Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of bio-organic fertilizer and reduced chemical fertilizer application on physical and hydraulic properties of cucumber continuous cropping soil

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The continuous cultivation of the same crop on the same plot can result in problems such as soil compaction, deteriorating hydraulic properties, and decline in crop yields. This study investigated the effects of bio-organic fertilizer addition, with reduced application of chemical fertilizer, on physical and hydraulic properties of a soil under continuous cucumber cropping. Based on long-term fixed-site experiments in a greenhouse of the Yangtze River Delta region of China with high-intensity continuous planting of two-season cucumbers, experiments were conducted with 9 treatments (T1–T9), which comprised 3 groups (CK, Y1, and Y2). The CK group received 0 t hm−2 of bio-organic fertilizer, Y1 group received 10 t hm−2 of bio-organic fertilizer, and the Y2 group received 20 t hm−2 of bio-organic fertilizer. Each group had three chemical fertilizer treatments: 1 t ha−1 (standard practice, 0% reduction), 0.9 t ha−1 (10% reduction), and 0.8 t ha−1 (20% reduction). Each treatment was replicated 3 times. Soil (0–20 cm) and cucumber plant samples were collected from each treatment during cucumber maturity of each season, to determine the soil bulk density, soil total porosity, hydraulic properties, and cucumber yields. Compared with the CK treatment group, the soil bulk density of the Y1 and Y2 groups decreased by 0.08–0.13 g cm−3 and 0.15–0.22 g cm−3 respectively; the soil total porosity of the Y1 and Y2 groups increased by 3.02–4.90% and 5.66–8.30%. The content of water-stable aggregates and their mean weight diameter (MWD) showed increasing trends. A multivariate non-linear regression model fitted to the data (R2 = 0.956) predicts that a 20 t ha−1 bio-organic fertilizer application with 0.92 t ha−1 chemical fertilizer will give the theoretical maximum cucumber yield of 23.45 t ha−1. Use of bio-organic fertilizer with reduced chemical fertilizer application can improve the physical and hydraulic properties of cucumber continuous cropped soil. These results can provide a scientific basis for mitigating cucumber continuous cropping problems.

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
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Long H, Tang G, Li X, Heilig GK (2007) Socio-economic driving forces of land-use change in Kunshan, the Yangtze River Delta economic area of China. J Environ Manage 83:351–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Boubiévincent B, Aw A, Ndiaye M (2010) Long-term effect of continuous cropping of irrigated rice on soil and yield trends in the Sahel of West Africa. Nutr Cycl Agroecosys 88:133–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chen L, Yang X, Raza W, Luo J, Zhang F, Shen Q (2011) Solid-state fermentation of agro-industrial wastes to produce bioorganic fertilizer for the biocontrol of Fusarium wilt of cucumber in continuously cropped soil. Bioresource Technol 102:3900–3910

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Lal R (2015) Soil quality changes under continuous cropping for seventeen seasons of an alfisol in western Nigeria. Land Degrad Dev 9:259–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhou X, Gao D, Liu J, Qiao P, Zhou X, Lu H, Wu X, Liu D, Jin X, Wu F (2014) Changes in rhizosphere soil microbial communities in a continuously monocropped cucumber (Cucumis sativus, L.) system. Eur J Soil Biol 60:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu X, Li Y, Han B, Zhang Zhou K, Zhang X, Hashemi M (2012) Yield response of continuous soybean to one-season crop disturbance in a previous continuous soybean field in Northeast China. Field Crop Res 138:52–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Machado S, Petrie S, Rhinhart K, Qu A (2007) Long-term continuous cropping in the Pacific Northwest: tillage and fertilizer effects on winter wheat, spring wheat, and spring barley production. Soil Till Res 94:473–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Seo HK, Yu JJ, Lee IH (2015) Effects of green manure crops on tomato growth and soil improvement for reduction of continuous cropping injury through crop rotation in greenhouse. J Phytopathol 28:263–270

