Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,t...Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.展开更多
In forage grasses, the nitrogen concentration is directly related to the nutritional value. The studies examined the hypothesis that global elevation of CO2 concentration probably affects the biomass, nitrogen （N） c...In forage grasses, the nitrogen concentration is directly related to the nutritional value. The studies examined the hypothesis that global elevation of CO2 concentration probably affects the biomass, nitrogen （N） concentration, and allocation and distribution patterns in the organs of forage grasses. While sainfoin （Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.） seedlings grew on a low nutrient soil in closed chambers for 90 days, they were exposed to two CO2 concentrations （ambient or ambient＋350 μmol mol^-1 CO2） without adding nutrients to them. After 90 days exposure to CO2, the biomasses of leaves, stems, and roots, and N concentrations and contents of different parts were measured. Compared with the ambient CO2 concentration, the elevated CO2 concentration increased the total dry matter by 25.07%, mainly due to the root and leaf having positive response to the elevated CO2 concentration. However, the elevated CO2 concentration did not change the proportions of the dry matters in different parts and the total plants compared with the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration lowered the N concentrations of the plant parts. Because the dry matter was higher, the elevated CO2 concentration had no effect on the N content in the plants compared to the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration promoted N allocations of the different parts significantly and increased N allocation of the underground part. The results have confirmed the previous suggestions that the elevated CO2 concentration stimulates plant biomass production and decreases the N concentrations of the plant parts.展开更多
Mass microalgal culture plays an irreplaceable role in aquaculture,but microalgal productivity is restricted by traditional autotrophic culture conditions.In the present study,a Tetraselmis chuii strain belonging to t...Mass microalgal culture plays an irreplaceable role in aquaculture,but microalgal productivity is restricted by traditional autotrophic culture conditions.In the present study,a Tetraselmis chuii strain belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta was isolated from south Yellow Sea.The growth rate and biomass productivity of this strain was higher under mixotrophic conditions with different carbon:nitrogen(C:N)ratios than those under autotrophic conditions.When the C:N ratio was 16,the optical density and biomass productivity were 3.7-and 5-fold higher than their corresponding values under autotrophic culture conditions,respectively.Moreover,T.chuii synthesized more polysaccharides and total lipids under mixotrophic conditions.In addition,T.chuii cultured under mixotrophic conditions synthesized more types of fatty acids than autotrophic culture conditions.At a C:N ratio of 16,the percentage of C16:0 and C18:1 reached 30.08%and 24.65%of the total fatty acid(TFA) content,respectively.These findings may provide a basis for largescale mixotrophic culture of T.chuii,as a potential bait-microalga.展开更多
Elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry(EA/TRMS) has been widely applied to analyze the^(15)N/^(14)N isotope composition(δ^(15)N) of plants and soils,but the δ^(15)N results may be inaccurate due to incom...Elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry(EA/TRMS) has been widely applied to analyze the^(15)N/^(14)N isotope composition(δ^(15)N) of plants and soils,but the δ^(15)N results may be inaccurate due to incomplete combustion of the high-C/N-ratio plant samples by EA.Therefore,it is necessary to develop a method to solve the problem of imperfect combustion.In this study,we used two methods:1) adding copper oxide powder to the samples,and 2) increasing the O_2 flow(from 100 mL min^(-1) to 200 mL min^(-1)) for the auto sampler inlet purge line of the EA.The δ^(15)N values of the plant samples became more positive and tended to be stable after complete combustion.Also,the required blank samples for each plant sample decreased with increasing amount of the added CuO powder.However,at 200 mL min^(-1) of the oxygen flow in the EA,complete combustion could not be achieved without adding copper oxide,but this was done with decreased amount of CuO powder.Therefore,mixing cupric oxide into the high-C/N-ratio samples was an efficient,simple and convenient way to solve the problem of imperfect combustion in the EA.展开更多
