Fate of ^(15)N-Labeled Urea Under a Winter Wheat-Summer Maize Rotation on the North China Plain

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the fate of ^15N-labeled urea and its residual effect under the winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） and summer maize （Zea mays L.） rotation system on the North China Plain. Compared to a conventional application rate of 360 kg N ha^-1 （N360）, a reduced rate of 120 kg N ha^-1 （N120） led to a significant increase （P 〈 0.05） in wheat yield and no significant differences were found for maize. However, in the 0-100 cm soil profile at harvest, compared with N360, N120 led to significant decreases （P 〈 0.05） of percent residual N and percent unaccounted-for N, which possibly reflected losses from the managed system. Of the residual fertilizer N in the soil profile, 25.6%-44.7% and 20.7%-38.2% for N120 and N360, respectively, were in the organic N pool, whereas 0.3%-3.0% and 11.2%-24.4%, correspondingly, were in the nitrate pool, indicating a higher potential for leaching loss associated with application at the conventional rate. Recovery of residual N in the soil profile by succeeding crops was less than 7.5% of the applied N. For N120, total soil N balance was negative; however, there was still considerable mineral N （NH4^＋-N and NO3^--N） in the soil profile after harvest. Therefore, N120 could be considered ngronomically acceptable in the short run, but for long-term sustainability, the N rate should be recommended based on a soil mineral N test and a plant tissue nitrate test to maintain the soil fertility.

A ^(15)N-Labeling Study of the Capture of Deep Soil Nitrate from Different Plant Systems

The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of different plant systems in capturing deep soil nitrate （NO3-） to reduce NO3- leaching in a field plot experiment using 15N labelling. The study was conducted on a calcareous alluvial soil on the North China Plains and the plant systems evaluated included alfalfa （Medicago sativa）, American black poplar （Populus nigra） and cocksfoot （Dactylis）. ^15N-labelled N fertilizer was injected to 90 cm depth to determine the recovery of ^15N by the plants. With conventional water and nutrient management, the total recovery of ^15N-labeled NO3--N was 23.4% by alfalfa after two consecutive growth years. The recovery was significantly higher than those by American black poplar （12.3%） and cocksfoot （11.4%）. The highest proportion of soil residual ~SN from the labeled fertilizer N （%Ndff） was detected around 90 cm soil depth at the time of the 1st year harvest and at 110-130 cm soil depth at time of the 2nd year harvest. Soil %Ndff in 0-80 cm depth was significantly higher in the alfalfa treatment than those in all the other treatments. The soil %Ndff below 100 cm depth was much lower in the alfalfa than those in all the other treatments. These results indicated that ^15N leaching losses in the alfalfa treatment were significantly lower than by those in the black poplar and cocksfoot treatments, due to the higher root density located in nitrate labeling zone of soil profile. In conclusion, alfalfa may be used as a plant to capture deep soil NO3- left from previous crops to reduce NO3- leaching in high intensity crop cultivation systems of North China Plain.

Effect of Transplanting Density on Rice Yield,Nitrogen Uptake and ^(15)N-fertilizer Fate

[Objective] The aim of this study was investigated the rice yield, nitrogen uptake and ^15-fertilizer fate at different transplanting density to provide scientific ba- sis for improving the yield of rice and applying reasonably fertilizer. [Method] A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of different transplanting density on rice yield, nitrogen （N） absorption, sources of N uptake by rice and the N balance in the plant-soil systems by using ^15-labelled urea. [Result] There were no significant differences in rice yields and total N uptakes by rice between treatments 30 cm × 30 cm and 40 cm × 40 cm, but the yield of rice and total N absorption in the two treatments were remarkably higher than those in 50 cm × 50 cm treatment. The amounts of total N uptake by rice were in the range of 112.3-162.7 kg/hm2 in the three transplanting densities. The result showed that about 1/3 of the total N uptake by rice was supplied by application fertilizer and the other 2/3 was obtained from the soil N pool. The ^15N-labelled urea absorbed by rice, residual in soil and lost accounted for 16.3%-26.1%, 17.0%-20.9% and 53.0%-66.7% of the total fertilizer, respectively. A great deal of ^15N-labelled urea was lost during the rice growing season. [Conclusion] Considering the rice yield and environmental protection, the transplanting density of 30 cm×30 cm was recommended in the hilly area of Sichuan basin in the southwest China.

