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Agronomy
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Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics
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Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2023) | Viewed by 6960

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wenxiu Zou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
Interests: soil fertility; relationship between soil and crop; soil structure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

[*] Background and history of this topic:

Soil nutrient dynamics can reflect the history of soil management, and it is one important factor impacting crop yield. The lack of research on soil nutrient dynamics may affect choices of crop nutrient management practices and chemical fertilizer utilization, which could increase chemical fertilizer input and decrease fertilizer use efficiency. This threatens the environmental quality and deeply influences the sustainable development of regional agriculture.

[*] Aim and scope of the special issue:

This Special Issue focuses on soil fertility, soil nutrient cycling, as well as agronomy practices that can improve soil quality and increase crop yield. This research topic will help to understand the effect of different agronomy practices on soil fertility, crop nutrient uptake, and crop productivity.

[*] Cutting-edge research: the relationship between nutrient availability, soil microorganisms, and soil structure.

[*] What kinds of papers we are soliciting: Contributions can include, but are not limited to:

(1) key factors impacting soil nutrient dynamics in arable land;

(2) nutrient cycling processes in different agronomy practices;

(3) the effects of long-term agronomy practices (e.g., tillage practices and fertilization) on soil nutrients, crop yield, and fertilizer use efficiency;

(4) nutrient transformations driven by microorganisms.

Dr. Wenxiu Zou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil nutrient management
  • soil nutrients cycling
  • soil tillage
  • soil amendment
  • crop yield
  • long term fertilization
  • crop nutrient uptake

