PROGRESS ON IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY: UK-CHINA VIRTUAL JOINT CENTERS ON NITROGEN AGRONOM

● Virtual joint centers on N agronomy were established between UK and China. ● Key themes were improving NUE for fertilizers, utilizing livestock manures, and soil health. ● Improved management practices and technologies were identified and assessed. ● Fertilizer emissions and improved manure management are key targets for mitigation. Two virtual joint centers for nitrogen agronomy were established between the UK and China to facilitate collaborative research aimed at improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural production systems and reducing losses of reactive N to the environment. Major focus areas were improving fertilizer NUE, use of livestock manures, soil health, and policy development and knowledge exchange. Improvements to fertilizer NUE included attention to application rate in the context of yield potential and economic considerations and the potential of improved practices including enhanced efficiency fertilizers, plastic film mulching and cropping design. Improved utilization of livestock manures requires knowledge of the available nutrient content, appropriate manure processing technologies and integrated nutrient management practices. Soil carbon, acidification and biodiversity were considered as important aspects of soil health. Both centers identified a range of potential actions that could be taken to improve N management, and the research conducted has highlighted the importance of developing a systems-level approach to assessing improvement in the overall efficiency of N management and avoiding unintended secondary effects from individual interventions. Within this context, the management of fertilizer emissions and livestock manure at the farm and regional scales appear to be particularly important targets for mitigation.     

腐殖酸载体微肥效应评价研究

棕、黄腐酸占总腐酸量20%以上时,可增产11.72～29.41%。以腐殖酸为载体的优化组合为:小麦加锌、钼,玉米加锌、硼,油菜加硼、钼,水稻加锌、硼可增产5.87～9.56%。腐微肥作叶面肥时,须兼具营养和生长调节功能。其增产机制主要表现在减少颖花退化,增加结实率和千粒重。     

微型水培人工气候箱环境监控系统设计

针对水培菜生长过程中对光照强度、环境温湿度及营养液的不同需求,设计了一种微型水培人工气候箱环境监控系统,可用于家庭园艺或餐厅农场.基于STM32F103ZET6控制器,设计了系统相关硬件电路及系统控制程序,主要包括外部环境检测模块、外部环境调节模块、营养液检测模块、营养液调节模块、LCD显示及按键模块及上位机显示界面....     

Effectiveness of crop straws,and swine manure in ameliorating acidic red soils: a laboratory study

Purpose

Crop straws and animal manure have the potential to ameliorate acidic soils, but their effectiveness and the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two crop (maize and soybean) straws, swine manure, and their application rates on acidity changes in acidic red soils (Ferralic Cambisol) differing in initial pH.

Materials and methods

Two red soils were collected after 21 years of the (1) no fertilization history (CK soil, pH 5.46) and (2) receiving annual chemical nitrogen (N) fertilization (N soil, pH 4.18). The soils were incubated for 105 days at 25 °C after amending the crop straws or manure at 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g kg^?1 (w/w), and examined for changes in pH, exchangeable acidity, N mineralization, and speciation in 2 M KCl extract as ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate plus nitrite (NO₃^??+?NO₂^?).

Results and discussion

All three organic materials significantly decreased soil acidity (dominated by aluminum) as the application rate increased. Soybean straw was as effective (sometimes more effective) as swine manure in raising pH in both soils. Soybean straw and swine manure both significantly reduced exchangeable acidity at amendment rate as low as 10 g kg^?1 in the highly acidic N soil, but swine manure was more effective in reducing the total acidity especially exchangeable aluminum (e.g., in the N soil from initial 5.79 to 0.50 cmol₍₊₎ kg^?1 compared to 2.82 and 4.19 cmol₍₊₎ kg^?1 by soybean straw and maize straw, respectively). Maize straw was less effective than soybean straw in affecting soil pH and the acidity. The exchangeable aluminum decreased at a rate of 4.48 cmol₍₊₎ kg^?1 per pH unit increase for both straws compared to 6.25 cmol₍₊₎ kg^?1 per pH unit from the manure. The NO₃^??+?NO₂^? concentration in soil increased significantly for swine manure amendment, but decreased markedly for straw treatments. The high C/N ratio in the straws led to N immobilization and pH increase.

