soil, and tended to increase LFOC, TON, and MB‐N. There was no noticeable effect of fertilizer and manure application on soil pH. There was a close relationship between some soil‐quality parameters and the amount of C or N in straw that was returned to the soil. The N fertilizer alone resulted in accumulation of large amounts of NO ‐N at the 0–210 cm soil depth, accounting for 6% of the total applied N, but had the lowest recovery of applied N in the crop (34%). Manure alone resulted in higher NO ‐N in the soil profile compared with the control, and the MN treatment had the highest amount of NO ‐N in the soil profile. Application of N in combination with P and/or K fertilizers in both manured and unmanured treatments usually reduced NO ‐N accumulation in the soil profile compared with N alone and increased the N recovery in the crop as much as 66%. The N that was unaccounted for, as a percentage of applied N, was highest in the N‐alone treatment (60%) and lowest in the NPK treatment (30%). In the manure + chemical fertilizer treatments, the unaccounted N ranged from 35% to 43%. Long‐term P fertilization resulted in accumulation of extractable P in the surface soil. Compared to the control, the amount of P in soil‐plant system was surplus in plots that received P as fertilizer and/or manure, and the unaccounted P as percentage of applied P ranged from 64% to 80%. In the no‐manure plots, the unaccounted P decreased from 72% in NP to 64% in NPK treatment from increased P uptake due to balanced fertilization. Compared to the control, the amount of K in soil‐plant system was deficit in NPK treatment, i.e., the recovery of K in soil + plant was more than the amount of applied K. In manure treatments, the recovery of applied K in crop increased from 26% in M to 61% in MNPK treatment, but the unaccounted K decreased from 72% in M to 37% in MNPK treatment. The findings indicated that integrated application of N, P, and K fertilizers and manure is an important strategy to maintain or increase soil organic C and N, improve soil fertility, maintain nutrients balance, and minimize damage to the environment, while also improving crop yield.     

氮肥与有机肥配施协调土壤固定态铵与可溶性氮的研究

【目的】 土壤固定态铵是肥料氮的一个“临时贮藏库”,可逐渐释放以供作物利用,土壤可溶氮则是土壤固定态铵的重要来源,因此研究设施条件下氮肥与有机肥配施对土壤固定态铵和可溶性氮含量的动态变化以及相互关系的影响,对于设施生产中安全高效的施肥管理有着重要意义。 【方法】 以番茄为试材,温室内连续两年进行田间小区试验,设不施肥(CK)、施N量0、187.5、375. 562.5 kg/hm2 (N0、N1、N2、N3)、单施有机肥(M,75000 kg/hm2)以及有机肥与氮肥配施处理(MN0、MN1、MN2、MN3)。分析了土壤固定态铵和可溶性氮(土壤矿质氮和可溶性有机氮)含量动态变化。 【结果】 施肥显著提高了0-30 cm土层土壤固定态铵和可溶性氮的含量(P < 0.01);各施肥处理均以第1穗果膨大期时含量最高。总体来看,不施有机肥条件下,土壤固定态铵和矿质氮、可溶性有机氮的含量均以施N 375.0 kg/hm2处理为最高,而在氮肥与有机肥配施条件下,以施N 375.0 kg/hm2与有机肥75000 kg/hm2配施处理和施N 562.5 kg/hm2与有机肥75000 kg/hm2配施处理的土壤固定态铵和矿质氮、可溶性有机氮含量为最高,但未发现氮肥施用量对土壤固定态铵含量产生显著影响;除收获期20-30 cm土层外,整个生长季内土壤固定态铵和矿质氮含量之间均有显著的正相关关系(P < 0.05),部分土层土壤固定态铵与可溶性有机氮之间也有显著的正相关关系(P < 0.05)。 【结论】 设施番茄栽培条件下,土壤固定态铵和可溶性氮在土壤氮素的固持与释放方面极显著相关,施无机N 375.0 kg/hm2配合有机肥75000 kg/hm2,可较好地提高土壤中的氮的有效性,更好地协调土壤供氮能力。     

Short‐term and residual availability of nitrogen after long‐term application of organic fertilizers on arable land

