Characterization and QTL identification in eggplant introgression lines under two N fertilization levels

Lowering nitrogen inputs is a major goal for sustainable agriculture.In the present study,a set of 10 Solanum melongena introgression lines(ILs)developed using Solanum incanum as the exotic donor parent were grown under two nitrogen fertilization doses supplied with the irrigation system:1)8.25 mmol·L-1NH4NO3,corresponding to the high nitrogen treatment(HN),and 2)no external nitrogen supply,corresponding to the low nitrogen treatment(LN).Twenty traits,including plant growth and yield parameters,fruit size and morphology,nitrogen and carbon content in leaf and fruit,and phenolics content in fruit,were evaluated.The aim was to select of potential materials for eggplant breeding under low N inputs,as well as to identify and locate putative QTLs associated with the traits evaluated.No significant differences were observed between the soil characteristics of the HN and LN treatments,except for nitrogen and iron content,which was slightly lower in the HN,probably as a consequence of higher nutrient removal from soil by plants in the latter group.Analysis of variance showed that lowering nitrogen inputs did not significantly affect the final yield,fruit morphology,size and phenolics content.Most agronomic traits were highly and positively correlated with each other under both treatments,as well as total phenolics with chlorogenic acid content.The assessment of the differences between each IL and the recipient parent resulted in the identification of 36 QTLs associated with most of the traits—12 were specific to the HN,17 specific to the LN,and 7 were stable across treatments.The introgressed fragment of S.incanum generally had a negative effect on the trait,except for QTLs for fruit dry matter,for fruit length on chromosome 10 under the HN,and for fruit pedicel length on chromosome 9 under the LN.The increase over AN-S-26 of the allele of S.incanum for the QTLs detected ranged between-73.98% and 26.03% in HN and-73.67%and 34.43% in LN.These findings provide useful tools for the utilization of S.incanum in eggplant breeding under lower nitrogen fertilization.

Fate of fertilizer nitrogen and residual nitrogen in paddy soil in Northeast China

The relationship between the fate of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and the N application rate in paddy fields in Northeast China is unclear,as is the fate of residual N.To clarify these issues,paddy field and15N microplot experiments were carried out in 2017 and 2018,with N applications at five levels:0,75,105,135 and 165 kg N ha–1(N0,N75,N105,N135 and N165,respectively).15N-labeled urea was applied to the microplots in 2017,and the same amount of unlabeled urea was applied in 2018.Ammonia (NH3) volatilization,leaching,surface runoff,rice yield,the N contents and15N abundances of both plants and soil were analyzed.The results indicated a linear platform model for rice yield and the application rate of N fertilizer,and the optimal rate was 135 kg N ha–1.N uptake increased with an increasing N rate,and the recovery efficiency of applied N (REN) values of the difference subtraction method were 45.23 and 56.98%on average in 2017and 2018,respectively.The RENwas the highest at the N rate of 135 kg ha–1in 2017 and it was insignificantly affected by the N application rate in 2018,while the agronomic efficiency of applied N (AEN) and physiological efficiency of applied N (PEN) decreased significantly when excessive N was applied.N loss through NH3volatilization,leaching and surface runoff was low in the paddy fields in Northeast China.NH3volatilization accounted for 0.81 and 2.99%of the total N application in 2017 and 2018,respectively.On average,the leaching and surface runoff rates were 4.45% and less than 1.05%,respectively,but the apparent denitrification loss was approximately 42.63%.The residual N fertilizer in the soil layer (0–40 cm) was 18.37–31.81 kg N ha–1in 2017,and the residual rate was 19.28–24.50%.Residual15N from fertilizer in the soil increased significantly with increasing N fertilizer,which was mainly concentrated in the 0–10 cm soil layer,accounting for 58.45–83.54% of the total residual N,and decreased with increasing depth.While the ratio of residual N in the 0–10 cm soil layer to that in the 0–40 cm soil layer was decreased with increasing N application.Furthermore,of the residual N,approximately 5.4%was taken up on average in the following season and 50.2%was lost,but 44.4%remained in the soil.Hence,the amount of applied N fertilizer should be reduced appropriately due to the high residual N in paddy fields in Northeast China.The appropriate N fertilizer rate in the northern fields in China was determined to be 105–135 kg N ha–1in order to achieve a balance between rice yield and high N fertilizer uptake.