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wu H, Yang X, Fan J, Miao W, Ling N, Xu Y, Huang Q, Shen Q (2009) Suppression of Fusarium wilt of watermelon by a bio-organic fertilizer containing combinations of antagonistic microorganisms. Biocontrol 54:287–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang S, Raza W, Yang X, Hu J, Huang Q, Xu Y, Liu X, Ran W, Shen Q (2008) Control of Fusarium wilt disease of cucumber plants with the application of a bioorganic fertilizer. Biol Fert Soils 44:1073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wu K, Yuan S, Wang L, Shi J, Zhao J, Shen B, Shen Q (2014) Effects of bio-organic fertilizer plus soil amendment on the control of tobacco bacterial wilt and composition of soil bacterial communities. Biol Fert Soils 50:961–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ansari RA, Mahmood I (2017) Optimization of organic and bio-organic fertilizers on soil properties and growth of pigeon pea. Sci Hortic-Amsterdam 226:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Mohanty BP, Mousli Z (2000) Saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention properties across a soil-slope transition. Water Resour Res 36(11):3311–3324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhao J, Tian N, Jing L (2016) Effects of organic-inorganic compound fertilizer with reduced chemical fertilizer application on crop yields, soil biological activity and bacterial community structure in a rice-wheat cropping system. Appl Soil Ecol 99:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Yilmaz E, Sönmez M (2017) The role of organic/bio–fertilizer amendment on aggregate stability and organic carbon content in different aggregate scales. Soil Till Res 168:118–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wang L, Li J, Yang F, E YY, Raza W, Huang QW, Shen QR, (2017) Application of bioorganic fertilizer significantly increased apple yields and shaped bacterial community structure in orchard soil. Microb Ecol 73:404–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Bao SD (2000) Soil agricultural chemical analysis, 3rd edn. Agriculture Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ferreira TR, Pires LF, Wildenschild D, Brinatti AM, Borges JAR, Auler AC, dos Reis AMH (2019) Lime application effects on soil aggregate properties: use of the mean weight diameter and synchrotron-based X-ray μCT techniques. Geoderma 338:585–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Aparicio V, Costa JL (2007) Soil quality indicators under continuous cropping systems in the Argentinean Pampas. Soil Till Res 96:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Li Y, Huang M (2008) Pasture yield and soil water depletion of continuous growing alfalfa in the Loess Plateau of China. Agr Ecosyst Environ 124:24–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Laird DA, Fleming P, Davis DD (2010) Impact of biochar amendments on the quality of a typical Midwestern Agricultural soil. Geoderma 158:443–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen Y, Yoshiyuki S, Masahiko T (2010) Influence of biochar use on sugarcane growth, soil paramaters, and groundwater quality. Aust J of Soil Res 48:526–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Qu C, Chen X, Han Z, Zhang X, Huang C, Liu Y (2017) Effects of bioorganic fertilizer application on soil fertility characteristics and enzyme activity of cucumber at different growth stages. J Soil Water Conserv 31:279–284

    Google Scholar 

  24. Högberg P, Högberg MN, Göttlicher SG, Betson NR, Kell SG, Metcalfc DB (2008) High temporal resolution tracing of photosynthate carbon from the Tree Canopy to forest soil micoorganisms. New Phytol 177(1):220–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Li C, Cao Z, Chang J, Zhang Y, Zhu G, Zong N, He Y (2017) Elevational gradient affect functional fractions of soil organic carbon and aggregates stability in a Tibetan alpine meadow. CATENA 156:139–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Chen C, Pan JJ, Shu KL (2014) A review of precision fertilization. Environ Earth Sci 71:4073–4080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Javoreková S, Maková J, Medo J (2015) Effects of bio-fertilizers application on microbial diversity and physiological profiling of microorganisms in arable soil. Eurasian Soil Sci 4:54–61

    Google Scholar 

  28. Li SY, Gu X (2016) Distribution and storage of crop residue carbon in aggregates and its contribution to organic carbon of soil with low fertility. Soil Till Res 155:199–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Alagöz Z, Yilmaz E (2009) Effects of different sources of organic matter on soil aggregate formation and stability: a laboratory study on a Lithic Rhodoxeralf from Turkey. Soil Till Res 103:419–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Trivedi P, Rochester LJ (2015) Soil aggregate size mediates the impacts of cropping regimes on soil carbon and microbial communities. Soil Biol Biochem 91:169–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Habashy NR, Abou AW, Zaki RN (2008) Effect of organic and bio-fertilizers on phosphorus and some micronutrients availability in a calcareous soil. Res J Agric & Biol Sci 4(5):545–552

    Google Scholar 

  32. Zhou JB (2002) Soil microbial biomass nitrogen and its relationship to uptake of nitrogen by plant. Pedosphere 12:251–256

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Christopher Ogden for his checking of the English language and comments on this paper.

Funding

This study is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (42107478), the Regional Innovation and Development Joint Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (U20A2098), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (No. BK 20150909), State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture (Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) (No. Y20160038), and Foundation of Chinese postdoctoral (2016M591884).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, People’s Republic of China

    Can Chen, Qing Lv & Qian Tang

Authors
  1. Can Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qing Lv
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qian Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Can C. (Ph.D.) conducted the experiment and finished this manuscript. Qing L. (Ph.D. student) participated in the whole experiment. Qian Tang (Ph.D. student) finished determination of samples data.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Can Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, C., Lv, Q. & Tang, Q. Impact of bio-organic fertilizer and reduced chemical fertilizer application on physical and hydraulic properties of cucumber continuous cropping soil. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 14, 921–930 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-02294-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-02294-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation