Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of applied urea and straw on various nitrogen fractions in two Chinese paddy soils with differing clay mineralogy

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Combined application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizers and organic materials can enhance soil quality, but little is known about the distribution of fertilizer N among different soil fractions after crop harvest. A pot experiment using 15N tracer was employed to address this question with three treatments, i.e., labeled urea-only (15NU), labeled urea + rice straw (15NU-S) and labeled rice straw + urea (15NS-U) applied to a Ferallic Cambisol (1:1 type soil clay mineral) and a Calcaric Fluvisol (2:1 clay mineral). Soil microbial biomass N, fixed ammonium (fixed NH +4 ), exchangeable ammonium and soil organic N fractions by hydrolysis (6 N HCl) and their isotope abundance were determined after the rice harvest. Soil newly formed N in urea + straw (U-S) treatments (15NU-S, 15NS-U) was the sum of labeled urea-N in 15NU-S and labeled straw-N in 15NS-U. Compared with 15NU, U-S significantly (P < 0.05) increased the content and percentage of newly formed total soil N, acid insoluble N, amino acid N, and hydrolysable unknown N in both soils. In U-S treatment, straw amendment significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the content and percentage of newly formed fixed-NH +4 -N in Fluvisol as compared with 15NU treatments. Soil microbes contributed to the larger percentage of newly formed amino acid N (P < 0.01) in Cambisol as compared with Fluvisol. Fertilizer N in various soil fractions was therefore strongly affected by clay mineral type and microbes after the combined application of organic materials and synthetic N fertilizer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Azam E, Simmons EW, Mulvaney RL (1994) Effect of ammonium fixation and displacement on the added nitrogen interaction in incubation experiments. Biol Fertil Soils 18:99–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blagodatskaya E, Kuzyakov Y (2008) Mechanisms of real and apparent priming effects and their dependence on soil microbial biomass and community structure: critical review. Biol Fertil Soils 45:115–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blumfield TJ, Xu ZH, Mathers NJ, Saffigna PG (2004) Decomposition of nitrogen-15 labeled hoop pine harvest residues in subtropica. Soil Sci Soc Am J 68:1751–1761

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM (1965) Organic forms of nitrogen. In: Black CA (ed) Methods of soil analysis: Part 2. American Society of Agronomy Incorporation, Madison, WI, pp 1238–1255

    Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM (1996) Nitrogen-total. In: Bigham JM (ed) Methods of soil analysis: Part 3. Chemical methods. Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 1085–1121

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger M, Jackson LE (2003) Microbial immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in relation to ammonification and nitrification rates in organic and conventional cropping systems. Soil Biol Biochem 35:29–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Food and Agriculture Organization (2002) Key to the FAO Soil Units in the FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World. Available at www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/key2soil.stm (verified 14 Mar. 2006). FAO, Rome

  • Goyal S, Mishra MM, Hooda IS, Singh R (1992) Organic matter–microbial biomass relationships in field experiments under tropical conditions: effects of inorganic fertilization and organic amendments. Soil Biol Biochem 24:1081–1084

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halvorson AD, Schweissing FC, Bartolo ME, Reule CA (2005) Corn response to nitrogen fertilization in a soil with high residue nitrogen. Agron J 97:1222–1229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauck RD, Meisinger JJ, Mulvaney RL (1996) Practical considerations in the use of nitrogen tracers in agricultural and environmental research. In: Weaver RW, Angle JS, Bottomley PS (eds) Methods of soil analysis: Part 2. Microbiological and biochemical properties. SSSA Book Series: No. 5. SSSA and ASA, Madison, WI, pp 907–950

  • Helmke PA, Sparks DL (1996) In: Bigham JM (ed) Methods of soil analysis: Part 3. Chemical methods. Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 551–574

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunan Statistics Notebook (2008) Hunan statistical department. China Statistics Press, Beijing, pp 197–199, in Chinese

    Google Scholar 

  • Inubushi K, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1991) Soil microbial biomass C, N and ninhydrin-N in aerobic and anerobic soil measured by the fumigation–extraction method. Soil Biol Biochem 23:737–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS (1988) The determination of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in soil. In: Wilson JR (ed) Advances in nitrogen cycling in agricultural ecosystems. CAB, Wallingford, pp 368–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS, Ladd JN (1981) Microbial biomass in soil: measurement and turnover. In: Paul EA, Ladd JN (eds) Soil biochemistry. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 415–471

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnsson L, Berggern D, Kårén O (1999) Content and bioavailability of organic forms of nitrogen in the O horizon of a podzol. Eur J Soil Sci 50:591–600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ju XT, Liu XJ, Zhang FS, Cheistie P (2006) Effect of long term fertilization on organic nitrogen forms in a Calcareous Alluvial soil on the North China Plain. Pedosphere 16:224–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ju XT, Kou CL, Christie P, Dou ZX, Zhang FS (2007) Changes in the soil environment from excessive application of fertilizers and manures to two contrasting intensive cropping systems on the North China Plain. Environ Pollut 145:497–506

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo S (1996) Phosphorus. In: Bigham JM (ed) Methods of soil analysis: Part 3. Chemical methods. Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 869–919

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuzyakov Y, Friedel JK, Stahr K (2000) Review of mechanisms and quantification of priming effects. Soil Biol Biochem 32:1485–1498

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leinweber P, Schulten HR (2000) Nonhydrolyzable forms of soil organic nitrogen: extractability and composition. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 163:433–439

