Changes of Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen with Cover Crops and Irrigation in a Tomato Field

ABSTRACT

In order to understand how soil microbial biomass was influenced by incorporated residues of summer cover crops and by water regimes, soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were investigated in tomato field plots in which three leguminous and a non-leguminous cover crop had been grown and incorporated into the soil. The cover crops were sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L., cv ‘Tropic Sun’), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp, cv ‘Iron clay’), velvetbean (Mucuna deeringiana (Bort) Merr.), and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor var. sudanense (Piper) Stapf) vs. a fallow (bare soil). The tomato crop was irrigated at four different rates, i.e., irrigation initiated only when the water tension had reached ?5, ?10, ?20, or ?30 kPa, respectively. The results showed that sorghum sudangrass, cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean increased microbial biomass C by 68.9%, 89.8%, 116.8%, and 137.7%, and microbial N by 58.3%, 100.0%, 297.3%, and 261.3%, respectively. A legume cover crop, cowpea, had no statistically significant greater effect on soil microbial C and N than the non-legume cover crop, sorghum sudangrass. The tropical legumes, velvetbean and sunn hemp, increased the microbial biomass N markedly. However, the various irrigation rates did not cause significant changes in either microbial N or microbial C. Soil microbial biomass was strongly related to the N concentration and/or the inverse of the C:N ratio of the cover crops and in the soil. Tomato plant biomass and tomato fruit yields correlated well with the level of soil microbial N and inversely with the soil C:N ratio. These results suggest that cover crops increase soil microbiological biomass through the decomposition of organic C. Legumes are more effective than non-legumes, because they contain larger quantities of N and lower C:N ratios than non-legumes.     

Soil biological and physiochemical factors limiting the growth potential of tomato planted in waterlogged volcanic soil

Abstract

Many vegetable growers in Japan practice a unique waterlogged cultivation method with ample nitrogen (N) supply and microbial supplements, reporting vigorous plant growth, no soilborne diseases, and high yields. We simulated waterlogged soil conditions in greenhouse experiments to examine effects of soil pH and redox potential (Eh) as well as microbial influence on the growth of tomato seedlings. Soil pasteurization enhanced seedling growth whether the acidic, volcanic soil was waterlogged or well-drained. Among various antimicrobials, only soil treatment with polymyxin B improved shoot growth in nonpasteurized soil. The seedlings grew best in pasteurized acidic, waterlogged soil fertilized with ample potassium nitrate (KNO₃), which maintained soil Eh above zero. In nonpasteurized soil, growth was severely stunted by raising soil pH progressively to 8.5 while Eh dropped to –194?mV. The results suggested that heat-sensitive Gram-negative soil bacteria and low soil Eh were key factors limiting the growth potential of tomato plants in waterlogged soils.     

Nutrient constraint and yield potential of rice on upland soil in the south of the Dahoumey gap of West Africa

With the objective of improving rice productivity and generating additional knowledge on rice production in Africa, field experiments were conducted for two consecutive seasons of 2005 and 2006 in Southern Benin. Terre de barre soils at the WARDA experimental station and Niaouli, and the plinthic Ferralsols of Cana were investigated. A complete fertilizer (Fc) composed of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn was used to assess NERICA.4 (upland rice) root development and grain yield (GY). Similar observations were made in treatments with a specific nutrient excluded from Fc (Fc–N, Fc–P, Fc–K, Fc–Ca, Fc–Mg and Fc–Zn). A grain yield of up to 1.4 t ha^?1 (Fc–N) and higher root densities for Fc and Fc–Mg at 20–60 cm were attained. Maximum reductions in yield and rooting depth were observed for Fc–P (27%, 27%), Fc–K (30%, 14%) and Fc–Zn (32%, 2%). Drought occurrence, a high C/N ratio and soil acidity influence the effects of nutrients on rice. Removal of N from basal fertilizer was recommended to reduce the effect of mid-season drought. It is suggested that the critical level of K in the soils of West Africa be adjusted to 0.40 cmol kg^?1 for upland rice.     

Soil Fertility,Mineral Nitrogen,and Microbial Biomass in Upland Soils of the Central Amazon under Different Plant Covers

Amazon is the largest state in Brazil and majority of the state is covered by the largest tropical rainforest of the world. Most soils of the Amazon region soils are acidic and infertile. When the Amazon forest land is cleared for agricultural use by burning the vegetation, the efficient nutrient recycling mechanisms are disrupted. However, nutrient contents in the deforested burn land increased temporarily. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil fertility, mineral nitrogen (N), and microbial activity of carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) resulting from the replacement of the primary forest with pasture (Brachiaria brizantha) and commercial plantations of rubber (Hevea spp.), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), and citrus trees (Citrus sinensis) cultivated in Xanthic Ferralsol and secondary forest under Acrisols Dystric Nitosols. The results showed that ammonium-N predominates in the 0- to 10-cm soil depth in both primary forest and areas with secondary forest, citrus plantation, and pasture. There was no increase in soil fertility with management of the cultivated areas under the secondary forest, but in the pasture there was a significant increase in the stock of organic C and total N and high C/N ratios, the inverse of what occurred with the C of the microbial biomass. The primary forest had the greatest values of C and P of the microbial biomass and the lowest metabolic quotient. Of the successions studied, the rubber trees were the plant cover with the smallest changes in terms of quality of the organic matter in the soil.     

Study of the Potentially Mineralized Nitrogen Content and Nitrogen Supply by Soil Incubation Method in a Long-Term Field Experiment in East Hungary

The formation and fate of soluble nitrogen (N) forms and their response to organic-matter mineralization is not obvious yet, and results are often inconsistent despite intensive research. The available N supply of the soil is very important for plant nutrition and environmentally sound N fertilization. The determination of actual N supply is very important for sustainable agriculture in Hungary, especially in acidic sandy soils, which are very sensitive to environmental effects and inefficient human treatment. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provide further information about N mineralization processes and organic–mineral interactions of soil. To establish the potentially mineralized N content and available N supply of soil, a biological (incubation) method was carried out an acidic brown forest soil of the Nyírlugos long-term field experiment in Hungary. The incubation was carried out in the laboratory with differently treated soils of the long-term field experiment to investigate the effect of treatments on N mineralization processes of soil. The incubation period was 16 weeks long. The pH and the easily soluble mineralized and organic N fractions of soil were measured periodically from leached solution (0.01 M calcium chloride; CaCl₂). The leaching process was repeated after 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 16 weeks. The potentially mineralized N content of soil and the actual rate of N mineralization were calculated from periodically collected data. The results of the incubation method can be summarized as follows: the kinetics of incubation of 0.01 M CaCl₂ soluble organic N is similar to mineral N; 0.01 M CaCl₂–soluble N fractions were mainly in inorganic forms in the incubation period but the content of the organic form was significant too; and the mineralization rate is greater where the microbiological activity of the soil is expressed and the soil properties are more favored as a result of applied treatments.     

施氮量对潮土区冬小麦-夏玉米轮作农田氮磷淋溶的影响

潮土是我国华北地区主要土壤类型之一,潮土区是我国冬小麦-夏玉米作物的主要产区,研究不同施氮量潮土氮磷淋溶特征对于指导区域农田面源污染防控具有重要意义。本研究设置3个施肥处理,即传统施氮(CON)、优化施氮(OPT)和优化再减氮(OPTJ),利用田间渗漏池法,研究潮土冬小麦-夏玉米轮作农田硝态氮及总磷淋溶特征。结果表明:2016—2018年,冬小麦-夏玉米轮作周年不同施肥处理90cm土层年淋溶水量79.0～102.5 mm,不同淋溶事件间土壤淋溶液硝态氮浓度波动较大, CON、OPT和OPTJ处理单次淋溶事件硝态氮浓度分别为18.9～208.7(平均为72.7) mg·L~(-1)、9.0～99.2 (平均为33.8) mg·L~(-1)、4.7～55.5 (平均为15.4) mg·L~(-1)。本研究区域冬小麦-夏玉米轮作模式的氮素淋溶风险较高,磷素淋溶风险较低。传统施氮处理(CON)下农田硝态氮的平均淋溶量和表观淋失系数分别为66.4 kg·hm~(-2)和10.3%,而总磷(TP)为0.06 kg·hm~(-2)和0.04%。氮肥减施会显著降低氮素淋失,OPT和OPTJ处理的氮素淋溶减排率可达56.3%和78.9%。两个年度CON、OPT和OPTJ处理硝态氮平均表观淋失系数分别为10.3%、6.2%和4.9%,随着施氮量的增加,硝态氮淋失系数动态增加。氮淋溶具有较大的年际变化,降雨量高的2018年比降雨少的2017年硝态氮淋溶量多57.0%。两个年度CON、OPT和OPTJ处理总磷平均淋溶量分别为0.06 kg·hm~(-2)、0.06 kg·hm~(-2)和0.08 kg·hm~(-2)。适量减施氮肥会增加作物产量, OPT处理的作物产量是CON处理的1.08倍。然而,过量减施则会带来减产风险, OPTJ处理氮肥减施56%,作物产量比CON处理降低2.0%～8.1%。总之,潮土区农田硝态氮淋溶风险较大,适量减施氮肥能够在保证作物产量的基础上显著降低氮素淋失损失。     

