Strategies to achieve effective nitrogen activation

Ammonia serves as a crucial chemical raw material and hydrogen energy carrier.Aqueous electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR),powered by renewable energy,has attracted tremendous interest during the past few years.Although some achievements have been revealed in aqueous NRR,significant challenges have also been identified.The activity and selectivity are fundamentally limited by nitrogen activation and competitive hydrogen evolution.This review focuses on the hurdles of nitrogen activation and delves into complementary strategies,including materials design and system optimization(reactor,electrolyte,and mediator).Then,it introduces advanced interdisciplinary technologies that have recently emerged for nitrogen activation using high-energy physics such as plasma and triboelectrification.With a better understanding of the corresponding reaction mechanisms in the coming years,these technologies have the potential to be extended in further applications.This review provides further insight into the reaction mechanisms of selectivity and stability of different reaction systems.We then recommend a rigorous and detailed protocol for investigating NRR performance and also highlight several potential research directions in this exciting field,coupling with advanced interdisciplinary applications,in situ/operando characterizations,and theoretical calculations.

Review of study on mineralization, saturation and cycle of Nitrogen in forest ecosystems

Nitrogen is one of the most important elements that can limit plant growth in forest ecosystems. Studies of nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen saturation and nitrogen cycle in forest ecosystems is very necessary for understanding the productivity of stand, nutrient cycle and turnover of nitrogen of forest ecosystems. Based on comparison and analysis of domestic and in-ternational academic references related to studies on nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen saturation and nitrogen cycle in recent 10 years, the current situation and development of the study on these aspects, and the problems existed in current researches were reviewed. At last, some advices were given for future researches.

Increased dependence on nitrogen-fixation of a native legume in competition with an invasive plant

Suppression of roots and/or their symbiotic microorganisms,such as mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia,is an effective way for alien plants to outcompete native plants.However,little is known about how invasive and native plants interact with the quantity and activity of nutrient-acquisition agents.Here a pot experiment was conducted with monoculture and mixed plantings of an invasive plant,Xanthium strumarium,and a common native legume,Glycine max.We measured traits related to root and nodule quantity and activity and mycorrhizal colonization.Compared to the monoculture,fine root quantity(biomass,surface area)and activity(root nitrogen(N)concentration,acid phosphatase activity)of G.max decreased in mixed plantings;nodule quantity(biomass)decreased by 45%,while nodule activity in Nfixing via rhizobium increased by 106%;mycorrhizal colonization was unaffected.Contribution of N fixation to leaf N content in G.max increased in the mixed plantings,and this increase was attributed to a decrease in the rhizosphere soil N of G.max in the mixed plantings.Increased root quantity and activity,along with a higher mycorrhizal association was observed in X.strumarium in the mixed compared to monoculture.Together,the invasive plant did not directly scavenge N from nodule-fixed N,but rather depleted the rhizosphere soil N of the legume,thereby stimulating the activity of N-fixation and increasing the dependence of the native legume on this N source.The quantity-activity framework holds promise for future studies on how native legumes respond to alien plant invasions.

Effects of Growing of Different Types of Crops on Constitution of Soil Available Nitrogen and Conversion and Utilization of Nitrogen Fertilizer

The soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum were planted in pot under low nitrogen, high nitrogen treatments, the soil available nitrogen constitution and con- version and utilization of nitrogen fertilizer were determined, so as to provide techni- cal guidance for reasonable use and improving use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer for different types of crops. Compared with the control with nitrogen but unplanted crop, growing soybean, cotton, maize, sorghum significantly decreased the soil available N contents by 53. 48%, 51.54%, 33.10%, 55.03%,and influenced the constitution of soil available N. Thereinto, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased soil inorganic N contents by 85.41%, 83.09%, 70.89% and 83.35%,but increased soil hydrolysable organic N contents by 1.41, 1.53, 2.11 and 1.28 times, respectively; growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased the rate of soil inorganic N to available N by 68.61%, 65.09%, 56.47% and 63.00%, but increased the rate of soil hydrolysable organic N to available N by 4.18, 4.21, 3.66 and 4.08 times, respectively. Compared with the control, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly increased the transform rate of ammonium nitrogen fertilizer by 93.66%, 38.19%, 32.58% and 38.31% respectively, and growing soybean treatment had the highest increasing range; the nitrification rates of ammo- nium nitrogen fertilizer of growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum treatments were negative values, and growing soybean treatment had the highest decreasing amplitude. The ammonium nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of growing soybean, cot- ton, maize and sorghum treatments were 52.01%, 28.31%, 24.16% and 28.40% re- spectively and growing soybean treatment had the highest value. In conclusion, growing crops suppressed the soil nitrification and accelerated the development of soil hydrolysable organic nitrogen by the utilization of soil available nitrogen and the alteration of soil environment, and hence impacted the constitution of soil available nitrogen and the transform and use of ammonium nitrogen applied in soil. Legumi- nous crops had stronger ability of suppressing nitrification, making use of ammonium compared with non-Leguminous crops.

