Interannual variation of soil organic nitrogen fractions and its response to straw returning.

Abstract

Elucidating the interannual variation of soil organic nitrogen fractions and its response to straw returning is of great significance for rational regulation of soil organic nitrogen pool and sustainable soil utilization. We conducted a field microcosm experiment with typic hapludoll soil at the National Field Observation and Research Station of Shenyang Agroecosystems. Three treatments were set, including nitrogen fertilizer addition (200 kg N·hm-2, the same in other treatments), nitrogen fertilizer addition with 50% straw return, and nitrogen fertilizer addition with 100% straw return. We classified soil organic nitrogen fractions in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th years of the experiment by using the Bremner acid hydrolysis method. The results showed that the content of amino acid nitrogen increased with the tillage years, with an increase rate of 39.8% compared with 1st year. The content of hydrolyzable unknown nitrogen increased by 10.8% compared with 1st year, which reached the highest in the 3rd year. The content of total soil nitrogen and other organic nitrogen fractions showed limited variation with tillage years. The proportion of hydrolyzable total nitrogen that is relatively easy to mineralize in the total soil nitrogen gradually increased with the tillage years, and that of relatively stable acid insoluble nitrogen to total soil nitrogen gradually decreased, indicating that soil nitrogen availability increased with the tillage years, which would facilitate the soil nitrogen supply capacity. Compared with the treatment without straw returning, adding straw improved soil total nitrogen and each hydrolyzable nitrogen contents, with such positive effect be stronger under the treatment with heavier straw returning. The effect of straw returning on hydrolyzable nitrogen fractions mainly occurred in the 6th and 9th years. The components of soil total nitrogen that have been increased were mainly the amino acid nitrogen and hydrolyzed unknown nitrogen, resulting in increased proportion of hydrolyzable nitrogen. Straw returning could increase soil nitrogen pool and improve soil nitrogen conservation and supply capacity.