Cover crop system has shown a potential approach to improving carbon sequestration and environmental quality. Six of each winter and summer cover crops were subsequently grown in two soils, Krome gravelly loam soil (K...Cover crop system has shown a potential approach to improving carbon sequestration and environmental quality. Six of each winter and summer cover crops were subsequently grown in two soils, Krome gravelly loam soil (KGL), and Quincy fine sandy soil (QFS), in phytotrons at 3 temperatures (10/20, 15/25, 25/30oC for winter/summer cover crops) to investigate their contributions for carbon (C) sequestration. Among winter cover crops, the highest and the lowest amounts of C accumulated were by bellbean (Vicia faba L.), 597 g/m2 and white clover (Trifolium repens), 149 g/m2, respectively, in the QFS soil. Among summer cover crops, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) accumulated the largest quantity of C (481 g/m2), while that by castorbean (Ricinus communis) was 102 g/m2 at 30oC in the KGL soil. The mean net C remained in the residues following the 127 d decomposition were 187 g/m2 of C (73% of the total) and 91 g/m2 (52% of the total) for the winter and summer cover crops, respectively. Following a whole cycle of winter and summer cover crops grown, the mean soil organic C (SOC) increased by 13.8 and 39.1% in the KGL and QFS soil, respectively, compared to the respective soils before. The results suggest that triticale, ryegrass, and bellbean are the promising winter cover crops in the QFS soil, while sunn hemp, velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens), and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor ×S. bicolor) are recommended summer cover crops for both soils under favorable temperatures.展开更多
The irfluences of C/S mass ratio and kieserite im-pregnation on performance of 95-grade magnesia bricks prepared using sintered magnesia DBM95 as main start-ing material, silica fi, me and limestone as additives were ...The irfluences of C/S mass ratio and kieserite im-pregnation on performance of 95-grade magnesia bricks prepared using sintered magnesia DBM95 as main start-ing material, silica fi, me and limestone as additives were researched. The cold and hot physical properties were tested according to Chinese standards on refractories. The hydration resistance was determined in a high pres-sure autoclave with 0. 55 MPa of water vapor pressure for different holding times of 0. 5 h, 3 h, and 5 h. The tri-al results show （ 1 ） adding silica fume to decrease C/S ratio from 0. 84 to 0. 33 improves sintering property; addin,g limestone to increase C/S ratio J？om 0. 84 to 1.95 causes more pores and negatively influences physi-cal properties： BD decreases, AP increases, MOR and CCS decrease generally, but HMOR increases obviously; （2） for non-impregnated specimens, adjusting C/S mass ratio can not improve hydration resistance; （3） the impregnation with kieserite solution can improve hydra-tion resistance of magnesia bricks significantly.展开更多
[Objective]The aim was to study the effects of regulation of C/N ratio wheat straw application on tobacco nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium uptake. [Method]Effects of regulation C/N ratio wheat straw application on th...[Objective]The aim was to study the effects of regulation of C/N ratio wheat straw application on tobacco nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium uptake. [Method]Effects of regulation C/N ratio wheat straw application on the flue-cured tobacco yield,output value,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium content and cumulative uptake of the upper,middle and bottom leaf were studied by using the field plot experiments at Banqiao town,Qujing city,Yunnan Province during the 2008-2009 summer growing seasons. [Result]The results showed that the application of wheat straw alone or after C/N regulation,could significantly increase tobacco production,potassium content,the potassium and nitrogen accumulation amount of leaf,and was more conducive to the potassium uptake of tobacco leaf with wheat straw application after C/N regulation. Compared with non-straw application,the yield of tobacco increased by 6.59%,3.58%,5.98%,8.80% with application of wheat straw alone,wheat straw and vetch,wheat straw and oilseed cake,wheat straw and urea nitrogen,the potassium content in tobacco leaf increased by 3.85%,7.76%,8.82%,11.21%,respectively,the total potassium cumulative amount of leaf increased by 10.71%,11.62%,15.32% ,21.01% and the total nitrogen cumulative amount increased by 9.76%,1.22%,8.14%,14.00%. However,the differences of tobacco leaf nitrogen content among the different treatments were not significant,the phosphorus uptake of tobacco leaf decreased. [Conclusion]application of high C/N ratio wheat straw in flue-cured tobacco production,which should be concerned not only to adjust C/N ratio by adding nitrogen,but also considering additional phosphorus application.展开更多