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4023 KiB  
Article
Beneficial Effects on Winter Wheat Production of the Application of Legume Green Manure during the Fallow Period
by Xiushuang Li, Jianglan Shi, Juan Chen and Xiaohong Tian
Agronomy 2024, 14(1), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010203 - 17 Jan 2024
Viewed by 696
Abstract
Legume green manure (LGM) is an excellent organic amendment conducive to soil quality and nutrient cycling; however, the use of LGM was once repealed in the rain-fed agriculture of northern China. The objective was to investigate the effects that planting LGM would bring [...] Read more.
Legume green manure (LGM) is an excellent organic amendment conducive to soil quality and nutrient cycling; however, the use of LGM was once repealed in the rain-fed agriculture of northern China. The objective was to investigate the effects that planting LGM would bring and whether it would affect other fertilization regimes regarding the productivity and water and nutrient use efficiencies of succeeding crops. A short-term (2016–2019) field experiment was established with a split-plot design in the Loess Plateau of China, which included ten treatments consisting of two planting systems (main treatments)—conventional winter wheat monoculture (G0) and planting and incorporating LGM followed by winter wheat planting (G)—and five fertilization regimes (sub-treatments)—no fertilization (CK), basal fertilization with chemicals N, P and K (NPK), basal fertilization plus wheat straw return (NPK + S), basal fertilization plus farmyard manure application (NPK + M), and basal fertilization plus wheat straw return plus farmyard manure application (NPK + S + M). The results demonstrated that compared with G0, the G did not remarkably affect the total water consumption (WC) and water use efficiency (WUE) across the three trial wheat seasons. Specifically, during the third wheat season, the winter wheat yield of G increased by 7.5% more than that of G0 (p < 0.05). G primarily increased the N concentration in winter wheat and universally increased the uptake of N, P and K by 18.8%, 11.7% and 18.8%, respectively. The apparent use efficiencies (AUEs) of chemicals N, P and K under G were 88.0%, 102% and 93.2% higher than those under G0 (p < 0.05). In contrast, the wheat yields of NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M were 14.3%, 22.2%, 26.4% and 19.5%, respectively, higher than those of CK. The WC and WUE increased under NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M relative to the CK (p < 0.05). Compared with CK, the NPK, NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M primarily increased the N concentration in winter wheat and universally increased the uptake of N, P and K (p < 0.05). The AUEs of N, P and K were increased by 44.3–75.3%, 72.4–103% and 128–160%, respectively, by NPK + S, NPK + M and NPK + S + M compared with CK. In conclusion, the revival of planting LGM during the fallow period was considered an appropriate measure in the Loess Plateau and similar rain-fed regions due to its ability to improve the growth and nutrient utilization of subsequent winter wheat even in the short term, as well as the lack of negative effects exerted on other organic amendments in its effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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23 pages, 3493 KiB  
Article
Tillage, Manure, and Biochar Short-Term Effects on Soil Characteristics in Forage Systems
by Katherine N. Hays, James P. Muir, Eunsung Kan, Paul B. DeLaune, Jeff A. Brady, Olabiyi Obayomi and Adam B. Mitchell
Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2224; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092224 - 25 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1087
Abstract
Manure, a globally used soil amendment, can contribute to excessive N and P runoff, leading to water pollution. Biochar (BC) shows promise in mitigating nutrient loss by retaining soil nutrients. However, there is limited research exploring the combined effects of tillage practices, biochar, [...] Read more.
Manure, a globally used soil amendment, can contribute to excessive N and P runoff, leading to water pollution. Biochar (BC) shows promise in mitigating nutrient loss by retaining soil nutrients. However, there is limited research exploring the combined effects of tillage practices, biochar, manure, forage crops, and soil types on soil nutrient characteristics in a single field study. Our objectives are to determine if, in North Central Texas, differing soil types, soil amendments, forage crops, and tillage practices affect soil nutrients when applied short term, and whether correlations exist among soil nutrient characteristics as affected by soil amendments, tillage practices, and the presence of forage crops. The study encompasses three field sites with five factors, including soil types, manure rates, biochar rates, tillage practices, and forage crop types. Soil samples were assayed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), macronutrients, and micronutrients. Data analyses involved variance analysis, Fisher’s tests, and Pearson’s correlations using R in Rstudio (the IDE). Microplots treated with manure (average 2.16 ppm) retained 60% greater average nitrate levels at the end of the growing season than those treated with a synthetic fertilizer (average 1.35 ppm) (p ≤ 0.05). Moderate and strong correlations were observed between EC and S (r (106) = 0.43, p < 0.001 in loamy sand soil; r (106) = 0.80, p < 0.001 in clay loam soil) and between nitrate and Zn, (r (106) = 0.36, p < 0.001 in loamy sand soil; r (106) = 0.44, p < 0.001 in sandy loam soil) across different soil types. Soil type (texture) emerged as the primary influencing factor on plant-available soil nutrients and characteristics, followed by manure application and tillage practices. The impact of BC and forage crop type varied depending on other experimental factors. Understanding the influence of soil type, amendment application, and tillage on soil nutrient characteristics can guide sustainable forage production practices and soil nutrient management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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16 pages, 3474 KiB  
