Changes in Soil Organic Matter,Nitrogen and Phosphorus Contents during Decomposition of Pear Branches

[Objectives]To investigate the changes in soil organic matter,nitrogen and phosphorus content in the decomposition process of Korla fragrant pear branches by indoor mixed culture.[Methods]The branches of Korla fragrant pear in the orchard were collected and returned to the field for a period of 150 d for indoor mixed culture.[Results]Different ages of Korla fragrant pear branches have different effects on soil nutrient content during the simulated return to field decomposition process.Compared with the control in the same period,the treatment of returning to field reached a significant level(P<0.05).Compared with the control,the average values of organic matter,total nitrogen and available phosphorus content in treatment 1 and treatment 2 increased by 2.16 times and 1.93 times,61%and 59%,5.88 times and 6.88 times,respectively;compared with the control,the average increase performance of the alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen content of the two treatments was basically the same,and the treatment 2 was the best;compared with the control,the average total phosphorus content of treatment 1 and treatment 2 increased but not significantly.[Conclusions]The contents of soil organic matter,nitrogen and phosphorus were all increased during the decomposition of pear branches,and the overall improvement effect of 10-year-old trees was better than that of 5-year-old trees.Returning the pruned branches to the field can provide a reliable theoretical basis for solving the problem of organic fertilizer shortage in orchards,and also can ensure technical support for improving soil fertility and improving the rhizosphere micro-environment of pear trees.

Film-mulched continuous ridge-furrow planting improves soil temperature,nutrient content and enzymatic activity in a winter oilseed rape field,Northwest China

Film mulching system is a widely employed agricultural practice worldwide. However, the effects of different planting and mulching patterns on soil nutrient content and enzymatic activity have not been well documented. In this study, we examined the impact of four planting and mulching patterns（including control, flat planting without mulching; M1, flat planting with film mulching; M2, ridge-furrow planting with film mulching on both ridges and furrows; and M3, ridge-furrow planting with film mulching on continuous ridges） on the seed yield of winter oilseed rape, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil organic carbon（SOC） content, soil nutrient content, and soil enzymatic activity over three growing seasons from 2012 to 2015 in a winter oilseed rape field in the semi-arid area of Northwest China. Seed yield of winter oilseed rape, soil moisture, soil temperature, enzymatic activities, and contents of nitrate-nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium were all significantly higher in mulching treatments（M1, M2 and M3） than in control treatment over the three growing seasons, whereas SOC content was significantly lower in mulching treatments than in control treatment during 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. Among the three mulching treatments（M1, M2 and M3）, the M3 treatment showed consistently higher seed yield, SOC content, nutrient contents, and enzymatic activities than the other two treatments. Seed yield of winter oilseed rape was 41.1% and 15.0% higher in M3 than in M1 and M2, respectively. SOC content and soil enzymatic activities in the top 0–20 cm soil layers and nitrate-nitrogen content in the top 0–30 cm soil layers were all significantly higher in M3 than in M1 and M2. Therefore, we advise the ridge-furrow planting with film mulching on continuous ridges（i.e., M3） as an efficient planting and mulching pattern for sustainably improving the seed yield of winter oilseed rape and preserving soil fertility in the semi-arid area of Northwest China.

Evaluation of Soil Nutrient Content and Fertility in Main Dry Farming Regions of Laos

[Objectives]To evaluate the status of soil nutrient and fertility in main dry farming regions of Laos,and to explore differences in soil nutrient content between regions and crop types.[Methods]By collecting 57 soil samples in the 0-20 cm layer of the main dryland in southern and northern provinces of Laos.Soil pH,organic matter,total nitrogen,available nitrogen,available phosphorus,available potassium,exchangeable calcium,exchangeable magnesium and available zinc content were analyzed.[Results]The soil in the main dry farming regions of Laos was acidic,the overall fertility level was good,and the exchangeable calcium and magnesium contents were low.There were differences in soil nutrient content in the dry farming regions of southern and northern Laos.Drylands where cassava and maize were growed had higher fertility.[Conclusions]It is suggested to apply lime or alkaline fertilizer in the dry land with acid soil to increase soil pH and increase the supply of soil calcium and magnesium.Organic fertilizer should be applied to improve soil water retention capacity,and it is necessary to pay attention to the fertilization ratio of macroelements to balance fertilization.

