Effects Of Different Fertilizer Treatments Research Articles

Effect of fertilizer treatments on sugar beet cultivars: A comprehensive study on crop yield and nutrient contents of soil and plant in chestnut soil of Kazakhstan

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different fertilizer treatments on the growth, yield, and nutrient content of two sugar beet cultivars, Aksu (Kazakhstan) and Yampol (Poland), cultivated in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. The experiment was conducted using a complete randomized block design with three replicates, comprising six treatments: control (without fertilizer), N120P120K90, and N130P130K130 for both cultivars. The soil's physical and chemical properties were analyzed, revealing a foothill light chestnut soil with favorable nutrient levels. Results indicated that the N130P130K130 treatment significantly increased soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, leading to enhanced sugar beet growth, nutrient uptake, and yield. Both cultivars responded positively to the increased nutrient levels, with the N130P130K130 treatment showing the highest yield of 785.6 tons/ha for Aksu and 802.5 tons/ha for Yampol. Furthermore, nutrient content in tubers and leaves was significantly higher in the N130P130K130 treatment compared to other treatments. These findings underscore the importance of balanced nutrient management tailored to specific cultivars for optimizing sugar beet productivity and soil fertility in diverse agro-climatic conditions. Adopting balanced mineral nutrient management approaches could offer promising solutions to enhance sugar beet productivity and sustainability. Future research should focus on exploring long-term effects and integrated nutrient management strategies for sustainable sugar beet cultivation.

Combined Application of Chemical and Organic Fertilizers: Effects on Yield and Soil Nutrients in Spring Wheat under Drip Irrigation

In this study, we established a feasible fertilization programming method for wheat production by exploring the effects of the combined application of chemical and organic fertilizers on wheat yield, nutrient uptake, soil nutrient content, and fertilizer utilization. Six treatments, no fertilizer (CK), conventional fertilizer (CF), optimized fertilizer (with reduced fertilizer amount) (RF), chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer extract (RPAE), partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with raw amino acid powder (RAF), and partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with raw humic acid powder (RHF), were set up for a field experiment. The fertilizer application rates for the RF treatment were calculated based on fertilization-monitoring techniques (30.3% nitrogen and 24.8% phosphorus reductions in 2022 and 23.0% nitrogen and 1.5% phosphorus reductions in 2023). The effects of different fertilizer treatments on yield, dry matter accumulation, plant nutrient accumulation, soil nutrients, and nutrient utilization in wheat were investigated. The results showed that, on the basis of 23% nitrogen and 1.5% phosphorus reductions, there was no significant difference in wheat yield between the RF and CF treatments and that the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer was improved. The application of organic fertilizer promoted dry matter accumulation in different organs of wheat; increased plant nutrient accumulation; improved soil nutrient content, nutrient utilization rate, nutrient partial productivity, and nutrient agronomic use efficiency; and ensured stable and increased crop yield. Specifically, compared with CF, the RPAE, RAF, and RHF organic fertilizer treatments increased wheat yield by 3.85%, 1.97%, and 0.67%, respectively, and the utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers induced by these treatments significantly increased by 40.46%, 39.28%, and 37.46% (nitrogen) and by 9.83%, 8.91%, and 7.46% (phosphorus), respectively. As a result of our experiment, we concluded that RPAE exerted the best effects among the three organic fertilizer treatments (RPAE, RAF, and RHF) and that its use can result in a higher wheat yield and fertilizer utilization rate in drip-irrigated wheat fields. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the combined application of chemical and organic fertilizers, which is conducive to sustainable agriculture development.

Effect of different fertilizer treatments on the chemical content of tubers of three spring potato cultivars

The field experiment was carried out in the Musayyib project area, which is located 35 km north of Babylon Governorate, during the fall growing season of 2023 according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD), to determine the effect of biofertilization four levels (0 without adding + full fertilizer recommendation, addition 10g of a mixture of four types of bacterial fertilizer + half the fertilizer recommendation, addition 10g of fungal biofertilizer (mycorrhizal) + half the fertilizer recommendation and addition 10g of a mixture of bacterial and fungal biofertilizers + half the fertilizer recommendation) which is symbolized by (B0, B1, B2 and B3 respectively) and nanofertilizer at two levels (0 + full fertilizer recommendation and 2g L-1+ half the fertilizer recommendation) and denoted by the symbol (N0 and N1, respectively) in the growth and yield of three potato varieties (Rashida, Sifra and Arizona), denoted by the symbol (V1, V2 and V3 respectively). The results showed Arizona variety excellence the rest of the other varieties in the tubers’ content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and starch. The biofertilization treatment (adding 10g of a mixture of bacterial and fungal biofertilizers) also had a positive effect on the tubers’ content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and starch compared to the control treatment. The nano-fertilizer addition treatments also had a clear effect on the tubers’ content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and starch compared to the control treatment. As for the interaction between the study factors, there were significant differences in most of the study traits.