An optimized strategy of nitrogen-split application based on the leaf positional differences in chlorophyll meter readings

Modern rice production faces the dual challenges of increasing grain yields while reducing inputs of chemical fertilizer.However,the disequilibrium between the nitrogen(N)supplement from the soil and the demand for N of plants is a serious obstacle to achieving these goals.Plant-based diagnosis can help farmers make better choices regarding the timing and amount of topdressing N fertilizer.Our objective was to evaluate a non-destructive assessment of rice N demands based on the relative SPAD value(RSPAD)due to leaf positional differences.In this study,two field experiments were conducted,including a field experiment of different N rates(Exp.I)and an experiment to evaluate the new strategy of nitrogen-split application based on RSPAD(Exp.II).The results showed that higher N inputs significantly increased grain yield in modern high yielding super rice,but at the expense of lower nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).The N nutrition index(NNI)can adequately differentiate situations of excessive,optimal,and insufficient N nutrition in rice,and the optimal N rate for modern high yielding rice is higher than conventional cultivars.The RSPAD is calculated as the SPAD value of the top fully expanded leaf vs.the value of the third leaf,which takes into account the non-uniform N distribution within a canopy.The RSPAD can be used as an indicator for higher yield and NUE,and guide better management of N fertilizer application.Furthermore,we developed a new strategy of nitrogen-split application based on RSPAD,in which the N rate was reduced by 18.7%,yield was increased by 1.7%,and the agronomic N use efficiency was increased by 27.8%,when compared with standard farmers'practices.This strategy of N fertilization shows great potential for ensuring high yielding and improving NUE at lower N inputs.

Nitrogen rhizodeposition from corn and soybean,and its contribution to the subsequent wheat crops

Nitrogen(N)is a key factor in the positive response of cereal crops that follow leguminous crops when compared to gramineous crops in rotations,with the nonrecyclable rhizosphere-derived N playing an important role.However,quantitative assessments of differences in the N derived from rhizodeposition(NdfR)between legumes and gramineous crops are lacking,and comparative studies on their contributions to the subsequent cereals are scarce.In this study,we conducted a meta-analysis of NdfR from leguminous and gramineous crops based on 34 observations published worldwide.In addition,pot experiments were conducted to study the differences in the NdfR amounts,distributions and subsequent effects of two major wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)-preceding crops,corn(Zea mays L.)and soybean(Glycine max L.),by the cotton wick-labelling method in the main wheat-producing areas of China.The meta-analysis results showed that the NdfR of legumes was significantly greater by 138.93%compared to gramineous crops.In our pot experiment,the NdfR values from corn and soybean were 502.32 and 944.12 mg/pot,respectively,and soybean was also significantly higher than corn,accounting for 76.91 and 84.15%of the total belowground nitrogen of the plants,respectively.Moreover,in different soil particle sizes,NdfR was mainly enriched in the large macro-aggregates(>2 mm),followed by the small macro-aggregates(2–0.25 mm).The amount and proportion of NdfR in the macro-aggregates(>0.25 mm)of soybean were 3.48 and 1.66 times higher than those of corn,respectively,indicating the high utilization potential of soybean NdfR.Regarding the N accumulation of subsequent wheat,the contribution of soybean NdfR to wheat was approximately 3 times that of corn,accounting for 8.37 and 4.04%of the total N uptake of wheat,respectively.In conclusion,soybean NdfR is superior to corn in terms of the quantity and distribution ratio of soil macro-aggregates.In future field production,legume NdfR should be included in the nitrogen pool that can be absorbed and utilized by subsequent crops,and the role and potential of leguminous plants as nitrogen source providers in crop rotation systems should be fully utilized.

Tradeoffs of nitrogen investment between leaf resorption and photosynthesis across soil fertility in Quercus mongolica seedlings during the hardening period

The most important process before leaf senescence is nutrient resorption,which reduces nutrient loss and maximizes plant fitness during the subsequent growth period.However,plants must retain certain levels of nitrogen(N)in their leaves to maintain carbon assimilation during hardening.The objective of this study was to investigate the tradeoffs in N investment between leaf N resorption and N for photosynthesis in seedlings with increased soil fertility during the hardening period.A field experiment was conducted to determine if and how soil fertility treatments(17,34,or 68 mg N seedling−1)affected N resorption and allocation to the photosynthetic apparatus in Quercus mongolica leaves during the hardening period.Seedlings were sampled at T1(after terminal bud formation),T2(between terminal bud formation and end of the growing period),and T3(at the end of the growing period).Results showed that photosynthetic N content continued to rise in T2,while N resorption started from non-photosynthetic N.Leaf N allocation to the photosynthetic apparatus increased as soil fertility increased,delaying N resorption.Additionally,soil fertility significantly affected N partitioning among different photosynthetic components,maintaining or increasing photosynthetic traits during senescence.This study demonstrates a tradeoff in N investment between resorption and photosynthesis to maintain photosynthetic assimilation capacity during the hardening period,and that soil fertility impacts this balance.Q.mongolica leaves primarily resorbed N from the non-photosynthetic apparatus and invested it in the photosynthetic apparatus,whereas different photosynthetic N component allocations effectively improved this pattern.

Water and nitrogen footprint assessment of integrated agronomic practice management in a summer maize cropping system

The footprints of water and nitrogen(WF and NF)provide a comprehensive overview of the type and quantity of water consumption and reactive nitrogen(Nr)loss in crop production.In this study,a field experiment over two years(2019 and 2020)compared three integrated agronomic practice management(IAPM)systems:An improved management system(T2),a high-yield production system(T3),and an integrated soil-crop management system(ISCM)using a local smallholder farmer’s practice system(T1)as control,to investigate the responses of WF,Nr losses,water use efficiency(WUE),and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE)to IAPM.The results showed that IAPM optimized water distribution and promoted water use by summer maize.The evapotranspiration over the whole maize growth period of IAPM increased,but yield increased more,leading to a significant increase in WUE.The WUE of the T2,T3,and ISCM treatments was significantly greater than in the T1 treatment,in 2019 and 2020respectively,by 19.8-21.5,31.8-40.6,and 34.4-44.6%.The lowest WF was found in the ISCM treatment,which was 31.0%lower than that of the T1 treatment.In addition,the ISCM treatment optimized soil total nitrogen(TN)distribution and significantly increased TN in the cultivated layer.Excessive nitrogen fertilizer was applied in treatment T3,producing the highest maize yield,and resulting in the highest Nr losses.In contrast,the ISCM treatment used a reduced nitrogen fertilizer rate,sacrificing grain yield partly,which reduced Nr losses and eventually led to a significant increase in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen recovery.The Nr level in the ISCM treatment was34.8%lower than in the T1 treatment while NUE was significantly higher than in the T1 treatment by 56.8-63.1%in2019 and 2020,respectively.Considering yield,WUE,NUE,WF,and NF together,ISCM should be used as a more sustainable and clean system for sustainable production of summer maize.

Isotope constraints on seasonal dynamics of nitrogen in Zhanjiang Bay, a typical mariculture bay in South China

Eutrophication in coastal waters has been increasing remarkably,severely impacting the water quality in mariculture bays.In this study,we conducted multiple isotopic measurements on suspended particulate nitrogen(δ^(15)N-PN) and dissolved nitrate(δ^(15)N-NO_(3)^(-)and δ^(18)O-NO_(3)^(-)) in Zhanjiang Bay,a typical mariculture bay with a high level of eutrophication in South China,to investigate the changes in nitrogen sources and their cycling between the rainy and dry seasons.During the rainy season,the study found no significant relation between δ^(15)NPN and δ^(15)N-NO_(3)^(-)due to the impact of heavy rainfall and terrestrial erosion.In the upper bay,a slight nitrate loss and slightly higher δ_(15)N-NO_(3)^(-)and δ^(18)O-NO_(3)^(-)values were observed,attributed to intense physical sedimentwater interactions.Despite some fluctuations,nitrate concentrations in the lower bay mainly aligned with the theoretical mixing line during the rainy season,suggesting that nitrate was primarily influenced by terrestrial erosion and that nitrate isotopes resembled the source.Consequently,the isotopic values of nitrate can be used for source apportionment in the rainy season.The results indicated that soil nitrogen(36%) and manure and sewage(33%) were the predominant nitrogen sources contributing to nitrogen loads during this period.In contrast,the dry season saw a deficient ammonium concentration(<0.2 μmol/L) in the bay,due to nearly complete consumption by phytoplankton during the red tide period.Additionally,the significant loss of nitrate and simultaneous increase in the stable isotopes of dissolved and particulate nitrogen suggest a strong coupling of assimilation and mineralization during the dry season.More active biogeochemical processes during the dry season may be related to decreased runoff and increased water retention time.Overall,our study illustrated the major seasonal nitrogen sources and their dynamics in Zhanjiang B ay,providing valuable insights for formulating effective policies to mitigate eutrophication in mariculture bays.

Geographical Distribution of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in China and Its Response to Emission Control Policy

Atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition has experienced significant change because of anthropogenic emissions,thereby exerting a pronounced impact on global ecosystem services.With the rapid development of industry and agriculture and the swift expansion of urban areas in China since the 1980s,reactive nitrogen(Nr)emissions and N deposition have substantially increased.In pursuit of im-proving air quality,China has implemented a series of environmental protection policies and undertaken diverse measures to reduce pol-lutant emissions.This paper is a review of multivariate data sources of atmospheric N deposition based on the results of literature from 1980 to 2023,and the original data from 1980 to 2020 are summarized,counted and calculated.The main findings are as follows:1)the annual average atmospheric N deposition ranged from approximately 20-40 kg/(ha·yr),with the variability primarily linked to different assessment methods;2)regional disparities were evident in the spatial distribution of N deposition,with elevated values concentrated in areas with intense Nr emissions;3)atmospheric N deposition significantly declined after 2010,particularly the deposition of oxidized N,while reduced N deposition remained stable.These results reflect the effects of China's serious control policies on nitrogen oxide(NO.)emissions and strengthen the importance of agricultural NH3 emission mitigation.This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the N dynamics in the emission-deposition process,and provides a scientific foundation for the research of environmental protection,climate change,and sustainable development.

Tracing nitrate sources in one of the world's largest eutrophicated bays(Hangzhou Bay):insights from nitrogen and oxygen isotopes

Eutrophication caused by inputs of excess nitrogen(N) has become a serious environmental problem in Hangzhou Bay(China),but the sources of this nitrogen are not well understood.In this study,the August 2019 distributions of salinity,nutrients [nitrate(NO_(3)^(-)),nitrite,ammonium,and phosphate],and the stable isotopic composition of NO_(3)^(-)(δ^(15)N and δ^(18)O) were used to investigate sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) to Hangzhou B ay.Spatial distributions of nitrate,salinity,and nitrate δ^(18)O indicate that the Qiantang River,the Changjiang River,and nearshore coastal waters may all contribute nitrate to the bay.Based on the isotopic compositions of nitrate in these potential source waters and conservative mixing of nitrate in our study area,we suggest that the NO_(3)^(- )in Hangzhou B ay was likely derived mainly from soils,synthetic N fertilizer,and manure and sewage.End-member modeling indicates that in the upper half of the bay,the Qiantang River was a very important DIN source,possibly contributing more than 50% of DIN in the bay head area.In the lower half of the bay,DIN was sourced mainly from strongly intruding coastal water.DIN coming directly from the Changjiang River made a relatively small contribution to Hangzhou Bay DIN in August 2019.

