Research

15 pages, 4680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Exogenous Organic Substrates on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization and Their Priming Effects

by Chaoran Sun, Shaohui Tan, Zhihua Qiu, Songlin Sun, Ping Jiang and Limei Chen

Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3017; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123017 - 08 Dec 2023

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The input of exogenous organic matter could affect the transformation of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and their C- and N-priming effects (CPE and NPE) play a key role in the balance of soil C and N. However, little is known about [...] Read more.

The input of exogenous organic matter could affect the transformation of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and their C- and N-priming effects (CPE and NPE) play a key role in the balance of soil C and N. However, little is known about how the interaction effect between straw and straw biochar regulates CPE and NPE. Therefore, we conducted a 90-day incubation experiment, which included five treatments: no straw and straw biochar (CK), 1.5% straw (S), 0.53% straw biochar (B), 1.5% straw + 0.53% straw biochar (SB), and 1.5% straw + 1.06% straw biochar (SB1). Our findings revealed that cumulative soil CO₂ emissions were increased by 95.52–216.53% through the short-term input of exogenous organic matter input; however, this trend gradually weakened with decreasing dissolved organic C (DOC) content. The cumulative NPE generated by the addition of exogenous organic matter was much smaller than the cumulative CPE. Under the B and S treatments, the cumulative CPE and NPE were negative throughout the entire incubation period. The SB treatment remarkably boosted the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) content; however, the SB1 treatment was more effective in inhibiting soil C and N mineralization processes than SB treatment. Moreover, the cumulative CPE and NPE were mainly regulated by N. We conclude that the combination of straw and straw biochar preferentially stimulated soil C mineralization, but that this effect decreased with time, which may be due to the consumption of labile DOC caused by the initial positive CPE, while soil N mineralization had a lag effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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15 pages, 4859 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rape Straw Biochar Application Enhances Cadmium Immobilization by Promoting Formation of Sulfide and Poorly Crystallized Fe Oxide in Paddy Soils

by Rui Yuan, Tianren Si, Qingquan Lu, Cheng Liu, Rongjun Bian, Xiaoyu Liu, Xuhui Zhang, Jufeng Zheng, Kun Cheng, Stephen Joseph, Yan Wang, Lianqing Li and Genxing Pan

Agronomy 2023, 13(11), 2693; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112693 - 26 Oct 2023

Viewed by 880

Abstract

The mechanisms of rape straw biochar that affect the fixation of cadmium (Cd) in paddy soil by influencing redox of iron and sulfur are unclear. Several anaerobic incubation experiments were carried out using Cd-contaminated paddy soils (LY and ZZ). Rape straw biochar at [...] Read more.

The mechanisms of rape straw biochar that affect the fixation of cadmium (Cd) in paddy soil by influencing redox of iron and sulfur are unclear. Several anaerobic incubation experiments were carried out using Cd-contaminated paddy soils (LY and ZZ). Rape straw biochar at pyrolysis temperatures of 450 °C (LRSB) and 800 °C (HRSB) was selected as the soil remediation agent. The electron exchange capacity and electrical conductivity were higher in HRSB than those in LRSB. The lower pe + pH in HRSB enhanced Fe oxide reduction, with a maximum increase in Fe²⁺ of 46.0% in ZZ. Compared to treatment without biochar (CK), the poorly crystallized Fe oxide (Fe_o) in HRSB increased by 16.8% in ZZ. This induced Cd bound to Fe, and Mn oxides fraction (Fe-Mn Cd) increased by 42.5%. The SO₄²⁻-S content in LRSB was 4.6 times that of HRSB. LRSB addition increased acid-volatile sulfide by 46.4% and 48.9% in LY and ZZ soils, respectively, compared to CK. This resulted in an increase in sulfide’s contribution to Cd fixation, with values rising from 24.2% to 37.8% in LY and 19.1% to 29.8% in ZZ. Overall, LRSB reduced Cd mobility by forming more sulfide, while HRSB increased Fe-Mn Cd by increasing Fe_o. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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13 pages, 2081 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Replacing Mineral Fertilizer with Manure on Soil Water Retention Capacity in a Semi-Arid Region

by Xiaojuan Wang, Lei Wang and Tianle Wang

Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092272 - 29 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1160

Abstract

The long-term and excessive use of mineral fertilizers in a semi-arid region with severe water shortage will lead to soil compaction and poor water-holding capacity. The fertilization method of manure instead of mineral fertilizer has attracted wide attention. It has adverse consequences for [...] Read more.

