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Alternate partial root-zone irrigation induced dry/wet cycles of soils stimulate N mineralization and improve N nutrition in tomatoes

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Abstract

Given the same amount of irrigation volume, applying alternate partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) has improved crop N nutrition as compared to deficit irrigation (DI), yet the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether PRI induced soil dry/wet cycles facilitate soil organic N mineralization hereby contributing to the improvement of N nutrition in tomatoes. The plants were grown in split-root pots in a climate-controlled glasshouse and were subjected to PRI and DI treatments during early fruiting stage. 15N-labeled maize residues were incorporated into the soils. Results showed that PRI resulted in 25% higher net 15N mineralization than did DI, indicating that the enhanced mineralization of soil organic N alone could account for the 16% increase of N accumulation in the PRI than in the DI plants. The higher net N mineralization under PRI was coincided with an intensified soil microbial activity. In addition, even though soil chloroform fumigation labile carbon (CFL-C, as an index of microbial biomass) was similar for the two irrigation treatments, a significant increase of chloroform fumigation labile nitrogen (CFL-N) was found in the PRI wetting soil. Consequently, the C:N ratio of the chloroform fumigation labile pool was remarkably modified by the PRI treatment, which might indicate physiological changes of soil microbes or changes in labiality of soil organic C and N due to the dry/wet cycles of soils, altering conditions for net N mineralization. Moreover, in both soil compartments PRI caused significantly less extractable organic carbon (EOC) as compared with DI; whilst in the PRI wetting soil significantly higher extractable organic nitrogen (EON) was observed. A low EOC:EON ratio in the PRI wetting soil may indicate an increasing net mineralization of the organic N as a result of microbial metabolism. Conclusively, PRI induced greater microbial activity and higher microbial substrates availability are seemingly responsible for the enhanced net N mineralization and improved N nutrition in tomato plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crop Science Section, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    Yaosheng Wang, Fulai Liu & Christian R. Jensen

  2. Plant and Soil Section, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Andreas de Neergaard, Lars S. Jensen & Jesper Luxhøi

Authors
  1. Yaosheng Wang
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  2. Fulai Liu
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  3. Andreas de Neergaard
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  4. Lars S. Jensen
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  5. Jesper Luxhøi
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  6. Christian R. Jensen
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Correspondence to Fulai Liu.

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Responsible Editor: Peter J. Gregory.

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Wang, Y., Liu, F., de Neergaard, A. et al. Alternate partial root-zone irrigation induced dry/wet cycles of soils stimulate N mineralization and improve N nutrition in tomatoes. Plant Soil 337, 167–177 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0513-0

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