Knowledge on short‐term and long‐term availability of nitrogen (N) after application of organic fertilizers (e.g., farmyard manure, slurry, sewage sludge, composts) provides an important basis to optimize fertilizer use with benefits for the farmer and the environment. Nitrogen from many organic fertilizers often shows little effect on crop growth in the year of application, because of the slow‐release characteristics of organically bound N. Furthermore, N immobilization after application can occur, leading to an enrichment of the soil N pool. However, this process finally increases the long‐term efficiency of organic fertilizers. Short‐term N release from organic fertilizers, measured as mineral‐fertilizer equivalents (MFE), varies greatly from 0% (some composts) to nearly 100% (urine). The most important indicators to be used for predicting the short‐term availability of N are total and NH ‐N contents, C : N ratio (especially of the decomposable organic fraction), and stability of the organic substances. Processing steps before organic fertilizers are applied in the field particularly can influence N availability. Composting reduces mineral‐N content and increases the stability of the organic matter, whereas anaerobic fermentation increases NH ‐N content as well as the stability of organic matter, but decreases the C : N ratio remarkably, resulting in a product with a high content of directly available N. Nevertheless, long‐term effects of organic fertilizers rather slowly releasing N have to be considered to enable optimization of fertilizer use. After long‐term application of organic fertilizers, the overall N‐use efficiency is adequate to a MFE in the range of 40%–70%.     

Primed N2O emission from native soil nitrogen: A 15N‐tracing laboratory experiment

Soils can naturally be a source of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O). By contrast, the largest anthropogenic source of N₂O is the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on agricultural soil, but it is unclear if fertilizer‐supported N₂O emission only originates from the fertilizer N directly or through additionally stimulated N₂O production from native soil N. Even though native soil N also includes mineral N already in soil before fertilizer application, organic N is the principal native N pool and thereby provides for mineral N cycling and N₂O emission. Here, we tested (1) the contribution of native soil N to N₂O emission after mineral N fertilizer application and (2) whether it is affected by different soil organic matter (SOM) contents by conducting a laboratory ¹⁵N‐tracing experiment with agricultural soil from a long‐term field trial with two treatments. Both field treatments are fertilized with mineral N, whereas only one of the two receives liquid manure causing higher SOM content. Soil sampling was conducted in March 2016 shortly before fertilizer application in the field. The application of ¹⁵N‐labeled fertilizer more than doubled the N₂O production from native N sources compared to the non‐fertilized control incubations. This primed N₂O production contributed by 5–8% to the fertilizer‐induced N₂O emission after one week of incubation and was similar for both field treatments regardless of liquid manure application. Therefore, further research is needed to link N₂O priming to its potential production pathways and sources. While the observed effect may be important in soils, the amount of applied N fertilizer remains the largest concern being responsible for the majority of N₂O emission.     

Arginine ammonification and L‐glutaminase assays as rapid indices of corn nitrogen availability

Increasing use of N fertilizer for crop production necessitates more rapid estimates on N provided by the soil in order to prevent under‐ or overfertilization and their adverse effect on plant nutrition and environmental quality. A study was conducted to investigate the responses of arginine ammonification (AA), L‐glutaminase activity (LG), soil N–mineralization indices, corn (Zea mays L.) crop–yield estimation, and corn N uptake to application of organic amendments. The relationships between corn N uptake and the microbial and enzymatic processes which are basically related to N mineralization in soil were also studied. The soil samples were collected from 0–15 cm depth of a calcareous soil that was annually treated with 0, 25, or 100 Mg ha^–1 (dry‐weight basis) of sewage sludge and cow manure for 7 consecutive years. Soil total N (TN), potentially mineralizable N (N₀), and initial potential rates of N mineralization (kN₀) were significantly greater in sewage sludge–treated than in cow manure–treated soils. However, the amendment type did not influence soil organic C (SOC), AA, LG, and anaerobic index of N mineralization (N_ana). The application rates proportionally increased N‐availability indices in soil. Corn N concentration and uptake were correlated with indices of mineralizable N. A multiple stepwise model using AA and N_ana as parameters provided the best predictor of corn N concentration (R = 0.86, p < 0.001). Another model using only LG provided the best predictor of corn N uptake (R = 0.78, p < 0.001). This results showed that sewage‐sludge and cow‐manure application is readily reflected in certain soil biological properties and that the biological tests may be useful in predicting N mineralization and availability in soil.     