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin S, Dittert K, Wu WL, Sattelmacher B (2004) Added nitrogen interaction as affected by soil nitrogen pool size and fertilization—significance of displacement of fixed ammonium. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 167:138–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luxhøi J, Elsgaard L, Thomsen IK, Jensen LS (2007) Effects of long-term annual inputs of straw and organic manure on plant N uptake and soil N fluxes. Soil Use Manage 23:368–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra S, Di HJ, Cameron KC, Monaghan R, Carran A (2005) Gross nitrogen mineralisation rates in pastoral soils and their relationships with organic nitrogen fractions, microbial biomass and protease activity under glasshouse conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 42:45–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Paul E (2009) The chemical and functional characterization of soil N and its biotic components. Soil Biol Biochem 41:2357–2369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nardi S, Morari F, Berti A, Tosoni M, Giardini L (2004) Soil organic matter properties after 40 years of different use of organic and mineral fertilizers. Eur J Agron 21:357–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieder R, Benbi DK, Scherer HW (2011) Fixation and defixation of ammonium in soils: a review. Biol Fertil Soils 47:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng PQ, Qiu SJ, Hou HB, Li EY, Qiu YQ (2011) Nitrogen transformation and its residue in pot experiments amended with organic and inorganic 15N cross labeled fertilizers. Acta Ecol Sin 31:858–865 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter LK, Stewart BA (1970) Organic interferences in the fixation of ammonium by soils and clay minerals. Soil Sci 100:229–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recous S, Mary B, Faurie G (1990) Microbial immobilization and ammonium and nitrate in cultivated soils. Soil Biol Biochem 22:913–922

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarathchandra SU, Ghani A, Yeates GW, Burch G, Cox NR (2001) Effect of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers on microbial and nematode diversity in pasture soils. Soil Biol Biochem 33:953–964

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scherer HW, Mengel K (1979) Content of fixed ammonium nitrogen at some representative sites in Hessia. Landwirtschaftliche Forschung 32:416–424

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schneiders M, Scherer HW (1996) The influence of “puddling” on redox potential, fixation and release of nonexchangeable ammonium and its effect on rice growth in flooded soils. In Van Ittersum MK, Venner GEGT, van de Geijn SC, Jetten TH (eds), Proceedings of the 4th ESA Congress, Veldhoven–Wageningen, The Netherlands 7–11 July, 1996, Eur Soc Agron, pp 374–375

  • Schneiders M, Scherer HW (1998) Fixation and release of ammonium in flooded rice soils as affected by redox potential. Eur J Agron 8:181–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schulten HR, Schnitzer M (1998) The chemistry of soil organic nitrogen: a review. Biol Fertil Soils 26:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva J, Bremner JM (1966) Determination and isotope-ratio analysis of different forms of nitrogen in soils: 5. Fixed ammonium. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 30:587–592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith CJ, Paul EA (1990) The significance of soil microbial biomass estimations. In: Bollag JM, Stotzky G (eds) Soil biochemistry. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 357–396

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparks DL, Liebhard WC (1982) Temperature effects on potassium exchange and selectivity in Delaware soils. Soil Sci 133:10–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sparling GP (1985) The soil biomass. In: Vaughan D, Malcolm RE (eds) Soil organic matter and biological activity. Martinus Nijhoff/Dr. W. Junck, Dordrecht, p 223

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson FJ (1996) Nitrogen-organic forms. In: Bigham JM (ed) Methods of soil analysis: Part 3. Chemical Methods. Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 1185–1200

    Google Scholar 

  • Wander MM, Yun W, Goldstein WA, Aref S, Khan SA (2007) Organic N and particulate organic matter fractions in organic and conventional farming systems with a history of manure application. Plant Soil 291:311–321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wen QX, Cheng LL, Zhang XH (1995) Fixed ammonium contents and NH +4 -N fixed capacities of some cultivated soils in China. Pedosphere 5:315–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu YC, Shen QR, Ran W (2003) Content and distribution of forms of organic N in soil and particle size fractions after long-term fertilization. Chemosphere 50:739–745

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaman M, Di HJ, Cameron KC, Frampton CM (1999) Gross nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates and their relationships to enzyme activities and the soil microbial biomass in soils treated with dairy shed effluent and ammonium fertilizer at different water potentials. Biol Fertil Soils 29:178–186

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YS, Scherer HW (2000) Mechanisms of fixation and release of ammonium in paddy soils after flooding: II. Effect of transformation of nitrogen forms on ammonium fixation. Biol Fertil Soils 31:517–521

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YZ, Liao JP, Sun YH, Feng YH, Huang YX (2003) Fixed ammonium in major types of paddy soils in Hunan Province, China. Pedosphere 13:199–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZL (1997) Fate and management of fertilizer nitrogen in agro-ecosystems. In: Zhu ZL, Wen QX, Freney JR (eds) Nitrogen in soils of China. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 239–279

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Pillar Project (2007BAD87B11), the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” Program) (2007CB109306), the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX3-SW-441), the Environmental Science of the Key Disciplines Development Project in Hunan Province, and the Specific Fund for Basic Scientific Research in the National Institute of Public Service (2011–2).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crops and Fertilization, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Shao-Jun Qiu & Ping He

  2. College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Shao-Jun Qiu, Peter Christie & Xiao-Tang Ju

  3. Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, South Central University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China

    Pei-Qin Peng

  4. Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China

    Pei-Qin Peng, Ling Li & Jin-Shui Wu

  5. Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Science for Yellow River Delta, Binzhou University, Binzhou, 256603, China

    Ling Li

  6. College of Agricultural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China

    Qiang Liu

  7. Agri-Environment Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK

    Peter Christie

Authors
  1. Shao-Jun Qiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pei-Qin Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ling Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ping He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Qiang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jin-Shui Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Peter Christie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Xiao-Tang Ju
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pei-Qin Peng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qiu, SJ., Peng, PQ., Li, L. et al. Effects of applied urea and straw on various nitrogen fractions in two Chinese paddy soils with differing clay mineralogy. Biol Fertil Soils 48, 161–172 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0613-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0613-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation