Abstract
A field experiment with six treatments was conducted to study the nitrogen reserves in summer maize topsoil on the north China plain. Results showed that topdressing significantly increased topsoil nitrogen reserves. Summer corn topsoil nitrogen reserves were affected by several management measures. Shallow tillage, wheat straw no-returning and deep intertillage at the corn seedling stage significantly decreased topsoil nitrogen reserves, while wheat straw returning, no-tillage and biogas residue application during the wheat planting season significantly increased topsoil nitrogen reserves. The topsoil nitrogen reserve of Treatment 5 (straw returning + biogas residue + no-tillage + no-intertillage at the corn seedling stage) (biogas residue applied in the wheat season) increased by 629.55 kg/ha in the corn season. In Treatment 2 (straw returning + no-tillage + no-intertillage at corn seedling stage), topsoil nitrogen reserve increased by 445.2 kg/ha. Topsoil nitrogen storage showed the largest decrease in Treatment 3 (straw returning + no-tillage + intertillage at corn seedling stage), with a reduction of 1283.85 kg/ha. The topsoil N storage of Treatment 4 (straw returning + shallow (spin) tillage + no-intertillage at corn seedling) stage, Treatment 1 (straw no-returning + no-tillage + no-intertillage at corn seedling stage) and Treatment 3 (straw returning + no-tillage + intertillage at corn seedling stage) decreased by 935.7 kg/ha, 399.3 kg/ha and 351.9 kg/ha, respectively.
Highlights
In the North China plain, the important agricultural production system is Winter wheat summer maize rotation
Straw returning + no-tillage + intertillage at corn seedling stage; 4
Topsoil nitrogen reserves increased significantly after fertilizer application at the elongation stage and tended to decrease from the corn filling stage to the maturity stage. Field management measures such as wheat straw noreturning, shallow tillage and deep intertillage at the corn seedling stage caused topsoil nitrogen deficiency, while wheat straw returning, no-tillage, and no-intertillage at the corn seedling stage and biogas organic fertilizer application at wheat planting were beneficial to topsoil nitrogen accumulation
Summary
In the North China plain, the important agricultural production system is Winter wheat summer maize rotation. The application of excessive nitrogen fertilizer is considered as a common problem in the local agricultural production system. Previous agronomy research has emphasized improving the nitrogen fertilizer utilization rate to increase crop yield [1]. With the rise in public environmental awareness, the impact of farmland nitrogen loss on the environment has received increasing attention [2,3,4]. The impact of tillage and straw returning on topsoil nitrogen reserves has been studied in China. Hu et al compared soil organic carbon and nitrogen reserve under conventional tillage and six-year no-tillage straw mulch, and showed that, compared with plowing, no-tillage treatment mulch increased organic carbon and nitrogen reserves in the 0-15 cm topsoil, to some extent, but did not affect the reserves deeper than 15 cm [6]
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