Influence of nitrogen status on fermentation performances of non-Saccharomyces yeasts:a review

Nitrogen,one of the most crucial nutrients present in grapes and musts,plays a key role in yeast activities during alcoholic fermentation.Such influences are imposed on yeast growth and fermentation performances including the formation of secondary metabolites.Saccharomyces cerevisiae,the main yeast responsible for fermentation,has been studied extensively regarding nitrogen impacts.On the other hand,a similar study for non-Saccharomyces yeasts,whose contributions to winemaking have gradually been acknowledged,remains to be fully explored,with a few studies being reported.This review starts by discussing nitrogen impacts on non-Saccharomyces yeast growth and fermentation kinetics in different case scenarios,then proceeds to summarize the nitrogen preferences of individual yeast strains with regulation mechanisms elucidated by recent studies.Detailed discussions on the influences on the production of volatile compounds and proposed pathways therein are made,followed by future work suggested as the final section.In summarizing the nitrogen impacts on non-Saccharomyces yeasts throughout alcoholic fermentation,this review will be helpful in obtaining a more comprehensive view on these non-conventional wine yeasts in terms of nutrient requirements and corresponding volatile production.Research gaps will therefore be elucidated for future research.

Development of a novel critical nitrogen concentration-cumulative transpiration curve for optimizing nitrogen management under varying irrigation conditions in winter wheat

Accurate nitrogen(N)nutrition diagnosis is essential for improving N use efficiency in crop production.The widely used critical N(Nc)dilution curve traditionally depends solely on agronomic variables,neglecting crop water status.With three-year field experiments with winter wheat,encompassing two irrigation levels(rainfed and irrigation at jointing and anthesis)and three N levels(0,180,and 270 kg ha1),this study aims to establish a novel approach for determining the Nc dilution curve based on crop cumulative transpiration(T),providing a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between N and water availability.The Nc curves derived from both crop dry matter(DM)and T demonstrated N concentration dilution under different conditions with different parameters.The equation Nc=6.43T0.24 established a consistent relationship across varying irrigation regimes.Independent test results indicated that the nitrogen nutrition index(NNI),calculated from this curve,effectively identifies and quantifies the two sources of N deficiency:insufficient N supply in the soil and insufficient soil water concentration leading to decreased N availability for root absorption.Additionally,the NNI calculated from the Nc-DM and Nc-T curves exhibited a strong negative correlation with accumulated N deficit(Nand)and a positive correlation with relative grain yield(RGY).The NNI derived from the Nc-T curve outperformed the NNI derived from the Nc-DM curve concerning its relationship with Nand and RGY,as indicated by larger R2 values and smaller AIC.The novel Nc curve based on T serves as an effective diagnostic tool for assessing winter wheat N status,predicting grain yield,and optimizing N fertilizer management across varying irrigation conditions.These findings would provide new insights and methods to improve the simulations of water-N interaction relationship in crop growth models.

Plant Nitrogen Metabolism: Balancing Resilience to Nutritional Stress andAbiotic Challenges

Plant growth and resilience to abiotic stresses,such as soil salinity and drought,depend intricately on nitrogen metabolism.This review explores nitrogen’s regulatory role in plant responses to these challenges,unveiling a dynamic interplay between nitrogen availability and abiotic stress.In the context of soil salinity,a nuanced rela-tionship emerges,featuring both antagonistic and synergistic interactions between salinity and nitrogen levels.Salinity-induced chlorophyll depletion in plants can be alleviated by optimal nitrogen supplementation;however,excessive nitrogen can exacerbate salinity stress.We delve into the complexities of this interaction and its agri-cultural implications.Nitrogen,a vital element within essential plant structures like chloroplasts,elicits diverse responses based on its availability.This review comprehensively examines manifestations of nitrogen deficiency and toxicity across various crop types,including cereals,vegetables,legumes,and fruits.Furthermore,we explore the broader consequences of nitrogen products,such as N_(2)O,NO_(2),and ammonia,on human health.Understand-ing the intricate relationship between nitrogen and salinity,especially chloride accumulation in nitrate-fed plants and sodium buildup in ammonium-fed plants,is pivotal for optimizing crop nitrogen management.However,prudent nitrogen use is essential,as overapplication can exacerbate nitrogen-related issues.Nitrogen Use Effi-ciency(NUE)is of paramount importance in addressing salinity challenges and enhancing sustainable crop productivity.Achieving this goal requires advancements in crop varieties with efficient nitrogen utilization,pre-cise timing and placement of nitrogen fertilizer application,and thoughtful nitrogen source selection to mitigate losses,particularly urea-based fertilizer volatilization.This review article delves into the multifaceted world of plant nitrogen metabolism and its pivotal role in enabling plant resilience to nutritional stress and abiotic challenges.It offers insights into future directions for sustainable agriculture.

