Investigating the Effects of Greenhouse Vegetable Cultivation on Soil Fertility in Lhasa, Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The area of land utilized for growing vegetables in greenhouses has expanded rapidly on the Tibetan Plateau over recent decades. However, the effects of greenhouses on soil fertility as well as variations in these effects between the plateau and plain remain unclear on the Tibetan Plateau. This study assessed the effects of vegetable greenhouses in the vicinity of Lhasa, using open field soil as a control. A total of 92 plough layer (0–20 cm depth) soil samples including 54 from greenhouses and 38 from open fields were taken, and soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total soluble salt (TS), soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) were measured. The results reveal that, soil pH was lower 1.0 units in greenhouses than that in open field. TS was higher 82% and AP was higher 160% overall. Similarly, SOM and TN were higher 32% and 46%, respectively, while AK changed slightly at a higher 1% rate. Results also show that soil properties varied depending on cultivation time and vegetable types. Overall, pH continuously decreased with cultivation time while other soil fertility indicators reached a maximum value after nine years of cultivation before starting to decrease. The effect of leafy vegetable planting on soil was slight overall, while the impact of fruits on soil was more serious. Compared with changes in plain greenhouse soil fertility measured across the eastern China, the effects of greenhouses on soil in Lhasa remain relatively limited; and the change in the degree of soil fertility was lower and the extreme values of soil fertility occurred later in Lhasa.