The long-term and excessive use of mineral fertilizers in a semi-arid region with severe water shortage will lead to soil compaction and poor water-holding capacity. The fertilization method of manure instead of mineral fertilizer has attracted wide attention. It has adverse consequences for the growth and development of crops. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine how replacing mineral fertilizer with manure affects the soil water retention curve, soil water constant, soil water availability, and soil equivalent pore size distribution, and to seek the best scheme of applying manure in semi-arid area and provide theoretical a basis for improving soil water retention capacity. Here, 0% (CK), 25% (M₂₅), 50% (M₅₀), 75% (M₇₅), and 100% (M₁₀₀) of 225 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen from mineral fertilizer were replaced with equivalent nitrogen from manure in the Loess Plateau of China under semi-arid conditions. The centrifuge method was used to determine the soil volumetric water content under different water suction levels, and the Gardner model was used to fit and draw its soil water retention curve, and then calculate the soil water constant and equivalent pore size distribution. The results showed that the Gardner model fitted well. The soil saturated water content with the M₁₀₀ treatment was the highest, whereas the specific water capacity, water availability, and soil porosity with the M₇₅ treatment were the highest. The soil saturated water content showed a downward trend with the increase in nitrogen from manure instead of nitrogen from mineral fertilizer in the partial replacement treatments. This downward trend slowed down over time. The M₇₅ treatment increased field capacity. The M₁₀₀ treatment increased soil capillary porosity, soil available water porosity, and soil water availability compared with CK from the fifth fertilization. Replacement treatments increased the specific water capacity, soil saturated water content, soil water availability, soil porosity, and reduced the wilting point over time. In the replacement treatments, specific soil water capacity, soil water availability, and soil porosity first rose and then declined with the increase in nitrogen provided by manure replacing that provided by mineral fertilizer. Therefore, the soil water holding capacity and water supply capacity with the M₇₅ treatment were the best. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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12 pages, 2281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Soil Absolute and Specific Enzyme Activities to Long-Term Application of Organic Fertilizer to Solonetz in Northeast China

by Danyang Liu, Andi Feng, Senmiao Li, Bo Song, Yujie He, Yunhao Lv, Jingmei Luo, Yang Liu, Xianfa Ma and Xinyang Li

Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 1987; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13081987 - 27 Jul 2023

Viewed by 905

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) are highly correlated with enzyme activities. Specific enzyme activities can exclude the autocorrelation between enzyme activity and SOC and MBC. However, the responses of absolute and specific enzyme activities to saline–alkali properties remains unclear. [...] Read more.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) are highly correlated with enzyme activities. Specific enzyme activities can exclude the autocorrelation between enzyme activity and SOC and MBC. However, the responses of absolute and specific enzyme activities to saline–alkali properties remains unclear. In this study, the absolute and specific enzyme activities of cellobiose hydrolase, β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease were measured in soils with 10, 15, 18, 21, and 26 years of organic fertilizer application in contrast to soils without organic fertilizer application. The results showed that long-term organic fertilizer application led to significantly increased in the absolute and specific enzyme activity and decrease in pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), as well as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR_5:1). In the structural equation model (SEM), the EC extremely limited the geometric mean of specific enzyme activity per unit of MBC (MBC-GMSEA) (path coefficient, −0.84, p < 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the correlations between EA/MBC and pH, EC, ESP, and SAR_5:1 were higher than between the absolute soil enzyme activity and pH, EC, ESP, and SAR_5:1. Of the parameters tested, EA/MBC was a more sensitive index to reflect the improvement effect of organic fertilizer on soils and evaluate the saline–alkali barrier. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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17 pages, 3808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effective Combination of Humic Acid Phosphate Fertilizer Regulating the Form Transformation of Phosphorus and the Chemical and Microbial Mechanism of Its Phosphorus Availability