Effect of Alternate Bearing Phenomenon and Boron Foliar Application on Nitrogen-15 Uptake,Translocation and Distribution in Mango Tree(cv.Zebda)

The objectives of this investigation are to study nitrogen uptake,translocation,accumulation and distribution in mango tree organs using labeled nitrogen(^(15)N)and to understand the mechanism of boron action in increasing fruit yield in the off-year.A field experiment was conducted using fifteen-year-old mango trees(cv.Zebda)grown at Al Malak Valley Farm,El-Sharkeya Governorate-Egypt.Treatments included the application of(^(15)NH4)2SO4,“in the on-year”,at a rate of 50 g nitrogen/tree through the stem injection technique.While boron was sprayed on the same trees“in the off-year”at the following rates:0.0(control),250 and 500 mg·L^(-1).The authors hypothesize that boron and nitrogen act synergistically to increase mango fruit yield in the off-year.Results indicated that the highest ^(15)N uptake and accumulation in the on and off-years was observed in the upper(young leaves).When boron was applied at 250 mg·L^(-1),in the off-year,the upper(young leaves)recorded the highest ^(15)N uptake and accumulation(%^(15)Ndff=13.93)relative to the other two leaf categories and those of the on-year.In the on-year fruit accumulated higher ^(15)N than leaf or bud.In the off-year,bud exhibited the highest ^(15)N accumulation without boron application,while leaves exhibited the highest ^(15)N with boron application.The highest%^(15)Ndff in all tree organs was observed at 250 mg·L^(-1) boron rate.Boron increased nitrogen uptake,translocation and accumulation in mango tree organs.A synergistic relationship was observed between boron and nitrogen which led to an increase in fruit yield in the off-year.

Electrosynthesis of ^(15)N-labeled amino acids from ^(15)N-nitrite and ketonic acids

^(15)N isotope-labeled amino acids(^(15)N-amino acids)are crucial in the fields of biology,medicine,and chemistry.^(15)N-amino acids are conventionally synthesized through microbial fermentation and chemical reductive amination of ketonic acids methodologies,which usually require complicated procedures,high temperatures,or toxic cyanide usage,causing energy and environmental concerns.Here,we report a sustainable pathway to synthesize ^(15)N-amino acids from readily available ^(15)N-nitrite(^(15)NO_(2)-)and biomass-derived ketonic acids under ambient conditions driven by renewable electricity.A mechanistic study demonstrates a ^(15)N-nitrite→^(15)NH_(2)OH→^(15)N-pyruvate oxime→^(15)N-alanine reaction pathway for ^(15)N-alanine synthesis.Moreover,this electrochemical strategy can synthesize six ^(15)N-amino acids with 68%–95%yields.Furthermore,a ^(15)N-labeled drug of ^(15)N-tiopronin,the most commonly used hepatitis treatment drug,is fabricated using ^(15)N-glycine as the building block.Impressively,^(15)N sources can be recycled by the electrooxidation of ^(15)NH4^(+) to ^(15)NO_(2)-with a method economy.This work opens an avenue for the green synthesis of ^(15)N-labeled compounds or drugs.

Nitrate and Ammonium Leaching in Variable-and Permanent-Charge Paddy Soils

A variable-charge （VC） and a permanent-charge paddy soil （PC） were selected to study nitrate-N （NO3^--N） and ammonium-N （NH4^＋-N） leaching with N isotopes for one consecutive year. An irrigation and intermittent drainage pattern was adopted to mimic natural occurrence of rainfall during the upland crop season and drainage management during the flooded rice season. Treatments to each soil type were no-N controls （CK）, ^15N-labeled （NH4）2SO4 （NS）, and milk vetch （NV） applied at a rate equivalent to 238 kg N ha^-1 to unplanted lysimeters, totaling six treatments in triplicates. Results indicated that the soil type dominated N leaching characteristics. In the case of PC, NO3^--N accounted for 78% of the total leached inorganic N; NS was prone to leach three times more than the NV, being 8.2% and 2.4% of added ^15N respectively; and 〉 85% of leached NO3-N came from of the total inorganic N in leachate. Moreover, NH4^＋-N native N in the soil. In the case of VC, NH4^＋-N made up to 92% leaching was detected throughout the whole incubation, and was particularly high during the flooded season. NO3^--N leaching in VC occurred later at a lower rate compared to that in PC. The findings of this study indicate that NO3^--N leaching during the drained season in permanent-charge paddy soils and NH4^＋-N leaching in variable-charge soils deserve more attention for regional environmental control.

Hole fertilization in the root zone facilitates maize yield and nitrogen utilization by mitigating potential N loss and improving mineral N accumulation

Reducing environmental impacts and improving N utilization are critical to ensuring food security in China.Although root-zone fertilization has been considered an effective strategy to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE),the effect of controlled-release urea (CRU) applied in conjunction with normal urea in this mode is unclear.Therefore,a 3-year field experiment was conducted using a no-N-added as a control and two fertilization modes (FF,furrow fertilization by manual trenching,i.e.,farmer fertilizer practice;HF:root-zone hole fertilization by point broadcast manually) at 210 kg N ha^(–1) (controlled-release:normal fertilizer=5:5),along with a 1-year in-situ microplot experiment.Maize yield,NUE and N loss were investigated under different fertilization modes.The results showed that compared with FF,HF improved the average yield and N recovery efficiency by 8.5 and 22.3%over three years,respectively.HF had a greater potential for application than FF treatment,which led to increases in dry matter accumulation,total N uptake,SPAD value and LAI.In addition,HF remarkably enhanced the accumulation of ^(15)N derived from fertilizer by 17.2%compared with FF,which in turn reduced the potential loss of^(15)N by 43.8%.HF increased the accumulation of N in the tillage layer of soils at harvest for potential use in the subsequent season relative to FF.Hence,HF could match the N requirement of summer maize,sustain yield,improve NUE and reduce environmental N loss simultaneously.Overall,root-zone hole fertilization with blended CRU and normal urea can represent an effective and promising practice to achieve environmental integrity and food security on the North China Plain,which deserves further application and investigation.

N Transformation of Green Manure Incorporated Directly or Returned into Soil After Feeding Pig and Its Efficiency

?15)N-labelled green manure was used to feed pigs. Its nitrogen recovery by pig body, feces and urine was23.5%, 23.8% and 28.8% respectively, totalling 76. 1%. Feces and green manure coordinated respectively withequal amount of CO(NH_2)_2-N as well as urine alone were applied as basic fertilizer in microplot experiments.The ￣(15)N recovery from feces and urine was equivalent to 2.51% and 4.82% by rice grain, and 0.98% and1.94% by straw respectively, and soil residual ￣(15)N from them took 13.3% and 4.90% of the ￣(15)N in greenmanure. After feeding pigs with green manure and returning their feces and urine into soil, the ￣(15)N recoveryby pig body and rice grain was 30.8%, and that by pig body, and rice plant as well as soil residual took 52.7%of the ￣(15)N in feed. ￣(15)N loss was 23.9% in pig feeding and 23.4% in rice planting. When green manure wasincorporated directly into soil, its ￣(15)N recovery by grain was 26.65%, that by rice plant plus soil residual was65.2%, and the loss was 34.8%.

Distribution and Fate of Anthropogenic Nitrogen in the Calamagrostis angustifolia Wetland Ecosystem of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

Wetlands are important for the protection of water quality of rivers and lakes, especially those adjacent to agricultural landscapes, by intercepting and removing nutrients in runoff. In this study, the ^15N tracer technique was applied to study the distribution and fate of anthropogenic nitrogen （^15N-fertilizer） in Calamagrostis angustifolia Kom wetland plant-soil microcosms to identify the main ecological effects of it. ^15NH4^15NO3 solution （14.93 mg N/L, 20.28 at.% ^15N） was added to each microcosm of the first group, which was approximate to the current nitrogen concentration （CNC） of farm drainage, and 29.86 mg NIL ^15NH4^15NO3 solution was added to another group, which was approximate to the double nitrogen concentration （DNC） of farm drainage, while no nitrogen （NN） was added to the third group. The results suggest that the input of anthropogenic nitrogen has positive effects on the biomass and total nitrogen content of plant, and the positive effects will be elevated as the increase of its input amount. The increase of ^15N-fertilizer can also elevate its amounts and proportions in plant nitrogen. Soil nitrogen is still the main source of plant nitrogen, but its proportion will be reduced as the increase of ^15 N-fertilizer. The study of the fate of ^15N-fertilizer indicates that, in CNC treatment, only a small proportion is water-dissolved （0,13 ± 0.20%）, a considerable proportion is soil-immobilized （17.02 ± 8.62%）, or plant-assimilated （23.70 ± 0.92%）, and most is lost by gaseous forms （59.15 ± 8.35%）. While in DNC treatment, about 0.09 ± 0.15% is water-dissolved, 15.33 ± 7.46% is soil-immobilized, 23.55±2.86% is plant-assimilated, and 61.01±5.59% is lost by gaseous forms. The double input of anthropogenic nitrogen can not elevate the proportions of plant-assimilation, soil-immobilization and water-dissolution, but it can enhance the gaseous losses.

Pseudomonas mendocina LYX:A novel aerobic bacterium with advantage of removing nitrate high effectively by assimilation and dissimilation simultaneously

The problem of nitrate accumulation in aerobic tank and total nitrogen excessive discharge in effluent was very common in traditional livestock and poultry farming wastewater treatment systems owing to the lengthy process flow and low process control level.A strain LYX of aerobic bacterium was isolated from the activated sludge of a wastewater treatment system in a pig farm,which could remove nitrate effectively in aerobic tank and was identified Pseudomonas mendocina by 16S rRNA sequencing.Under the condition of nitrate as the sole nitrogen source,this strain removed over 90%of NO_(3)^(−)-N with an initial concentration of 110 mg/L under aerobic conditions within 48 hours.Among them,37.9%of NO_(3)^(−)-N was assimilated into Bio-N,about 51.9%was reduced to gaseous nitrogen and less than 0.5%of nitrogen was replaced by NO_(3)^(−)-N and NH_(4)^(+)-N,9.7%NO_(3)^(−)-N remained in the effluent at the end.At the same time,four key genes(napA,nirK,norB and nosZ)related to nitrate nitrogen removal were expressed during the denitrification process of P.mendocina LYX,in which the transcription level of the indicator genes of this aerobic denitrifying bacterium(napA)was the highest.In addition,it was found with the 15N tracer technique that inoculation of this strain on sludge increased the amount of nitrogen loss from 9.26 nmol N/(g·h)to 23.835 nmol N/(g·h).Therefore,P.medocina LYX is a potential bioagent for advanced nitrogen removal by assimilating and reducing nitrate simultaneously in aerobic tanks.