Effects of Slow-release Nitrogen Fertilizer on Yield and Nitrogen Accumulation of Summer Maize in Shajiang Black Soil Area

[Objectives] This study was conducted to verify the field application effect of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer on summer maize in Shajiang black soil area by simultaneous sowing and fertilization, and explore the application scope and nitrogen metabolism mechanism, so as to lay a foundation for fertilizer reduction and efficiency improvement. [Methods] With maize variety Beiqing 340 and sulfur-coated urea as experimental materials, five nitrogen application levels were set, namely, control (C0), slow-release nitrogen 70 kg/hm^(2) (C70), slow-release nitrogen 140 kg/hm^(2) (C140), slow-release nitrogen 210 kg/hm^(2) (C210) and slow-release nitrogen 280 kg/hm^(2) (C280). The phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were all in accordance with the unified standard. [Results] With the application rate of slow-release nitrogen increasing, the nitrogen accumulation in organs increased first and then decreased after tasseling stage of maize. In order to reduce the fertilizing amount and increase efficiency, 210 kg/hm^(2) of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer was the best fertilizing amount for summer maize in Shajiang black soil area. [Conclusions] This study provides reference for fertilizer reduction, efficiency improvement and sustainable development of summer maize in Shajiang black soil area.

Effect of Nitrogen Application on Contents of Different Forms of Nitrogen in Rice Plants

[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different nitrogen application levels and modes on contents of different forms of nitrogen in rice plants.[Method] Using Guichao 2 and Diejiazhan as test materials,with total nitrogen,protein nitrogen,chlorophyll nitrogen,soluble protein nitrogen,Rubisco nitrogen,free amino acid nitrogen as indicators,the effect of nitrogen application on contents of different forms of nitrogen in rice plants were studied.[Result] The contents of total nitrogen,protein nitrogen,chlorophyll nitrogen,soluble protein nitrogen,Rubisco-N,free amino nitrogen of rice plant during heading and maturity stage increased with the increasing application amount of nitrogen,and their contents would be high under heavy application of spike fertilizer when the application amount of nitrogen was the same.However,application of nitrogen had different impact on different forms of nitrogen,which showed obvious impact on the contents of Rubisco-N and free amino nitrogen.The differences of Rubisco-N and free amino nitrogen content of two varieties during heading and maturity stage under different nitrogen application modes all reached significant or extremely significant level.Correlation analysis showed that total nitrogen content of rice plant had extremely significant correlation with protein nitrogen content during heading and maturity stage in both early and late seasons.[Conclusion] The study provided a theoretical basis for clarifying the regulatory role of nitrogen application on nitrogen absorption and utilization.

Exploration and Practice of Nitrogen Addition Process for LF Refining Ladle Bottom Blowing Nitrogen Steel Liquid

This article discusses and analyzes the law of nitrogen increase in liquid steel and the main factors affect-ing the nitrogen increasing of molten steel,through the way of adding nitrogen to molten steel by bottom blowing nitrogen gas in LF refining process.It is considered that the main factors affecting the nitrogen increasing instability of molten steel are the initial temperature of LF refining,nitrogen relative element,surface active elements[O]and[S]of steel liquid,and bottom blowing rate of ladle.The large-scale production practice shows that T[O]not more than 50×10-6 and[S]is not more than 0.020 in LF refining at the initial temperature of not less than 1570.The liquid steel nitrogen enrichment test is carried out by ladle bottom blowing nitrogen gas after 20 min of refining,the flow rate is set as(6.0~7.0)NL/min per ton,and it is turned to 2 NL/min at 6 min before the end of refining,the nitrogen increasing rate of liquid steel is basically stable at(5~6)×10-6 per minute.