畜禽有机肥氮、磷在红壤中的矿化特征研究

选用腐熟的猪粪、鸡粪和第四纪红土发育的典型红壤为试验材料,通过室内培养试验,研究了土壤中矿质氮(NO-3-N和NH4+-N)及Olsen-p的动态变化.结果表明,有机肥中氮和磷的矿化具有不同特征.氮在红壤中的矿化阶段为:前4周缓慢释放,矿化速率为N 0.29～0.46mg/(kg·d);4～10周快速释放,矿化速率为N...     

Nitrogen and/or phosphorus fertilization effects on organic carbon and mineral contents in the rhizosphere of field grown sorghum

The effects of nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) fertilizers on the nutritional status in the rhizosphere were studied by monitoring throughout the growth period the concentrations of organic carbon (C), inorganic N, NaHCO₃ extractable P, exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) down in an Alfisol field, and of all these elements except for extractable P, and exchangeable Ca in a Vertisol field in semi-arid tropical India. These concentrations were compared between the rhizosphere soil and bulk soil of sorghum grown in both fields.

Organic C content of the rhizosphere soil increased with plant age and was significantly higher than that in the bulk soil throughout the growth of sorghum, but it was not affected by the rates of N or P fertilizer. Inorganic N concentration in the rhizosphere soil was significantly higher than that in the bulk soil until maturity in sorghum. The content of available P in the rhizosphere soil was significantly higher than in the bulk soil after the middle of the growth stage. Its average concentration in the rhizosphere soil across growth stages was significantly higher than in the bulk soil, which contradicts the observation in many reports that there is a depletion of P in the rhizosphere soil. The concentration of three exchangeable cations, K, Ca, and Mg, showed different patterns in the rhizosphere and the bulk soils. The concentration of K was almost constantly higher in the rhizosphere soil than in the bulk soil, Ca concentration was not different between the two soils, and Mg concentration was significantly higher in the bulk soil than in the rhizosphere soil. The reasons for these discrepancies cannot be explained at present. The concentrations of these cations were not affected by the rate of N or P fertilizer except for Mg at a later growth stage. The differences between rhizosphere and bulk soils in Alfisol were similar to those in Yertisol with respect to the concentration of organic C, inorganic N, and exchangeable K and Mg.     

Nitrogen transformation and plant growth in response to different urea‐application methods and the addition of DMPP

The differences in soil inorganic‐nitrogen (N) concentration and distribution, plant biomass, and root growth in the presence or absence of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4‐dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) under different urea‐application methods (placement versus homogeneously applied) were explored in a short‐term microcosm experiment. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown in a microcosm with six different treatments: no amendment (CK), DMPP homogeneously applied (DMPP‐hom), urea homogeneously applied (Urea‐hom), urea with DMPP homogeneously applied (Urea + DMPP‐hom), urea placement (Urea‐place), and urea with DMPP placement (Urea + DMPP‐place). After 28 d, plant biomass, soil inorganic nitrogen content, distribution of soil inorganic nitrogen and plant roots in the soil were analyzed. The soil inorganic N and plant roots tended to be distributed asymmetrically in the placement treatment but were distributed symmetrically in the homogeneous treatment. DMPP addition significantly increased the soil NH$ _4^+ $ ‐N content and decreased the NO$ _3^- $ ‐N content, especially near the fertilized zones in the placement treatment. Compared to the urea‐only treatments, DMPP application significantly increased the shoot biomass and root lengths of the wheat in the homogeneous treatment but decreased them in the placement treatment. Therefore, homogeneously applied urea and DMPP may produce a more uniform nutrient distribution, leading to greater nitrogen retention in the soil and thus accelerating wheat growth.     