Optimizing N fertilizer use for sesame under rain fed and irrigation conditions in Northern Ethiopia

Inappropriate use of fertilizers is one of the major production constraints in sesame. Studies on N fertilizer optimization on sesame were conducted at Humera Agricultural Research Center(Hu ARC) under rain fed and irrigation conditions. Thirteen(13) N doses were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design(RCBD)during 2016–2018 for rainfed conditions and 2017 to 2019 for irrigation conditions. The study was conducted with objective to optimize N fertilizer use for sesame. In the rainfed condition, the results demonstrated a prolonged duration to reach 50% flowering with higher nitrogen(N) application rates. The application of 52.5–110kg N ha^(-1) resulted in significantly higher seed yield, while lower(18 kg N ha^(-1)) and higher(156 kg N ha^(-1)) doses of N led to reduced seed yield. Under irrigation conditions, superior seed weights and maximum seed yield were observed at 64 and 75 kg N ha^(-1), whereas lower N doses resulted in diminished seed yield. The agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer(N-AE) was found to be highest at the rate of 64 kg N ha^(-1) under both growing conditions.The partial budget analysis revealed that applying 64 kg N ha^(-1) for rainfed cultivation and between 64 and 75 kg N ha^(-1) for irrigated sesame production yielded greater net profit, MRR, and residual ranking. Therefore, it is recommended to apply a rate of 64 kg N ha^(-1) for rainfed sesame cultivation and between 64 up to 75 kg N ha^(-1) for the irrigated sesame inorder to increase the productivity of this crop.

Effects of Postponing N Application on Metabolism,Absorption and Utilization of Nitrogen of Summer Maize in SuperHigh Yield Region

[Objective] The aim was to explore effects of application postponing of N fertilizer and the mechanism of yield increase in order to provide references for N fertilizer application in a rational way. [Method] In a super-high yielded region of summer maize, field experiment was conducted to research effects of N fertilizer postponing on key enzymes of N metabolism, yield of maize and N fertilizer use. [Result] After application of N fertilizer was postponed, NR, SPS and GS activities of ear-leaf of summer maize increased by 11.99%-34.87%, 8.25%-10.64% and 10.00%- 16.81% on the 28^th d of silking; content of soluble sugar in leaves enhanced signifi- cantly and accumulated nitrogen increased by 5.00%-9.74% in mature stage. The postponing fertilization of ＂30% of fertilizer in seedling stage＋30% of fertilizer in flare- opening stage＋40% of fertilizer in silking stage meets N demands of summer maize in late growth period. Compared with conventional fertilization, the maize yield, agro- nomic efficiency and use of N fertilizer all improved by 5.05%, 1.75 kg/kg and 6.87%, respectively, after application postponed. [Conclusion] Application postponing of N fertilizer maintains activity of NR, GS and SPS higher and coordinates metabolism of C and N in late growth period, to further improve yield of maize.

Effect of Controlled Release Nitrogen on Wheat Growth and Yield

[Objective] Effects of controlled release N fertilizers on wheat growth and yield were studied to provide reference for the application of controlled release fertilizers on wheat. [Method] A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different types and levels of controlled release N fertilizers on the growth and yield of wheat. In this experiment, a treatment with the application of common urea and potassium chloride（common fertilizer） was established, and treatments with controlled release N fertilizers A and B with different coating materials were also established. [Result] The results showed that under the condition of the same P and K levels, controlled release N fertilizer A at a proportion of 100%, controlled release N fertilizer A at a proportion of 80% and controlled release N fertilizer B at a proportion of 80% could promote wheat growth, optimize yield components, and increase the amount of dry matter accumulation and grain yield. [Conclusion] One-time application of controlled release N fertilizer could be adopted in wheat production to achieve the purposes of saving fertilizer, saving labor and increasing efficiency.

