Pedosphere 26(1): 62--73, 2016
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2016 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Combined applications of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers with manure increase maize yield and nutrient uptake via stimulating root growth in a long-term experiment |
WEN Zhi-Hui1, SHEN Jian-Bo1, M. BLACKWELL2, LI Hai-Gang1, ZHAO Bing-Qiang3 and YUAN Hui-Min1 |
1College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193 (China)
2Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton EX20 2SB (UK)
3Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, China Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081 (China)
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| ABSTRACT |
| Imbalanced application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers can result in reduced crop yield, low nutrient use efficiency, and high loss of nutrients and soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) accumulation decreases when N is applied with P and/or manure; however, the effect of applications of N with P and/or manure on root growth and distribution in the soil profile is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of different N and P fertilizer application rates with or without manure on maize (Zea mays L.) yield, N uptake, root growth, apparent N surplus, Olsen-P concentration, and mineral N (Nmin) accumulation in a fluvo-aquic calcareous soil from a long-term (28-year) experiment. The experiment comprised twelve combinations of chemical N and P fertilizers, either with or without chicken manure, as treatments in four replicates. The yield of maize grain was 82% higher, the N uptake 100% higher, and the Nmin accumulation 39% lower in the treatments with combined N and P in comparison to N fertilizer only. The maize root length density in the 30--60 cm layer was three times greater in the treatments with N and P fertilizers than with N fertilizer only. Manure addition increased maize yield by 50% and N uptake by 43%, and reduced Nmin (mostly NO3--N) accumulation in the soil by 46%. The long-term application of manure and P fertilizer resulted in significant increases in soil Olsen-P concentration when no N fertilizer was applied. Manure application reduced the apparent N surplus for all treatments. These results suggest that combined N and P fertilizer applications could enhance maize grain yield and nutrient uptake via stimulating root growth, leading to reduced accumulation of potentially leachable NO3--N in soil, and manure application was a practical way to improve degraded soils in China and the rest of the world. |
| Key Words: apparent N surplus, degraded soils, chemical fertilizers, nitrate nitrogen, root length density, soil mineral N, soil Olson-P |
| Citation: Wen, Z. H., Shen, J. B., Blackwell, M., Li, H. G., Zhao, B. Q. and Yuan, H. M. 2016. Combined applications of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers with manure increase maize yield and nutrient uptake via stimulating root growth in a long-term experiment. Pedosphere. 26(1): 62-73. |
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