Plant‐based fertilizers for organic vegetable production

To ensure high yield and quality in organic vegetable production, crops often require additional fertilizer applied during the season. Due to the risk of contamination of edible plant products from slurry, plant‐based fertilizers may be used as an alternative. The purpose of our work was to develop mobile green manures with specific high nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrogen [N], sulfur [S], and phosphorus [P]) that are released quickly after soil incorporation and that are easy to handle during storage and application. To distinguish from traditional green manures that are grown to improve soil fertility, the term “mobile green manures” is used for green‐manure crops that are harvested in one field and then moved as a whole and used as fertilizer in other fields. To further investigate mobile‐green‐manure crops for use as efficient fertilizers, pot and field experiments were conducted with cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis) and kale (Brassica oleracea sabellica) supplied with organic matter consisting of a wide range of plant species with varying nutrient concentrations. Further, field experiments were conducted with leek (Allium porrum) and celery (Apium graveolens dulce) supplied with increasing amounts of organic matter consisting of fresh, ensiled, or dried green manures. Results show that garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa), dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria), and fodder radish (Raphanus sativus) harvested with a high leaf‐to‐stem ratio resulted in high P concentration, and cruciferous crops in high S concentration. Dyer's woad, salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) showed high boron (B) concentration, whereas species such as dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), chicory (Cichorium intybus), and garden sorrel showed high potassium (K) concentration. Green manures with high P and S concentrations increased the nutrient uptake and yield of pot‐grown cauliflower and kale. Field experiments showed that the production of cauliflower and kale decreased when the carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C : N) ratio of applied green manure increased. In kale, for example, application of 160 kg N ha^–1 in early harvested lucerne (Medicago sativa) with a C : N ratio of 10 resulted in the highest kale production whereas application of an equal amount of N in late harvested lucerne with a C : N ratio of 20 produced 34% less. Differences in vegetable production were not due to the amount of N applied, but to the N availability. Field experiments with fresh, ensiled, or dry green manure applied to leek and celery showed that the C : N ratio has to be low to get a fast response. Further, these field experiments demonstrate the importance of green manures, which can be stored and are easy to handle during transport, crop application, and soil incorporation. It is concluded that it is possible to produce green manures with high concentrations of S, P, K, and B, and low C : N ratios and that these properties have a great impact on the value of the green manure for vegetable production.     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter II. Nitrogen

The present study evaluated the effect of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers), management practices (fallow and untilled vs. cropped and tilled) on changes of N in bulk soil and N associated with different particle‐size fractions. The long‐term field experiment was conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein, Austria, on a Dystric Cambisol. The N content of the topsoils changed distinctively during 28 and 38 yr of treatments under both fallow and cropped management practices. Highest increase in total N content was found in animal‐manure (liquid)‐treated plots. The remaining ranking was: animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry > half cattle slurry + straw = PK = NPK. Quite short N‐half‐life values of around 2 yr were found for the cattle‐slurry application, while animal manure exhibited longer N‐half‐lives of around 8 yr. Crop removal of N and mineralization losses in cropped plots obviously were higher than N losses from the bare soil plots lacking a plant cover to keep N in the system. This was confirmed by a consistent shift in the natural ¹⁵N abundances. Comparing the mean N contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total N amounts revealed the following ranking after 28 and 38 yr of different treatments: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand, with small exceptions. Particle‐size separates showed more significant responses to changes in the N dynamics of the system due to the various treatments than the bulk soil and can be regarded as the better indicators in this respect.     

The dynamics of soil-soluble nitrogen and soil-retained nitrogen in greenhouse soil

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and manure addition on the soil-soluble nitrogen (SSN) (soil mineral N (SMN); soil-soluble organic N (SSON)) and soil-retained N (SRN) (soil fixed ammonium; soil microbial biomass N). The combined application of manure and inorganic N (different N fertilizer rates: M3N0, M3N1, M3N2, and M3N3; different manure rates: M0N2, M1N2, M2N2, and M3N2) was used in a greenhouse fertilization experiment. SSN and SRN increased with increasing N rate up to M3N2. SSON decreased with increasing manure rate and was the highest in the M1N2, whereas SMN and SRN were the highest in the M3N2, and increased with increasing manure rate on all sampling dates. Both SSN and SRN declined significantly with increasing soil depth in the different application rates of manure (p < .05). Moreover, the SSN and SRN significantly varied with plant growth and followed a different pattern during the growing season. SSN and FA peaked in the first ear fruit period, but SMBN was at its highest level in the second ear fruit period. There was a significant positive relationship (p < .05) between SSN and SRN throughout the plant growing season, and the annual apparent loss of N in the M3N3 was the highest. The combined application of inorganic N fertilizer and manure at an appropriate rate may be an effective strategy for maintaining the long-term health of greenhouses.     