Effects of Straw Returning and New Fertilizer Substitution on Rice Growth, Yield, and Soil Properties in the Chaohu Lake Region of China

Recently, replacing chemical fertilizers with straw returning and new fertilizers has received considerable attention in the agricultural sector, as it is believed to increase rice yield and improve soil properties. However, less is known about rice growth and soil properties in paddy fields with the addition of different fertilizers. Thus, in this paper, we investigated the effects of different fertilizer treatments, including no fertilization (CK), optimized fertilization based on the medium yield recommended fertilizer amount (OF), 4.50 Mg ha−1 straw returning with chemical fertilizers (SF), 0.59 Mg ha−1 slow-release fertilizer with chemical fertilizers (SRF), and 0.60 Mg ha−1 water-soluble fertilizer with chemical fertilizers (WSF), on rice growth, yield, and soil properties through a field experiment. The results show that compared with the OF treatment, the new SF, SRF, and WSF treatments increased plant height, main root length, tiller number, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, and aboveground dry weight. The SF, SRF, and WSF treatments improved rice grain yield by 30.65–32.51% and 0.24–1.66% compared to the CK and OF treatments, respectively. The SRF treatment increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake by 18.78% and 28.68%, the harvest indexes of N and P by 1.75% and 0.59%, and the partial productivity of N and P by 2.64% and 2.63%, respectively, compared with the OF treatment. However, fertilization did not significantly affect the average yield, harvest indexes of N and P, and partial productivity of N and P. The contents of TN, AN, SOM, TP, AP, and AK across all the treatments decreased significantly with increasing soil depth, while soil pH increased with soil depth. The SF treatment could more effectively increase soil pH and NH4+-N content compared to the SRF and WSF treatments, while the SRF treatment could greatly enhance other soil nutrients and enzyme activities compared to the SF and WSF treatments. A correlation analysis showed that rice yield was significantly positively associated with tiller number, leaf area index, chlorophyll, soil NO3−-N, NH4+-N, SOM, TP, AK, and soil enzyme activity. The experimental results indicate that SRF was the best fertilization method to improve rice growth and yield and enhance soil properties, followed by the SF, WSF, and OF treatments. Hence, the results provide useful information for better fertilization management in the Chaohu Lake region of China.

Enhancing Soil Fertility and Elevating Pecan Fruit Quality through Combined Chemical and Organic Fertilization Practices

This study focused on 6-year-old ‘Pawnee’ pecan trees to elucidate the differential responses of physicochemical properties of orchard soil and pecan fruit quality when combining chemical and organic fertilizers. The aim was to unveil the mechanisms that underlie the effects of different fertilization treatments on soil fertility, soil enzyme activities, and pecan fruit quality. Four treatments were established: sole chemical fertilizer (CF; N:P2O5:K2O is 15:15:15), chemical fertilizer combined with cake fertilizer (CF+CC), chemical fertilizer combined with manure fertilizer (CF+M), and chemical fertilizer combined with cake and manure fertilizer (CF+CC+M). Measurements were taken to assess the soil nutrient content, soil enzyme activities, and fruit growth quality in some orchards under different fertilization treatments. The results revealed that the combined application could increase yield and enhance pecan quality. Among these, the CF+M+CC treatment demonstrated the most favorable outcomes, with the pecan kernel oil and unsaturated fatty acid contents reaching 72.33% and 97.54%, respectively. The combined fertilization treatments had no significant impacts on soil trace elements such as Mg, Cu, and Mn; however, it significantly increased the Available Phosphorus (AP), Total Nitrogen (TN), Soil Organic Matter (SOM) and S-ACP (soil acid phosphatase) activities. In summary, the combined application of chemical and organic fertilizers can significantly increase the soil nutrient content and enzyme activities in pecan orchards, to promote the enhancement of fruit quality and economic aspects.