Article
Effects of Organic Materials and Their Incorporation Depths on Humus Substances Structure and Soil Microbial Communities’ Characteristics in a Chinese Mollisol
by Jiawei Gan, Wenxiu Zou, Xiaozeng Han, Xu Chen, Jun Yan and Xinchun Lu
Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2169; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082169 - 18 Aug 2023
Viewed by 903
Abstract
Organic material incorporation are important agricultural practices, which can influence soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and stabilization. However, the response of interaction between SOC structure and soil microbial to organic material incorporation management are still poorly understood. In 2021, we conducted a three [...] Read more.
Organic material incorporation are important agricultural practices, which can influence soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and stabilization. However, the response of interaction between SOC structure and soil microbial to organic material incorporation management are still poorly understood. In 2021, we conducted a three years field experiment in Guangrong country, northeastern China. Five treatments were established: conventional tillage (CK), conventional tillage with straw incorporation (T1); subsoil tillage with straw incorporation (T2); subsoil tillage with straw and organic manure incorporation (T3) and subsoiling tillage with organic manure incorporation (T4). Fulvic–like and protein–like components were found in fulvic acid (FA) in a 0–15 cm soil layer, while fulvic–like components in humic acid (HA) were found in 0–15 cm and 15–35 cm soil layers. In the 15–35 cm soil layer, the bacterial, fungal and total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) contents were significantly higher by 159.62%, 687.00%, and 139.02% in T3 than CK, respectively. The fungal to bacterial PLFA ratios (F/B) were significantly higher by 97.46% and the Gram–positive bacteria to Gram–negative bacteria PLFA ratios (G+/G−) were lower by 20.99% in T3 than CK in the 15–35 cm soil layer. Therefore, subsoil tillage with straw and organic manure incorporation could be recommended to improve soil quality in Mollisol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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13 pages, 1960 KiB  
Article
Residual Carbon Derived from Different Maize Parts Differed in Soil Organic Carbon Fractions as Affected by Soil Fertility
by Mengmeng Wang, Jiubo Pei, Yaxi Yu and Siyin Wang
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13041121 - 14 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1057
Abstract
Maize straw returning is one of the important measures to improve dryland soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the effects of different maize parts on SOC fractions with different soil fertility levels in situ are not exactly clear. Therefore, an in situ field incubation [...] Read more.
Maize straw returning is one of the important measures to improve dryland soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the effects of different maize parts on SOC fractions with different soil fertility levels in situ are not exactly clear. Therefore, an in situ field incubation experiment over 540 days, by adding different 13C-labeled maize parts (root, stem and leaf) into low- (no fertilizer treatment) and high- (manure treatment) fertility soils, was conducted at a long-term brown earth experimental site in Shenyang of China to figure out the effects of different maize parts on SOC fractions (dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC)). The results showed that the distribution–DOC ratio of low-fertility treatment was higher than that of high-fertility treatment in the period of rapid decomposition of straw. In both low- and high-fertility soils, the ratio of carbon to DOC in leaf residue was higher than that in root and stem residues. The proportion of root, stem and leaf residue converted to DOC in low-fertility soil was 4.51%, 3.89% and 5.00%, respectively. The proportion of root, stem and leaf residue converted to DOC in high-fertility soil was 4.10%, 3.65% and 4.11%, respectively. As for the distribution–POC ratio, during the period of rapid decomposition of straw, the ratio of carbon conversion from root and stem residue to POC was generally higher than that from leaf residue. The ratio of carbon conversion to POC of root, stem and leaf residues in high-fertility treatment was higher than that in low-fertility treatment. In low-fertility treatment, the proportion of root, stem and leaf residues converted to POC was 41.34%, 46.33% and 36.11%, respectively. The proportion of root, stem and leaf residue converted to POC in high-fertility soil was 46.48%, 44.45% and 41.14%, respectively. The results showed that, for DOC, a low fertility level and more leaf residue types were beneficial. While, for POC, root and stem residues with a high fertility level were beneficial. These results provide evidence that the addition of different parts of maize residues would have differing effects on DOC and POC. Leaf residues in low-fertility soils were more suitable for increasing DOC. Root and stem residues in high-fertility soils were more suitable for increasing POC. Nevertheless, we could not ignore the unmeasured SOC fractions that some of the residues could be converted to. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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13 pages, 1565 KiB  
