Phosphorus fertilizer induced changes in the soil available P,the P nutrition and the growth of Pinus radiata seedlings grown in association with understory

A study was carried out to investigate changes in the soil plant-available P,the P nutrition and the growth of Pinus radiata seedlings grown in association with understory,broom（Cytisus scoparius L.） or ryegrass（Lolium multiflorum） on Orthic Allophanic Soil,following the application of three rates of triple superphosphate（TSP）（0,50,and 100 mg·kg^-1P） under a glasshouse condition.The application of P fertilizer enhanced P availability in the rhizospheric of radiata seedlings and the bulk soils in a P-deficient site.P availability in the rhizospheric soils of ryegrass and broom,grown in association with radiata,were also increased by the presence of radiata roots.P concentrations in new shoot needles,old shoot needles,stem and roots of radiata pine increased with increase rates of TSP application,but the effects of ryegrass and broom on P nutrition of radiata seedlings depended on the soil P status.In the absence of P fertilizer addition（control treatment）,P concentrations in new shoot needles,old shoot needles,stem,and roots of radiata grown in association with broom were higher than those with ryegrass,whereas,when P fertilizer was added（50 and 100 mg·kg^-1） the P concentration was lower.This is probably related to the growth of broom that may have removed much of the plant-available P in the soil as indicated by the consistently lower Bray-2 P concentration in the rhizosphere soil of radiata in association with broom than that in the rhizosphere soil of radiata in association with grass at the two high P rates.Furthermore,in the high P fertile soil（application rate of 100 mg·kg^-1）,the dry matter yield of radiata was lower when it was grown with broom than with ryegrass.This result suggests that in moderate to high P fertile soils,P.radiata seedlings grow better with ryegrass than with broom,because broom grows vigorously in high P fertile soil and competes with P.radiata for P and perhaps for other nutrients as well.

Dynamics of Soil and Grain Micronutrients as Affected by Long-Term Fertilization in an Aquic Inceptisol

Micronutrient status in soils can be affected by long-term fertilization and intensive cropping.A 19-year experiment (1990-2008) was carried out to investigate the influence of different fertilization regimes on micronutrients in an Aquic Inceptisol and maize and wheat grains in Zhengzhou,China.The results showed that soil total Cu and Zn markedly declined after 19 years with application of N fertilizer alone.Soil total Fe and Mn were significantly increased mainly due to atmospheric deposition.Applications of P and organic fertilizer with incorporation of straws resulted in dramatic increases in soil total Cu,Zn,Fe,and Mn.Soil diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Cu in all treatments sharply decreased from initially 1.12 to about 0.8 mg kg -1 .The treatments with organic fertilizer had the highest soil DTPA-extractable Cu,Zn,Fe,and Mn after 19 years of cropping and fertilization,thus demonstrating the important role of organic fertilizer application in improving available micronutrient status.Cu and Zn contents in wheat grains in the no-P treatments were significantly higher than those of the treatments with P application.In addition,Fe and Mn contents in wheat grains were positively correlated with their soil DTPA-extractable concentrations.These indicated that the long-term application of organic fertilizer resulted in significant increases in soil total and available micronutrient concentrations and remarkable reduction in wheat grain Cu and Zn contents,which was due to high soil available P.

Nitrogen addition mediates the response of foliar stoichiometry to phosphorus addition: a meta-analysis

Background:Changes in foliar nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry play important roles in predicting the efects of global change on ecosystem structure and function.However,there is substantial debate on the efects of P addition on foliar N and P stoichiometry,particularly under diferent levels of N addition.Thus,we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate how N addition alters the efects of P addition on foliar N and P stoichiometry across different rates and durations of P addition and plant growth types based on more than 1150 observations.Results:We found that P addition without N addition increased foliar N concentrations,whereas P addition with N addition had no efect.The positive efects of P addition on foliar P concentrations were greater without N addition than with N addition.Additionally,the efects of P addition on foliar N,P and N:P ratios varied with the rate and duration of P addition.In particular,short-term or low-dose P addition with and without N addition increased foliar N concentration,and the positive efects of short-term or low-dose P addition on foliar P concentrations were greater without N addition than with N addition.The responses of foliar N and P stoichiometry of evergreen plants to P addition were greater without N addition than with N addition.Moreover,regardless of N addition,soil P availability was more efective than P resorption efciency in predicting the changes in foliar N and P stoichiometry in response to P addition.Conclusions:Our results highlight that increasing N deposition might alter the response of foliar N and P stoichiometry to P addition and demonstrate the important efect of the experimental environment on the results.These results advance our understanding of the response of plant nutrient use efciency to P addition with increasing N deposition.