Gross nitrogen mineralization and nitrification at an optimal phosphorus input level in southern Chinese red soil with long-term fertilization

Abstract

In China, phosphorus (P) is recognized as a “key limiting nutrient” for crop production, and its overuse results in underground leaching, ecosystem alterations and risks to humans, such as degraded surface water quality. The coupling of nitrogen (N) and P implies that soil N dynamics are largely affected by P availability. However, how the addition of P affects soil N transformations remains less understood. To determine the optimal P-input level, we performed an incubation experiment on an upland soil from Jinxian in China after long-term mineral fertilizer application and P addition. The two treatments without N addition T1 (no fertilizer) and T2 (inorganic potassium fertilizer) and the two treatments with N addition T3 (inorganic nitrogen fertilizer) and T4 (inorganic nitrogen and potassium fertilizer) were selected from the long-term experiment that involved scientific management at five P-input levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 kg P2O5 ha−1) with three replications. The results showed that soil organic matter (SOM) increased in the T3 and T4 treatments compared with the T1 and T2 treatments. The T4 treatment resulted in the maximum N concentration of 1.28 g kg−1, followed by that in the T3 treatment (1.25 g kg−1), T2 (0.16 g kg−1) and that in the T1 treatment (0.10 g kg−1), in the soil. Among the different treatments, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and nitrogen (SMBN) were significantly higher (492.69 mg kg−1 and 73.36 mg kg−1, respectively) in the T3 treatment than in the other treatments, while soil microbial biomass phosphorus (SMBP) was higher in the T4 treatment (17.55 mg kg−1). With the addition of P, the gross N mineralization rate was substantially enhanced when N and K were applied. After the 90-day incubation period, with higher concentrations of NO3--N and NH4+-N in the T4 treatment than in the other treatments, the concentrations were significantly increased by P addition, specifically T4P4 by 11.27% and 37.37%, T4P3 by 12.64% and 30.29%, T4P2 by 22.94% and 64.53%, and T4P1 by 3.93% and 11.09%, compared with those of T4P0, respectively; these results indicated a maximum N mineralization potential (No) and mineralization rate constant, k (NMR). As a result of the increased gross nitrogen mineralization rates and associated NH4+ substrate availability, the gross nitrification rate was also increased by P addition. Based on the polynomial regression analysis, the inclusion of P at the rate of 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 can be used effectively to obtain maximum gross N mineralization rates in soil. Additionally, to fully understand why P addition is more effective under specific soil and environmental conditions, more research is necessary to determine the underlying mechanisms.