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilizer Reduction and Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer as Base Fertilizer on Rapeseed Yield and Nitrogen Absorption

[Objective] The aim was to research effects of N fertilizer reduction and application of N fertilizer （as base fertilizer） on rapeseed yield and N absorption. [Method] Based on Ganyouza No.5, the ratio of N, P2O5 andK2O was set at 1：0.5：0.5; N fertilizers were set involving reduced quantity at 150 kg/hm2 and preferred quantity at 180 kg/hm2; 100%, 80% and 60% of N fertilizers were applied as base fertilizers in the test respectively. In general, field tests were conducted to explore effects of reduced N fertilizer and application of N fertilizer as base fertilizer on rapeseed yield and N absorption. [Resalt] When applied N fertilizer as base fertilizer was the same, plant height, stem diameter, length of major inflorescence, number of effective branch, pod number per plant, seed number per pod, and biomass yield in group with preferred N quantity were significantly higher than those in group with reduced N fertilizer. Rapeseed yield and profits in group with preferred N quantity were signifi- cantly higher than those in group with reduced N fertilizer in field with moderate fertili- ty. In fields with higher fertility, however, the two factors were just a little higher. In group with reduced N fertilizer, use efficiency of N fertilizer, N uptake efficiency, par- tial factor productivity and harvest index of N were all significantly higher than those in group with preferred N fertilizer. Agronomic nitrogen use efficiency in group with preferred N fertilizer was significantly higher than that in group with reduced N fertiliz- er in field with moderate fertility and was significantly lower in field with high yield. With amounts of N, P and K fertilizers fixed, economic characters, yield constitution, yield, profits and N absorption in group, where 60% of N fertilizers were applied as base fertilizer, were significantly higher than those in groups with 80% or 100% of base fertilizer （N fertilizers）. These indicated that rational fertilization would maintain rapeseed yield high and reduce N input to improve use efficiency of N fertilizer. On the other hand, it is effective to improve rapeseed yield.＇to reduce N fertilizer to 150 kg/hm2, and application of 60%. of N fertilizers as base fertilizer is still proved optimal at present. [Conclusion] The research provides.theoretioal and technical references for improvement of yield of rapeseed and efficiency of N fertilizer.

A Non-destructive Monitoring Technique for Wheat Leaf in Field and Quantification of Geometric Phenotype for Flag Leaf

[Objective] The aim was to conduct non-destructive monitoring on wheat leaf in field and discuss the method to measure geometric phenotype of flag leaf through digital image processing in order to establish relationship between geometric pheno- type of flag leaf and N fertilizer regulation. [Method] Ningmai 13 was applied with N fertilizers in different amounts to discuss relationship among area, length, average width of flag leaf and applied N fertilizers using digital camera and digital image pro- cessing technique. [Result] Fertilizer is a main environmental factor influencing geo- metric phenotype of flag leaf, for example, area of flag leaf would enlarge four times and the length would increase from 15.87 to 25.33 cm by different N fertilizer amount. Thus, geometric phenotype of flag leaf would reflect N fertilizer amount at early stage. The highly accurate relationship between phenotype and N fertilizer is a reliable tech- nique to study on rules of wheat phenotype, N fertilizer and environmental factors. [Conclusion] The research indicated that digital image processing technique with scale label and dynamic background plates is an effective method to obtain geometric phenotype of sessile crops and crops with little leaf, providing a feasible scheme for non- destructive monitoring on growth dynamic of leaf＇s organs.