The quality of straw affects N release after straw retention. As straw with high C： N ratio could result in N immobilization, additional N is needed to compensate N demand of crops. However, more and more N fertilize...The quality of straw affects N release after straw retention. As straw with high C： N ratio could result in N immobilization, additional N is needed to compensate N demand of crops. However, more and more N fertilizers have been applied to the soil to improve crop yields in China, which not only increases production cost but also reduces soil quality. Therefore, reasonable application of N fertilizer becomes a key problem after straw retention. This study aimed to assess the effects of applying maize straw with high quality alfalfa straw on mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity under controlled conditions. The effect of applying maize straw with alfalfa straw was compared with that of maize straw in combination with N fertilizer under the same C： N ratio （25：1）. The laboratory incubation experiment consisted of four treatments： （1） soil with no addition （CK）; （2） soil amended with maize straw （M）; （3） soil amended with alfalfa straw and maize straw with an adjusted C： N ratio of 25：1 （MM）; （4） soil amended with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and maize straw with an adjusted C：N ratio of 25：1 （MF）. The results showed that application of maize straw leaded to an N immobilization during the 270 d of incubation. Combined application of alfalfa and maize straw and or mineral N fertilizer alleviates the N immobilization and increase soil mineral N content. Compared to MF treatment, MM treatment prolonged N availability during the incubation. MM and MF treatments increased the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, and soil invertase and β-glycosidase activities. There was no difference between MM and M treatment in soil urease activity. MF treatment had significantly negative influence on soil urease activity compared with M treatment. The amount of added N significantly affected mineral N content, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity. The mixture of alfalfa straw and maize straw sustains higher level of mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity as it had high N input compared to maize straw in combination with N fertilizer. It is concluded that alfalfa straw may be a better N source than N fertilizer in alleviating N immobilization caused by maize straw retention.展开更多
文摘目的分析体质量指数(Body mass index,BMI)与老年慢性心力衰竭(Chronic heart failure,CHF)患者血浆胱抑素C(cystatinC,Cys-C)、N末端B型利钠肽原(N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide,NT-proBNP)水平相关性,并分析血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP评估老年CHF患者预后价值。方法选择2021年7月—2022年10月在本院接受治疗的192例老年慢性心力衰竭(CHF)患者作为研究对象,按照BMI指数分为肥胖组(49例)、超重组(68例)和正常组(75例)三组。对比各亚组患者血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平差异,采用Pearson相关性分析的方式探究老年CHF患者BMI指数与血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP相关性,对入组患者实施12个月随访,将患者按照预后情况区分为死亡组和存活组,对比两亚组患者血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平差异并评估预后评估价值。结果肥胖组患者血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平高于超重组,超重组患者血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平高于正常组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);入组老年CHF患者的BMI指数与其血浆Cys-C、NT-proBN水平均呈现明显的正相关性(r=0.7104,P<0.0001)(r=0.6603,P<0.0001);随访12个月显示,死亡组患者的血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平显著高于存活组患者,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP对老年CHF预后评估曲线下面积(area under curv,AUC)为0.6930(P=0.0009)、0.7982(P<0.0001)。结论老年CHF患者随BMI指数升高,血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP水平逐渐升高,血浆Cys-C、NT-proBNP对老年CHF临床结局具有一定的预测价值,进一步研究有推广应用于老年CHF预后评估潜力。
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31871584)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ZDRW202201)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution, China (1610132020011)the “Open the list” in charge of the Science and Technology Project of Ordos, Center for Agro-pastoral Ecology and Resource Conservation of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China (JBGS2021-001)the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Research Project (2021EEDSCXSFQZD011)。
文摘Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.