人工降雨条件下不同粒径泥沙中氮磷流失特征分析

针对香溪河流域农业面源污染严重以及坡耕地传统耕作模式造成的氮磷流失等问题,选取库区典型石灰性土壤进行人工模拟降雨试验,研究地表径流和不同粒径泥沙中氮磷等养分流失特征。结果表明:地表径流中不同形态氮素养分的流失过程,均表现为降雨初期出现浓度峰值,之后随降雨的进行迅速降低,TP输出浓度先有一个较小幅度的下降过程,之后随产流时间的延长而增加,最后趋于稳定;流失泥沙颗粒组成表现为粘粒(2μm)与细砂粒(20~200μm)含量随降雨过程进行有一定增加,而粉粒(2~20μm)和石砾(2000μm)含量却有所降低,粗砂粒(200~2 000μm)含量则几乎不变;不同粒径径流泥沙中各养分流失浓度最大的均为粒径2μm粘粒,粒径200μm的颗粒各养分流失贡献率均高达70%以上,表明水土流失导致土壤中大量细小颗粒与养分流失,其中流失泥沙携带的养分含量与细小颗粒含量呈明显的正相关。     

长期施用化肥和有机肥下潮土干团聚体有机氮组分特征

依托中国科学院封丘农业生态实验站长期施肥试验,选取不施肥(CK)、单施化肥(NPK)、有机无机肥配施(1/2OM)、有机肥(OM)处理,对比研究27a连续施用化肥和有机肥对土壤机械稳定性团聚体及其有机氮组分的影响。结果表明,长期施用有机肥显著提高了耕层土壤中大于2 mm团聚体的比例,较CK提高了33%,较NPK增加了17%。施肥显著提高耕层团聚体中有机氮含量,以OM处理效果最明显,大于2 mm、2～0.25 mm、小于0.25 mm团聚体中酸解有机氮含量分别为776.4、837.7、625.3 mg·kg~(-1)。各团聚体中有机氮以酸解铵态氮为主,氨基糖态氮最少。长期单施化肥主要提高了大于2 mm团聚体中酸解铵态氮比例,施用有机肥提高了氨基酸态氮和酸解未知态氮含量及分配比例。长期施用有机肥使潮土结构明显改善,有利于耕层团聚体中全氮及有机氮各组分的积累,氨基酸态氮、氨基糖态氮、非酸解有机氮主要赋存于2～0.25 mm团聚体中,而酸解铵态氮和酸解未知态氮在大于2 mm团聚体中分布较多,有效地提高了土壤供氮能力。     

Influence of nitrogen,phosphorus, and potassium fertilization on the mineral concentrations in Medicago sativa L. I. Seasonal changes

Abstract

An established stand of Ranger alfalfa was topdressed with equal rates, but different combinations, of N, P, and K. Five harvests were taken and the material analyzed for cation concentrations.

Phosphorus application significantly increased P concentrations in alfalfa, but had little influence on concentration of other ions. Potassium applications showed striking effects by significantly increasing K levels of the forage while decreasing Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Al, and Mo levels.

Significant differences occurred among harvest dates for 14 of the 16 cations analyzed. Seasonal trends were evident for SiO₂, Zn, Al, Co, and Na.

Applied N, P, and K and available soil P and K were associated with cation concentration of alfalfa and these interrelationships are discussed.     

长期定位试验中氮肥与磷肥有机肥联合施用通过刺激根的生长增加玉米产量和养分吸收

Imbalanced application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers can result in reduced crop yield, low nutrient use efficiency, and high loss of nutrients and soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) accumulation decreases when N is applied with P and/or manure; however, the effect of applications of N with P and/or manure on root growth and distribution in the soil profile is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of different N and P fertilizer application rates with or without manure on maize (Zea mays L.) yield, N uptake, root growth, apparent N surplus, Olsen-P concentration, and mineral N (Nmin) accumulation in a fluvo-aquic calcareous soil from a long-term (28-year) experiment. The experiment comprised twelve combinations of chemical N and P fertilizers, either with or without chicken manure, as treatments in four replicates. The yield of maize grain was 82% higher, the N uptake 100% higher, and the Nmin accumulation 39% lower in the treatments with combined N and P in comparison to N fertilizer only. The maize root length density in the 30--60 cm layer was three times greater in the treatments with N and P fertilizers than with N fertilizer only. Manure addition increased maize yield by 50% and N uptake by 43%, and reduced Nmin (mostly NO₃^--N) accumulation in the soil by 46%. The long-term application of manure and P fertilizer resulted in significant increases in soil Olsen-P concentration when no N fertilizer was applied. Manure application reduced the apparent N surplus for all treatments. These results suggest that combined N and P fertilizer applications could enhance maize grain yield and nutrient uptake via stimulating root growth, leading to reduced accumulation of potentially leachable NO₃^--N in soil, and manure application was a practical way to improve degraded soils in China and the rest of the world.     

