Abstract
Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) has been considered a plant strategy to increase N use efficiency by reducing N losses via N2O emissions or nitrate leaching. However, recent studies have revealed no difference in gross nitrate production among Urochloa humidicola genotypes with previously described high- and low-BNI capacity and pointed towards a crucial role for microbial N immobilization. In the current greenhouse study, we compared the 15 N acquisition by two U. humidicola genotypes (with high- and low-BNI capacity) and their soil-associated microorganisms at four points in time after fertilization (50 kg N ha−1). Soil microorganisms slightly out-competed both genotypes during the first 24 h after fertilization, and microorganisms associated with high-BNI genotype immobilized more N than microbes associated with low-BNI plants. Nevertheless, by the end of the experiment, low-BNI plant genotype had acquired more 15 N, despite higher to N2O emissions. Furthermore, higher 15 N root-to-shoot transfer was observed in low-BNI plants, potentially indicating higher contribution of nitrate to plant N uptake. In conclusion, our results confirm higher importance of microbial N immobilization in high-BNI genotypes, at least in the short-term. However, this did not result in higher N uptake by the high BNI genotype during the first 3 weeks after fertilization as could be expected. Long-term field studies are required to better understand the implications of direct (BNI sensu stricto) and indirect mechanisms (including differences in rhizosphere microbial biomass, activity and composition between high- and low-BNI genotypes), processes on plant N use efficiency, N storage in soil, and N losses to the environment.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the stable isotope laboratory of BayCEER for performing the isotope analyses.
Funding
Financial support was also obtained from the Internal Grant Agency of Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (20213110). This work was partly supported the One CGIAR Initiative on Livestock, System and Climate Resilience (LCSR). We received funding from BBSRC project grants RCUK-CIAT Newton Fund—Advancing sustainable forage-based livestock production systems in Colombia (CoForLife) (BB/S01893X/1) and the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) GROW Colombia grant via the UK’s BBSRC (BB/P028098/1).
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Teutscherová, N., Vázquez, E., Lehndorff, E. et al. Nitrogen acquisition by two U. humidicola genotypes differing in biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity and associated microorganisms. Biol Fertil Soils 58, 355–364 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-022-01635-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-022-01635-y