Conclusions

While swine manure continues to be effective for ameliorating soil acidity, crop straw amendment has also shown a good potential to ameliorate the acidity of the red soil. Thus, after harvest, straws should preferably not be removed from the field, but mixed with the soil to decelerate acidification. The long-term effect of straw return on soil acidity management warrants further determination under field conditions.

     

Co-amelioration of red soil acidity and fertility with pig manure rather than liming

Lime (calcium oxide), animal manure and crop straw soil treatments have been shown to ameliorate soil acidity, yet their effectiveness at concurrently enhancing soil fertility status and improving crop yields is less well understood. In this study, an acidic nutrient deficient red soil (Ferralic Cambisol) received these treatments at various dosage rates (% of DW soil) in pot experiments with maize plants. Lime was applied at four dosage rates (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15% and 0.20%), pig manure at three rates (0.50%, 1.00% and 1.50%), maize straw or milk vetch at two rates (0.50% and 1.00%) and combinations of lime (0.10% or 0.15%) with maize straw (0.50%) and/or pig manure (0.50%). Soils treated with and without chemical fertilizers were also included as controls. Measurements of soil pH, exchangeable acidity, plant available nutrients and maize shoot biomass were recorded. Maize shoot biomass increased by 4.7–7.6 times under pig manure treatments, 1.1–1.6 times under milk vetch, 0.4–1.5 times under lime and 1.1–6.2 times under combination treatments, compared with the control. Soil pH increased by 0.5–0.9 units under lime, by 0.2–0.4 units under pig manure and by 0.7 pH units under the combination treatment relative to the control. Variance partitioning analysis showed that on an individual basis, soil acidity amelioration (pH, exchangeable H⁺ and Al³⁺) or nutrient input (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn) explained only 4.3% and 5.6% of improved maize growth, respectively. Whereas, their interaction explained 85.9% of the variation. We also report that the over-application of pig manure could lead to P saturation and negative impacts on aquatic systems in the wider environment. Therefore, we recommend a combination of lime, pig manure and straw provides an optimal solution for addressing soil acidity and limiting P saturation in acid soils.     

肥力梯度红壤上不同形态氮库对玉米吸氮量的贡献

不同形态的土壤氮素是作物吸收氮素的主要来源,而土壤肥力不仅影响氮素的含量,也影响氮素的有效性,进而影响作物对氮素的吸收利用。明确不同肥力红壤中各形态氮素的变化及其对作物吸氮量的贡献,可为阐明氮素循环机制和沃土培肥提供理论依据。2019年5月在湖南祁阳红壤实验站选取低肥力、中肥力和高肥力红壤进行田间微区试验,设置不施氮（N0）和常规施氮（N1）两个处理。分析了2020年玉米（该试验的第三季作物）种植前和收获后土壤矿质氮（MN）、固定态铵（FN）、微生物生物量氮（MBN）和可溶性有机氮（SON）含量的变化及其与玉米地上部吸氮量的关系,并通过结构方程模型（SEM）建立了各形态氮库与吸氮量的关系模型。结果发现,N0条件下高肥力土壤的籽粒产量约为中肥力土壤的4.6倍,但在N1条件下,高肥力土壤的玉米产量和生物量与中肥力土壤无显著差异,但其吸氮量显著高于中肥力土壤。与种植前相比,N0条件下,收获后中肥力土壤FN含量显著提高了63%,低肥力和高肥力土壤分别增加了47%和11%。与其相反,土壤MN、MBN和SON含量均有所降低。土壤MN含量降低了0.4~4 mg?kg-1;MBN降低了18%~44%且土壤肥力间无显著差异;SON减少了55%~84%。N1条件下,土壤MN含量降低了约22~38 mg?kg-1; MBN降低了32%~72%;而SON的减少量在高肥力土壤中可达99 mg?kg-1,分别为中肥力土壤和低肥力土壤的2.0倍和9.3倍。相关分析结果表明,地上部吸氮量与MBN、SON和NH4+-N减少量存在显著正相关关系。结构方程模型结果进一步表明,SON和NH4+-N直接影响吸氮量,MBN通过影响SON和MN间接影响玉米地上部吸氮量。总体而言,SON和MBN可直接或间接影响玉米对氮素的吸收利用,是土壤中重要的氮素存在形态,应进一步加强对其形态转化的机制研究,可促进红壤培肥和氮素高效利用。     

