Nitrogen fertilizer leaching from cropped and irrigated sandy soil in Central Turkey

Pollution of ground water caused by excessive and uncontrolled use of nitrogen fertilizer is worrying. A recent example of such pollution has been observed in an agricultural basin in the province of Nevsehir, Turkey, where up to 900 kg ha^?1 nitrogen fertilizer is used for growing potatoes in sandy soils under irrigation. Using nitrogen fertilizer in amounts that guarantee large yields without polluting ground water is essential. We present results of field experiments and numerical simulations involving ¹⁵N-labelled nitrogen fertilizer leaching. In the field, we monitored the movement of water and the distributions of nitrogen species within the soil–water–plant continuum. The detailed dynamics of the nitrogen cycle within the system were simulated. Simulations included calibration and validation of the nitrogen version of the LEACHM model (LEACHN, version 3) and long-term applications of the model. The model’s predictions of nitrogen fluxes under long-term use of fertilizer and irrigation were analysed. Nearly half of the applied ammonium-N was converted to nitrate-N during the growing season. With increasing additions of N the rate of plant uptake declined, while leaching increased significantly, and the fraction of nitrogen remaining in the soil profile increased only moderately. In long-term applications, a significant fraction of the applied fertilizer tended to accumulate after the first year in soil as the residual nitrogen not taken up by the crop. Accumulated residual nitrogen is converted to nitrate-N and leached rapidly from the soil profile during the wet season following the harvest. To reduce leaching of the residual nitrate, the rates, frequencies and timings of fertilizer application and irrigation must be scheduled in accordance with the plant growth periods and the hydraulic regime of the soil.     

Effects of grazing strategy on limiting nitrate leaching in grazed grass‐clover pastures on coarse sandy soil

Urinations of ruminants on grazed pastures increase the risk of nitrate leaching. The study investigated the effect of reducing the length of the grazing season on nitrate leaching from a coarse sandy, irrigated soil during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008. In both years, precipitation was above the long‐term mean. The experiment was initiated in a 4‐yr‐old grass‐clover sward in south Denmark. Three treatments were as follows grazing only (G), spring cut followed by grazing (CG) and both spring and autumn cuts with summer grazing (CGC). Nitrate leaching was calculated by extracting water isolates from 80 cm depth using ceramic suction cups. Because of considerable variation in measured nitrate concentrations, the 32 installed suction cups per treatment were insufficient to reveal differences between treatments. However, weighted nitrate leaching estimations for G, CG and CGC showed estimated mean nitrate N concentrations of 23, 19 and 13 mg/L for an estimated proportion area occupied by urine patches of 0.33, 0.26 and 0.16, respectively. Thus, N concentrations in G and CG exceeded the EU limit of 11.3 mg N/L. Under the prevailing conditions, the time of urination did not appear important. The estimated background leaching calculated from suction cups presumably not situated under urine patches resulted in mean nitrate N concentrations of 2.6 mg/L.     

Leaching of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in sandy soils after cultivating grass-clover swards

Several studies have focused on the formation and losses of dissolved organic matter in forest systems, whereas a limited number have dealt with this aspect in agricultural soils. The purpose of this study was to estimate the leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), with focus on the period after cultivating grass-clover swards. Grass-clovers were ploughed in the spring prior to sowing cereals followed by either catch crops or bare soil. The concentrations of DOC and DON decreased with soil depth and ranged at 90-cm soil depth between 7 and 21 mg C L⁻¹ and between 1 and 3 mg N L⁻¹, respectively, in a sandy loam soil, and between 16 and 63 mg C L⁻¹ and between 1 and 10 mg N L⁻¹, respectively, in a coarse sandy soil. The resulting DOC/DON ratios were in the range between 2 and 42, with higher values in the coarse sandy soil than in the sandy loam soil. The total percolation was 218 mm in the sandy loam soil and 596–645 mm in the coarse sandy soil, which resulted in an annual leaching of 22–40 kg DOC ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 3–4 kg DON ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the sandy loam soil, and 174–310 kg DOC ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 10–31 kg DON ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the coarse sandy soil. It was shown that higher amounts of DOC were lost by leaching under the catch crops than from bare soil, that losses of DON were higher from bare soil than from soils with catch crops and that DON contributed significantly to the total N loss. Thus, DON needs to be taken into account in N-balance calculations.     

Nitrogen fertilization and nitrate leaching into groundwater on arable sandy soils

Nitrate leaching depending on N fertilization and different crop rotations was studied at two sites with sandy soils in N Germany between 1995 and 2000. The leaching of NO was calculated by using a numerical soil‐water and N model and regularly measured N_min values as input data. Also the variability of N_min values on the sandy soils was determined along transects. They reveal the high variability of the N_min values and show that it is not possible to confirm a significant N_min difference between fertilizer treatments using the normal N_min‐sampling intensity. Nitrate‐leaching calculations of five leaching periods showed that even strongly reduced N‐fertilizer applications did not result in a substantially lower NO leaching into the groundwater. Strong yield reductions of even more than 50%, however, were immediately measured. Mean NO concentrations in the groundwater recharge are >50 mg L^–1 and are mainly due to mineralization from soil organic matter. Obviously, the adjustment of the N cycle in the soil to a new equilibrium and a reduced NO ‐leaching rate as a consequence of lower N inputs need a much longer time span. Catch crops are the most efficient way to reduce the NO concentrations in the groundwater recharge of sandy soils. Their success, however, strongly depends on the site‐specific development possibilities of the catch crop. Even with all possible measures implemented, it will be almost impossible to reach NO concentrations <50 mg L^–1 in sandy soils. The only way to realize this goal on a regional scale could be by increasing areas with lower nitrate concentrations in the groundwater recharge like grassland and forests.     

Nutrient leaching losses from a sandy soil in lysimeters

Abstract

Two lysimeter experiments were conducted on annual leaching losses of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), sulphate‐sulphur (SO₄‐S), and magnesium (Mg) (one experiment only) from a sandy soil in central England during 1988–1995 to provide information on typical nutrient losses under arable agriculture below 1.2 m (Experiment 1) or 1.5 m (Experiment 2). Total annual losses, in the absence of manure additions, were highly dependent on the amount of drainage; flow‐weighted average concentrations were similar between years within experiments. Concentrations, averaged over the duration of the experiments were 74 and 78 mg L^‐1 Ca, 17 and 27 mg L^‐1 Na, 11 and 8 mg L^‐1 K, 74 and 77 mg L^‐1 Cl, and 57 and 38 mg L^‐1 SO₄‐S for the two experiments respectively; Mg concentration was 17 mg L^‐1. Applications of chicken litter were made to some of the lysimeters in the last three years, and all nutrients showed increased leaching as a result. Application rates akin to disposal (rather than for crop fertilization) produced the largest losses. Following a total application of 125 t ha^‐1 over three years, average concentrations in water draining below 1.5 m in the final year were 57 and 277 mg L^‐1 Ca, 22 and 75 mg L^‐1 Cl, 7 and 14 mg L^‐1 K, 22 and 57 mg L^‐1 Na, 27, and 125 mg L^‐1 SO₄‐S for the untreated and manured soils, respectively.     

Nitrogen transformation from three soil organic amendments in a sandy soil

Abstract

A sandy soil was amended with various rates (20 – 320 g air-dry weight basis of the amendments per kg of air-dry soil) of chicken manure (CM), sewage sludge (SS), and incinerated sewage sludge (ISS) and incubated for 100 days in a greenhouse at 15% (wt/wt) soil water content. At the beginning of incubation, NH₄-N concentrations varied from 50 – 280 mg kg^?1 in the CM amended soil with negligible amounts of NO₃-N. Subsequently, the concentration of NH₄-N decreased while that of NO₃-N increased rapidly. In soil amended with SS at 20 – 80 g kg^?1 rates, the NO₃-N concentration increased sharply during the first 20 days, followed by a slow rate of increase over the rest of the incubation period. However, at a 160 g kg^?1 SS rate, there were three distinct phases of NO₃-N release which lasted for160 days. In the ISS amended soil, the nitrification process was completed during the initial 30 days, and the concentrations of NH₄-N and NO₃-N were lower than those for the other treatments. The mineralized N across different rates accounted for 20 – 36%, 16 – 40%, and 26 – 50% of the total N applied as CM, SS, and ISS, respectively.     

Effect of leaching of DOC on pore characteristic of a sandy soil

Changes of microstructural properties of a sandy soil from a former sewage farm due to the leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were studied. The leaching of DOC at various pH values was induced using sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid solutions. The removal of DOC altered the pore properties of the remaining solid. The average pore radius measured from water vapor desorption isotherms (micropores range) increased with the increase of the removed DOC under alkaline conditions and did practically not alter under acid treatment. The average pore radius measured by the mercury intrusion porosimetry (mesopores range), decreases, however, for low amounts of the DOC extracted and increases on extracting higher DOC amounts. The mesopores appeared to be fractal. At moderate amounts of the DOC leached the finer mesopores occurred having the higher fractal dimensions than the coarser mesopores.     

Nutrient flows and balances in intensively managed vegetable production of two West African cities

This study reports and analyzes nutrient balances in experimental vegetable production systems of the two West African cities of Tamale (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) over a two‐year period comprising thirteen and eleven crops, respectively. Nutrient‐use efficiency was also calculated. In Tamale and Ouagadougou, up to 2% (8 and 80 kg N ha^?1) of annually applied fertilizer nitrogen were leached. While biochar application or wastewater irrigation on fertilized plots did not influence N leaching in both cities, P and K leaching, as determined with ion‐absorbing resin cartridges, were reduced on biochar‐amended plots in Tamale. Annual nutrient balances amounted to +362 kg N ha^?1, +217 kg P ha^?1, and –125 kg K ha^?1 in Tamale, while Ouagadougou had balances of up to +692 kg N ha^?1, +166 kg P ha^?1, and –175 kg K ha^?1 y^?1. Under farmers' practice of fertilization, agronomic nutrient‐use efficiencies were generally higher in Tamale than in Ouagadougou, but declined in both cities during the last season. This was the result of the higher nutrient inputs in Ouagadougou compared to Tamale and relatively lower outputs. The high N and P surpluses and K deficits call for adjustments in local fertilization practices to enhance nutrient‐use efficiency and prevent risks of eutrophication.     

The soil condition of adjacent bio-dynamic and conventionally managed dairy pastures in Victoria, Australia

Abstract. Physical and chemical properties were compared during 1992 in adjacent bio-dynamic and conventionally managed Haploxeralfs under improved, summer-irrigated pastures in the Goulburn Valley of N.E. Victoria. Intensive dairy production has been practised on both the farms since the early 1950s, and aspects of the bio-dynamic method have been practised on one farm for the past 18 years. Particle-size analysis showed that the soil profiles of each field are derived from similar parent materials. The bio-dynamic soil had greater macro-porosity to a depth of at least 420 mm, lesser soil strength at 60, 120 and 200 mm, smaller dry bulk density values between 120 and 200 mm and larger organic matter content in the upper 50 mm. Volumetric soil water content measured along three transects to a depth of 1.4 m in the summer showed that the bio-dynamic field was drier at depths greater than 200 mm. After heavy rains during the winter, the conventionally managed soil had an air-filled porosity unfavourable for plant roots (2%) at 200 mm depth, whereas the bio-dynamic soil was marginal for root growth (7%). The more favourable physical and chemical properties in the bio-dynamic soil may be attributed to less grazing pressure, longer intervals between irrigations, use of the bio-dynamic horn-manure preparation, intermittent compost applications, less tractor traffic and the encouragement of taller pasture growth.     

褐土区氮磷在土壤发生层中淋溶的差异性

农业氮磷淋溶已经成为地下水污染最普遍和突出的问题。为揭示氮磷在包气带不同土层的淋溶特征,以典型褐土的5个土壤发生层（耕层、淋溶层、钙积层、黏化层和母质层）为研究对象,采用室内土柱模拟淋溶试验,在施肥量相同的条件下分析不同形态氮磷淋溶量,研究氮磷在不同土壤发生层中的迁移特征及其影响因素。结果表明：1）进行5次淋溶,耕层、淋溶层、钙积层、黏化层和母质层淋溶液中可溶性总氮总量分别为2412.63 mg·L^-1、3028.94 mg·L^-1、244.16 mg·L^-1、3648.99 mg·L^-1和3356.51 mg·L^-1,淋溶层、黏化层和母质层可溶性总氮淋溶量显著高于耕层,而钙积层可溶性总氮淋溶量较耕层显著减少;耕层淋溶液中可溶性总磷总量为0.52 mg·L^-1,且显著高于其他4层。2）在试验初期,耕层、淋溶层的硝态氮、可溶性总氮和正磷酸盐淋溶量显著高于黏化层和母质层,进行到第4、5次淋溶,黏化层、母质层的硝态氮和可溶性总氮淋溶量显著高于其他3层,而各发生层间正磷酸盐淋溶量无显著差异;单次淋溶黏化层和母质层铵态氮淋溶量均显著高于其他3层,而耕层可溶性总磷淋溶量始终显著高于其他各层。3）耕层和钙积层的淋溶液中硝态氮是氮素淋溶的主要形态,占可溶性总氮比例分别为69.0%和85.4%,而在淋溶层、黏化层和母质层中分别为41.3%、5.1%和4.6%;在可溶性磷中,以无机态正磷酸盐为主,最高占可溶性总磷的75.9%。4）土壤有机质含量、阳离子交换量、黏粒含量对土壤氮磷的迁移转化有明显主导作用。有机质与氮磷淋溶量呈显著正相关关系,有机质含量高,会增加淋溶初期氮磷的淋溶风险;而阳离子交换量和黏粒含量则与氮磷淋溶呈显著负相关关系,阳离子交换量大和黏粒多能减少氮磷素的淋溶风险。该试验结果说明,由于5种发生层土壤理化性质不同,各发生层氮磷淋溶特征及其淋溶形态也有差异,并且氮磷的淋溶受土壤本身阳离子交换量、黏粒和有机质含量的影响。     

室外条件下香根草降低微污染物淋溶的结构性土柱研究

In Burkina Faso, significant amounts of endosulfan are applied to cotton fields; in addition, urban vegetable agriculture is often characterised by high fertiliser inputs, such as urban solid wastes containing heavy metals (e.g., Cu and Cd). Thus, the relevance of surrounding cotton and urban vegetable plots with vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) hedges to reduce environmental pollution by micropollutants was investigated using a leaching experiment, with outdoor lysimeters filled with two representative agricultural soils of Burkina Faso: Vertisol and Lixisol. After 6 months, little Cu was found in the leachates (< 0.010% of the applied amount) due to its high adsorption coefficient and its tendency to remain at the soil surface. Despite leachate and bromide recoveries being greater in soils planted with vetiver grass than in the bare soils, smaller amounts of endosulfan and Cd were found in the effluents from the planted soils (0.01% to 0.70% of the applied amount) than in those from the bare soils (0.01% to 1.48% of the applied amount), in agreement with their adsorption coefficients. These results may also be explained by a greater degradation of endosulfan in planted soils compared to bare soils and the absorption of Cd by vetiver. Thus, vetiver may decrease the risk of groundwater contamination, especially for Cd and endosulfan, which are more mobile than Cu. In addition, despite the smaller amounts of endosulfan and Cd measured in the Vertisol leachates (0.01% and 0.04% of the applied amount, respectively) compared to the Lixisol leachates, vetiver was more effective in decreasing the leaching of micropollutants if planted on Lixisol rather than on Vertisol. Further field monitoring is necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of vetiver under the climatic conditions of Burkina Faso.     

Effects of plant diversity on plant biomass production and soil macrofauna in Amazonian pastures

We examined the effect of plant diversity on plant production and soil macrofauna density and diversity. Four plants species (Arachis pintoi, an herbaceous legume; Brachiaria brizantha, a perennial grass; Leucaena leucocephala, a legume shrub; Solanum rugosum, a non-legume shrub) were used in a field experiment and communities of all combinations of one, two, three or four species were established. Plant diversity neither significantly affected density and diversity of soil macrofauna nor total plant biomass, however, the biomass of specific plants was negatively affected by plant diversity. Earthworm and ant densities were significantly higher in the presence of A. pintoi although this plant influenced neither the density of the other group nor fauna diversity. Earthworm and diplopod densities increased significantly with shoot biomass of A. pintoi. Fauna diversity increased significantly with shoot biomass (specific and total). Root biomass did not affect fauna density and diversity. Our results suggest that fauna density is affected by litter quality and that it is more affected by resource quantity than quality. Our results also confirm the importance of nitrogen fixers to ecosystem function.     

膨润土-腐植酸与氮肥配施对科尔沁沙地土壤无机氮淋溶和生物有效性的影响

利用改进提取方法(温度由25℃升至60℃,振荡时间由1 h提高至2 h)和离子交换膜法,设置3种改良剂水平和3种氮肥水平,研究了膨润土-腐植酸改良剂与氮肥配施对西辽河平原沙质土壤氮素淋溶和养分有效性的影响。结果表明,不施氮肥只施膨润土-腐植酸改良剂对春玉米产量和土壤无机氮残留量无显著影响。20t·hm-2膨润土-腐植酸改良剂与120 kg·hm-2氮肥配施效果最好,玉米籽粒产量和地上生物量分别提高了19.1%和18.5%,土壤NO3--N残留量减少14.5%;施用240 kg·hm-2氮肥不仅对玉米产量无显著影响,还增加了氮素淋溶的风险。在同一处理下,与标准提取方法相比,改进方法对土壤NH4+-N含量影响较小,还提高了土壤NO3--N提取量。施用膨润土-腐植酸改良剂可吸附滞留在土壤中的NO3--N,这不仅降低淋溶风险,同时也降低生物有效性。20 t·hm-2膨润土-腐植酸改良剂与120 kg·hm-2氮肥配施是一种既能提高土壤氮素有效性又能减少氮素淋溶的最佳组合。     

Nitrate leaching losses under Miscanthus grass planted on a silty clay loam soil

Abstract. Nitrate leaching under newly planted Miscanthus grass was measured for three years. The crop received either no fertilizer-N or an annual spring application of 60 kg or 120 kg N ha^-1. During three winters soil water was collected from porous cup probes installed 90 cm deep. Nitrate leaching was calculated from the mean drain flow recorded in two drain gauges multiplied by the mean nitrate-N concentration in the soil water solutions collected. In the first year soil water nitrate concentrations were high on all treatments and N losses were 154, 187 and 228 kg ha^-1 respectively on the unfertilized treatment and those that received 60 or 120 kg N ha^-1. Leaching losses in the second and third years were, in turn, 8, 24 and 87 kg ha^-1 and 3, 11 and 30 kg ha^-1 for the unfertilized treatment and for the 60 and 120 kg N ha^-1 treatments respectively. Leaching losses were closer to those recorded under extensively managed grassland than arable land. The large losses in the first year were probably due to the previous agricultural management at the site and excessive inputs of N on the fertilized plots. In the second and third year, lower drainage volumes may also have influenced losses. The results show that Miscanthus , once established, can lead to low levels of nitrate leaching and improved groundwater quality compared with growing arable crops.     

Effects of long-term compost and fertilizer application on stability of aggregate-associated organic carbon in an intensively cultivated sandy loam soil

The study examined the influence of compost and mineral fertilizer application on the content and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC). Soil samples collected from a long-term field experiment were separated into macroaggregate, microaggregate, and silt + clay fractions by wet-sieving. The experiment involved seven treatments: compost, half-compost N plus half-fertilizer N, fertilizer NPK, fertilizer NP, fertilizer NK, fertilizer PK, and control. The 18-year application of compost increased SOC by 70.7–121.7%, and mineral fertilizer increased by 5.4–25.5%, with no significant difference between control soil and initial soil. The C mineralization rate (rate per unit dry mass) in microaggregates was 1.52–2.87 mg C kg⁻¹ day⁻¹, significantly lower than in macroaggregate and silt + clay fractions (P < 0.05). Specific C mineralization rate (rate per unit SOC) in silt + clay fraction amounted to 0.48–0.87 mg C g⁻¹ SOC day⁻¹ and was higher than in macroaggregates and microaggregates. Our data indicate that SOC in microaggregates is more stable than in macroaggregate and silt + clay fractions. Compost and mineral fertilizer application increased C mineralization rate in all aggregates compared with control. However, compost application significantly decreased specific C mineralization rate in microaggregate and silt + clay fractions by 2.6–28.2% and 21.9–25.0%, respectively (P < 0.05). By contrast, fertilizer NPK application did not affect specific C mineralization rate in microaggregates but significantly increased that in silt + clay fractions. Carbon sequestration in compost-amended soil was therefore due to improving SOC stability in microaggregate and silt + clay fractions. In contrast, fertilizer NPK application enhanced SOC with low stability in macroaggregate and silt + clay fractions.     

Gardens benefit bees and enhance pollination in intensively managed farmland

The recent loss of pollinating insects and out-crossing plants in agricultural landscapes has raised concern for the maintenance of ecosystem services. Wild bees have been shown to benefit from garden habitats in urban and suburban areas. We investigated the effects of distance from garden habitats on wild bees and seed set of a native out-crossing plant Campanula persicifolia, in intensively managed agricultural landscapes in Southern Sweden. Bee abundance and species richness, as well as plant seed set, were higher closer to gardens (<15 m) than further away (>140 m). This highlights private gardens as a landscape wide resource for pollinators but also the lack of sufficient pollination of wild plants in contemporary agricultural landscapes.     

Nitrogen mineralization from an organically managed soil and nitrogen accumulation in lettuce

The potential of an organically managed Cambic Arenosol to supply nitrogen (N) from either an applied commercial organic fertilizer (granulated hen manure), a compost produced on‐farm, or four different mixtures of both fertilizers was studied in a laboratory incubation and a pot experiment with lettuce. In the incubation experiment, a significant higher apparent N mineralization occurred after hen‐manure application (53.4% of the organic N applied) compared to compost (4.5%) or mixed‐fertilizer application (8.7% to 16.7%). The apparent N mineralization in a mixed treatment consisting of compost and half rate of hen manure (15.4% of the organic N applied) was significantly higher than that estimated based on the N mineralization for compost and hen‐manure treatments (7.6%), proving that a combined application of both fertilizers enhanced organic‐N mineralization when compared to separate fertilizer supply. In the pot experiment, a higher lettuce fresh‐matter yield was obtained with hen manure (1.9 kg m^–2) than with compost (1.7 kg m^–2) or unfertilized control treatment (1.3 kg m^–2). Combined application of compost with only a half rate of hen manure led to yields (2.0 kg m^–2) equal to those obtained with only hen manure. A good correlation was observed between the N‐mineralization incubation data and the N accumulated by lettuce plants in the pot experiment (r = 0.983). Hence, in the organic production of baby‐leaf lettuce, a mixture of compost and hen manure appears to be a good fertilization alternative, since it allows a reduction by half of the typical amount of commercial fertilizer usually applied (granulated hen manure), cutting fertilization costs, and providing an amount of available N that allows maintaining lettuce yields.     

华北平原潮土区粮田氮淋失阻控措施及效果分析

华北平原潮土区是我国重要的粮食主产区,改革开放40多年来该区农业经历了以高水肥投入为主要特征的集约化进程,相应的氮淋失导致的面源污染自20世纪90年代以来不断加剧。本研究针对华北平原潮土为主要类型的粮田,对过去40多年间主要研究文献进行全面分析,梳理氮肥和水分投入与氮淋失之间的定量关系,比较主要农田管理措施对氮淋失的阻控效果及其机理,以期为我国农业面源污染提供决策支持。研究发现,氮肥和灌溉是影响华北平原潮土区粮田氮淋失的主要因素,其中氮淋失与氮盈余量之间呈指数关系,比与施氮量的指数关系更显著。基于机器学习的随机森林回归模型能够考虑包括施肥、灌溉、土壤条件和气象等多因素对氮淋失的影响,未来在定量预测中有较好前景。同等氮肥投入条件下,由于氮供应与作物吸收契合度高,有机无机配施能显著降低氮淋失。以缓控释肥、尿酶和硝化抑制剂为代表的肥料增效剂可以降低约1/3的氮淋失,值得重点推广应用。秸秆还田可以实现包括提高土壤有机物和微生物氮库、增加无机氮缓冲容量等综合效益,有利于降低氮淋失风险(降低比例达10%),但免耕的阻控效应较低且呈现较大不确定性。调整种植制度、休耕、间作套种和种植填闲作物等措施会影响粮食产量,推广过程中应慎重。氮淋失的阻控效果更多受到社会、经济和政策等因素的影响,今后应采取包括生态补偿等手段发挥农民主动性,从政策和法律法规层面创造实施氮淋失阻控措施的社会环境。     

Manure increase the leaching risk of soil extractable organic nitrogen in intensively irrigated greenhouse vegetable cropping systems

Soil extractable organic nitrogen plays an important role in nitrogen transformation and migration in many ecosystems. However, it is generally ignored due to its low content in agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the leaching risk of soil extractable organic nitrogen affected by manure application in an intensively irrigated greenhouse vegetable cropping system through investigating its spatial (vertical profile) and temporal dynamics. Results showed that extractable organic nitrogen was present in appreciable quantities, despite that nitrate was the main soluble nitrogen form in 0–60 cm soil profile. Both the extractable organic and inorganic nitrogen were enriched in the surface and subsurface soils, and showed a high temporal variability throughout the cucumber growing season. Manure application increased the stocks of extractable organic nitrogen significantly in the soil profile. Average extractable organic nitrogen reserves in 0–60 cm layer were 47, 71, and 131 kg ha^?1 for the treatments of 0, 20, and 30 t dry chicken-manure application ha^?1, respectively, during the cucumber growing season. As a result, while extractable organic nitrogen only accounted for a small part of total extractable nitrogen, its high contents and large temporal variation demonstrated its leaching risk in intensively irrigated vegetable cropping systems. Soil extractable organic nitrogen should be taken into account when an advanced environment management strategy is to be developed in greenhouse vegetable planting practice.     

Solute leaching in a sandy soil with a water-repellent surface layer: A simulation

Many sandy soils in the Netherlands have a water-repellent surface layer covering a wettable soil with a shallow groundwater table. Fingers form in the water-repellent surface layer and rapidly transport water and solutes to the wettable soil in which the streamlines diverge. Although several field observations are available, this system has not yet been studied systematically. In this paper, we present a model with a steady-state water flow to which solutes are added as a pulse. The model predicts the flow through the distribution zone and through the finger in the water-repellent surface layer with a closed form solution and transport in the wettable subsoil numerically. Model calculations show that the travel time through the water-repellent surface layer and the thickness and hydraulic conductivity of the wettable soil have the strongest effect on the arrival time of the solute pulse at groundwater level. The calculations also show that, assuming transport in the wettable subsoil to take place in fingers, the travel time is considerably shorter than when the diverging flow in the wettable soil is included.