A mass-balance approach to measuring microbial uptake and pools of phosphorus in nutrient-amended soils

Soil microbial biomass P is usually determined through fumigation-extraction (FE), in which partially extractable P from lysed biomass is converted to biomass P using a conversion factor (K_p). Estimation of K_p has been usually based on cultured microorganisms, which may not adequately represent the soil microbial community in either nutrient-poor or in altered carbon and nutrient conditions following fertilisation. We report an alternative approach in which changes in microbial P storage are determined as the residual in a mass balance of extractable P before and after incubation. This approach was applied in three low-fertility sandy soils of southwestern Australia, to determine microbial P immobilisation during 5-day incubations in response to the amendment by 2.323 mg C g⁻¹, 100 μg N g⁻¹ and 20 μg P g⁻¹. The net P immobilisation during the amended incubations determined to be 18.1, 14.1 and 16.3 μg P g⁻¹ in the three soils, accounting for 70.6-90.5% of P added through amendment. Such estimates do not rely on fumigation and K_p values, but for comparison with the FE method we estimated ‘nominal’ K_p values to be 0.20-0.31 for the soils under the amended conditions. Our results showed that microbial P immobilisation was a dominant process regulating P concentration in soil water following the CNP amendment. The mass-balance approach provides information not only about changes in the microbial P compartment, but also about other major P-pools and their fluxes in regulating soil-water P concentrations under substrate- and nutrient-amended conditions.     

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。     

Soil microbial biomass activation by trace amounts of readily available substrate

The soil microbial biomass survives as a largely dormant population for long periods without fresh substrates, depending for growth upon a rapid uptake of substrates when they become available. Currently, little investigation has been made into the mechanisms involved in the transition from dormancy to activity. We found that additions of trace amounts of different simple and complex substrates (glutamic acid, amino acids mixture, glucose, protein hydrolysates, carbohydrates, compost extract), even at very low application rates (5-μg C g⁻¹ soil), caused an immediate and significant activation (measured as increased CO₂-C evolved) of the soil microbial biomass. The different substrates caused different intensities of respiration response, which were related to the substrates’ composition, complexity, and degradability. The difference between the CO₂-C evolved from the amended soil minus that evolved from a similarly incubated but non-amended soil ranged from 80 to 160% of the humified carbon C added as substrate, with most of the substrates causing a positive priming effect, in agreement with previous findings. The activation ended after 5–70 h, depending on the substrate, but the microbial biomass could be reactivated with further additions. It seems that the microbial biomass first responds to traces of substrate by increasing its metabolic activity in anticipation of a larger ‘food event’. Overall, these results indicate that soil micro-organisms have evolved metabolic and physiological strategies that allow them to survive and growth in the generally poor-substrate soil environment.Contribution presented at the Exploratory Workshop: ‘Non-molecular manipulation of soil microbial communities’, held at the University of Udine, Udine, Italy from 17 to 20 October, 2004. The workshop was funded by the European Science Foundation and the University of Udine.     

贵阳市东郊不同植被类型下土壤特性对微生物功能的影响

选取贵阳市东郊 7 种植被下土壤,测定了微生物群落功能(Biolog 法)和 13 种土壤特性,采用主成分分析和回归分析方法,研究了土壤特性对微生物群落功能的影响.结果表明,土壤特性解释了土壤微生物底物利用变异的 77.9% 和土壤微生物功能多样性的全部变异,其中,土壤 pH、有效 P、速效 K、有机 C、水解 N 和溶解性有机 C 分别解释了底物利用的 48.4%、15.9%、5.9%、5.7%、1.6% 和 0.4%;有效 P、速效 K、有机 C 和全 N 分别解释了微生物功能多样性指标 (H′)变异的 67.4%、27.7%、4.7% 和 0.2%,表明土壤特性对微生物底物利用和功能多样性有决定性影响.     

Enzyme activities as a component of soil biodiversity: A review

Soil enzyme activities are the direct expression of the soil community to metabolic requirements and available nutrients. While the diversity of soil organisms is important, the capacity of soil microbial communities to maintain functional diversity of those critical soil processes through disturbance, stress or succession could ultimately be more important to ecosystem productivity and stability than taxonomic diversity. This review examines selected papers containing soil enzyme data that could be used to distinguish enzyme sources and substrate specificity, at scales within and between major nutrient cycles. Developing approaches to assess soil enzyme functional diversity will increase our understanding of the linkages between resource availability, microbial community structure and function, and ecosystem processes.     