by Qizhong Xiong, Shaojie Wang, Xuewei Lu, Yating Xu, Lei Zhang, Xiaohui Chen, Gang Xu, Da Tian, Ligan Zhang, Jianyuan Jing and Xinxin Ye

Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1581; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061581 - 11 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2307

Abstract

In the process of phosphate fertilizer production, adding humic acid to produce humic-acid-value-added phosphate fertilizer can improve fertilizer efficiency and promote crop growth. Although studies have primarily focused on investigating the impact of humic acid’s structure and function on phosphorus availability in humic-acid-added [...] Read more.

In the process of phosphate fertilizer production, adding humic acid to produce humic-acid-value-added phosphate fertilizer can improve fertilizer efficiency and promote crop growth. Although studies have primarily focused on investigating the impact of humic acid’s structure and function on phosphorus availability in humic-acid-added phosphate fertilizers, there is limited research on the regulatory effects of phosphorus fertilizer structure and the synergistic mechanisms involving microorganisms. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the chemical and biological mechanisms underlying the increased efficiency of humic-acid-added phosphate fertilizers by implementing various treatment processes. These processes included physically blending humic acid with phosphate fertilizer (HA+P), chemically synthesizing humic acid phosphate fertilizer (HAP), using commercially available humic acid phosphate fertilizer (SHAP), employing ordinary potassium phosphate fertilizer (P), and implementing a control treatment with no phosphate fertilizer (CK). Investigating the synergistic mechanism of humic-acid-added phosphate fertilizers holds significant importance. The results showed that during the preparation of HAP at high temperature, a new absorption peak appeared at 1101 cm⁻¹, and a new chemical bond -O- was formed. The hydroxyl fracture in humic acid combined with phosphoric acid to form a phosphate ester (P-O-C=O) structure. HAP residues were concentrated on the surface and loaded with more soil minerals. The content of highly active oxygen-containing functional groups—such as aromatic C-O, carboxyl/amide carbon and carbonyl carbon—increased significantly, while the content of alkyl carbon, oxyalkyl carbon, and aromatic carbon decreased. Upon combining humic acid with potassium phosphate, the carboxyl group and calcium ions formed the HA-m-P complex, increasing the content of soluble phosphate (H₂PO₄⁻) in the soil by 1.71%. Compared to HA+P treatment, HAP treatment significantly increased the soil’s available P content by 13.8–47.7% (P < 0.05). The plant height, stem diameter, and above-ground biomass of HAP treatment were increased by 21.3%, 15.31%, and 61.02%, respectively, and the total accumulations of N, P, and K nutrient elements were increased by 6.71%, 31.13%, and 41.40%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the rhizosphere soil of HA+P and HAP treatment was rich in bacterial groups, the soil microbial structure was changed, and the bacterial community diversity was increased under HAP treatment. The number of genes encoding phytase and alkaline phosphatase associated with organophosphorus dissolution increased by 3.23% and 2.90%, respectively, in HAP treatment. Humic acid phosphate fertilizer forms phosphate esters in the process of chemical preparation. After application, the soil’s microbial community structure is changed, and soil enzyme activity related to phosphorus transformation is improved to promote tomatoes’ absorption of soil nutrients, thus promoting tomato plant growth and nutrient accumulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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19 pages, 5620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Ecologically Restored Vegetation Roots on the Stability of Shallow Aggregates in Ionic Rare Earth Tailings Piles

by Wen Zhong, Qi Shuai, Peng Zeng, Zhongqun Guo, Kaijian Hu, Xiaojun Wang, Fangjin Zeng, Jianxin Zhu, Xiao Feng, Shengjie Lin and Zhiqi Feng

Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13040993 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 941

Abstract

Aggregate stability is considered an essential indicator of changes in the physical properties of soils, and vegetation roots play a crucial role in the stability of shallow soil aggregates in ionic rare earth tailings piles during ecological remediation. In this paper, the influence [...] Read more.