Effects of intercropping systems of trees with soybean on soil physicochemical properties in juvenile plantations

The intercropping system of tree with soybean in juvenile plantations, as a short-term practice, was applied at Lao Shan Experimental Station in Mao＇er Shan Forest of Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China. The larch （Larix gmelinii）lsoybean （Glycine max.） and ash （Fraxinus mandshurica） intercropping systems were studied in the field to assess the effects of the intercropping on soil physicochemical properties. The results showed that soil physical properties were improved after soybean intercropping with larch and ash in one growing season. The soil bulk density in larch/soybean and ash/soybean systems was 1.112 g·cm^-3 and 1.058 g·cm^ 3, respectively, which was lower than that in the pure larch or ash plantation without intercropping. The total soil porosity also increased after intercropping. The organic matter amount in larch/soybean system was 1.77 times higher than that in the pure larch plantation, and it was 1.09 times higher in ash/soybean system than that in the pure ash plantation. Contents of total nitrogen and hydrolyzable nitrogen in larch/soybean system were 4.2% and 53.0% higher than those in the pure larch stand. Total nitrogen and hydrolyzable nitrogen contents in ash/soybean system were 75.5% and 3.3% higher than those in the pure ash plantation. Total phosphorus content decreased after intercropping, while change of available phosphorus showed an increasing trend. Total potassium and available potassium contents in the larch/soybean system were 0.6% and 17.5% higher than those in the pure larch stand. Total potassium and available potassium contents in the ash/soybean system were 56.4% and 21.8% higher than those in the oure ash plantation.

Responses and feedback of litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion into the alpine tundra on Changbai Mountain,China

Global climate changes result in the expansion of lower elevation plants to higher elevations.The rapid upward expansion of herbaceous plants into the alpine tundra on Changbai Mountain resulted in changes in different levels of ecosystem organization.However,the responses and feedback of litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion have not been studied yet.To understand the mechanisms underlying those changes,we conducted a field experiment in the range of 2250-2300 m in the alpine tundra of the Changbai Mountain and collected a total of 288 samples from four degrees of herbaceous plants expansion to study the litter physiochemical properties,soil mesofauna,and soil nutrient contents,and their relationships in that tundra ecosystem suffered from various degrees of herbaceous invasion.We found that herbaceous plant expansion is responsible for a major shift in the dominant species of soil mesofauna from mites to collembolan and has significant impacts on the community structure(R2=0.54,p=0.001)and diversity of soil mesofauna(Shannon-Weiner index,p=0.01).The increasing herbaceous plant expansion resulted in a significant increase in litter biomass from 91 g·m^(-2) in the original tundra vegetation(OIT)to 118 g·m^(-2) in the moderately invaded tundra(MIT),and an increase in litter thickness from 2.37 cm(OIT)to 3.05 cm(MIT).And,the litter total nitrogen content significantly increased,but the values of the litter carbon content,the lignin content,the C/N ratio,and the lignin/N ratio decreased with increased herbaceous coverage(both p<0.05).The litter physical properties pathway(biomass and thickness)directly explained 31% of the total variance in soil mesofauna diversity and 59% of the total variance in soil mesofauna community composition.Furthermore,both the soil available nutrients(incl.AN and AP)and plant biomass(incl.the total plant biomass and herbs/shrubs biomass)significantly increased with increasing coverage of herbaceous plant(both p<0.05),and litter chemical properties pathway directly explained 50% of the soil nutrient content variance and indirectly explained 20% of soil nutrient by affecting soil mesofauna.We found that both soil available nutrients and soil mesofauna were positively correlated with the herbaceous expansion from OIT to MIT,indicating a positive feedback of herbaceous expansion,and the abundance of soil mesofauna decreased in the severely invaded tundra vegetation,suggesting a negative feedback.While,both litter N content and soil available nitrogen were consistently increased in the severely invaded tundra vegetation,indicating a positive feedback of herbaceous expansion.Therefore,this study provides new insights into the process of herbaceous plant expansion into tundra,and provides possible evidence for further expansion according to responses and feedback of in litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion.Furthermore,these positive or/and negative feedback systems in the Changbai alpine tundra ecosystem in relation to herbaceous expansion have important implications for the tundra protection,and thus,need to be deeply studied.

Soil Characteristics and Nutrients in Different Tea Garden Types in Fujian Province, China

Anxi is the largest producing area of Tie Guanyin tea in China. “The cultural system of Tie Guanyin tea in Anxi” was selected as “Nationaly Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” （China-NIAHS） in 2014. Tea gardens in this region are organic, ecological or non-ecological. After sampling the soil in these three kinds of tea gardens, we compared soil properties and nutrient content at different soil depths using physical and chemical analyses. Our aim was to provide a scientiifc basis for the management of tea plantations. We measured and analyzed soil in two organic, three ecological and one non-ecological tea gardens at depths of 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm in Anxi County. According to Duncan multiple comparisons and t tests, soil nutrients differed between organic and ecological or non-ecological tea gardens at 0–10 cm. Organic matter and total nitrogen differed between organic and non-ecological tea garden soils at 10–20 cm. In organic tea gardens, soil bulk density, porosity, relative water content, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were advantageous for tea tree growth. In ecological tea gardens, the indicators were appropriate and relatively advantageous for tea tree growth at a soil depth of 0–10 cm. For non-ecological tea garden, the nutrients were at a compact level and negatively affect tea growth. These results show that soil properties and nutrient content in organic and ecological tea gardens are superior to non-ecological tea garden. The development of organic tea gardens is the most suitable strategy for the growth of tea trees.