Labile organic matter fractions as early‐season nitrogen supply indicators in manure‐amended soils

Soil test indicators are needed to predict the contribution of soil organic N to crop N requirements. Labile organic matter (OM) fractions containing C and N are readily metabolized by soil microorganisms, which leads to N mineralization and contributes to the soil N supply to crops. The objective of this study was to identify labile OM fractions that could be indicators of the soil N supply by evaluating the relationship between the soil N supply, the C and N concentrations, and C/N ratios of water extractable OM, hot‐water extractable OM, particulate OM, microbial biomass, and salt extractable OM. Labile OM fractions were measured before planting spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in fertilized soils and the soil N supply was determined from the wheat N uptake and soil mineral N concentration after 6 weeks. Prior to the study, fertilized sandy loam and silty clay soils received three annual applications of 90 kg available N (ha · y)^?1 from mineral fertilizer, liquid dairy cattle manure, liquid swine manure or solid poultry litter, and there was a zero‐N control. Water extractable organic N was the only labile OM fraction to be affected by fertilization in both soil types (P < 0.01). Across both test soils, the soil N supply was significantly correlated with the particulate OM N (r = 0.87, P < 0.001), the particulate OM C (r = 0.83, P < 0.001), and hot‐water extractable organic N (r = 0.81, P < 0.001). We conclude that pre‐planting concentrations of particulate OM and hot‐water extractable organic N could be early season indicators of the soil N supply in fertilized soils of the Saint Lawrence River Lowlands in Quebec, Canada. The suitability of these pre‐planting indicators to predict the soil N supply under field conditions and in fertilized soils from other regions remains to be determined.     

Re‐visiting potassium‐ and phosphate‐fertilizer responses in field experiments and soil‐test interpretations by means of data mining

Currently, potassium (K)‐ and phosphate (P)‐fertilizer recommendation in Germany is based on standardized soil‐testing procedures, the results of which are interpreted in terms of nutrient availability. Although site‐specific soil and plant properties (e.g., clay and carbon content, pH, crop species) influence the relation between soil nutrient content and fertilizer effectiveness, most of these factors are not accounted for quantitatively when assessing fertilizer demand. Recent re‐evaluations of field observations suggest that even for soil nutrient contents well within the range considered to indicate P or K deficiency, fertilizer applications often resulted in no yield increase. In this study, results from P‐ and K‐fertilization trials (in total about 9000 experimental harvests) conducted during the past decades in Germany and Austria were re‐analyzed using a nonparametric data‐mining procedure which consists of a successive segmentation of the data pool in order to elaborate a modified recommendation scheme. In addition to soil nutrient content, fertilizer‐application rates, nutrient‐use efficiency, and site properties such as pH, clay content, and soil organic matter, have a distinct influence on yield increase compared to an unfertilized control. For K, nutrient‐use efficiency had the largest influence, followed by soil‐test K content, whereas for P, the influence of soil‐test P content was largest, followed by pH and clay content. The results may be used in a novel approach to predict the probability of yield increase for a specified combination of crop species, fertilizer‐application rate, and site‐specific data.     

Grain yield and crop N offtake in response to residual fertilizer N in long‐term field experiments

Organic inputs [e.g. animal manure (AM) and plant residues] contribute directly to the soil organic N pool, whereas mineral N fertilizer contributes indirectly by increasing the return of the crop residues and by microbial immobilization. To evaluate the residual effect of N treatments established in four long‐term (>35 yr) field experiments, we measured the response of barley (grain yield and N offtake at crop maturity) to six rates (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N/ha) of mineral fertilizer N (N_new) applied in subplots replacing the customary long‐term plot treatments of fertilizer inputs (N_prev). Rates of N_prev above 50–100 kg N/ha had no consistent effect on the soil N content, but this was up to 20% greater than that in unfertilized treatments. Long‐term unfertilized plots should not be used as control to test the residual value of N in modern agriculture with large production potentials. Although the effect of mineral N_prev on grain yield and N offtake could be substituted by N_new within a range of previous inputs, the value of N_prev was not eliminated irrespective of N_new rate. Provided a sufficient supply of plant nutrients other than N, the use‐efficiency of N_new did not change significantly with previous mineral N fertilizer rate. The residual effect of mineral N fertilizer was negligible compared with the residual effect of N from AM and catch crop residues.     

