Abstract
Evaluate the effectiveness of using biochar to regulate the erosion and degradation of soil, and establish a quantitative relationship between crop leaf information and soil inorganic nitrogen through functional equations, to guide topdressing and reduce nitrogen fertilizer input. Using field pot experiments, we explored the similarities and differences in soybean growth indicators, yield indicators, and inorganic nitrogen changes under different application ratios of biochar (0, 3, and 6 kg·m−2) and nitrogen fertilizer (0, 75, and 150 kg·ha−1). The application of biochar to Mollisols significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) at the seedling stage, and B2N0 (biochar application rate at 6 kg·m−2, nitrogen application rate at 0 kg·ha−1) increased SOC by 5.871% compared with the control. Biochar promoted the conversion of soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) to soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N). The NO3−-N losses of B1N2 (biochar application rate at 3 kg·m−2, nitrogen application rate at 150 kg·ha−1) and B2N2 (biochar application rate at 6 kg·m−2, nitrogen application rate at 150 kg·ha−1) were reduced to 42% and 33%, respectively. This difference can be explained by the fact that biochar can prevent the leaching of NO3−-N with soil water by changing the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity. Our work demonstrates that the 100-seed-weight of B1N1 (biochar application rate at 3 kg·m−2, nitrogen application rate at 75 kg·ha−1) increased by 6.55% compared with that of the control. Meanwhile, we have confirmed that the leaf nitrogen contents can accurately predict the changes in NO3−-N in soil at a depth of 10–20 cm (R2=0.5592–0.7022). Applying a certain amount of biochar before cultivation and applying appropriate topdressing based on leaf information can reduce nitrogen application while maintaining the sustainability of Mollisols.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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We acknowledge that this research was supported by the Joint fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U20A20318), the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (51825901), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52179033).
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Qinglin Li, Qiang Fu, Tianxiao Li, and Renjie Hou conceived the idea; Qinglin Li, Tianxiao Li, and Renjie Hou designed the study; Qinglin Li, Shuqi Dong, Ping Xue, Xuechen Yang, and Yu Gao performed the experiment; Qinglin Li analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Qinglin Li, Qiang Fu, and Tianxiao Li edited the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.
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Li, Q., Fu, Q., Li, T. et al. A Strategy for Reducing Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Based on Application of Biochar: A Case in Northeast China Black Soil Region (Mollisols). J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 4997–5012 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01519-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01519-6