Aggregate stability is considered an essential indicator of changes in the physical properties of soils, and vegetation roots play a crucial role in the stability of shallow soil aggregates in ionic rare earth tailings piles during ecological remediation. In this paper, the influence of the law of ecologically restored vegetation roots on the stability of shallow aggregates of ionic rare earth tailing piles was investigated by means of field investigation tests, indoor experiments and mathematical statistics. The influence of different types of root systems on the stability of the shallow depth range aggregates of tailings piles was investigated; the correlation between vegetation root systems and the main physical parameters of rare earth tailings was clarified; and a mathematical correlation model characterizing the characteristic parameters of vegetation root systems was constructed. The evaluation index of the stability of rare earth tailings piles was constructed, and the influence of the law of the ecological restoration of vegetation root systems on the strength of shallow aggregates of ionic rare earth tailings piles was revealed. The results of the study showed that compared with the RD (root density), the root characteristic parameter with the largest response weight to the rare earth tailings pile is the RL (root length density), and the root characteristic parameter with the largest response weight to the water content is the RV (root volume). Suitable vegetation roots can effectively enhance the content of shallow large aggregates of rare ionic earth tailing piles. With the increase of the depth of a tailing pile, the content of large aggregates continues to decrease, and the content of micro aggregates continues increasing. This indicates that the vegetation root system changed the shallow soil of the rare earth tailing pile from disorderly to orderly through its own growth pattern, which effectively improved the stability of the shallow aggregates of the tailing pile and improved the physical properties of the tailing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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14 pages, 2498 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Properties of Biochar Obtained from Tropical Crop Wastes Under Different Pyrolysis Temperatures and Its Application on Acidic Soil

by Shuhui Song, Ping Cong, Chao Wang, Puwang Li, Siru Liu, Zuyu He, Chuang Zhou, Yunhao Liu and Ziming Yang

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030921 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1389

Abstract

When biochars are produced, feedstock is a crucial factor that determines their physicochemical properties. However, the characteristics of tropical crop waste-derived biochar have not been described and limit its availability. In this study, pineapple leaf (PAL), banana stem (BAS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and [...] Read more.

When biochars are produced, feedstock is a crucial factor that determines their physicochemical properties. However, the characteristics of tropical crop waste-derived biochar have not been described and limit its availability. In this study, pineapple leaf (PAL), banana stem (BAS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and horticultural substrate (HCS), were used to prepare biochar at 300, 500 and 700 °C. Properties of biochars and their applications were analysed. The results indicated that hydrophobicity, nonpolarity and aromaticity of SCB biochar (SCBB) were higher than other biochars due to the loss of H (hydrogen), O (oxygen), and N (nitrogen). The pH of PAL biochar (PALB) and BAS biochar (BASB) ranged from 9.69 to 10.30 higher than that of SCBB and HCS biochar (HCSB) with 7.17–9.77. In PALB and BASB, sylvite was the dominant crystal structure. With temperature rising, C–H stretching, C=C stretching and H–O in alcohol groups decreased, and Si–O stretching in HCSB and SCBB strengthened. Biochars obtained at 500 °C, especially SCBB and HCSB, significantly promoted the growth of maize. The PALB and BASB greatly increased the soil pH/EC to 6.90–7.35 and 0.67–0.95 ms/cm, while those of SCBB and HCSB were 5.97–6.74 and 0.23–0.45 ms/cm. The application of the biochars to the soil increased soil pH, reducing the acidic soil stress in maize growth, especially PAL and BAS biochars prepared at 300 °C. Biochar prepared at lower temperature will greatly reduce energy consumption and increase the utilization efficiency of tropical agricultural waste resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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16 pages, 1747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation of Labile P Forms and Promotion of Microbial Community Diversity in Mollisol with Long-Term Manure Fertilization

by Shuhui Song, Jinyao Zhang, Yunxia Liu and Hong Wang

Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030884 - 16 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1139

Abstract

Soil phosphorus (P) can be divided into inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po). Microorganisms play essential roles in soil P transformation. However, there are many ways to detect P transformation, and the relationship between P forms and microorganisms under long-term fertilization is [...] Read more.

Soil phosphorus (P) can be divided into inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po). Microorganisms play essential roles in soil P transformation. However, there are many ways to detect P transformation, and the relationship between P forms and microorganisms under long-term fertilization is largely unclear. In this study, soil P forms were analyzed by a chemical sequential fractionation method and solution ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P-NMR) technique. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) contents were measured by gas chromatography as the characterization of soil microbial community structures. The objective was to determine the changes of soil P forms and associated microbial community composition in mollisol with long-term fertilization. We sampled soil from a field experiment with 26-year-old continuous maize (Zea mays L.) cropping in Northeastern China. Three fertilization treatments were selected as chemical fertilization (NPK), NPK with crop straw (NPKS), and NPK with manure (NPKM). As shown in ³¹P-NMR spectra, orthophosphate accounted for 62.8–85.8% of total extract P. Comparison to NPK and NPKS treatments, NPKM application notably increased the concentrations of Po, Olsen-P, orthophosphate, orthophosphate monoester, and total P. Soil P fractions including resin-Pi, NaHCO₃-P, NaOH-P, and HCl-P, especially Pi fractions, were enhanced by NPKM. The amounts of total PLFAs and PLFAs in bacteria, Gram-positive (G⁺) and Gram-negative (G⁻) bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi were high in NPKM-treated soil. The percentages of PLFAs in bacteria and fungi in total soil PLFAs were 56.8% and 9.7%, respectively, which did not show any significant difference among the treatments. NPKM increased the proportions (%) of PLFAs in G⁺ bacteria, and NPKS increased the proportions (%) of G⁻ bacteria in total PLFAs. The composition of soil microbial community was found to be significantly affected by soil total carbon and pH. There was a close relationship between HCl-Pi, NaHCO₃-Po, orthophosphate, and pyrophosphate with anaerobe, aerobes, and G⁺. Manure addition directly increased soil available P concentrations, and indirectly acted through the alterations of anaerobe, aerobes, and G⁺. It is concluded that long-term NPKM application would lead to the accumulation of labile P and moderately labile P in mollisol through the activity of soil microbes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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14 pages, 2738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Successive Seasonal Application of Rice Straw-Derived Biochar Improves the Acidity and Fertility of Red Soil in Southern China

by Lili He, Jin Zhao, Mengjie Wang, Yuxue Liu, Yuying Wang, Shengmao Yang, Shenqiang Wang, Xu Zhao and Haohao Lyu

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020505 - 09 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1422

Abstract

Soil acidity is a crop production problem of increasing concern in acid red soil. The potential of biochar as a soil amendment/for soil acid management in agricultural fields is a recently recognized yet underutilized technology. Related evidence is currently limited to short-term indoor [...] Read more.