基金supported by the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education(SRFDP200807181008)the Science Fund of Shaanxi Normal University for the Young Scholars,China
文摘In forage grasses, the nitrogen concentration is directly related to the nutritional value. The studies examined the hypothesis that global elevation of CO2 concentration probably affects the biomass, nitrogen （N） concentration, and allocation and distribution patterns in the organs of forage grasses. While sainfoin （Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.） seedlings grew on a low nutrient soil in closed chambers for 90 days, they were exposed to two CO2 concentrations （ambient or ambient＋350 μmol mol^-1 CO2） without adding nutrients to them. After 90 days exposure to CO2, the biomasses of leaves, stems, and roots, and N concentrations and contents of different parts were measured. Compared with the ambient CO2 concentration, the elevated CO2 concentration increased the total dry matter by 25.07%, mainly due to the root and leaf having positive response to the elevated CO2 concentration. However, the elevated CO2 concentration did not change the proportions of the dry matters in different parts and the total plants compared with the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration lowered the N concentrations of the plant parts. Because the dry matter was higher, the elevated CO2 concentration had no effect on the N content in the plants compared to the ambient CO2 concentration. The elevated CO2 concentration promoted N allocations of the different parts significantly and increased N allocation of the underground part. The results have confirmed the previous suggestions that the elevated CO2 concentration stimulates plant biomass production and decreases the N concentrations of the plant parts.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973Program)(Nos.2011CB200901,2011CB200904)the National Key Technology Research and Development Program(No.2011BAD14B01)+1 种基金the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(863 Program)(No.2013AA065801)the Special Foundation for Marine Renewable Energy(No.GHME2011SW03)
文摘Mass microalgal culture plays an irreplaceable role in aquaculture,but microalgal productivity is restricted by traditional autotrophic culture conditions.In the present study,a Tetraselmis chuii strain belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta was isolated from south Yellow Sea.The growth rate and biomass productivity of this strain was higher under mixotrophic conditions with different carbon:nitrogen(C:N)ratios than those under autotrophic conditions.When the C:N ratio was 16,the optical density and biomass productivity were 3.7-and 5-fold higher than their corresponding values under autotrophic culture conditions,respectively.Moreover,T.chuii synthesized more polysaccharides and total lipids under mixotrophic conditions.In addition,T.chuii cultured under mixotrophic conditions synthesized more types of fatty acids than autotrophic culture conditions.At a C:N ratio of 16,the percentage of C16:0 and C18:1 reached 30.08%and 24.65%of the total fatty acid(TFA) content,respectively.These findings may provide a basis for largescale mixotrophic culture of T.chuii,as a potential bait-microalga.
文摘Elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry(EA/TRMS) has been widely applied to analyze the^(15)N/^(14)N isotope composition(δ^(15)N) of plants and soils,but the δ^(15)N results may be inaccurate due to incomplete combustion of the high-C/N-ratio plant samples by EA.Therefore,it is necessary to develop a method to solve the problem of imperfect combustion.In this study,we used two methods:1) adding copper oxide powder to the samples,and 2) increasing the O_2 flow(from 100 mL min^(-1) to 200 mL min^(-1)) for the auto sampler inlet purge line of the EA.The δ^(15)N values of the plant samples became more positive and tended to be stable after complete combustion.Also,the required blank samples for each plant sample decreased with increasing amount of the added CuO powder.However,at 200 mL min^(-1) of the oxygen flow in the EA,complete combustion could not be achieved without adding copper oxide,but this was done with decreased amount of CuO powder.Therefore,mixing cupric oxide into the high-C/N-ratio samples was an efficient,simple and convenient way to solve the problem of imperfect combustion in the EA.
文摘Cover crop system has shown a potential approach to improving carbon sequestration and environmental quality. Six of each winter and summer cover crops were subsequently grown in two soils, Krome gravelly loam soil (KGL), and Quincy fine sandy soil (QFS), in phytotrons at 3 temperatures (10/20, 15/25, 25/30oC for winter/summer cover crops) to investigate their contributions for carbon (C) sequestration. Among winter cover crops, the highest and the lowest amounts of C accumulated were by bellbean (Vicia faba L.), 597 g/m2 and white clover (Trifolium repens), 149 g/m2, respectively, in the QFS soil. Among summer cover crops, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) accumulated the largest quantity of C (481 g/m2), while that by castorbean (Ricinus communis) was 102 g/m2 at 30oC in the KGL soil. The mean net C remained in the residues following the 127 d decomposition were 187 g/m2 of C (73% of the total) and 91 g/m2 (52% of the total) for the winter and summer cover crops, respectively. Following a whole cycle of winter and summer cover crops grown, the mean soil organic C (SOC) increased by 13.8 and 39.1% in the KGL and QFS soil, respectively, compared to the respective soils before. The results suggest that triticale, ryegrass, and bellbean are the promising winter cover crops in the QFS soil, while sunn hemp, velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens), and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor ×S. bicolor) are recommended summer cover crops for both soils under favorable temperatures.