土壤结构改良剂对重度碱化盐土的改良效果

以宁夏银北重度碱化盐土为研究对象,系统研究生化黄腐酸BFA(Biochemical fulvic acid)和聚合硫酸铁铝PAFS(Polymeric aluminum ferric sulfate)与脱硫石膏FGD(Flue gas desulfurization)配合施用对土壤结构改善及其他理化性状的改良效果。结果表明:施用脱硫石膏和结构改良剂后向日葵出苗率、株高、千粒重和产量较对照均有显著增加。2014年、2015年和2016年脱硫石膏和改良剂配合施用的处理产量比对照平均提高了353.48%、298.82%和411.47%。2014年施用脱硫石膏和结构改良剂的处理0~20 cm土壤容重较对照处理平均降低9.07%,其中T3(FGD+BFA+PAFS)降幅最大。各处理土壤孔隙度变化趋势与容重相反。2015年和2016年0~20 cm脱硫石膏和改良剂配合施用的处理<0.25 mm粒级质量分数比2014年显著降低,1~2 mm粒级质量分数显著增加。整体来讲,改良后T3土壤水稳性团聚体状况最佳。脱硫石膏单独施用或与结构改良剂配合施用均会降低土壤pH值和EC,T3降幅最大;施用脱硫石膏和不同结构改良剂处理差异间不显著。施用脱硫石膏和改良剂后土壤有机质较对照明显增加,其中T3增幅最大,T4(FGD+BFA)次之。施用脱硫石膏和改良剂后土壤碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾变化情况与有机质相似,但增幅略大于有机质增幅。整体来讲,施用FGD+BFA+PAFS可以显著改善碱化盐土土壤结构、提高土壤有机质和养分含量,实现作物显著增产增收。     

秸秆还田对土壤氮素养分及微生物量氮动态变化的影响

通过定位试验研究玉米秸秆全量粉碎还田及小麦秸秆旋耕施肥播种同步完成的前提下,秸秆还田循环利用对小麦玉米两熟制土壤氮素养分及土壤微生物量氮的动态变化。结果表明小麦、玉米秸秆还田能满足小麦旺盛生长阶段拔节期对氮素养分的需求,秸秆还田处理或施肥处理的土壤全氮量总体上在小麦拔节期处于最低值,而既无秸秆还田又没有施肥的对照处理土壤全氮含量最低值出现的时期延后,在小麦开花期出现,持续至小麦的灌浆期。对于麦玉秸秆还田但不施氮磷钾肥而言,小麦生长后期(小麦开花期以后)土壤脱氮比较严重。秸秆还田后土壤碱解氮含量在小麦整个生长发育时期呈现上升的趋势。单独施肥或秸秆还田对提高土壤微生物量氮均有一定的作用,但是仅仅施肥其后效不足。秸秆还田并且施肥显著地促进了土壤微生物的活动,能持续地增加土壤微生物量氮含量。     

添加尿素和秸秆对三熟制水旱轮作土壤各形态氮素的影响

添加不同外源氮对土壤中不同形态氮素的转化具有十分重要的影响。选取长期耕作土壤,设置对照、添加尿素N 150 kg/hm~2(U150)、添加秸秆(相当于添加N 38 kg/hm~2,Straw)、添加尿素N 150 kg/hm~2+秸秆(相当于添加N188 kg/hm~2,U150+Straw)和添加尿素N 188 kg/hm~2(U188)5个处理进行室内培养试验,研究了添加不同外源氮对土壤铵态氮、硝态氮、可溶性有机氮、微生物生物量氮含量的影响。结果表明,土壤铵态氮随着培养时间的延长表现为先增后减的趋势,添加尿素的两个处理其土壤铵态氮较Straw、U150+Straw处理能够更快地达到峰值;而土壤硝态氮则表现为逐步增加的趋势。添加尿素处理能够显著提高土壤矿质氮的含量,在添加等量氮素的条件下,U188处理矿质氮含量在培养期间始终高于U150+Straw处理;此外,U150+Straw处理矿质氮含量在培养前期均低于U150处理,至培养30天后其含量略高于U150处理。与对照相比,培养结束时添加不同外源氮素处理的土壤矿质氮含量能够提高169.61%~496.75%。对于微生物生物量氮和可溶性有机氮而言,添加不同外源氮素分别在培养10天和30天达到峰值,此后逐渐降低。不同处理而言,添加秸秆+尿素、添加秸秆处理的微生物生物量氮和可溶性有机氮含量在培养前期明显高于仅添加尿素的两个处理,说明添加有机物料氮源主要有益于提高土壤有机态的氮素含量。     

理论施氮量的改进及验证——兼论确定作物氮肥推荐量的方法

确定合理施氮量是获得较高目标产量、维持土壤氮肥力和降低施氮引起环境污染的关键。自一个世纪前氮肥发明和施用以来,尽管已经开展了上百年的研究,但尚未找到令人满意能够在田块尺度上方便的确定合理施氮量方法。本文在前期提出的作物理论施氮量概念和方法基础上,进一步推导出在考虑其他来源氮素输入情况下,根据百千克收获物需氮量确定理论施氮量的计算式。结果表明,在确定了百千克收获物需氮量(N100,kg)后,推荐施氮量(Nfert,N kg hm-2)是目标产量(Y,kg hm-2)的唯一函数,即理论施氮量Nfert≈Y/100×N100。综合各种文献报道结果,在当前生产条件和产量水平下,小麦、玉米、水稻的百千克收获物需氮量分别取值为2.8、2.3和2.4 kg。应用大量文献报道的田间试验结果,对理论施氮量和经济最佳施氮量进行了比较。在绝大多数情况下,两者非常接近。但东北的小麦、玉米和水稻的理论施氮量远高于区域氮肥推荐量。主要原因是氮素矿化作用大于固持作用,作物利用了部分土壤矿化氮,土壤有机氮处于消耗状态。结合理论施氮量,本文详细解析了近年来我国建立的推荐施氮量方法的科学基础、推荐结果及适用性。认为将我国大面积生产中过量和不足施氮调节到合理施氮量范围,是当前和今后一段时期的紧迫任务。理论施氮量从长期维持高产稳产、土壤氮素平衡和低环境风险考虑,即可满足这种实际需求。推广技术员和农户能够根据自己地块的目标产量用口算确定出施氮量,简便易行。     

Three decades of soil microbial biomass studies in Brazilian ecosystems: Lessons learned about soil quality and indications for improving sustainability

Soil microbial biomass plays important roles in nutrient cycling, plant-pathogen suppression, decomposition of residues and degradation of pollutants; therefore, it is often regarded as a good indicator of soil quality. We reviewed more than a hundred studies in which microbial biomass-C (MB-C), microbial quotient (MB-C/TSOC, total soil organic carbon) and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) were evaluated with the objective of understanding MB-C responses to various soil-management practices in Brazilian ecosystems. These practices included tillage systems, crop rotations, pastures, organic farming, inputs of industrial residues and urban sewage sludge, applications of agrochemicals and burning. With a meta-analysis of 233 data points, we confirmed the benefits of no-tillage in preserving MB-C and reducing qCO₂ in comparison to conventional tillage. A large number of studies described increases in MB-C and MB-C/TSOC due to permanent organic farming, also benefits from crop rotations particularly with several species involved, whereas application of agrochemicals and burning severely disturbed soil microbial communities. The MB-C decreased in overgrazed pastures, but increased in pastures rotated with well-managed crops. Responses of MB-C, MB-C/TSOC and qCO₂ to amendment with organic industrial residues varied with residue type, dose applied and soil texture. In conclusion, MB-C and related parameters were, indeed, useful indicators of soil quality in various Brazilian ecosystems. However, direct relationships between MB-C and nutrient-cycling dynamics, microbial diversity and functionality are still unclear. Further studies are needed to develop strategies to maximize beneficial effects of microbial communities on soil fertility and crop productivity.     

Earthworm activities and the soil system

Summary Earthworms find in soil the energy, nutrient resources, water and buffered climatic conditions that they need. According to the food resource they exploit and the general environmental conditions, earthworms can be grouped into different functional categories which differ essentially in morphology, size, pigmentation, distribution in the soil profile, ability to dig galleries and produce surface casts, demographic profiles and relationships with the soil microflora. Soil characteristics are both the determinant and the consequence of earthworm activities, since these animals greatly influence the functioning of the soil system. When present, they build and maintain the soil structure and take an active part in energy and nutrient cycling through the selective activation of both mineralization and humification processes. By their physical activities and resultant chemical effects, earthworms promote short and rapid cycles of nutrients and assimilable carbohydrates. Thus earthworms represent a key component in the biological strategies of nutrient cycling in soils and the structure of their communities gives a clear indication of the type of soil system that they inhabit.     

太湖地区高产稻田氮肥施用与作物吸收利用的研究

本讨论长期高量偏施氮素化肥的高产稻田氮肥施用与作物产量、作物对养分吸收利用之间的关系。研究结果表明：化学氮肥施用量（养分量,下同）３００ｋｇ／ｈａ·ｙｒ．,作物增产显,每公斤氮增产１３．５ｋｇ粮食,氮素利用率达４０．３％,省肥、经济、合理;施用量达４５０ｋｇ／ｈａ·ｙｒ．,作物产量增长甚微;施用量达６００ｋｇ／ｈａ·ｙｒ．,每公斤氮只增产７．２９ｋｇ粮食,氮肥利用率降至１７．２％,水稻茎秆中含