Soil acidity is a crop production problem of increasing concern in acid red soil. The potential of biochar as a soil amendment/for soil acid management in agricultural fields is a recently recognized yet underutilized technology. Related evidence is currently limited to short-term indoor experiments with one-time BC applications and no crop cultivation, yet the degree to which soil acidity may be impacted by the biochar aging process on long-time scale remains unclear. To evaluate the effects of successive seasonal applications of rice straw-derived biochar (BC) on acidity and fertility of soil, a five-year outdoor column trial was conducted using wheat-millet rotated acidic upland soils from the south of China. BC was applied to the top 0–15 cm of soil at the rates of 0 (BC0), 2.25 (BCL), and 22.5 (BCM) Mg ha⁻¹ with an identical dose of NPK fertilizers at the beginning of each crop season. Our results showed that the wheat-millet biomass yield gradually decreased over five rotation cycles in BC0 without BC application. In contrast, after five rotations, BCM led to an increase in the total wheat/millet grain yield by 138%, and the straw yield increased by 253% compared to the control. The cumulative above-ground nutrient uptake of P, K, Ca, Na, and Mg in BCM also increased by 139%, 171%, 129%, 182%, and 71%, respectively, compared to that in the control. This positive effect was attributed to the increase in soil pH (3.29 units), cation exchange capacity (5.66 cmol kg⁻¹), soil available P (241%), K (513%), Ca (245%), Mg (265%), exchange base (3.36 cmol kg⁻¹), base saturation percentage (65.7%), and decrease in the exchangeable acidity, especially exchangeable Al³⁺ content (<0.1 cmol kg⁻¹). Our results demonstrated that rice straw-derived BC application to soil at 22.5 t ha⁻¹ was found to be highly consistent in decreasing soil acidity and reducing soluble and exchangeable Al³⁺, indicating its higher ameliorating capacity in the south of China in the long run. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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15 pages, 2460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contrasting Effects of Nitrogen and Organic Fertilizers on Iron Dynamics in Soil after 38–Year Fertilization Practice

by Houjun Liu, Lei Yang, Jin Guo, Jinfeng Yang, Na Li, Jian Dai, Huan Feng, Ning Liu and Xiaori Han

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020371 - 27 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1615

Abstract

Various environmental factors and anthropogenic practices can affect the Fe biogeochemical cycles in soils. Nitrogen and carbon states are closely associated with Fe dynamics. However, we still have a limited understanding of the complex response of Fe biogeochemical processes to long–term nitrogen– and [...] Read more.

Various environmental factors and anthropogenic practices can affect the Fe biogeochemical cycles in soils. Nitrogen and carbon states are closely associated with Fe dynamics. However, we still have a limited understanding of the complex response of Fe biogeochemical processes to long–term nitrogen– and organic–fertilization regimes. This study investigated the Fe fraction and distribution, as well as the link between Fe and nitrogen/carbon, in bulk soil and in soil aggregates. The results showed that the long–term application of the nitrogen fertilizer increased the contents of water–soluble iron (Ws–Fe) and carbonate–bound iron (Ca–Fe) in the bulk soil and various sizes of aggregates, as well as the iron contents in soybeans. The decreased pH and enhanced Feammox reaction in response to the nitrogen–fertilizer treatments were responsible for the increase in the Ws–Fe and Ca–Fe fractions. By contrast, the long–term application of the organic fertilizer decreased the contents of Ws–Fe and Ca–Fe, while it increased the contents of Ox–Fe and Or–Fe. Moreover, the contents of Ox–Fe and Or–Fe were positively correlated with the organic–carbon contents in the micro–aggregates of 0.053–0.25 mm and <0.053 mm. These results indicated that the long–term use of the organic fertilizer encouraged Fe immobilization in organo–inorganic compounds. However, the application of the nitrogen fertilizer alleviated the Fe retention induced by the organic fertilizer. In conclusion, long–term nitrogen and organic fertilization have contrasting influences on the mineralogy and availability of Fe in soil. This study is useful for understanding the mechanism underlying the interaction between Fe and nitrogen/carbon, as well as Fe’s phytoavailability in response to different fertilization practices in brown soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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13 pages, 1827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Core Rhizosphere Taxa and Peanut Nodulation Capacity under Different Cover Crop Amendments

by Ke Leng, Jia Liu, Guilong Li, Ping Wang, Panling Zhou, Mingzhu Sun, Kailou Liu, Jinyi Zhang, Tingting Ma and Xingjia Xiang

Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020311 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1203

Abstract

Adequate exploitation of legume–rhizobia symbiosis for nitrogen fixation may help to alleviate the overuse of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and aid in sustainable agricultural development. However, controlling this beneficial interaction requires thorough characterization of the effects of soil rhizosphere microorganisms, especially core taxa, on [...] Read more.

