Nutrient Release Characteristics of Coated Fertilizers by Superfine Phosphate Rock Powder and its Effects on Physiological Traits of Chinese Cabbage

Four kinds of slow release fertilizers were prepared out by coating common compound fertilizer nitrogen (N)-phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅)-potassum oxide (K₂O):15-15-15] with four kinds of superfine phosphate rock powder (SPRP) which accounting for 60% of the total coated materials in mass. Electronic microscope scanning, static water releasing test, soil incubation experiment, and a field experiment were conducted on their nutrient release mechanisms and their effects on physiologic traits of Chinese cabbage. The results showed that all these four kinds of SPRP could markedly improve microstructure and thus release rate. However, their capacity was inferior to controlled release fertilizer (CRF). The four homemade fertilizers increased chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate in the leaves of Chinese cabbage during its late growth stage, and improve the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities during its ball period. In addition, the four homemade fertilizers improved yield by 20.62%～33.41% and 18.94%～24.44%, respectively, over the common compound fertilizer during 2009 and 2010, and improved sugar-acid and soluble sugar and V_C contents of the head of Chinese cabbage at the harvest stage. There are not obvious differences of physiological traits between the J2 coated CCF fertilizer (JCRF2), Y2 coated CCF fertilizer (YCRF2), and Resin coated CCF fertilizer (CRF). Nutrient release characters and agricultural effect of four homemade fertilizers follow the order: JCRF2≈YCRF2>JCRF1≈YCRF1.