Evaluation of N‐butyl phosphorothioic triamide for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soil

Abstract

Work reported showed that N‐butyl phosphorothioic triamide (NBPT) is considerably more effective than phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) as a soil urease inhibitor and merits consideration as a fertilizer amendment for retarding hydrolysis of urea fertilizer in soil. Studies to determine the factors influencing the effectiveness of NBPT for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soil showed that the inhibitory effect of NBPT on hydrolysis of urea by soil urease increased markedly with the amount of NBPT added and decreased markedly with time and with increase in temperature from 10 to 40°C. They also showed that the ability of NBPT to retard urea hydrolysis in 13 surface soils selected to obtain a wide range in properties was significantly correlated with organic C content (r = ‐0.70**), total N content (r = ‐0.76**), cation‐exchange capacity (r = ‐0.67* ), sand content (r = 0.61*), clay content (r = ‐0.63*), and surface area (r = ‐0.66*), but was not significantly correlated with pH, silt content, urease activity, or CaCO₃ equivalent. Multiple‐regression analyses indicated that the effectiveness of NBPT for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soil tends to increase with decrease in soil organic‐matter content.     

The role of non‐crystalline Fe in the increase of SOC after long‐term organic manure application to the red soil of southern China

Because of the important role of soil organic carbon (SOC) in nutrient cycling and global climate changes, there has been an interest in understanding how different fertilizer practices affect the SOC preservation and promotion. The results from this study showed that long‐term application of manure (21 years) could increase significantly the content of SOC, total nitrogen (N) and soil pH in the red soil of southern China. The chemical structure of SOC was characterized by using solid‐state cross‐polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and the aromatic C, ratio of alkyl C : O‐alkyl C, aromaticity and hydrophobicity of mineral fertilizers N, P and K plus organic manure (NPKM) and organic manure (M) treatments were less than those of mineral fertilizer nitrogen (N) and mineral fertilizers N, P and K (NPK) treatments. Both poorly crystalline (Fe_o) and organically complexed (Fe_p) iron contents were influenced significantly (P < 0.05) by different fertilizers, and it was observed that NPKM and M treatments increased the non‐crystalline Fe (Fe_o‐Fe_p) content. There was a significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation between soil organic C and non‐crystalline Fe in both the surface (0–20 cm) and subsurface (20–40 cm) soils. The results suggested that non‐crystalline Fe played an important role in the increase of SOC by long‐term application of organic manure (NPKM and M) in the red soil of southern China.     

Potential methods for estimating nitrogen fertilizer value of organic residues

New organic fertilizers based on waste products are continually being introduced in agriculture. Their nitrogen (N) fertilizer value of their total N and mineral N content varies widely, creating a demand for standardized laboratory methods. This study evaluated some potential methods for estimating the N fertilizer value of different kinds of organic fertilizers. The methods were evaluated against the N fertilizer value obtained from a ryegrass pot experiment. Fifteen fertilizers were tested, including different kinds of manure, powders from meat, bone, blood and feathers, rapeseed cake, lucerne pellets, sewage sludge, biogas residue, vinasse and mussel compost. Mineral fertilizer equivalents (MFE) were calculated as the fraction of total N (MFE) or organic N (MFE_org) out of total N that has the same availability to plants as inorganic N. Mineral N content (% of total N added with organic residue) after 4 weeks of incubation of soil was correlated to MFE (r² = 0.78), but was on average 17% lower. Warm water‐extractable N, amino acid N and crude fibre analysis all proved to be unsatisfactory as methods for estimating MFE or MFE_org. However, the carbon/nitrogen ratio accurately reflected short‐term plant‐available N through a negative linear relationship (r² = 0.83) and would thus be a very useful method for estimating MFE, with MFE decreasing by 5% per unit increase in C/N ratio. The results also indicated that the analysis of near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectra can be an even quicker and cheaper method to estimate MFE of organic residues, but this issue requires further research.     