中国稻田土壤有效态中量和微量元素含量分布特征

基于全国282个水稻土监测点,分析土壤有效态中、微量元素含量及区域特征(东北、长三角、长江中游、西南、华南),结合丰缺标准,揭示中、微量元素丰缺程度。结果表明:东北水稻土交换性镁和有效硼含量高于其他地区,有效锌含量最低;长三角有效锰含量最高、有效硫含量最低;长江中游有效铜含量最高,有效态铁、锰和钼含量最低;西南交换性钙含量高于其他地区,有效铜含量则低于其他地区;华南有效态铁、钼含量均高于其他地区,而交换性钙、镁含量低于其他地区。中国水稻土交换性钙、镁及有效铁、锰、铜含量整体丰富;长三角和华南缺硫水稻土比例分别为42.2%和41.8%;东北、长三角、长江中游、西南和华南缺锌水稻土比例分别为75.0%、52.3%、31.9%、53.2%和10.4%,缺硼分别为38.5%、65.2%、92.2%、88.6%和78.3%,缺钼28.6%、60.4%、82.6%、42.0%和33.4%。可见,东北和长三角水稻土以缺锌为主;长江中游以缺硼、钼为主;西南以缺硼为主;华南以缺硼为主。研究可为全国和区域尺度水稻土中微量元素的管理和合理施用提供依据。     

科尔沁沙地植物再生沙障人工群落结构特征

 采用时空替代法,对科尔沁沙地黄柳(Salix gordejevii)+杨柴(Hedysarum leave)植物再生沙障人工群落的结构特征进行研究。结果表明:1)利用植物再生沙障治理流动沙丘可以形成具有多物种、多层片、多层次垂直结构的沙障群落,其水平结构呈网格状沙障结构与障间小群落在空间上镶嵌互补,均衡分布的格局,具有很好的防风固沙和植被恢复效果;2)再生沙障建植后第5年开始,沙障群落进入了衰退时期,适时采取科学的经营管理措施对于维持沙障群落的稳定,保障其效益的长期发挥是非常重要的。     

我国生物质能源产业发展的制约因素及其对策

探讨了我国生物质能源产业发展的重大意义,分析了生物质能源发展所面临的制约因素,最后提出了对策。     

Nitrification and acidification from urea application in red soil (Ferralic Cambisol) after different long-term fertilization treatments

Purpose

Long-term manure applications can prevent or reverse soil acidification by chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer. However, the resistance to re-acidification from further chemical fertilization is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of urea application on nitrification and acidification processes in an acid red soil (Ferralic Cambisol) after long-term different field fertilization treatments.

Materials and methods

Soils were collected from six treatments of a 19-year field trial: (1) non-fertilization control, (2) chemical phosphorus and potassium (PK), (3) chemical N only (N), (4) chemical N, P, and K (NPK), (5) pig manure only (M), and (6) NPK plus M (NPKM; 70 % N from M). In a 35-day laboratory incubation experiment, the soils were incubated and examined for changes in pH, NH₄ ⁺, and NO₃ ^?, and their correlations from urea application at 80 mg N kg^?1(?80) compared to 0 rate (?0).

Results and discussion

From urea addition, manure-treated soils exhibited the highest acidification and nitrification rates due to high soil pH (5.75–6.38) and the lowest in the chemical N treated soils due to low soil pH (3.83–3.90) with no N-treated soils (pH 4.98–5.12) fell between. By day 35, soil pH decreased to 5.21 and 5.81 (0.54 and 0.57 unit decrease) in the NPKM-80 and M-80 treatments, respectively, and to 4.69 and 4.53 (0.43 and 0.45 unit decrease) in the control-80 and PK-80 treatments, respectively, with no changes in the N-80 and NPK-80 treatments. The soil pH decrease was highly correlated with nitrification potential, and the estimated net proton released. The maximum nitrification rates (K _max) of NPKM and M soils (14.7 and 21.6 mg N kg^?1 day^?1, respectively) were significantly higher than other treatments (2.86–3.48 mg N kg^?1 day^?1). The priming effect on mineralization of organic N was high in manure treated soils.

Conclusions

Field data have shown clearly that manure amendment can prevent or reverse the acidification of the red soil. When a chemical fertilizer such as urea is applied to the soil again, however, soil acidification will occur at possibly high rates. Thus, the strategy in soil N management is continuous incorporation of manure to prevent acidification to maintain soil productivity. Further studies under field conditions are needed to provide more accurate assessments on acidification rate from chemical N fertilizer applications.