Journal article

Publication year: 2017

Pages: 161-173

Journal: Plant and Soil

Volume number: 415

Issue number: 1-2

ISSN: 0032-079X

eISSN: 1573-5036

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3156-y

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 

Long-term application of pig manure can improve soil fertility and alleviate soil acidification, but also increase nitrogen (N) losses in subtropical upland red soils. However, mechanisms driving N losses via nitrate leaching or N2O emissions remain unknown. Herein we investigated long-term pig manure applications in upland red soils by assessing soil N transformation dynamics.
Pig manure was applied with or without lime over a 14-year period in four treatments: No manure (CK); Low-rate manure (LM, 150 kg N ha(-1) y(-1)); High-rate manure (HM, 600 kg N ha(-1) y(-1)); High-rate manure and lime (HML, 600 kg N ha(-1) y(-1) and 3000 kg Ca(OH)(2) ha(-1) (3y)(-1)). N-15 tracing was used to quantify gross N transformation and N dynamics.
Prolonged manure application increased soil gross N mineralization and NH4 (+) immobilization, although the increase was only significant for HM. Both rates were further enhanced by lime addition. Gross autotrophic nitrification also increased with increasing manure application, and further increased with lime addition. In contrast, dissimilatory NO3 (-) reduction to NH4 (+) (DNRA) and NO3 (-) immobilization were negligible irrespective of manure application. Thus, NO3 (-) produced via autotrophic nitrification was not converted to NH4 (+) and microbial biomass N, and accumulated in soil. Gross autotrophic nitrification was positively correlated with N2O emissions and NO3 (-) leaching, suggesting it largely determined N losses.
Autotrophic nitrification governs N losses in upland red soils receiving repeated manure applications, and attempts to reduce N emissions or N leaching should therefore control this.

Harvard Citation style: Wang, J., Cheng, Y., Jiang, Y., Sun, B., Fan, J., Zhang, J., et al. (2017) Effects of 14 years of repeated pig manure applications on gross nitrogen transformations in an upland red soil in China, Plant and Soil, 415(1-2), pp. 161-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3156-y

APA Citation style: Wang, J., Cheng, Y., Jiang, Y., Sun, B., Fan, J., Zhang, J., Müller, C., & Cai, Z. (2017). Effects of 14 years of repeated pig manure applications on gross nitrogen transformations in an upland red soil in China. Plant and Soil. 415(1-2), 161-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3156-y