Soil Total Nitrogen and Natural 15Nitrogen in Response to Long-Term Fertilizer Management of a Maize–Wheat Cropping System in Northern China

The Fengqiu long-term field experiment was established to examine effects of organic manure and mineral fertilizers on soil total nitrogen (N) and natural ¹⁵N abundance. Fertilizer regimes include organic manure (OM), one-half N from organic manure plus one-half N from mineral N fertilizer (1/2OMN), mineral fertilizers [N–phosphorus (P)–potassium (K), NP, NK, PK], and a control. Organic manure (OM and 1/2OMN) significantly increased soil total N and δ¹⁵N, which was expected as a great amount of the N applied remained in soils. Mineral NPK fertilizer and mineral NP fertilizer significantly increased total N and slightly increaed δ¹⁵N. Phosphorus-deficient fertilization (NK) and N-deficient fertilization (PK) had no effect on soil total N. Significantly greater δ¹⁵N was observed in the NK treatment as compared to the control, suggesting that considerable N was lost by ammonia (NH₃) voltalization and denitrification in this P-deficiency fertilization regime.     

Cypermethrin persistence and soil properties as affected by long-term fertilizer management

Abstract

Little is known about the effects of long-term fertilization on pesticide persistence. A long-term field experiment was thus conducted to study the influence of fertilization on soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass carbon, microbial quotient, enzyme activities, and cypermethrin dissipation. Five fertilization treatments were arranged: organic manure (OM), NPK fertilizer, PK fertilizer, NK fertilizer, and no fertilizer (control). Soil organic C, N, P contents and enzymatic activities were higher in soils with balanced fertilization as opposed to those with unbalanced fertilization, especially fertilization with organic manure. The longest half-life of cypermethrin was in the NK treatment (15.1 d), the least in the PK treatment (9.6 d). Pesticide dissipation in non-sterilized and sterilized soils showed that changes of cypermethrin persistence were caused by biodegradation. Soil N/P ratio (ratio of soil-available N to available P) and available N content positively correlated with half-life (p<0.05), and could limit cypermethrin dissipation greatly. These results indicate that in agricultural practice, oversupplying N should not be advocated. P application may be an efficient way to decrease N/P ratio and enhance cypermethrin dissipation in soil with high available N content. Based on a comprehensive consideration of soil fertility, crop yield, and environment, a mixed application of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers is recommended in the region, although balanced fertilization results in slower cypermethrin dissipation than does N-deficiency treatment.     

红壤的供氮能力及化肥氮的去向

采用盆栽试验 ,研究了由第四纪红色黏土和红砂岩发育的不同侵蚀程度红壤以及施用有机或无机肥 1 0年以上培肥的红壤在不加外源氮肥条件下的自然供氮能力 ,以及施用1 5N肥源后肥料氮在土壤 -作物系统中的去向。结果表明 :红砂岩发育红壤 (红砂土 )的矿化量和供氮量显著高于第四纪红黏土 (红黏土 ) ,同一母质中轻度侵蚀红壤的矿化量和供氮量又显著高于重度侵蚀红壤。培肥后红壤的矿化量和供氮量显著提高 ,其中有机培肥红壤高于无机培肥红壤。侵蚀红壤的氮肥利用率低 ,土壤残留氮率较高 ,氮肥损失率不大 ,其中红砂土的氮肥残留率明显低于红黏土 ,而氮肥损失率却显著高于红黏土。培肥后红壤的氮肥利用率明显增加 ,其中有机培肥红壤的氮肥利用率和残留率显著高于无机培肥的红壤 ,而氮肥损失率却明显低于无机培肥红壤。     

Plant‐available nitrogen in the soil: Relationships between pre‐plant and pre‐sidedress nitrate tests for corn production