Effects of N,P and K Fertilizers on Growth of Clover Nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia and Soil Fertility after Plantation

In order to develop organic rice and increase paddy soil fertility by cloverorganic rice rotation, the effects of N, P and K fertilizers on growth of clover nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and soil fertility after plantation were investigated, thereby providing certain reference for reasonable cultivation of clover and improvement of soil fertility. A two-year experiment was conducted from 2012 to 2013. The clover was cultivated after rice every year, and different levels of N, P and K fertilizers were applied before winter. In the treatment group, no fertilizer was applied. The effects of different fertilizers and different application amounts on clover yield, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia quantity, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia weight and soil fertility after plantation were analyzed. The results showed that the application of N, P and K fertilizers in the early stage had significantly effect on the growth of clover. When the application amount of N fertilizer was 75 kg/hm^2（N 46%）, the clover yield, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia quantity and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia weight were highest. The soil nitrogen content after plantation increased with the increase of the application amount of N fertilizer, while the P and K content decreased and then increased with the increased application amounts. Soil available P content increased with the increased application amounts of N and P fertilizers, but it did not change significantly with the increased application amount of K fertilizer. Soil available K content increased first and then decreased with the increased application amounts of N and P fertilizers.When the application amounts of N and P fertilizers were 150（N 46%） and 300（P_2O_5 12%） kg/hm^2, soil available K content reached the maximum. Soil organic matter content increased with the increased application amounts of N, P and K fertilizers. Therefore, in the cultivation of clover, appropriate application of N, P and K fertilizers in the early stage can improve clover yield and soil fertility.

Nitrogen Runoff and Leaching Losses During Rice-Wheat Rotations in Taihu Lake Region,China

Although nitrogen （N） loss through runoff and leaching from croplands is suspected to contribute to the deterioration of surrounding water systems, there is no conclusive evidence for paddy soils to prove this hypothesis. In this study, field plot experiments were conducted to investigate N losses through runoff and leaching for two consecutive years with 3 N fertilization rates in rice （Oryza sativa L.）-wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） rotations in the Taihu Lake region, China. A water collection system was designed to collect runoff and leachates for both the rice and wheat seasons. Results showed that dissolved N （DN）, rather than particulate N （PN）, was the main form of N loss by runoff. The NO3^--N concentration in runoff was between 0.1 and 43.7 mg L^-1, whereas the NH4^＋-N concentration ranged from below detection limit to 8.5 mg L^-1. Total N （TN） loads by runoff were 1.0-17.9 and 5.2-38.6 kg ha^-1 during rice and wheat seasons, respectively, and the main loss occurred at the early growing stage of the crops. Nitrogen concentrations in leachates during the rice seasons were below 1.0 mg L^-1 and independent of the N application rate, whereas those during the wheat season increased to 8.2 mg L^-1 and were affected by the fertilizer rate. Annual losses of TN through runoff and leaching were 13.7-48.1 kg ha^-1 from the rice-wheat cropping system, accounting for 5.6%-8.3% of the total applied N. It was concluded that reduction in the N fertilization rate, especially when the crop was small in biomass, could lower the N pollution potential for water systems.

Recent Trends and Recommendations for Nitrogen Fertilization in Intensive Agriculture in Eastern China

The Taihu Region in eastern China is one of China's most intensive agricultural regions and also one of the economically most developed areas. High nitrogen balance surpluses in the summer rice-winter wheat double-cropping systems are leading to large-scale non-point source pollution of aquifers. In an interdisciplinary approach, four-year (1995-1998) field trials were carried out in two representative areas (Jurong County and Wuxi City) of the Taihu Region. Five farmers' field sites were chosen in each of the 2 locations, with each site divided into 'standard' (farmers' practice) and 'reduced' (by 30%-40%) N fertilization. For both fertilization intensities, N balance surpluses and monetary returns from grain sales minus fertilizer expenditures were calculated in an economic assessment. Based on the field trials, the mineral N fertilizer application rates reduced by about 10% for rice and 20%-30% for wheat were recommended in 1999. Since 1999, the research focused on the trends in N fertilizer application rates and changes in grain and agricultural commodities prices.Summer rice N fertilizer use, in Wuxi City as of 2001, dropped by roughly 25%, while for winter wheat it decreased by 10%-20%, compared to the 1995-1998 period. This has been achieved not only by grain policy and price changes, but also by an increased environmental awareness from government officials. Nitrogen balance surpluses in Anzhen Town (of Wuxi City) have consequently diminished by 50%-75% in rice and by up to 40% in wheat, with reductions being achieved without concomitant decreases in physical grain yields or returns from sales minus fertilizer costs.