Interactions between nitrogen and phosphorus in modulating soil respiration: A meta-analysis

BackgroundEconomic and social development worldwide increases the input of nutrients, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), to soils. These nutrients affect soil respiration (Rs) in terrestrial ecosystems. They may act independently or have interactive effects on Rs. The effect of N and P on Rs and its components (autotrophic respiration [Ra] and heterotrophic respiration [Rh]), however, either individually or together, is poorly understood. We performed a meta-analysis of 130 studies to examine the effects of different fertilization treatments on Rs and its components across terrestrial ecosystems. ResultsOur results showed that (1) The impact of fertilizer addition on Rs varies among different fertilizer types. N addition reduced Rs and Rh significantly but did not affect Ra; P addition had no significant effect on Rs, Rh, and Ra; NP addition increased Rs significantly but did not affect Rh and Ra. (2) Ecosystem type, duration of fertilization, fertilization rate, and fertilizer form influenced the response of Rs and its components to fertilizer application. (3) Based on our study, the annual average temperature may be a driving factor of Rs response to fertilizer addition, while soil total nitrogen may be an important predictor of Rs response to fertilizer addition. ConclusionOverall, our study highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of the response of soil Rs and its components to fertilizer application, underscoring the importance of considering multiple factors when predicting and modeling future Rs and its feedback to global change.

NirS and nosZII bacterial denitrifiers as well as fungal denitrifiers are coupled with N2O emissions in long-term fertilized soils

Fertilizer application plays a critical role in soil fertility and crop yield and has been reported to significantly affect soil denitrification. However, the mechanisms by which denitrifying bacteria (nirK, nirS, nosZI, and nosZII) and fungi (nirK and p450nor) affect soil denitrification are poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of different fertilization treatments on the abundance, community structure, and function of soil denitrifying microorganisms in an agricultural ecosystem with long-term fertilization using mineral fertilizer or manure and their combination. The results showed that the application of organic fertilizer significantly increased the abundance of nirK-, nirS-, nosZI-, and nosZII-type denitrifying bacteria as the soil pH and phosphorus content increased. However, only the community structure of nirS- and nosZII-type denitrifying bacteria was influenced by the application of organic fertilizer, which led to a higher contribution of bacteria to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions than that observed after inorganic fertilizer application. The increase in soil pH reduced the abundance of nirK-type denitrifying fungi, which may have presented a competitive disadvantage relative to bacteria, resulting in a lower contribution of fungi to N2O emissions than that observed after inorganic fertilizer application. The results demonstrated that organic fertilization had a significant impact on the community structure and activity of soil denitrifying bacteria and fungi. Our results also highlighted that after organic fertilizer application, nirS- and nosZII-denitrifying bacteria communities represent likely hot spots of bacterial soil N2O emissions while nirK-type denitrifying fungi represent hot spots for fungal soil N2O emissions.

Effects of Chinese Milk Vetch Returning Incorporated with Chemical Fertilizer Reduction on the Composition and Function of Soil Bacterial Communities in Paddy Fields

Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) is an important organic nutrient resource in the southern Henan rice-growing area. Thus, the effects of Chinese milk vetch (MV) returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer on the physicochemical properties and bacterial community characteristics in paddy soil were studied. These results can provide a certain theoretical basis for the improvement of soil fertility and reduction of chemical fertilizer in this area. A field experiment was conducted for 12 consecutive years, involving six fertilization treatments (blank control, CK; 100% chemical fertilizer, F100; 80% chemical fertilizer+22.5 t·hm-2 MV, MV1F80; 80% chemical fertilizer+45 t·hm-2 MV, MV2F80; 60% chemical fertilizer+22.5 t·hm-2 MV, MV1F60; and 60% chemical fertilizer+45 t·hm-2 MV, MV2F60). The high-throughput sequencing method was used to compare the effects of different fertilization treatments on soil bacterial community diversity, composition, and structural characteristics. The FAPROTAX function prediction method was used to analyze the abundance differences of functional groups between different fertilization treatments. Additionally, combined with soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community characteristics, we explored the key soil environmental factors that changed the structure and functional characteristics of the soil bacterial community. Compared with that under CK, the soil bulk density (BD) under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer treatment was decreased, whereas soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) were increased by 12.7%-35.5%, 38.2%-65.7%, 66.7%-95.2%, and 20.3%-31.6%, respectively. Compared with that under the F100 treatment, the Sobs index and Shannon diversity index of the bacterial community under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer were decreased, and the Sobs index and Shannon diversity index were significantly positively correlated with BD (P<0.05) but significantly negatively correlated with SOC and TN (P<0.05). Compared with that under the F100 treatment, the relative abundances of Firmicutes under the MV1F80 and MV2F60 treatments were significantly increased by 82.2% and 67.4% (P<0.05), but the relative abundances of Acidobacteria were significantly reduced by 32.6% and 40.5% (P<0.05), respectively. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria under the MV2F60 treatment was significantly increased by 30.0% (P<0.05) compared with that under the F100 treatment. According to RDA analysis, soil SOC, TN, and TK were the main soil environmental factors that significantly affected bacterial community (P<0.05). Compared with that under CK and the F100 treatment, the abundance of functional groups of chemoheterotrophy, nitrogen fixation, fermentation, and ureolysis under the MV returning incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer treatment were improved, whereas the abundance of functional groups of animal parasites or symbionts, all human pathogens, and human pathogen pneumonia were reduced, particularly under MV1F80 and MV2F60. To summarize, the long-term MV returning to the field incorporated with reduced chemical fertilizer improved the soil physical and chemical properties, thus changing the structure and functional characteristics of the soil bacterial communities, contributing to the improvement in the soil fertility, stability, and health of micro-ecosystems in paddy fields, thus ensuring the green and sustainable development of regional agriculture.

Effects of different fertilization treatments on soil microbial functional diversity of dry tableland wheat field in south Shanxi Province.

Understanding the effects of different fertilization treatments on microbial functional diversity in loess tableland wheat soil in south Shanxi Province can provide the theoretical basis from the perspective of microbial functional diversity for chemical fertilizer reduction, wheat yield increase, and soil fertility improvement in dryland soil. We conducted a long-term field experiment with seven fertilization treatments in winter wheat cultivation area of loess tableland in south Shanxi Province, including straw charcoal fertilizer (SF), bacterial fertilizer (BF), organic fertilizer (OF), humic acid fertilizer (HF), monitoring fertilizer (MF), farmer fertilizer (FF) and no fertilizer (CK). We employed Biolog-ECO microplate technique to investigate the differences of carbon source utilization capacity and functional diversity of soil microorganisms. The results showed that all the fertilization treatments could improve the metabolic activity and functional diversity of soil microbial community. Carbon source utilization was the most efficient in SF, with the overall soil microbial utilization ability of the 31 carbon sources and the utilization ability of different guilds of carbon sources being improved. Functional diversity, richness, and dominance based on microbial carbon sources utilization were significantly higher in SF treatment than that under other five treatments, and the evenness was higher than BF. Results of principal component analysis (PCA) and biclustering heatmap analysis showed that different fertilization treatments had significant effects on the metabolic function of microbial community. SF treatment could promote the functional diversity of soil microbial community, especially for the utilization of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and amino acids. In conclusion, straw charcoal fertilizer had positive effects on soil microbial activity in wheat soil of loess tableland in south Shanxi Province.

Effect of the Different Fertilization Treatments Application on Paddy Soil Enzyme Activities and Bacterial Community Composition

The application amount of fertilizer is believed to dramatically influence soil bacteria in paddy fields, and soil bacteria critically affect soil enzyme activities and the growth of rice in paddy fields. Thus, providing a suitable amount of fertilization to ensure rice yields is an important issue in field management. In this study, four treatments were carried out in a paddy field, including control (fertilization methods commonly used by farmers in the past), IT + RF 10, IT + RF 20, and IT + RF 30 (integrated technology and 10%, 20%, and 30% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer, respectively). Soil samples were collected in two periods, the rice booting stage and the harvest period. High-throughput sequencing was used for analysis of soil bacterial diversity and community composition across different fertilizer treatments, and clarified the effects of different fertilizer treatments on soil enzyme activities and bacterial community composition. This study showed that a reduction in chemical fertilizer application has a certain impact on the soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), soil organic matter (SOM) value, and bacterial community of the rice planting system, and that the IT + RF 10 treatment was the best way to reduce fertilizer application, which can reduce nutrient loss in the paddy soil. The application of organic fertilizer partially replaces chemical fertilizer, which not only effectively stimulates soil enzyme activity, but also enriches bacterial groups that may participate in complex organic matter decomposition and soil nutrient mobilization.

Effects of Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Combined with Organic Fertilizer Application on Bacterial Community Structure in Rhizosphere/Non-Rhizosphere Soil of Lemon

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of different fertilization methods on the physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure of lemon rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil in order to provide theoretical basis for scientific and rational fertilization of orchards. A pot experiment was carried out, and six fertilization treatments were set up:control (CK), conventional fertilization (FM), organic fertilizer (P), fresh organic fertilizer (NP), 70% chemical fertilizer+30% organic fertilizer (70FP), and 50% chemical fertilizer+50% organic fertilizer (50FP). Chemical analysis, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) were used to study the effects of different fertilization treatments on the physicochemical properties of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils, the abundance of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and bacterial community structure. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to explore the environmental factors affecting the bacterial community structure of lemon rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil. The results showed the following:① the pH and contents of organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and nitrate nitrogen in rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil were significantly increased by reducing the amount of chemical fertilizer and applying organic fertilizer (50FP and 70FP) (P<0.05). Compared with conventional fertilization (FM) and single application of organic fertilizer (P and NP), the soil available P content, available K content, and nitrate nitrogen content increased by 24.76%-97.98%, 6.87%-45.11%, and 18.42%-55.82%, respectively. ② Fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer significantly increased the abundance of soil bacteria and soil respiration intensity (P<0.05), and the abundance of soil rhizosphere bacteria and soil respiration intensity under the 50FP treatment increased by 15.83%-232.98% and 8.0%-162.5% compared with that under conventional fertilization and organic fertilizer alone, respectively. The bacterial abundance of rhizosphere soil was positively correlated with the pH and contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. ③ The PCoA and RDA analysis results showed that the single organic fertilizer and organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer de-weighting of rhizosphere bacterial community structure and not adding fertilizer had a bigger difference between processing, and the main environmental factors influencing the rhizosphere/non rhizosphere bacterial community structure were organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, alkali solution nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and available potassium. Fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer could significantly increase soil nutrient content, increase soil bacterial abundance, and change the bacterial community structure of rhizosphere soil, and the 50FP treatment yielded better results. Therefore, 50% Chemical fertilizer+50% organic fertilizer (50FP) was a better fertilization method to improve the physical and chemical properties of orchard soil, increase the abundance of soil bacteria, and improve the soil respiration intensity.

Biochar-Based Fertilizer Decreased Soil N2O Emission and Increased Soil CH4 Uptake in a Subtropical Typical Bamboo Plantation

Soil is a crucial contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. The reduction of GHG emissions in plantation management is crucial to combating and mitigating global climate change. A 12-month field trial was conducted to explore the effects of different fertilization treatments (control, without fertilizer (CK); biochar-based fertilizer treatment (BFT); chemical fertilizer treatment (CFT); and mixture of 50% BFT and 50% CFT (MFT)) on the soil GHG emissions of a typical bamboo (Pleioblastus amarus (Keng) Keng f.) plantation. The results demonstrated that compared with the CK, BFT reduced the annual cumulative soil N2O emission by 16.3% (p &lt; 0.01), while CFT and MFT significantly increased it by 31.0% and 23.3% (p &lt; 0.01), respectively. Meanwhile, BFT and MFT increased the annual cumulative soil CH4 uptake by 5.8% (p &lt; 0.01) and 7.5% (p &lt; 0.01), respectively, while there was no statistically significant difference between CFT and the control. In addition, BFT, CFT, and MFT significantly increased the annual cumulative soil CO2 emission by 9.4% (p &lt; 0.05), 13.0% (p &lt; 0.01), and 26.5% (p &lt; 0.01). The global warming potential (GWP) of BFT did not change significantly, while CFT and MFT increased the GWP by 13.7% (p &lt; 0.05) and 28.6% (p &lt; 0.05), respectively, compared with the control. Structural equation modeling revealed different treatments affected soil N2O and CH4 emission by changing soil labile carbon and labile nitrogen pools. This study suggests utilizing BFT new ideas and strategies for mitigating GHG emissions from soils in subtropical Pleioblastus amarus plantations.

Effects of Different Fertilizer Treatments, Environment and Varieties on the Yield-, Grain-, Flour-, and Dough-Related Traits and Cookie Quality of Weak-Gluten Wheat.

Weak-gluten wheat is the main raw material for crisp and soft foods such as cookies, cakes, and steamed breads in China. However, it remains challenging to find an appropriate fertilization regime to balance the yield and quality of wheat for special uses (such as cookie making). Here, four nitrogen (N) fertilizer treatments were compared in terms of effects on the yield-, grain-, flour-, and dough-related traits and cookie quality of nine weak-gluten wheat varieties. Compared with other treatments, the treatment M (which had 180 kg ha-1 N fertilizers with basal fertilizer:tillering fertilizer:jointing fertilizer = 5:1:4) was a superior fertilization strategy as it could ensure a higher yield (4.46 kg block-1) and proper traits related to cookie quality. Moreover, environmental conditions and wheat genotypes exhibited significant effects on many quality-related traits. The quality of Chinese crisp biscuits showed a significant association with unit weight, redness, and solvent retention capacity in lactic acid solution, while that of American cookies was influenced by thousand-grain weight, hardness, rate of yield flour, and formation time as indicated by the Mantel test. Additional Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that thousand-grain weight, hardness, and rate of yield flour can affect the quality of American cookies. Our findings demonstrate that it is necessary to comprehensively consider local conditions, variety selection, and optimal fertilization to achieve high-quality weak-gluten wheat for cookie making.

Effect of Different Fertilization Treatments on Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Rice-Vegetable Rotation in a Tropical Region, China

The study of the effects of different fertilization treatments on soil methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in rice-vegetable rotation systems is of great significance to supplement the research gap on greenhouse gas emissions in tropical regions of China. In this study, four fertilization treatments were set up during the pepper season:phosphorus and potassium fertilizer application (PK); nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) application; half application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium plus half application of organic fertilizer (NPK+M); and application of organic fertilizer (M). There was no fertilizer application during the following early rice season. The objective of our study was to investigate the rules of CH4 and N2O emissions under different fertilization treatments in the pepper growth season, and the effects of different fertilization treatments in the pepper growth season on rice yield, and CH4 and N2O emissions in the following early rice growth season. The close static chamber-gas chromatography method was applied to determine soil CH4 and N2O emissions. We measured crop yield, estimated global warming potential (GWP), and calculated greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI). Our results showed that:① the cumulative CH4 emission under the four fertilization treatments ranged between 0.9 kg·hm-2 to 2.7 kg·hm-2 during the pepper growth season and between 5.5 kg·hm-2 to 8.4 kg·hm-2 during the early rice growth season. Compared with NPK, NPK+M and M reduced the cumulative CH4 emission in the pepper growth season by 35.3% and 7.6%, respectively; however, NPK+M and M increased the cumulative CH4 emission in the early rice season by 37.5% and 55.1%, respectively. There was a significant difference in cumulative CH4 emission between M and NPK in the early rice growth season. ② The cumulative N2O emission under the four fertilization treatments varied from 0.5 kg·hm-2 to 3.0 kg·hm-2 in the pepper growth season and from 0.3 kg·hm-2 to 0.5 kg·hm-2 in the early rice growth season. The cumulative N2O emission was significantly decreased by 33.7% in NPK+M and by 16.0% in M, compared with that in NPK. In the early rice growth season, the cumulative N2O emission was decreased by 23.5% by NPK+M but was increased by 9.1% by M. There was no significant difference in the cumulative N2O emission among the four fertilization treatments. ③ The yields of pepper and early rice under the four fertilization treatments were 3055.6-37722.5 kg·hm-2 and 5850.9-6994.4 kg·hm-2, respectively. Compared with that in NPK, NPK+M and M significantly increased pepper yield. The GWP under the four fertilization treatments in the pepper-early rice rotation system varied from 508.0 kg·hm-2 to 1864.4 kg·hm-2. Compared with NPK, NPK+M significantly decreased GWP by 25.7% and M insignificantly decreased GWP by 5.7%. The pepper growth season with the four fertilization treatments contributed to 69.2%-78.1% of the total GWP, and N2O contributed to 77.3%-85.3% of the total GWP. The GHGI ranged between 0.03 kg·kg-1 and 0.09 kg·kg-1 in the pepper growth season and between 0.04 kg·kg-1 and 0.24 kg·kg-1 in the early rice growth season. Compared with that in NPK, both M and NPK+M significantly reduced the GHGI by 71.5% and 54.7%, respectively, in the pepper growth season. In the early rice season, NPK+M significantly decreased the GHGI by 44.0%, but M non-significantly decreased the GHGI by 20.8%. The peak in N2O emission in the tropical pepper-early rice rotation system appeared after fertilization, and N2O emissions primarily occurred in the pepper growth season. However, CH4 emission was mainly concentrated in the early rice season. Considering the overall enhancing effects on crop yield and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the co-application of chemical and organic fertilizers (NPK+M) can be recommended as an optimal fertilization practice to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and maintain crop yield in pepper-rice rotation systems of Hainan, China.

Changes in cytotoxic capacity, phenolic profile, total phenols and flavonoids of Nigella damascena L. seed extracts under different liquid fertilization

Nigella damascena L. is an annual herbaceous valuable medicinal and aromatic plant in the Ranunculaceae family. For the first time with this study, the effects of different fertilizer treatments on the total phenolic-flavonoid content and phenolic compound profile in N. damascena seeds were investigated. Also, cytotoxic activities of n-hexane and methanol extracts (0–300 μg/mL) from fertilized seeds against breast (MCF-7) and pancreatic (MIA PaCa-2) cancer and embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cell lines were determined. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the methanol extract of seeds were obtained from chemical-3 L/da (0.196 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g) and organic- 1200 mL/da (3.85 ± 0.04 mg QE/g) fertilizer treatments, respectively. Phenolic compounds identified qualitatively by HPLC-PDA in the seeds were epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin hydrate, apigenin and naringenin. Fertilized seed n-hexane extracts caused greater cell inhibition compared to control and showed remarkable selective cytotoxicity against the two cancer cell lines investigated in vitro. However, even at the highest concentration (300 μg/mL) of all seed methanol extracts, 50% cell inhibition did not occur in both cancer and healthy cell lines. Results show that N. damascena seed extracts can be studied further in terms of having an anticancer agent potential.

Characteristics of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Yellow Paddy Soils under Long-Term Organic Fertilizer Application

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields is essential to respond to the national “dual-carbon” strategy, achieve green agricultural development, and ensure food security. The substitution of organic fertilizers for chemical fertilizers is an important means to achieve zero growth and has a positive impact on crop yield and soil nutrients; however, the impact on the greenhouse effect is inconsistent. The effects of organic fertilizers on soil greenhouse gas emissions vary depending on factors such as soil, geography, ecological environment, and human management. However, previous research has shown that the combined application of organic fertilizer can increase soil carbon storage and increase crop yield, and may be an effective fertilization measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from yellow paddy fields. To clarify the effects of different ratios of organic fertilizer on the greenhouse gas emission characteristics of Guizhou yellow paddy soil, CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions from rice fields were monitored by static opaque chamber-gas chromatography, and the effects of different fertilization treatments on the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential (GWP) were investigated. Results showed that organic fertilizer application increased CH4 emissions from rice fields, and the effect increased with increasing organic fertilizer application. The peak period was from the heading stage to the filling and ripening stage, and there was almost no emission during the fallow period. Compared with the balanced application of chemical fertilizer (NPK), the treatment with organic fertilizer alone (M) significantly increased CO2 emissions, but the replacement of 1/2 chemical fertilizer nitrogen with 1/2 organic fertilizer (1/2 M + 1/2 N-PK) and the replacement of 1/4 chemical fertilizer nitrogen with 1/4 organic fertilizer (1/4 M + 3/4 N-PK) did not significantly increase CO2 emissions; emissions were 5% lower in the 1/2 M + 1/2 N-PK treatment than in the NPK treatment. Compared with the NPK treatment, the application of organic fertilizer alone significantly reduced N2O emissions by 32.16%, while the 1/2 M + 1/2 N-PK and 1/4 M + 3/4 N-PK treatments increased N2O emissions by 6.31% and 16.02%, respectively. However, there were no significant differences between the organic–inorganic combined treatments and NPK. During the flooding period, N2O emissions were relatively low, but the emissions increased rapidly after field drying. The application of organic fertilizer increased the GWP of rice fields. Compared with the NPK treatment, the M treatment increased GWP by 47.07%, 1/2 M + 1/2 N-PK increased GWP by 10.16%, and the 1/4 M + 3/4 N-PK treatment increased GWP by 2.93%. Except for the M treatment, the differences between treatments were not significant. Our results concluded that replacement of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers at a ratio of 1/4 to 1/2 did not significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions in rice fields, besides, it mitigate the greenhouse effect and increase soil carbon sequestration and yield in rice fields.

Long term effects of crop rotation and fertilization on crop yield stability in southeast China

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different fertilizer treatments and crop rotations on crop yield stability. A 9 years field experiment was conducted from 2013 to 2021 to evaluate the effects of combinations of two annual crop rotations and two methods of applying fertilizer on crop yield stability. Crop rotations were kidney bean–mustard–rice (P–B–O) and kidney bean–mustard–cowpea (P–B–V) each year. Fertilization methods were recommended fertilization (RF) and conventional fertilization (CF). The indexes Wi2 (Wricke’s ecovalance), coefficient of variation (CV), and sustainable yield index (SYI) were used to quantify the long term effects of crop rotation and fertilization on crop yield stability, and a yield change trend model was used to predict future production. For fertilization program RF, average kidney bean and mustard yields in rotation P–B–O increased respectively by 7.47% and 19.37% over P–B–V in the 9 years of the project. For CF, average kidney bean and mustard yields for P–B–O increased respectively by 14.99% and 18.33% over P–B–V. Wi2 indexes of kidney bean and mustard for P–B–O (respectively 116 and 956) were significantly less than for P–B–V (respectively 147.87 and 1259.67). SYI for kidney beans and mustard in P–B–O (respectively 0.63 and 0.57) were significantly greater than for P–B–V (respectively 0.50 and 0.42). The trends of crop average yields for RF and CF show that the average yield trends of kidney bean in P–B–O (respectively 32.41 and 32.34) were greater than in P–B–V (respectively 29.56 and 27.45). The trends of average yields of mustard for RF and CF in P–B–O (respectively 64.18 and 60.87) were greater than in P–B–V (respectively 51.74 and 51.87). The preceding results led to the conclusion that long term annual P–B–O rotation combined with RF considerably increased yield and maintained yield stability, thus establishing the sustainability of this cropping system.

Optimization of a wheat small red bean double cropping system in South Korea

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and small red bean [Vigna angularis (Willd. Ohwi & Ohashi)] are the main ingredients of walnut-shaped “Hodugwaja”. An innovative wheat small red bean double cropping system was evaluated in a rice field in the Cheonan region (Korea) to determine its effect on land use. The effects of different nitrogen levels, sowing dates, and density on growth, yield, and quality of wheat and small red bean were also investigated using selected wheat (‘Keumgang’, ‘Sooan’, and ‘Goso’) and small red bean (‘Hongeon’, ‘Chungju’, and ‘Arari’) varieties. The effect of different fertilizer treatments [N1 (50%, 6.6 kg/10a), N2 (100%, 8.8 kg/10a), and N3 (200%, 13.2 kg/10a)] were investigated for wheat, while the effect of sowing date and density were investigated for the small red beans. Our findings revealed that the best variety, sowing date, and nitrogen level combination for wheat small red bean double cropping system in Cheonan area is ‘Goso’ sown on October 26, N3 nitrogen application, and ‘Chungju’ sown on July 10 with high ridge cultivation, at a density of 60 × 15 cm. This system was the most ideal yielding 521.6 kg/10a (1000 m2) and 275 kg/10a of ‘Goso’ and ‘Chungju’, respectively. This pioneering research provides a reliable cultivation plan and theoretical basis for implementing the double cropping system of wheat small red beans in central Korea. Undeniably, this study also provides a basis for future field experiments on wheat planting patterns and small red bean fertilization.

The Effect of Different Fertilizer Treatments of Plant Traits on Faba Bean during Flowering Periods

The experiment was conducted at Dicle University Field Crops Department, Southeast Anatolia, Diyarbakir Turkey in the 2018-2019 early spring growth periods. The study aimed to determine the effect of fertilizer treatments (control, phosphorus, nitrogen, organic, and Rhizobium) on plant traits of different faba bean cultivars (Filiz 99, Eresen 87, and Salkim). Plants were harvested in three different periods pre-flowering (43-62 days after sowing), full-flowering (52-75 days), and post-flowering (78-98 days), and shoot and root traits were evaluated. Fresh plant biomass, stem height, fresh and dry root weight, fresh and dry nodule weight, fresh leaf weight, and fresh and dry pod weight were responding to nitrogen fertilizer treatments depending on flowering periods. The number of nodules and fresh and dry nodule weight was affected to a different degree in both nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer treatments. Nodule weight showed a negative response to rhizobium inoculation. We determined that nitrogen (40 kg ha-1) and phosphorus (80 kg ha-1) fertilizer treatments on faba beans were important. However, we have not belied that fertilizer applications should not be applied for sustainable agriculture because of their high environmental efficiency.

Macroaggregation is promoted more effectively by organic than inorganic fertilizers in farmland ecosystems of China—A meta-analysis

Fertilizers can affect formation, size distribution and stability of soil aggregates in agricultural ecosystems. Although many independent studies have been recently carried out to understand the effects of fertilizers on soil aggregates in farmland ecosystems of China, the results remain widely contradictory. A meta-analysis was conducted using a total number of 1286 observations from 100 publications between 2005 and 2020 to quantitatively analyze the effects of different fertilizer treatments, duration of fertilizer application, regional heterogeneity, soil texture, and aeration conditions on the composition of soil aggregates. Results showed that long-term annual single application of organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer (N and NPK) and combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers increased the proportion of > 2 mm fractions, but decreased the proportion of 0.25–0.053 mm and < 0.053 mm fractions, respectively. The promotion of macroaggregates (> 0.25 mm) by long-term application of organic fertilizer and the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers were significantly stronger than inorganic fertilizer, but the opposite for microaggregate (< 0.25 mm). The application of organic and inorganic fertilizer and straw return should be applied in sandy loam and silty loam, and clay loam was applied mainly manure (M), nitrogen plus manure (NM), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium plus manure (NPKM) and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium plus straw return (NPKS), while reducing the single application of inorganic nitrogen (N). Inorganic fertilizers and combined with organic-inorganic fertilizer increased the proportion of > 2 mm fractions in anaerobic soil significantly more than that in well-aerated soil. Long-term annual single application of N and M promoted the proportion of > 2 mm and 2–0.25 mm fractions significantly more than that of combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus and potassium (NPK), NM, NPKM and NPKS in experiments conducted in the Northeast of China. In addition, our results also showed that the proportion of macroaggregates did not increase linearly with continuous fertilizer input, but with the extension of fertilization durations, the macroaggregates transformed to microaggregates gradually after reaching the saturation state. Organic fertilizer and organic-inorganic combined application had longer time to promote macroaggregates than inorganic fertilizer.