Soil organic matter and the indigenous nitrogen supply of intensive irrigated rice systems in the tropics

Soil organic matter (SOM) has been proposed as an index of N supply in paddy soils although field validations are few. We evaluated the relationship between the indigenous N supply (N _i ) of the soil-floodwater system and soil organic carbon (SOC) or total N (N _t ) in surface soil of long-term fertility experiments (LTFEs) at 11 sites, in 42 farmer's fiels with similar soil type, and in the same field in ten consecutive rice (Oryza sativa L.) crops. The N _i was estimated by crop N uptake from plots without applied N (N _o plots) under otherwise favorable growth conditions. There was a tight linear correlation between yields and N uptake in N _o plots and tremendous variation in both parameters among LTFE sites, farmer's fields, and in the same field over time. Correlation between N _i and SOC or N _t explained little of this variation. Factors likely to contribute to the poor correlation were: (1) inputs of N from sources other than N mineralization of SOM in surface soil, (2) degree of congruence between soil N supply and crop demand, which is sensitive to soil drying, length of fallow, crop rotation, and residue management, and (3) differences in SOM quality related to intensive cropping in submerged soil. Better understanding of the processes governing the N _i of tropical lowland rice systems would contribute to the development of crop management practices that optimize utilization of indigenous N resources.     

Long- and short-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in tallgrass prairie

Fires in the tallgrass prairie are frequent and significantly alter nutrient cycling processes. We evaluated the short-term changes in plant production and microbial activity due to fire and the long-term consequences of annual burning on soil organic matter (SOM), plant production, and nutrient cycling using a combination of field, laboratory, and modeling studies. In the short-term, fire in the tallgrass prairie enhances microbial activity, increases both above-and belowground plant production, and increases nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, repeated annual burning results in greater inputs of lower quality plant residues causing a significant reduction in soil organic N, lower microbial biomass, lower N availability, and higher C:N ratios in SOM. Changes in amount and quality of below-ground inputs increased N immobilization and resulted in no net increases in N availability with burning. This response occurred rapidly (e.g., within two years) and persisted during 50 years of annual burning. Plant production at a long-term burned site was not adversely affected due to shifts in plant NUE and carbon allocation. Modeling results indicate that the tallgrass ecosystem responds to the combined changes in plant resource allocation and NUE. No single factor dominates the impact of fire on tallgrass plant production.     

Effects of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) on plant and soil nitrogen and soil organic matter in mixtures with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

To increase our insight into the above- and belowground N flows in grass and grass-clover swards relations between crop and soil parameters were studied in a cutting trial with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) monocultures and ryegrass–white clover (Trifolium repens) mixtures. The effects of clover cultivar on herbage yield, the amount of clover-derived nitrogen, apparent N transfer to companion grass, dynamics of N and organic matter in the soil were estimated.The grass monocultures had very low DM yields (<2.1 t ha^-1) and a low N concentration in the harvested herbage. During 1992–1995 the annual herbage DM yield in the mixtures ranged from 7.0 to 14.3 t ha^-1, the white clover DM yield from 2.4 to 11.2 t ha^-1 and the mean annual clover content in the herbage DM harvested from 34 to 78%. Mixtures with the large-leaved clover cv. Alice yielded significantly more herbage and clover DM and had a higher clover content than mixtures with small/medium-leaved cvs. Gwenda and Retor. Grass cultivar did not consistently affect yield, botanical composition or soil characteristics.The apparent N₂ fixation was very high, ranging from 150 to 545 kg N ha^-1 in the different mixtures. For each tonne of clover DM in the harvested herbage 49 to 63 kg N was harvested, while the apparent N transfer from clover to grass varied between 55 and 113 kg N ha^-1 year^-1.The net N mineralization rate was lower under monocultures than under mixtures. The C mineralization and the amounts of C and N in active soil organic matter fractions were similar for monocultures and mixtures, but the C:N ratio of the active soil organic matter fractions were higher under grass than under mixtures. This explains the lower N mineralization under grass.     

川西北泡沙参种群根系生长动态及其与环境因素关系研究

对川西北地区泡沙参种群根系生物量累积和形态发育过程及其与环境因素的关系进行了研究.结果表明,泡沙参种群根系生物量累积一般规律符合Logistic增长过程.较高的泡沙参根系生物量累积和形态发育时期可以持续到15～17年生以后,根系采收直径应在1.7cm以上.动物啃食、人为采挖、土壤、气候等环境条件与不同海拔各种群的根系生物量累积等有着密切联系,中海拔地区(2800～3300m)人为干扰少,土壤和水热条件适宜,根系生物量和形态发育达到较高水平,适合高产栽培.而低海拔和高海拔地区的不利环境条件限制了泡沙参根系生长.在进行野生资源保护利用以及人工栽培泡沙参时应充分考虑环境因素,努力减少放牧、采挖等人为破坏,有条件的地区应实行分区禁牧、禁采挖,为泡沙参种群恢复和药材品质提高创造条件.     

Soil organic matter as a potential net nitrogen sink in a fertilized cornfield,South Deerfield,Massachusetts, USA

Net nitrogen (N) mineralization in situ and N mineralization potential (N₀) over one complete year (1986–1987) were examined for a conventionally managed silage cornfield that received at least 235 kg fertilizer N ha^-1. Net N mineralization at the site, measured by sequential in situ polyethylene-bag incubations, totaled –54 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1, and –31 kg N ha^-1 over the May-to-August growing season. Nitrogen mineralization potential of the soil organic matter (SOM), measured by laboratory anaerobic incubations, was positive uniformly and varied with month of sample collection. The soil gained 72 kg inorganic N ha^-1 from April to October, principally because of a fall manuring, only 7 kg N ha^-1 from April to September. The in situ incubations, likely more representative of the balance between N mineralization and immobilization under N-fertilized conditions, suggest that SOM at the site is accumulating N.Contribution from the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.Contribution from the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.     

水位和施氮对若尔盖高寒湿地土壤非共生固氮的影响

高寒湿地中土壤微生物固氮是氮元素进入生态系统的主要途径之一,环境因子变化对土壤固氮功能的影响仍不明晰。在四川若尔盖高寒湿地搭建了由27个生态模拟箱组成的中宇宙实验系统,通过控制水位和模拟氮沉降,研究水位变化和施氮对土壤非共生固氮的影响。实验设计了3水位水平×3施氮水平共9个处理,测定了生态模拟箱中表层土壤的非共生固氮速率,土壤碳、氮含量,以及地上植物生物量和植物氮含量,比较不同水位和施氮处理下非共生固氮速率的变化规律并分析其与土壤和植物碳、氮含量的关系。研究发现：生态模拟箱中土壤非共生固氮速率范围是0.003-7.35 μg N g^-1 d^-1,从不淹水到淹水的处理土壤非共生固氮速率提高约2倍。施氮处理中固氮速率随土壤含水量升高而增强的敏感性高于施氮对照处理,且施氮处理下的生态模拟箱中土壤有机碳含量显著升高,据此推测施氮可能使淹水的生态模拟箱中的浮游植物提高生产力而释放可利用有机碳,从而间接促进土壤非共生固氮。本研究获得以下结论：（1）若尔盖高寒湿地中土壤水位是限制固氮速率的重要因子;（2）施氮背景下土壤含水量对非共生固氮的促进效应更明显。     

Effects of tillage intensity on nitrogen dynamics and productivity in legume-based grain systems

In 1988 an experiment was established at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm to study weed control and nitrogen (N) management in rotations with grain crops and N-fixing green manures under reduced tillage without the use of herbicides. Tillage intensities ranging from moldboard plow (MP) to continuous no-till (NT) were compared. We present results for maize production in 1994, the seventh year of the experiment. Our goal was to further investigate reduced tillage regimes that alternated no-till with different forms of primary tillage in legume-based systems. In the chisel-disc (CD) and MP treatments comparable yields were achieved under so-called organic (weeds controlled with cultivation and green manure N source) and conventional management (weeds controlled with herbicides and mineral N fertilizer applied). Weed competition in these treatments was minimal and the N status of maize plants was essentially the same regardless of the N source (fertilizer or green manure). Of the four organic no-till maize treatments, only the mixed-tillage system with cultivation for weed control (CD-NTc) produced yields comparable to conventional NT maize. The fate of vetch N as well as temporal N dynamics were largely determined by tillage intensity and the handling of the vetch residues at maize planting. Treatments with primary tillage (CD and MP) had extremely high levels of mineral N early in the season and had greater average net N-mineralization, even though N content of hairy vetch in these treatments was equal to or lower than that in treatments with mow-killed vetch. In terms of soil mineral N concentrations, the CD-NTc treatment was similar to the other mow-killed vetch/no-till maize treatments. However, N availability in this treatment was greater, probably due to more complete decomposition of green manure residues. Cultivation for weeds not only helped control weeds but also increased mineralization of the vetch residues, which in turn increased the N supply during the period of maximum N demand by the maize. Carefully designed rotations combining tillage reductions with the use of leguminous N sources can have multiple benefits, including improved timing of N availability, reduced herbicide applications, and improved soil quality in the long term. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and storage throughout the soil profile in a sweetgum plantation after 11 years of CO2‐enrichment

Increased partitioning of carbon (C) to fine roots under elevated [CO₂], especially deep in the soil profile, could alter soil C and nitrogen (N) cycling in forests. After more than 11 years of free‐air CO₂ enrichment in a Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA, greater inputs of fine roots resulted in the incorporation of new C (i.e., C with a depleted δ¹³C) into root‐derived particulate organic matter (POM) pools to 90‐cm depth. Even though production in the sweetgum stand was limited by soil N availability, soil C and N contents were greater throughout the soil profile under elevated [CO₂] at the conclusion of the experiment. Greater C inputs from fine‐root detritus under elevated [CO₂] did not result in increased net N immobilization or C mineralization rates in long‐term laboratory incubations, possibly because microbial biomass was lower in the CO₂‐enriched plots. Furthermore, the δ¹³CO₂ of the C mineralized from the incubated soil closely tracked the δ¹³C of the labile POM pool in the elevated [CO₂] treatment, especially in shallower soil, and did not indicate significant priming of the decomposition of pre‐experiment soil organic matter (SOM). Although potential C mineralization rates were positively and linearly related to total SOM C content in the top 30 cm of soil, this relationship did not hold in deeper soil. Taken together with an increased mean residence time of C in deeper soil pools, these findings indicate that C inputs from relatively deep roots under elevated [CO₂] may increase the potential for long‐term soil C storage. However, C in deeper soil is likely to take many years to accrue to a significant fraction of total soil C given relatively smaller root inputs at depth. Expanded representation of biogeochemical cycling throughout the soil profile may improve model projections of future forest responses to rising atmospheric [CO₂].     

有机肥氮投入比例对双季稻田根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵的影响

为探明不同有机肥氮素占总氮投入的百分比对双季稻区早、晚稻各生育时期稻田根际土壤微生物的影响,本研究以大田定位试验为平台,应用氯仿熏蒸-K₂SO₄提取法和化学分析法系统分析了施用化肥N(M₁)、30%有机肥N(M₂)、50%有机肥N(M₃)、100%有机肥N(M₄)和无N对照(M₀)5个不同施肥处理双季稻田根际土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、微生物生物量氮(MBN)和微生物熵的差异.结果表明: 在早稻和晚稻各主要生育时期,施肥措施均能提高稻田根际土壤MBC、MBN和微生物熵,各施肥处理根际土壤MBC、MBN和微生物熵均随水稻生育期推进呈先增加后降低的变化趋势,均于齐穗期达到最大值,成熟期为最低值;其中,各处理双季稻田根际土壤MBC、MBN、MBC/MBN值和微生物熵一般均表现为M₄＞M₃＞M₂＞M₁＞M₀,M₂、M₃和M₄处理间均无显著差异,但均显著高于M₀处理.可见,单独施用化肥措施对提高根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵效果有限,施用有机肥或有机无机肥配施提高根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵的效果较好.     

菌渣化肥配施对稻田土壤微生物量碳氮和可溶性碳氮的影响

菌渣作为一种养分丰富的有机物料还田,可减少化肥施用,同时保持土壤肥力;而土壤微生物量碳、氮和可溶性碳、氮是土壤活性碳氮库的重要组成部分,其含量和比例变化对土壤肥力均具有重要作用。因此,探讨不同比例菌渣化肥配施对土壤微生物量碳、氮及可溶性碳、氮的影响,评价菌渣在优化土壤肥力方面的生态作用具有重要意义。本研究在水稻田间定位试验条件下,设置3个化肥水平(C) 0%、50%、100%,菌渣相对用量(F) 0%、50%、100%,共9个处理,分析了各处理土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、氮(MBN)和可溶性碳(DOC)、氮(DON)的变化特征,及其占土壤有机碳(SOC)和全氮(TN)的比例与相关关系。结果表明:菌渣化肥配施后,微生物量碳和可溶性碳、氮均在C100F50最高,微生物量氮在C50F100最高,与不施肥处理相比,分别显著增加了49.40%、43.65%、83.52%、207.19%;MBC/SOC和DOC/SOC均随着菌渣化肥配施量的增加而减少,MBN/TN和DON/TN均在C100F50最高。相关分析表明,MBC、DOC与SOC,MBN与TN均呈极显著正相关,DON和TN呈显著正相关。总体来讲,菌渣化肥配施能够显著提高土壤微生物量碳、氮和可溶性碳、氮含量,但不是随着用量的增加一直呈增加趋势,高量菌渣或者化肥下会有降低趋势;菌渣化肥配施降低了土壤微生物量和可溶性碳氮比,因此适宜的菌渣化肥配施是提高土壤有机碳周转速度、微生物活性及其氮素供应能力和有效性的最佳选择。