Long-Term Application of Organic Manure and Mineral Fertilizer on N_2O and CO_2 Emissions in a Red Soil from Cultivated Maize-Wheat Rotation in China

A long-term field experiment was established to determine the influence of mineral fertilizer and organic manure on soil fertility. A tract of red soil （Ferralic Cambisol） in Qiyang Red Soil Experimental Station （Qiyang County, Hunan Province, China） was fertilized beginning in 1990 and N20 and CO2 were examined during the maize and wheat growth season of 2007-2008. The study involved five treatments： organic manure （NPKM）, fertilizer NPK （NPK）, fertilizer NP （NP）, fertilizer NK （NK）, and control （CK）. Manured soils had higher crop biomass, organic C, and pH than soils receiving the various mineralized fertilizers indicating that long-term application of manures could efficiently prevent red soil acidification and increase crop productivity. The application of manures and fertilizers at a rate of 300 kg N ha-1 yr-1 obviously increased NzO and CO2 emissions from 0.58 kg N20-N ha-~ yr-~ and 10565 kg C ha-~ yr-~ in the CK treatment soil to 3.0l kg N20-N ha-~ yr-~ and 28 663 kg C ha-~ yr-I in the NPKM treatment. There were also obvious different effects on N20 and CO2 emissions between applying fertilizer and manure. More N20 and CO2 released during the 184-d maize growing season than the 125- d wheat growth season in the manure fertilized soils but not in mineral fertilizer treatments. N20 emission was significantly affected by soil moisture only during the wheat growing season, and CO2 emission was affected by soil temperature only in CK and NP treatment during the wheat and maize growing season. In sum, this study indicates the application of organic manure may be a preferred strategy for maintaining red emissions than treatments only with mineral fertilizer. soil productivity, but may result in greater N20 and CO2

Effect of N Fertilizers on Root Growth and Endogenous Hormones in Strawberry

Endogenous hormones play an important role in the growth and development of roots. The objective of this research was to study the effect of four types of N fertilizers on the root growth of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duchesne) and the endogenous enzymes of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and isopentenyl adenosine (iPA) in its roots and leaves using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Application of all types of N fertilizers significantly depressed (P ≤ 0.05) root growth at 20 d after transplanting. Application of organic-inorganic fertilizer (OIF) as basal fertilizer had a significant negative effect (P ≤ 0.05) on root growth. The application of OIF and urea lowered the lateral root frequency in strawberry plants at 60 d (P ≤ 0.05) compared with the application of two organic fertilizers (OFA and OFB) and the control (CK). With the fertilizer treatments, there were the same concentrations of IAA and ABA in both roots and leaves at the initial growth stage (20 d), lower levels of IAA and ABA at the later stage (60 d), and higher iPA levels at all seedling stages as compared to those of CK. Thus, changes in the concentrations of endogenous phytohormones in strawberry plants could be responsible for the morphological changes of roots due to fertilization.

Effect of N and K Fertilizers on Yield and Quality of Greenhouse Vegetable Crops

The application of large amounts of fertilizers, a conventional practice in northern China for the production of vegetable crops, generally leads to substantial accumulation of soil nutrients within a relatively short period of time. A fixed field experiment was designed to study the effects of nitrogen （N） and potassium （K） fertilizers applied to optimize the yield and quality of typical vegetable crops. Application of N and K fertilizers significantly increased the yields of kidney bean. The largest yields were obtained in the first and second years after application of 1 500 kg N and 300 kg K20 ha^-1. In the third year, however, there was a general decline in yields. Maximum yields occurred when intermediate rates of N and K （750 kg N and 300 kg K20 ha 1） were applied. However, no significant differences were observed in the concentrations of vitamin C （VC） in kidney bean among different years and various rates of fertilizer treatments. Yields of tomato grown in rotation after kidney bean showed significant responses to the application of N and K in the first year. In the second year, the yields of tomato were much lower. This suggested that the application of N fertilizer did not have any effect upon tomato yield, whereas application of K fertilizer did increase the yield. Application of K fertilizer was often associated with increased sugar concentrations.

