Improving nitrogen use efficiency(NUE) and decreasing N loss are critical to sustainable agriculture. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of various fertilization regimes on yield, NUE, N agronomic efficiency(NAE) and N loss in long-term(16- or 24-yr) experiments carried out at three rice-wheat rotation sites(Chongqing, Suining and Wuchang) in subtropical China. Three treatments were examined: sole chemical N, N+phosphorus(NP), and NP+potassium(NPK) fertilizations. Grain yields at three sites were significantly increased by 9.3-81.6%(rice) and 54.5-93.8%(wheat) under NP compared with N alone, 1.7-9.8%(rice) and 0-17.6%(wheat) with NPK compared with NP. Compared to NP, NUE significantly increased for wheat at Chongqing(9.3%) and Wuchang(11.8%), but not at Suining, China. No changes in NUE were observed in rice between NP and NPK at all three sites. The rice-wheat rotation’s NAE was 3.3 kg kg-1 higher under NPK than under NP at Chongqing, while NAE was similar for NP and NPK at Suining and Wuchang. We estimated that an uptake increase of 1.0 kg N ha-1 would increase 40 kg rice and 30 kg wheat ha-1. Nitrogen loss/input ratios were ~60, ~40 or ~30% under N, NP or NPK at three sites, indicating significant decrease of N loss by P or PK additions. We attribute part of the increase in NUE soil N accumulation which significantly increased by 25-55 kg ha-1 yr-1 under NPK at three sites, whereas by 35 kg ha-1 yr-1 under NP at Chongqing only. This paper illustrates that apply P and K to wheat, and reduce K application to rice is an effective nutrient management strategy for both the NUE improvement and N losses reduction in China.
Upland red soils have been identified as major CO 2 and N 2 O sources induced by human activities such as fertilization. To monitor characteristics of soil surface CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes in cropland ecosystems after continuous fertilizer applications over decades and to separate the respective contributions of root and heterotrophic respiration to the total soil CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes, the measurements of soil surface CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes throughout the maize growing season in 2009 were carried out based on a fertilization experiment(from 1990) through of the maize(Zea mays L.) growing season in red soil in southern China. Five fertilization treatments were chosen from the experiment for study: zero-fertilizer application(CK), nitrogen-phosphoruspotassium(NPK) fertilizer application only, pig manure(M), NPK plus pig manure(NPKM) and NPK with straw(NPKS). Six chambers were installed in each plot. Three of them are in the inter-row soil(NR) and the others are in the soil within the row(R). Each fertilizer treatment received the same amount of N(300 kg ha-1 yr-1). Results showed that cumulative soil CO 2 fluxes in NR or R were both following the order: NPKS>M, NPKM>NPK>CK. The contributions of root respiration to soil CO 2 fluxes was 40, 44, 50, 47 and 35% in CK, NPK, NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, with the mean value of 43%. Cumulative soil N 2 O fluxes in NR or R were both following the order: NPKS, NPKM>M>NPK>CK, and soil N 2 O fluxes in R were 18, 20 and 30% higher than that in NR in NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, but with no difference between NR and R in NPK treatment. Furthermore, combine with soil temperature at-5 cm depth and soil moisture(0-20 cm) together could explain 55-70% and 42-59% of soil CO 2 and N 2 O emissions with root interference and 62-78% and 44-63% of that without root interference, respectively. In addition, soil CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes per unit yield in NPKM(0.55 and 0.10 kg C t-1) and M(0.65 and 0.13 g N t-1) treatments were lower than those in other treatments. Ther
The significance of mycorrhizas(fungal roots in 90% of land plants) in plant nutrient acquisition and growth,element biogeo-chemical cycling and maintaining of terrestrial ecosystem structures has been globally established for more than 120 years.Great progress in mycorrhizal research in the past 60 years(1950-2009,1981-2009 in particular) has also been made across China,particularly in the mainland,Hong Kong and Taiwan.For instance,a total of 20 new and ~120 records of arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungal species,30 new and ~800 records of ectomycorrhizal(EM) fungal species,a dozen of new and ~100 records of orchid mycorrhizal(OM) fungal species have been isolated by morphological observation and/or molecular identification in China since the 1950s.Great accomplishment has also been made in the following area,including fungal species richness and genetic structure,relationships between species composition and plant taxa,effects of mycorrhizal fungi on plant nutrient uptake and growth,resistances to pathogens and interactions with other soil microorganisms,potential of mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation and/or land reclamation,alterations of enzymatic activities in mycorrhizal plants,and elevated CO2 and O3 on root colonization and species diversity.Unfortunately,the international community cannot easily appreciate almost all Chinese mycorrhizal studies since the vast majority of them have been published in Chinese and/or in China-based journals.The aim of this review is to make a comprehensive exposure of the past and present China's major mycorrhizal research to the whole world,and then to suggest potential directions for the enhancement of future mycorrhizal research within and/or between the Chinese and international mycorrhizal community.