旱涝交替下控制灌溉对稻田节水及氮磷减排的影响

该文研究控制灌排技术对稻田水氮磷动态变化及节水减排效应的影响。于2015年5—10月在河海大学江宁校区节水园,在有底侧坑内进行水稻栽培试验,于水稻分蘖期、拔节孕穗期、抽穗开花期和乳熟期4个生育阶段进行控水试验,以常规控制灌溉为对照,测定稻田淹排水铵态氮(NH_4~+-N)、硝态氮(NO_3~--N)和总磷浓度变化。结果表明:旱转涝处理淹水初期稻田水中铵态氮(NH_4~+-N)、硝态氮(NO_3~--N)和总磷浓度显著高于涝转旱处理,这个时期地表和地下排水应该引起注意。控制灌排条件下灌水量减少7.4%~18.5%,排水量减少23.0%~43.5%,NH_4~+-N负荷减少18.5%~54.5%,NO_3~--N负荷减少16.8%~57.7%,总磷负荷减少34.2%~58.3%;其中拔节孕穗期和抽穗开花期在保证节水减排的同时,也能实现较高的产量;因此,控制灌排技术具有较好的节水减排效果,对南方稻作区灌排实践具有指导意义。     

Flea beetle (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) species composition and abundance in different cruciferous oilseed crops and the potential for a trap crop system

Flea beetles are significant insect pests of cruciferous oilseed crops in northern Europe. A two-year small-scale field experiment was performed to determine the species complex and abundance of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) associated with eight cruciferous oilseed plants: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Brassica napus L. var. oleifera subvar. annua, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, Brassica rapa L. var. oleifera subvar. annua, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, Eruca sativa Mill., Raphanus sativus L. spp. oleifera (DC) Metzg. and Sinapis alba L. Their relative attractiveness to flea beetles was compared to assess their potential for use within a trap crop system for spring oilseed rape. Adults of six species of flea beetles were found on the test plants. Phyllotreta undulata Kutsch. was the most abundant species followed by Phyllotreta nigripes (Fabr.), Phyllotreta nemorum L. and Phyllotreta vittata (=striolata) (Fabr.), while Phyllotreta atra (Fabr.) and Chaetocnema concinna Marsh. were occasionally present. The species composition of flea beetles on seven of the investigated plant species was fairly similar but differed significantly on C. sativa. The flea beetle species discriminated between the tested host plants, with a general gradient in attraction from E. sativa > B. juncea > B. nigra > R. sativus > S. alba > B. rapa > B. napus through to C. sativa. Brassica juncea and B. nigra developed faster and at early growth stages were more attractive to overwintered adult flea beetles than B. napus and therefore had potential as trap plants to protect spring rape. R. sativus and E. sativa, despite their development rate being slower than B. napus were also more attractive to flea beetles. Thus, further experiments with a complex of attractive early season and late-season plant species (multiple trap crops) should be undertaken.     

湘北双季稻区种植翻压紫云英的氮肥减施效应

[目的]评价双季稻区冬闲田种植翻压紫云英模式下减施不同量氮肥对水稻产量和土壤理化性状的影响,为湘北稻区双季稻减肥增效提供理论依据.[方法]定位试验始于2009年,设置不施肥(CK),常规施肥(N100),种植翻压紫云英配合早稻及晚稻均减施常规量氮肥的0％、20％、40％、60％?(MvN100、MvN80、MvN60、...     

Nutrient status of soil and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in response to long-term farmyard manure application under different climatic and soil physicochemical conditions in the Czech Republic

Long-term field experiments with annual crop rotation were established in 1955 and 1956 at three locations (Lukavec, ?áslav, Ivanovice) in the Czech Republic, which differ in their climate and soil physicochemical properties. The effect of cattle farmyard manure (FM) and a combination of FM and mineral (NPK) fertilizer application (FMNPK) on nutrient status of soil and the response of winter wheat, and nutrient content of wheat grain and straw were evaluated after ~60 years since the establishment. The results showed higher pseudototal (aqua regia soluble) contents of phosphorus and sulfur from FM and FMNPK application compared with control, whereas the labile and moderatory labile content of individual nutrients (except calcium) varied between treatments. The nutrient content of wheat grain and straw was more significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the location and growing season than by the fertilizers. The substantial changes in wheat nutrient uptake occurred for the weakly acidic loamy Gleyic Phaeozem, whereas the lowest response due to fertilizer application was observed for the acidic Cambisol (sandy loam texture). Even after six decades of FM and FMNPK application, the effectiveness of these treatments was predominantly influenced by the soil and climatic conditions at the individual locations.     