Effects of long-term amendment of organic manure and nitrogen fertilizer on nitrous oxide emission in a sandy loam soil

To understand the effects of long-term amendment of organic manure and N fertilizer on N2O emission in the North China Plain, a laboratory incubation at different temperatures and soil moistures were carried out using soils treated with organic manure （OM）, half organic manure plus half fertilizer N （HOM）, fertilizer NPK （NPK）, fertilizer NP （NP）, fertilizer NK （NK）, fertilizer PK （NK） and control （CK） since 1989. Cumulative N2O emission in OM soil during the 17 d incubation period was slightly higher than in NPK soil under optimum nitrification conditions （25℃ and 60% water-filled pore space, WFPS）, but more than twice under the optimum denitrification conditions （35℃ and 90% WFPS）. N2O produced by denitrification was 2.1-2.3 times greater than that by nitrification in OM and HOM soils, but only 1.5 times greater in NPK and NP soils. These results implied that the long-term amendment of organic manure could significantly increase the N2O emission via denitrification in OM soil as compared to NPK soil. This is quite different from field measurement between OM soil and NPK soil. Substantial inhibition of the formation of anaerobic environment for denitrification in field might result in no marked difference in N2O emission between OM and NPK soils. This is due in part to more rapid oxygen diffusion in coarse textured soils than consumption by aerobic microbes until WFPS was 75% and to low easily decomposed organic C of organic manure. This finding suggested that addition of organic manure in the tested sandy loam might be a good management option since it seldom caused a burst of N2O emission but sequestered atmospheric C and maintained efficiently applied N in soil.

Fertilizer ^(15)N Accumulation, Recovery and Distribution in Cotton Plant as Affected by N Rate and Split

N fertilization of 300 kg N ha-1 is normally applied to cotton crops in three splits： pre-plant application （PPA, 30%）, first bloom application （FBA, 40%） and peak bloom application （PBA, 30%） in the Yangtze River Valley China. However, low fertilizer N plant recovery （NPR） （30-35%） causes problems such as cotton yield stagnation even in higher N rate, low profit margin of cotton production and fertilizer release to the environment. Therefore, it is questioned： Are these three splits the same significance to cotton N uptake and distribution？ An outdoor pot trial was conducted with five N rates and 15 N labeled urea to determine the recovery and distribution of 15N from different splits in cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Huazamian H318） plant. The results showed that, cotton plant absorbed fertilizer 15N during the whole growing period, the majority during flowering for 18-20 d regardless of N rates （150-600 kg ha-1）. Fertilizer 15N proportion to the total N accumulated in cotton plant increased with N rates, and it was the highest in reproductive organs （88% averaged across N rates） among all the plant parts. FBA had the highest NPR （70%）, the lowest fertilizer N lose （FNL, 19%）, and the highest contribution to the fertilizer 15N proportion to the total N （46%） in cotton plant, whereas PPA had the reverse effect. It suggests that FBA should be the most important split for N absorption and yield formation comparatively and allocating more fertilizer N for late application from PPA should improve the benefit from fertilizer.