Corn (Zea mays L.) producers in the rainfed regions sometimes sidedress fertilizer N according to pre‐plant–nitrate test (PPNT) results based on the assumption that there is a linear relationship between pre‐sidedress nitrate test (PSNT) and the PPNT. There has been no report on such relationship in Ontario (Canada) and elsewhere in the nonirrigated corn‐growing regions. A field study was conducted near Ottawa, Canada for 7 y to (1) determine changes in soil available N from pre‐planting to shortly after the sidedress stage (late June) for corn and (2) establish a quantitative relationship between PPNT and PSNT. In each year, soil samples from fields of three to four plot experiments with different cropping histories, soil textures, and management levels, taken at 7 to 10 d intervals, and from on‐farm trials taken at pre‐planting and pre‐sidedress, were extracted with 2 M KCl. The concentrations of NO ‐N were determined colorimetrically. It was found that soil NO ‐N concentration of PSNT was a linear function of PPNT with an average slope of 1.7. However, the slope of the regression equations differed dramatically among cropping sequences, and to a lesser extent, soil textures. The NO ‐N concentration after planting to pre‐sidedress was influenced by air temperature and precipitation during this period of time. Both PPNT and PSNT positively correlated with corn‐grain yield. Our data suggest that cautions must be taken when deciding the rate of fertilizer N for sidedress application to corn based on PPNT test, especially under more humid northern climate conditions.     

Effects of long‐term repeated mineral and organic fertilizer applications on soil nitrogen transformations

Repeated applications of mineral and/or organic fertilizer will probably affect gross nitrogen (N) dynamics in soils in the long term but only a limited number of observations are available. Here we present results of a ¹⁵N tracing study with soil from the various fertilizer treatments of the Huang‐Huai‐Hai Plain experiment that has been in operation for more than 17 years. Mineral fertilizer in various combinations of N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), organic manure (OM) or a mixture of mineral fertilizer and manure had been repeatedly applied for 17 years. The gross N transformation rates were quantified with a ¹⁵N tracing model, which uses a parameter optimization routine based on Bayesian principles. Mineralization of soil organic matter was at least 2.7 times greater in all fertilizer treatments compared with the untreated control (0.67 µg N g^?1 day^?1). While application of mineral N enhanced mineralization from recalcitrant organic N, the application of organic fertilizers stimulated the mineralization of labile organic N. Gross nitrate (NO₃^?) production solely resulted from ammonium (NH₄⁺) oxidation. Compared with the gross NO₃^? production in the control treatment (2.22 µg N g^?1 day^?1), long‐term N applications stimulated gross nitrification by more than 5.3 times. The largest gaseous N emissions were associated with the organic manure treatments. The ratio of gross NO₃^? production to total mineral N consumption, a ratio proposed previously to determine potential NO₃^? loss, was a good indicator except for the treatment without N application. This ratio increased from 0.8 in the control to 2.7 in the mixture of mineral fertilizer and manure treatment. The largest gaseous N emissions (N₂O + NO) (P < 0.05) were generally found at greater ratios. Results clearly showed that various fertilizers have a differential effect on N dynamics and potential gaseous N losses in the long term.     

Nitrogen turnover in a repeatedly manured arid subtropical soil: Incubation studies with 15N isotopes

Under the hot and moist conditions of irrigated agriculture in the arid subtropics, turnover of organic matter is high, which can lead to considerable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses. Therefore, sustainable use of these soils requires regular manure application at high rates. To investigate the contribution of consecutive manure applications to an arid sandy soil to various soil N pools, goat manure was isotopically labeled by feeding ¹⁵N‐enriched Rhodes grass hay and applied to the soil during a two‐year field experiment. In the first year, soils received ¹⁵N‐labeled manure to distinguish between soil‐derived and manure‐derived N. In the second year, these plots were split for the application of either ¹⁵N‐labeled or unlabeled manure to discriminate N derived from previous (first year) and recent (second year) manure application. Soil samples (of control and ¹⁵N‐manured soil) were collected at the end of the first and the second year, and incubated in two laboratory experiments with labeled or unlabeled manure. At the beginning of Experiment 1, 7% of total N, 11% of K₂SO₄ extractable N, and 16% of microbial biomass N were derived from previously field‐applied manure. While the application of manure during incubation increased microbial biomass N by 225% and 410% in the control soil and the previously field‐manured soil, respectively, N₂O emissions were more affected on the control soil, releasing considerable amounts of the soil N‐pool (80% of total emissions). In Experiment 2, 4% of total N, 7% of K₂SO₄ extractable N, and 7% of microbial biomass N derived from previously applied manure, and 4%, 8%, and 3% from recently applied manure, respectively. Microbial biomass N and N₂O‐N derived from manure declined with time after manure application, whereas in Experiment 1 this tendency was only observed for microbial biomass N.