Residual nitrogen effects on a succeeding oat (Avena sativa L.) Crop of clover species and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) undersown in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of white clover (var. Milka and Donna), red clover (var. Fanny) and ryegrass (var. Tove) undersown in winter wheat on a succeeding oat crop. Under the climatic conditions prevailing in Sweden, growing a catch crop after winter cereals is of particular interest because the latter are usually followed by a spring sown crop, leaving the ground bare during autumn and winter. Field trials were carried out during three growing seasons in an integrated farming system and for one year in an organic farming system. Competition from the dense wheat crop in the integrated farming system had a negative effect on the undersown species, and at harvest of the wheat they showed quite poor growth in all three years, with nitrogen contents under 5 kg ha^?1. No significant yield increase was measured without added nitrogen when the averages for all three years were calculated. On average, the grain yields were improved by 750 kg ha^?1 (14% moisture content) for the treatments with undersown clover for all three years when 90 kg N ha^?1 were added. The experiment within the organic system showed a different pattern with a better development of the undersown clover species, with nitrogen contents approximately 25 kg ha^?1 and an improvement in oat grain yield, from around 2?000 kg ha^?1 for the control to almost 3?500 kg ha^?1 with clover undersown the previous year.     

Nitrogen mineralization in a pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch)–cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) alley cropping system in the southern United States

Information on temporal and spatial patterns of N mineralization is critical in designing tree-crop mixed systems that could maximize N uptake while minimizing N loss. We quantified N mineralization rates in a pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch)–cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) alley cropping system in northwestern Florida with (non-barrier) and without tree-crop belowground interactions (barrier separating the root systems of pecan and cotton). Monthly rates of mineralization were estimated using buried bag incubations over a 15-month period. In addition, seasonal mineralization rates and cotton lint yield on soils supplied with two sources of N—inorganic fertilizer and organic poultry litter—were assessed. Results indicated that temporal variations in net NH₄ and NO₃ accumulation and mineralization rates were driven primarily by environmental factors and to a lesser degree by initial soil NH₄ and NO₃ levels. Mineralization varied by belowground interaction treatment during the initial growing season, when the non-barrier treatment exhibited a higher mineralization rate than the barrier treatment, likely due to reduced nutrient uptake by cotton in the non-barrier or a higher degree of immobilization in the barrier treatment. Mineralization during the second growing season was similar for both treatments. Source of N had no effects on N transformation in the soil. Lint yield reductions were observed in the non-barrier treatment during both years compared to the barrier treatment, likely due to interspecific competition for water. Yield differences between treatments in the second growing season were likely compounded by a diminishing pre-study fallow effect. Source of N was found to have a significant effect on cotton yield, with inorganic fertilizer resulting in 39% higher lint compared to poultry litter in the barrier treatment.     

Bicultures of oat (Avena sativa L.) and grazing vetch (Vicia dasycarpa L.) cover crops increase contents of carbon pools and activities of selected enzymes in a loam soil under warm temperate conditions

This study evaluated effects of oats (Avena sativa L.) and grazing vetch (Vicia dasycarpa L.), bicultures, in rotation with summer maize (Zea mays), on soil organic matter fractions and activities of selected enzymes. The trial was initiated in April 2009. The treatments were 100% oat, 100% vetch, 90% oat + 10% vetch, 70% oat + 30% vetch, 50% oat + 50% vetch, and weedy fallow, in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Soil samples were collected in October 2011, from the 0–5 and 5–20 cm depths, and analyzed for total carbon (C), particulate organic matter (POM), water-soluble carbon (WSC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and activities of selected enzymes. Total C was higher in bicultures, particularly the 70% oat + 30% vetch, and 100% vetch than in 100% oats and the control. The greatest MBC, WSC, dehydrogenase, aryl-sulphatase and phosphomonoesterase activities were in the 70% oat + 30% vetch biculture, and declined where the proportion of oats or vetch was higher. Increasing proportions of vetch resulted in increases in urease and β-glucosidase activity and decrease in POM. The findings suggested that, in addition to increased maize yields, bicultures of oats and vetch also have synergistic effects on soil carbon pools and enzyme activities, with potential benefits of improved soil physical condition and nutrient cycling compared with the individual crops, under warm temperate conditions.