Article
Drip Irrigation at a Soil Water Suction of 30 kPa Helps AMF and GRSP to Enhance Greenhouse Macro-Aggregates
by Xuhong Ye, Jiaqi Li, Jianhui Ma, Qingfeng Fan, Na Yu, Yuling Zhang, Hongtao Zou and Yulong Zhang
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020522 - 11 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1169
Abstract
Drip irrigation is fundamental in water-saving agricultural greenhouses, especially in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) greenhouses. However, a long-term drip irrigation has been observed to be associated with soil degradation, concerning both soil aggregate structure and soil microbial community. To evaluate how drip [...] Read more.
Drip irrigation is fundamental in water-saving agricultural greenhouses, especially in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) greenhouses. However, a long-term drip irrigation has been observed to be associated with soil degradation, concerning both soil aggregate structure and soil microbial community. To evaluate how drip irrigation scheduling influences the soil structure and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a long-term irrigation experiment was carried out in a tomato greenhouse in 2011, using an irrigation program with dripping water starting when the soil reached a suction of 20 kPa (D20), 30 kPa (D30) and 40 kPa (D40). In 2017, we tested the AMF community and soil aggregate composition by soil wet sieving. Aggregates of 0.25–1 mm represented the main class of aggregates (32.4%–43.1%) in this experiment. At D30, we measured the highest mean weight diameter (MWD) and soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) levels. Thus, D30 promoted soil aggregate stability in the greenhouse. According to the high-throughput sequencing results of AMF, Glomus at D30 was the main factor leading to a high soil aggregate stability, because its OTU relative abundance was significantly higher than those of Ambispora and Paraglomus. Through redundancy analysis, the GRSP concentration was positively correlated with the SOC and total N (TN) levels and with the presence of the genera Ambispora, Glomus and Paraglomus. This evidenced that AMF and SOC helped to increase GRSP concentration and aggregate stability. Therefore, initiating irrigation when the soil reaches a water suction of 30 kPa could promote soil aggregate stability by favoring AMF abundance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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16 pages, 4932 KiB  
Article
Effect of Thermal Activation Temperature of Nanoscale Phosphate and Silicate on the Morphological Transformation Characteristics of Cd in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils
by Xiuli Wang and Hongtao Zou
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020406 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Purpose. The problem of heavy metal Cd pollution in the soil is still very serious. The widely used treatment measure is in situ passivation chemical remediation technology. Some studies have shown that the single application of phosphate or silicate can control soil cadmium [...] Read more.
Purpose. The problem of heavy metal Cd pollution in the soil is still very serious. The widely used treatment measure is in situ passivation chemical remediation technology. Some studies have shown that the single application of phosphate or silicate can control soil cadmium pollution, but few studies have been conducted on the effect of the thermal activation temperature of nano phosphate and silicate-combined application on the transformation of Cd form in the soil. Materials and methods. Cadmium-contaminated soil was indoor-simulated, after which the 2.0% soil-weight dose of potassium dihydrogen phosphate was mixed with thermal activation nano serpentine or nano zeolite (potassium dihydrogen phosphate: thermal activation nano serpentine or nano zeolite = 1:2) at different temperatures (0, 350, 550, 700, 850 °C) and compared with the simulated cadmium-contaminated soil without adding a mixture of phosphate and silicate; cadmium content in soil was determined by Tessier five-step continuous extraction method after incubating for 0, 7, 14, 28, and 56 d in jars in the constant-temperature box. Results and discussion. Thermal activation temperature of nano phosphate and silicate could reduce the amount of exchangeable Cd content in the soil to a different degree; the content of Cd in carbonate-bound form, Fe–Mn–oxide-bound form, organically-bound form, and residual form increased. The order of effect of nanoscale potassium dihydrogen phosphate and serpentine or zeolite thermal activation temperature on remediation of Cd contaminated soil is nPS700-2.0 > nPS550-2.0 > nPS850-2.0 > nPS350-2.0 > nPS0-2.0, nPF700-2.0 > nPF550-2.0 > nPF850-2.0 > nPF350-2.0 > nPF0-2.0 (n, P, S, and F represent nanometer, KH2PO4, serpentine, and zeolite, respectively; 0, 350, 550, 700, and 850 represent different activation temperatures T); 700 °C treatments performed better than other thermal activation temperature treatments, and nPS700-2.0 was better than nPF700-2.0. Conclusion. Thermal activation temperature of nano phosphate and silicate-combined application can stabilize heavy metal Cd to some extent and promote the transition of Cd from a bioavailable state to a biounavailable state. The results showed that the combined application of thermal activation temperature of nano phosphate and silicate has a certain potential to control soil cadmium pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Arable Farming Measures on Nutrient Dynamics)
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