A Field Study on Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization Modes on Nutrient Uptake,Crop Yield and Soil Biological Properties in Rice-Wheat Rotation System

Rational application of nitrogen （N） fertilizers is an important measure to raise N fertilizer recovery rate and reduce N loss.A two-year field experiment of rice-wheat rotation was employed to study the effects of N fertilization modes including a N fertilizer reduction and an organic manure replacement on crop yield,nutrient uptake,soil enzyme activity,and number of microbes as well as diversity of microbes.The result showed that 20% reduction of traditional N fertilizer dose of local farmers did not significantly change crop yield,N uptake,soil enzyme activity,and the number of microbes （bacteria,actinomycetes,and fungi）.On the basis of 20% reduction of N fertilizer,50% replacement of N fertilizer by organic manure increased the activity of sucrose,protease,urease,and phosphatase by 46-62,27-89,33-46,and 35-74%,respectively,and the number of microbes,i.e.,bacteria,actinomycetes,and fungi by 36-150,11-153,and 43-56%,respectively.Further,organic fertilizer replacement had a Shannon＇s diversity index （H） of 2.18,which was higher than that of other modes of single N fertilizer application.The results suggested that reducing N fertilizer by 20% and applying organic manure in the experimental areas could effectively lower the production costs and significantly improve soil fertility and biological properties.

Contributions of Different N Sources to Crop N Nutrition in a Chinese Rice Field

N availability is one of the most important factors limiting crop yield enhancement.The recovery of applications of 15 N-labeled fertilizer and crop residues in a rice-wheat cropping system was determined for up to 6 consecutive growing seasons.The crop residues from the previous season were either incorporated or removed as two different treatments.Our results showed that 16.55%-17.79% (17.17% on average) of the fertilizer N was recovered in the crop during the first growing season,suggesting that more than 80% of crop N was not directly from the N fertilizer.When 15 N-labeled residues were applied,12.01% was recovered in the crop in the first growing season.The average recoveries of fertilizer N and crop residue N in the soil after the first growing season were 33.46% and 85.64%,respectively.N from soil organic matter contributed approximately 83% of the N in the crop when 15 N fertilizer was applied or 88% when crop residues were applied.There was a larger difference in the total 15 N recovery in plant and soil between N applications in the forms of fertilizer and crop residues.Incorporation of crop residues following the 15 N fertilizer application did not significantly promote 15 N recovery in the crop or soil.On average,only additional 1.94% of N for the fertilizer-applied field or 5.97% of N for the crop residue-applied field was recovered by the crops during the 2nd and 3rd growing seasons.The total recoveries of 15 N in crop and soil were approximately 64.38% for the fertilizer-applied field after 6 growing seasons and 79.11% for the crop residue-applied field after 5 growing seasons.Although fertilizer N appeared to be more readily available to crops than crop residue N,crop residue N replenished soil N pool,especially N from soil organic matter,much more than fertilizer N.Therefore,crop residue N was a better source for sustaining soil organic matter.Our results suggested that the long-term effect of fertilizer or crop residues on N recovery were different in the crop and soil.However,there was little difference between the practices of crop residue incorporation and residue removal following the N fertilizer application.

Losses of Urea-Nitrogen Applied to Maize Grown on a Calcareous Fluvo-Aquic Soil in North China Plain

Field experiments were conducted in a maize (Zea mays L.)field of a calcareous fluvo-aquic soil in North China Plain for studying the fate and ammonia loss of urea-N applied at seedling stage,as well as the effectiveness of coated calcium carbide(CCC) in reducing N loss and in improving the yield efficiency of urea.Results show that:(1) For the surface-broadcast treatment ammonia volatilization (measured with micro-meteorological technique)took place quickly,reached the peak 20-26hr after application,and then declined gradually;the cumulative ammonia loss approached the maximum 188hr after application (30% of the N applied),and increased only to 32% 284 hr after application;the latter accounted for 71% of the total loss (45% of applied N).(2) In the case of point placement at a depth of 5-10 cm,ammonia loss 188hr after application was only 12% of the N applied,accounting for 40% of the total loss.(3) There was no difference in total loss between the application depths of 6cm and 10 cm,the loss of them was 30% and 29%,respectively.(4) Total loss of N applied at lower rate (40kg N/ha)with point deep placement at 6cm depth was found only 4% of the N applied,it rose up to 30% when the rate of application increased to 80kg N/ ha.(5) The nitrification inhibitor,CCC,seemed to enhance N loss of urea rather than reduce it,and did not show any benefit effect in improving the yield efficiency of urea,which is presumably due to the high potential of ammonia volatilization in the soil and climatic conditions under investigation.

