Effects of different tillage management on rhizosphere soil nitrogen mineralization and its extracellular enzyme activity in a double‐cropping rice paddy field of southern China

Abstract

AbstractSoil extracellular enzyme activity plays an important role in regulating the process of nitrogen (N) mineralization in the paddy field. However, there is still limited information about how rhizosphere N mineralization and its extracellular enzyme activities respond to different tillage treatments in a double‐cropping rice paddy fields of southern China. Therefore, the effects of 6‐year (short‐term) tillage management on rhizosphere soil acid hydrolysable N and its fractions, N mineralization, and its extracellular enzyme activities in a double‐cropping rice paddy fields of southern China were studied and reported in this article. The field experiment included four tillage treatments: conventional tillage with crop residue incorporation (CT), rotary tillage with crop residue incorporation (RT), no‐tillage with crop residue retention (NT), and rotary tillage with crop residue removed as a control (RTO). The results showed that rhizosphere soil total acid hydrolysable N and its fractions with CT, RT and NT treatments were higher than those with RTO treatment. Compared to RTO treatment, the rhizosphere soil total acid hydrolysable N content with CT and RT treatments was increased by 19.17% and 17.74%, respectively. Compared to RTO treatment, the rhizosphere soil aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates with CT and RT treatments were increased by 100.00% and 80.65%, and 43.02% and 33.72%, respectively. Rhizosphere soil extracellular enzyme activities with CT and RT treatments were higher than those with NT and RTO treatments. There was a positive correlation between rhizosphere soil amino sugar N, amino acid N, total acid hydrolysable N contents, L‐glutaminase activity and N mineralization rate. The principal component analysis results indicated that rhizosphere soil organic carbon, amino sugar N, amino acid N and total acid hydrolysable N contents, soil β‐glucosaminidase, β‐glucosidase and L‐glutaminase activities were the main factors affecting rhizosphere soil aerobic and anaerobic N mineralization rates. As a result, rhizosphere soil acid hydrolysable N and its fractions, N mineralization, and its extracellular enzyme activities were significantly increased under the combined application of conventional tillage and rotary tillage with the crop residue incorporation condition.