Adequate exploitation of legume–rhizobia symbiosis for nitrogen fixation may help to alleviate the overuse of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and aid in sustainable agricultural development. However, controlling this beneficial interaction requires thorough characterization of the effects of soil rhizosphere microorganisms, especially core taxa, on the legume–rhizobia symbiosis. Here, we used Illumina sequencing to investigate the effects of cover crop (Raphanus sativus L. and Lolium perenne L.) residue on the rhizosphere soil microbial community and peanut nodulation ability. The results indicated that Raphanus sativus L. amendment (RS) significantly increased soil available phosphorus (AP) content and peanut nodulation ability, while the Lolium perenne L. amendment (LP) had no noticeable impact on peanut nodulation. LP and RS significantly elevated bacterial and rhizobial diversity, reduced fungal diversity, and shifted microbial community structure (bacteria, 14.7%, p = 0.001; rhizobia, 21.7%, p = 0.001; fungi, 25.5%, p = 0.001). Random forest analysis found that the core rhizosphere taxa, sharing similar ecological preferences, were the primary drivers of peanut nodulation. By least squares regression, soil AP content was found to be positively correlated with the relative abundance of key ecological clusters. Furthermore, RS was found to promote peanut nodulation by increasing the relative abundance of critical rhizosphere taxa. Overall, our findings emphasize that core microbial taxa might play an essential function in the modulation of legume nodulation and provide scientific evidence for the effective management of the plant microbiome. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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19 pages, 7109 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beneficial Effects of Biochar Application with Nitrogen Fertilizer on Soil Nitrogen Retention, Absorption and Utilization in Maize Production

by Changjiang Li, Cunyou Zhao, Ximei Zhao, Yuanbo Wang, Xingjun Lv, Xiaowei Zhu and Xiliang Song

Agronomy 2023, 13(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010113 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3403

Abstract

The irrational use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has become a major threat to soil quality and food security, resulting in serious ecological and environmental problems. Holistic approaches to N fertilizer application are required to maintain a high N utilization efficiency (NUE) and sustainable [...] Read more.

The irrational use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has become a major threat to soil quality and food security, resulting in serious ecological and environmental problems. Holistic approaches to N fertilizer application are required to maintain a high N utilization efficiency (NUE) and sustainable agriculture development. Biochar is an efficient carbon-rich material for amending soil quality and promoting crop N uptake, but knowledge pertaining to the promoting effects of biochar application on N fertilizers is still limited. In this study, a field plot experiment was designed to detect the combined effects of biochar (0, 15 and 30 t ha⁻¹) and N fertilizer (204, 240 and 276 kg N ha⁻¹) on the soil nutrient levels, NUE, plant growth performance and crop production of maize. The results demonstrated that the combined application of N fertilizer and biochar can significantly decrease the soil pH and increase the contents of soil organic carbon, mineral N, available phosphorus and potassium. The crop N uptake and N content were largely promoted by the addition of N fertilizer and biochar, resulting in higher leaf photosynthetic efficiency, dry matter accumulation and grain yields. The highest yields (14,928 kg ha⁻¹) were achieved using 276 kg N ha⁻¹ N fertilizer in combination with 15 t ha⁻¹ biochar, and the highest NUE value (46.3%) was reached with 204 kg N ha⁻¹ N of fertilizer blended with 30 t ha⁻¹ of biochar. According to structural equation modeling, the beneficial effects of N fertilizer and biochar on the plant biomass of maize were attributed to the direct effects related to soil chemical properties and plant growth parameters. In conclusion, N fertilizer combined with biochar application is an effective strategy to enhance the utilization of N fertilizer and crop production for maize by increasing soil fertility, improving plant crop uptake and promoting plant growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Properties, Microorganisms and Plants in Soils after Amelioration)

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