Proton accumulation accelerated by heavy chemical nitrogen fertilization and its long-term impact on acidifying rate in a typical arable soil in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain

Cropland productivity has been significantly impacted by soil acidification resulted from nitrogen （N） fertilization, especially as a result of excess ammoniacal N input. With decades＇ intensive agricultural cultivation and heavy chemical N input in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the impact extent of induced proton input on soil pH in the long term was not yet clear. In this study, acidification rates of different soil layers in the soil profile （0-120 cm） were calculated by pH buffer capacity （pHBC） and net input of protons due to chemical N incorporation. Topsoil （0-20 cm） pH changes of a long-term fertilization field （from 1989） were determined to validate the predicted values. The results showed that the acid and alkali buffer capacities varied significantly in the soil profile, averaged 692 and 39.8 mmolc kg-1 pH-1, respectively. A significant （P〈0.05） correlation was found between pHRC and the content of calcium carbonate. Based on the commonly used application rate of urea （500 kg N ha-1 yr-1）, the induced proton input in this region was predicted to be 16.1 kmol ha-1 yr-1, and nitrification and plant uptake of nitrate were the most important mechanisms for proton producing and consuming, respectively. The acidification rate of topsoil （0-20 cm） was estimated to be 0.01 unit pH yr-1 at the assumed N fertilization level. From 1989 to 2009, topsoil pH （0-20 cm） of the long-term fertilization field decreased from 8.65 to 8.50 for the PK （phosphorus, 150 kg P205 ha-1 yr-1; potassium, 300 kg K20 ha-1 yr-1; without N fertilization）, and 8.30 for NPK （nitrogen, 300 kg N ha-1 yr-1; phosphorus, 150 kg P2Os ha-1 yr-1; potassium, 300 kg K20 ha -1 yr-1）, respectively. Therefore, the apparent soil acidification rate induced by N fertilization equaled to 0.01 unit pH yr-1, which can be a reference to the estimated result, considering the effect of atmospheric N deposition, crop biomass, field management and plant uptake of other nutrients and cations. As protons could be consumed by some field practices, such as stubble return and coupled water and nutrient management, soil pH would maintain relatively stable if proper management practices can be adopted in this region.

Soil mineral nitrogen and yield-scaled soil N2O emissions lowered by reducing nitrogen application and intercropping with soybean for sweet maize production in southern China

The increasing demand for fresh sweet maize （Zea mays L. saccharata） in southern China has prioritized the need to find solutions to the environmental pollution caused by its continuous production and high inputs of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. A promising method for improving crop production and environmental conditions is to intercrop sweet maize with legumes. Here, a three-year field experiment was conducted to assess the influence of four different cropping systems （sole sweet maize （SS）, sole soybean （SB）, two rows sweet maize-three rows soybean （S2B3） intercropping, and two rows sweet maize-four rows soybean （S2B4） intercropping）, together with two rates of N fertilizer application （300 and 360 kg N ha-1） on grain yield, residual soil mineral N, and soil N2O emissions in southern China. Results showed that in most case, inter- cropping achieved yield advantages （total land equivalent ratio （TLER=0.87-1.25） was above one）. Moreover, intercropping resulted in 39.8% less soil mineral N than SS at the time of crop harvest, averaged over six seasons （spring and autumn in each of the three years of the field experiment）. Generally, intercropping and reduced-N application （300 kg N ha-1） produced lower cumulative soil N20 and yield-scaled soil N20 emissions than SS and conventionaI-N application （360 kg N ha-l）, respectively. $2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate （300 kg N ha-~） showed the lowest cumulative soil N20 （mean value=0.61 kg ha-1） and yield-scaled soil N20 （mean value=0.04 kg t-1） emissions. Overall, intercropping with reduced-N rate maintained sweet maize production, while also reducing environmental impacts. The system of S2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate may be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly cropping system.