Investigations on Nitrate Pollution of Soil, Groundwater and Vegetable from Three Typical Farmlands in Beijing Region, China

The aim of this study was to determine the nitrate pollution status of soil, groundwater, and vegetable from three typical farmlands （croplands, vegetable fields, and orchards） in Beijing region. During the investigation, hundreds of the soil, groundwater, and vegetable samples from three typical farmlands were collected and analyzed. In addition, attributes of all samples were recorded for data analysis. The results showed that nitrate was substantially accumulated in soil profiles, while the soil nitrate concentrations of vegetable fields and orchards were higher than those of croplands. Nitrate concentration in 0-30 cm soil of vegetable field and orchard were 3.8 and 1.2 times of that of cropland, respectively. Nitrate content of groundwater in vegetable field was 13.8 mg L-1 （with the over-standard ratio 44.8%）, which was 2.8 folds of that in cropland. Nitrate concentration of groundwater under orchard was 9.3 mg L-1 （with the over-standard ratio 23.5%）, which was 1.9 folds of that in cropland. High concentrations of the nitrate in vegetables were detected, particularly green leafy vegetables ranked first with 2 685.5 mg kg-1, followed by rhizome vegetables, cabbages, and fruit vegetables. The nitrate over-standard ratios of rhizome vegetables, green leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, and cabbages were 80.9, 37.9, 29.7, and 2.2%, respectively. The results revealed that the high nitrate concentrations of soil, vegetable, and groundwater might result from the high fertilization dose.

Estimation of Sand Transportation Rate for Fixed and Semi-Fixed Dunes Using Meteorological Wind Data

Taibus County, Inner Mongolia, China, lies in a farming-pastoral ecotone, where severe wind erosion and various aeolian sand hazards are prevalent and fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes occur frequently. This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between sand transportation rate and wind speed for the fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes based on field measurements. The annual quantity of soil erosion by wind was estimated using meteorological wind data. The results indicated that the sand transportation rate in Taibus County in 2000 was 57.38 kg cm-1 year-1 for the semi-fixed dunes and 4.56 kg cm-1 year-1 for the fixed dunes. The total duration of erosive winds covered 12.5% of the time of the year, and spring posed the highest potential of sand transportation. Wind with low speed (≤ 17 m s-1) and high frequency plays a dominant role in sand transportation, while strong wind (≥ 17 m s-1) with low frequency significantly enhanced the sand transportation. Erosive wind speed, directions, and frequency were three crucial dynamic factors influencing sand hazards in the farming-pastoral ecotone. The dominant factors intensifying sand and dust storms in Taibus County might be related to the favorable wind condition in combination with the durable drought, which led to land desertification and vegetation degradation.

The Impacts of Supplemental Irrigation Based on Soil Moisture Measurement and Nitrogen Use on Winter Wheat Yield and Nitrogen Absorption and Distribution

Based on split plot design method of field test,the impacts of supplemental irrigation based on soil moisture measurement and nitrogen use on winter wheat yield and nitrogen absorption and distribution were studied.Supplemental irrigation had three levels: 60%(W_1),70%(W_2) and 80%(W3) of the targeted relative water content at 0-40 cm of soil layer during jointing period of winter wheat.Nitrogen fertilization had three levels: not using nitrogen(N_0),using pure nitrogen of 195 kg/hm^2(N_(195)) and 255 kg/hm^2(N_(255)).Results showed that:(i)different supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization significantly affected plant height and leaf area of winter wheat during key growth period.Under the same supplemental irrigation treatment,both plant height and leaf area of winter wheat showed as N_(255)> N_(195)> N_0(P <0.05).Plant height in N_(195) and N_(255)treatments was significantly higher than that in N_0 treatment,but there was not significant difference between N_(195) and N_(255)(P >0.05).Under the same nitrogen fertilization,plant height in W_2(569.4 m^3/hm^2) and W3(873.45 m^3/hm^2) treatments was significant higher than that in W_1(265.2 m^3/hm^2),but there was not significant difference between W_2 and W3(P >0.05).It illustrated that excessive nitrogen fertilization and supplemental irrigation did not significantly affect plant height and leaf area of winter wheat.(ii) Under the same nitrogen fertilization level,yield increase effect of winter wheat by supplemental irrigation showed a declining trend with nitrogen application amount increased.It illustrated that nitrogen fertilization and supplemental irrigation had certain critical values on the yield of winter wheat.When surpassing the critical value,the yield declined.When nitrogen fertilization amount was 195 kg/hm^2,and supplemental irrigation amount was 70% of field moisture capacity(569.4 m^3/hm^2),the highest yield 8500 kg/hm^2 could be obtained.(iii) During mature period of winter wheat,nitrogen accumulation amount of plant treated by nitrogen was significantly higher than that not treated by nitrogen(P <0.05).But under the treatments of W_2 and W3,nitrogen accumulation amount in N_(255) significantly declined when compared with N_(195)(P <0.05).Especially under W3(873.45 m^3/hm^2) level,nitrogen accumulation amount in N_(255) was even lower than N_0.Under the treatments of N_0 and N_(195),nitrogen accumulation amount of plant significantly increased with supplemental irrigation increased(P < 0.05).But under N_(255) treatment,there was not significant difference(P > 0.05).It illustrated that moderate supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization could improve nitrogen absorption ability of winter wheat,but excessive supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization were not favorable for plant's nitrogen absorption.(iv) Although the increase of supplemental irrigation during jointing period improved nitrogen absorption ability of winter wheat and promoted winter wheat absorbing more nitrogen,it inhibited nitrogen transferring and distributing to seed.Comprehensively considering growth condition of winter wheat and nitrogen risk condition,it is suggested that nitrogen application amount was 195 kg/hm^2,and supplemental irrigation reached 70% of field moisture capacity(569.4 m^3/hm^2),which could be as the suitable water and fertilizer use amounts in the region.

Phosphorus losses via surface runoff in rice-wheat cropping systems as impacted by rainfall regimes and fertilizer applications

Phosphorus（P） losses from agricultural soils contribute to eutrophication of surface waters. This field plot study investigated effects of rainfall regimes and P applications on P loss by surface runoff from rice（Oryza sativa L.） and wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） cropping systems in Lake Taihu region, China. The study was conducted on two types of paddy soils（Hydromorphic at Anzhen site, Wuxi City, and Degleyed at Xinzhuang site, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province） with different P status, and it covered 3 years with low, high and normal rainfall regimes. Four rates of mineral P fertilizer, i.e., no P（control）, 30 kg P ha^（–1） for rice and 20 kg P ha^（–1） for wheat（P_（30＋20））, 75 plus 40（P_（75＋40））, and 150 plus 80（P_（150＋80））, were applied as treatments. Runoff water from individual plots and runoff events was recorded and analyzed for total P and dissolved reactive P concentrations. Losses of total P and dissolved reactive P significantly increased with rainfall depth and P rates（P〈0.0001）. Annual total P losses ranged from 0.36–0.92 kg ha^–1 in control to 1.13–4.67 kg ha^–1 in P150＋80 at Anzhen, and correspondingly from 0.36–0.48 kg h^–1 to 1.26–1.88 kg ha^–1 at Xinzhuang, with 16–49% of total P as dissolved reactive P. In particular, large amounts of P were lost during heavy rainfall events that occurred shortly after P applications at Anzhen. On average of all P treatments, rice growing season constituted 37–86% of annual total P loss at Anzhen and 28–44% of that at Xinzhuang. In both crop seasons, P concentrations peaked in the first runoff events and decreased with time. During rice growing season, runoff P concentrations positively correlated（P〈0.0001） with P concentrations in field ponding water that was intentionally enclosed by construction of field bund. The relative high P loss during wheat growing season at Xinzhuang was due to high soil P status. In conclusion, P should be applied at rates balancing crop removal（20–30 kg P ha^–1 in this study） and at time excluding heavy rains. Moreover, irrigation and drainage water should be appropriately managed to reduce runoff P losses from rice-wheat cropping systems.

Effect of Different Cultivation Practices on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties for Greenhouse Vegetables under Long-Term Continuous Cropping

Five kinds of greenhouse vegetables( eggplant,loofah,tomato,cucumber and pepper) were selected in summer uprooting stage from greenhouse in Shouguang area,Shandong Province. Total nitrogen,ammonium nitrogen,nitrate nitrogen,available phosphorus,available potassium,organic matter content and p H,EC value of three soil layers were measured,respectively. The results showed that the total nitrogen,ammonium nitrogen,nitrate nitrogen,available phosphorus and available potassium in the soil were mainly accumulated in the upper soil,which made the soil acidification trend,because different farmers adopted different cultivation practices for different greenhouse vegetables in Shouguang region,but there was no significant effect on soil EC value. The input of ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen and other related fertilizers to greenhouse cucumber was higher than that of other greenhouse vegetables,but the amount of available potassium fertilizer and organic matter input to greenhouse tomato under different cultivation practices was lower than other greenhouse vegetables. In Shouguang area,the input of organic matter into greenhouse vegetables should be increased by increasing the proportion of manure input to increase the content of soil organic carbon,so as to achieve the balance of carbon and nitrogen ratio,and to provide a scientific basis for the establishment of an evaluation system for the environmental benefits brought about by chemical fertilizer reduction in greenhouse vegetables in Shouguang area.

Effects of land use/cover change(LUCC) on the spatiotemporal variability of precipitation and temperature in the Songnen Plain,China

Understanding the effects of land use/cover change(LUCC) on regional climate is critical for achieving land use system sustainability and global climate change mitigation. However, the quantitative analysis of the contribution of LUCC to the changes of climatic factors, such as precipitation & temperature(P&T), is lacking. In this study, we combined statistical methods and the gravity center model simulation to quantify the effects of long-term LUCC on P&T in the Songnen Plain(SNP) of Northeast China from 1980–2018. The results showed the spatiotemporal variability of LUCC. For example, paddy field had the largest increase(15 166.43 km2) in the SNP, followed by dry land, while wetland had the largest decrease(19 977.13 km;) due to the excessive agricultural utilization and development. Annual average precipitation decreased at a rate of –9.89 mm per decade, and the warming trends were statistically significant with an increasing rate of 0.256°C per decade in this region since 1980. The model simulation revealed that paddy field, forestland, and wetland had positive effects on precipitation, which caused their gravity centers to migrate towards the same direction accompanied by the center of precipitation gravity, while different responses were seen for building land, dry land and unused land. These results indicated that forestland had the largest influence on the increase of precipitation compared with the other land use types.The responses in promoting the temperature increase differed significantly, being the highest in building land, and the lowest in forestland. In general, the analysis of regional-scale LUCC showed a significant reduction of wetland, and the increases in building land and cropland contributed to a continuous drying and rapid warming in the SNP.

Denitrification Losses and N_2O Emissions from Nitrogen Fertilizer Applied to a Vegetable Field

A field experiment was conducted on Chinese cabbage （Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis （Lour.） Olsson） in a Nanjing suburb in 2003. The experiment included 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates： zero chemical fertilizer N （CK）; urea at rates of 300 kg N ha^-1 （U300） and 600 kg N ha^-1 （U600）, both as basal and two topdressings; and polymer-coated urea at a rate of 180 kg N ha^-1 （PCU180） as a basal application. The acetylene inhibition technique was used to measure denitrification （N2 ＋ N2O） from intact soil cores and N2O emissions in the absence of acetylene. Results showed that compared to （3K total denitrification losses were significantly greater （P ≤ 0.05） in the PCU180, U300, and U600 treatments,while N2O emissions in the U300 and U600 treatments were significantly higher （P ≤ 0.05） than （3K. In the U300 and U600 treatments peaks of denitrification and N2O emission were usually observed after N application. In the polymer-coated urea treatment （PCU180） during the period 20 to 40 days after transplanting, higher denitrification rates and N2O fluxes occurred. Compared with urea, polymer-coated urea did not show any effect on reducing denitrification losses and N2O emissions in terms of percentage of applied N. As temperature gradually decreased from transplanting to harvest, denitrification rates and N2O emissions tended to decrease. A significant （P ≤0.01） positive correlation occurred between denitrification （r = 0.872） or N2O emission （r = 0.781） flux densities and soil temperature in the CK treatment with a stable nitrate content during the whole growing season.

Groundwater Nitrate Contamination and Driving Forces from Intensive Cropland in the North China Plain

High nitrate in groundwater is a serious problem especially in highly active agricultural areas.In this paper,the concentration and spatial distribution of groundwater nitrate in cropland area in the North China Plain were assessed by statistical and geostatistical techniques.Nitrate concentration in groundwater reached a maximum of 526.58 mg/L,and 47.2%,21.33%and 11.13%of samples had levels in excess of nitrate safety threshold concentration(50 mg/L)in shallow,middle-deep and deep groundwater,respectively.And NO-3 content significantly decreased with groundwater depth.Groundwater nitrate concentrations under vegetable area are significantly higher than ones under grain and orchard.And there are great differences in spatial distribution of nitrate in the North China Plain and pollution hotspot areas are mainly in Shandong Province.Based on both multiple regressions combined with principal component analysis(PCA),significant variables for nitrate variation in three types of ground water were found:population per unit area,percentage of vegetable area,percentage of grain crop area,livestock per unit area,annual precipitation and annual mean temperature for shallow groundwater;population per unit area and percentage of vegetable area for middle-deep groundwater;percentage of vegetable area,percentage of grain crop area and livestock per unit area for deep groundwater.

High variation of fungal communities and associated potential plant pathogens induced by long-term addition of N fertilizers rather than P, K fertilizers: A case study in a Mollisol field

Nitrogen(N),phosphate(P),and potassium(K)are the three most important nutrients applied into agricultural soils,but the impacts of their single or combined application on soil fungal community structure and stability are still open questions.Using qPCR and Illumina Miseq sequencing,the variation of soil fungal communities in response to long-term addition of N,P,or K fertilization alone and their combinations in a Mollisol field was investigated in this study.In addition,the fungal community resistance indices and network structure were studied.Results showed that N fertilizations(N,NK,NP and NPK treatments)rather than P,K fertilizations(P,K and PK treatments)significantly increased fungal abundance,but decreased fungal diversity and shifted fungal community structures when compared to non-fertilization(NoF).Additionally,N fertilization treatments presented lower resistance of fungal communities to environment disturbances than those of P,K fertilization treatments.More numbers and higher abundances of changed fungal taxa at the genus and OTU levels were induced by N fertilizations rather than by addition of P,K fertilizers.In addition,N fertilizations induced a more changeable fungal network and complex pathogenic subnetwork with many positive interactions among responding plant pathogens(RP,the changeable plant pathogens induced by fertilizers addition compared to NoF)when compared to P,K fertilizations.These RP directly and negatively influenced fungal community resistance examined by structural equation modeling(SEM),which were indirectly detrimental to soybean yields.Our findings revealed that addition of N fertilizers significantly disturbed fungal communities and promoted pathogenic interactions,and provided insights into the optimization of fertilization strategies toward agricultural sustainability.

Arsenic uptake by arbuscular mycorrhizal maize (Zea mays L.) grown in an arsenic-contaminated soil with added phosphorus

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal （AM） fungus （Glomus mosseae） and phosphorus （P） addition （100 mg/kg soil） on arsenic （As） uptake by maize plants （Zea mays L.） from an As-contaminated soil were examined in a glasshouse experiment. Non-mycorrhizal and zero-P addition controls were included. Plant biomass and concentrations and uptake of As, P, and other nutrients, AM colonization, root lengths, and hyphal length densities were determined. The results indicated that addition of P significantly inhibited root colonization and development of extraradical mycelium. Root length and dry weight both increased markedly with mycorrhizal colonization under the zero-P treatments, but shoot and root biomass of AM plants was depressed by P application. AM fungal inoculation decreased shoot As concentrations when no P was added, and shoot and root As concentrations of AM plants increased 2.6 and 1.4 times with P addition, respectively. Shoot and root uptake of P, Mn, Cu, and Zn increased, but shoot Fe uptake decreased by 44.6%, with inoculation, when P was added. P addition reduced shoot P, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn uptake of AM plants, but increased root Fe and Mn uptake of the nonmycorrhizal ones. AM colonization therefore appeared to enhance plant tolerance to As in low P soil, and have some potential for the phytostabilization of As-contaminated soil, however, P application may introduce additional environmental risk by increasing soil As mobility.

Responses of Saline Soil Properties and Cotton Growth to Different Organic Amendments

Application of organic waste to saline alkaline soils is considered to be a good practice for soil remediation. The effects of applying different organic amendments （e.g., cattle dung, vermicompost, biofertilizer） and earthworm inoculations （Eisenia fetida） on saline soils and cotton growth were investigated during i year of cotton cultivation. Compared to the control （applied with inorganic NPK fertilizer）, applying organic amendments improved soil physicochemical properties. Biofertilizer application improved available nutrient content, reduced short-term soil electrical conductivity, and produced the highest cotton yield, whereas cattle dung and vermicompost applications resulted in higher soil organic matter content. Application of organic amendments significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon during the flowering period, which sharply declined at harvest. This was especially true for the biofertilizer treatment, which also exhibited lower nematode abundance compared with the other organic materials. Earthworm inoculation following cattle dung application failed to significantly change soil physicochemical properties when compared to the treatments without earthworm inoculation. Results suggest that biofertilizer application to saline soil would improve soil nutrient status in the short-term, whereas cattle dung application would improve soil organic matter content and increase soil organism abundance to a greater extent. However, different strategies might be required for long-term saline soil remediation.

Development of Soil Crusts Under Simulated Rainfall and Crust Formation on a Loess Soil as Influenced by Polyacrylamide

This study evaluated the morphological characteristics and dynamic variation in characteristics of soil crust and iden-tified the relationships between soil crust and splash erosion under simulated rainfall.The effect of polyacrylamide (PAM) on soil aggregate stabilization and crust formation was also investigated.A laboratory rainfall simulation experiment was carried out using soil sample slices.The slices were examined under a polarized light microscopy and a scanning electron microscope (SEM).The results revealed that the soil crusts were thin and were characterized by a greater density,higher shear strength,finer porosity,and lower saturated hydraulic conductivity than the underlying soil.Two types of crusts,i.e.,structural and depositional crusts,were observed.Soil texture was determined to be the most important soil variable influ-encing surface crust formation;depositional crust formation was primarily related to the skeleton characteristics of the soil and happened when the soil contained a high level of medium and large aggregates.The crust formation processes observed were as follows:1) The fine particles on the soil surface became spattered,leached,and then rough in response to raindrop impact and 2) the fine particles were washed into the subsoil pores while a compact dense layer concurrently formed at soil surface due to the continual compaction by the raindrops.Therefore,the factors that influenced structural crust formation were a large amount of fine particles in the soil surface,continual impact of raindrops,dispersion of aggregates into fine particles,and the formation of a compact dense layer concurrently at the soil surface.It was concluded that the most important factor in the formation of soil crusts was raindrop impact.When polyacrylamide (PAM) was applied,it restored the soil structure and greatly increased soil aggregate stabilization.This effectively prevented crust formation.However,this function of PAM was not continuously effective and the crust reformed with long-term rainfall.In conclusion,this study showed that soil micromorphological studies were a useful method for evaluating soil crust formation.

Prediction of nitrogen release from sigmoid-type controlled release fertilizers in greenhouse production of strawberry and cucumber

Dear Editor,The increased demand for economic and environmental benefits with the application of controlled release fertilizers（CRFs）has prompted the need for simple and viable prediction of controlled nitrogen release（CNR）.Sigmoid pattern CRFs（SCRFs）has different release mechanisms and coating processes from parabolic pattern CRFs（PCRFs）.The CNR rate of an SCRF can be very slow at low temperatures;much more time is needed to release the same quantity of nutrients as conventional fertilizers.

Estimating the Spatial and Temporal Changes in the Green Development Level in Beijing during 2006–2016

Green development is an important way to achieve global sustainable development goals, and has become one of the main research hotspots in recent years. Balancing economic development and environmental protection has turned out to be a great challenge in Beijing, the capital of China, which can provide some suggestions on ecological civilization construction and green development for other cities. However, there have been limited studies on this crucial topic. Therefore, based on the statistical data for Beijing from 2006 to 2016, this paper constructed the green development evaluation system of Beijing, and used the Projection Pursuit Model and spatial analysis method to analyze the spatial and temporal changes in its green development level. We also aimed to further explore the influences of key factors on green development. Our results illustrated that:(1) the overall and average levels of green development in Beijing showed significant increasing trends;(2) there are obvious spatial differences in green development among districts in Beijing, with the outer districts showing higher values;and(3) the environmental condition and human consumption were two important factors driving the green development in Beijing.