Pathways and Drivers of Gross N Transformation in Different Soil Types under Long-Term Chemical Fertilizer Treatments

Abstract

Microbial-mediated nitrogen (N) dynamics is not only a key process for crop productivity, but also a driver for N losses. Therefore, a better understanding of N dynamics and controlling factors in different soil types is needed to better manage N fertilization in crop fields. To achieve this, a 15N tracing approach was used to quantify simultaneously occurring N transformation rates in four agricultural trials (>20 years chemical fertilizer application) with contrasting climatic and edaphic types (three upland soils and one paddy soil). The results showed that recalcitrant soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization was the main source of NH4+ at all the sites, with rates ranging from 0.037 in fluvo-aquic soil to 3.096 mg kg−1 day−1 in paddy red soil. Autotrophic nitrification (ONH4) was the predominant NO3− production mechanism in the black and fluvo-aquic soils, whereas it was negligible in the upland and paddy red soils. Nitrification capacity, as an indicator of nitrate leaching risk, was in the order: upland red soil (1%) < paddy red soil (8%) < black soil (235%) < fluvo-aquic soil (485%), implying a high nitrate leaching risk in the last two soils. However, high microbial immobilization (41%) and abiotic adsorption (6%) decreased NO3− leaching in black soil. The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) showed that SOC, temperature and pH were the main factors controlling nitrate immobilization, N mineralization and nitrification. In summary, even under similar chemical fertilization conditions, N transformation dynamics are expected to differ with respect to soil type. Therefore, N management strategies should be adjusted to soil type to control N losses and increase crop yield.