文摘The irfluences of C/S mass ratio and kieserite im-pregnation on performance of 95-grade magnesia bricks prepared using sintered magnesia DBM95 as main start-ing material, silica fi, me and limestone as additives were researched. The cold and hot physical properties were tested according to Chinese standards on refractories. The hydration resistance was determined in a high pres-sure autoclave with 0. 55 MPa of water vapor pressure for different holding times of 0. 5 h, 3 h, and 5 h. The tri-al results show （ 1 ） adding silica fume to decrease C/S ratio from 0. 84 to 0. 33 improves sintering property; addin,g limestone to increase C/S ratio J？om 0. 84 to 1.95 causes more pores and negatively influences physi-cal properties： BD decreases, AP increases, MOR and CCS decrease generally, but HMOR increases obviously; （2） for non-impregnated specimens, adjusting C/S mass ratio can not improve hydration resistance; （3） the impregnation with kieserite solution can improve hydra-tion resistance of magnesia bricks significantly.
基金Supported by National Science and Technology Support Program(2006BAD05B06-04)~~
文摘[Objective]The aim was to study the effects of regulation of C/N ratio wheat straw application on tobacco nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium uptake. [Method]Effects of regulation C/N ratio wheat straw application on the flue-cured tobacco yield,output value,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium content and cumulative uptake of the upper,middle and bottom leaf were studied by using the field plot experiments at Banqiao town,Qujing city,Yunnan Province during the 2008-2009 summer growing seasons. [Result]The results showed that the application of wheat straw alone or after C/N regulation,could significantly increase tobacco production,potassium content,the potassium and nitrogen accumulation amount of leaf,and was more conducive to the potassium uptake of tobacco leaf with wheat straw application after C/N regulation. Compared with non-straw application,the yield of tobacco increased by 6.59%,3.58%,5.98%,8.80% with application of wheat straw alone,wheat straw and vetch,wheat straw and oilseed cake,wheat straw and urea nitrogen,the potassium content in tobacco leaf increased by 3.85%,7.76%,8.82%,11.21%,respectively,the total potassium cumulative amount of leaf increased by 10.71%,11.62%,15.32% ,21.01% and the total nitrogen cumulative amount increased by 9.76%,1.22%,8.14%,14.00%. However,the differences of tobacco leaf nitrogen content among the different treatments were not significant,the phosphorus uptake of tobacco leaf decreased. [Conclusion]application of high C/N ratio wheat straw in flue-cured tobacco production,which should be concerned not only to adjust C/N ratio by adding nitrogen,but also considering additional phosphorus application.
文摘The quality of straw affects N release after straw retention. As straw with high C： N ratio could result in N immobilization, additional N is needed to compensate N demand of crops. However, more and more N fertilizers have been applied to the soil to improve crop yields in China, which not only increases production cost but also reduces soil quality. Therefore, reasonable application of N fertilizer becomes a key problem after straw retention. This study aimed to assess the effects of applying maize straw with high quality alfalfa straw on mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity under controlled conditions. The effect of applying maize straw with alfalfa straw was compared with that of maize straw in combination with N fertilizer under the same C： N ratio （25：1）. The laboratory incubation experiment consisted of four treatments： （1） soil with no addition （CK）; （2） soil amended with maize straw （M）; （3） soil amended with alfalfa straw and maize straw with an adjusted C： N ratio of 25：1 （MM）; （4） soil amended with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and maize straw with an adjusted C：N ratio of 25：1 （MF）. The results showed that application of maize straw leaded to an N immobilization during the 270 d of incubation. Combined application of alfalfa and maize straw and or mineral N fertilizer alleviates the N immobilization and increase soil mineral N content. Compared to MF treatment, MM treatment prolonged N availability during the incubation. MM and MF treatments increased the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, and soil invertase and β-glycosidase activities. There was no difference between MM and M treatment in soil urease activity. MF treatment had significantly negative influence on soil urease activity compared with M treatment. The amount of added N significantly affected mineral N content, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity. The mixture of alfalfa straw and maize straw sustains higher level of mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity as it had high N input compared to maize straw in combination with N fertilizer. It is concluded that alfalfa straw may be a better N source than N fertilizer in alleviating N immobilization caused by maize straw retention.