Postponed and reduced basal nitrogen application improves nitrogen use efficiency and plant growth of winter wheat

Excessive nitrogen(N) fertilization with a high basal N ratio in wheat can result in lower N use efficiency(NUE) and has led to environmental problems in the Yangtze River Basin, China. However, wheat requires less N fertilizer at seedling growth stage, and its basal N fertilizer utilization efficiency is relatively low; therefore, reducing the N application rate at the seedling stage and postponing the N fertilization period may be effective for reducing N application and increasing wheat yield and NUE. A 4-year field experiment was conducted with two cultivars under four N rates(240 kg N ha–1(N240), 180 kg N ha–1(N180), 150 kg N ha–1(N150), and 0 kg N ha–1(N0)) and three basal N application stages(seeding(L0), fourleaf stage(L4), and six-leaf stage(L6)) to investigate the effects of reducing the basal N application rate and postponing the basal N fertilization period on grain yield, NUE, and N balance in a soil-wheat system. There was no significant difference in grain yield between the N180 L4 and N240 L0(control) treatments, and the maximum N recovery efficiency and N agronomy efficiency were observed in the N180 L4 treatment. Grain yield and NUE were the highest in the L4 treatment. The leaf area index, flag leaf photosynthesis rate, flag leaf nitrate reductase and glutamine synthase activities, dry matter accumulation, and N uptake post-jointing under N180 L4 did not differ significantly from those under N240 L0. Reduced N application decreased the inorganic N content in the 0–60-cm soil layer, and the inorganic N content of the L6 treatment was higher than those of the L0 and L4 treatments at the same N level. Surplus N was low under the reduced N rates and delayed basal N application treatments. Therefore, postponing and reducing basal N fertilization could maintain a high yield and improve NUE by improving the photosynthetic production capacity, promoting N uptake and assimilation, and reducing surplus N in soil-wheat systems.

Optimized nitrogen application methods to improve nitrogen use efficiency and nodule nitrogen fixation in a maize-soybean relay intercropping system

In China, the abuse of chemical nitrogen （N） fertilizer results in decreasing N use efficiency （NUE）, wasting resources and causing serious environmental problems. Cereal-legume intercropping is widely used to enhance crop yield and improve resource use efficiency, especially in Southwest China. To optimize N utilization and increase grain yield, we conducted a two-year field experiment with single-factor randomized block designs of a maize-soybean intercropping system （IMS）. Three N rates, NN （no nitrogen application）, LN （lower N application： 270 kg N ha-1）, and CN （conventional N application： 330 kg N ha-1）, and three topdressing distances of LN （LND）, e.g., 15 cm （LND1）, 30 cm （LND2） and 45 cm （LND3） from maize rows were evaluated. At the beginning seed stage （R5）, the leghemoglobin content and nitrogenase activity of LND3 were 1.86 mg plant-1 and 0.14 mL h-1 plant-1, and those of LND1 and LND2 were increased by 31.4 and 24.5%, 6.4 and 32.9% compared with LND3, respectively. The ureide content and N accumulation of soybean organs in LND1 and LND2 were higher than those of LND3. The N uptake, NUE and N agronomy efficiency （NAE） of IMS under CN were 308.3 kg ha-1, 28.5%, and 5.7 kg grain kg-1 N, respectively; however, those of LN were significantly increased by 12.4, 72.5, and 51.6% compared with CN, respectively. The total yield in LND1 and LND2 was increased by 12.3 and 8.3% compared with CN, respectively. Those results suggested that LN with distances of 15-30 cm from the topdressing strip to the maize row was optimal in maize-soybean intercropping. Lower N input with an optimized fertilization location for IMS increased N fixation and N use efficiency without decreasing grain yield.

Efficient Management of Nitrogen Fertilizers for Flooded Rice in Relation to Nitrogen Transformations in Flooded Soils

Recent progresses in efficient management of nitrogen fertilizers for flooded rice in relation to nitrogen transformations in flooded soil were reviewed.Considerable progress has been achieved in the investigation on the mechanism of ammonia loss and the factors affecting it .However,little progress has been obtained in the investigations on nitrification-denitrification loss owing to the lack of method for estimating the fluxes of gaseous N products.Thus,so far the management practices developed or under investigation primarily for reducing ammonia loss are feasible or promising,while those for reducing nitrification-denitrification loss seem obscure,except the point deep placement. In addition,it was emphasized that the prediction of soil N supply and the recommendation of the optimal rate of N application based on it are only semi-quantitative.The priorities in research for improving the prediction are indicated.