Biochar-N fertilizer interaction increases N utilization efficiency by modifying soil C/N component under N fertilizer deep placement modes

Hao Xia; Muhammad Riaz; Mengyang Zhang; Bo Liu; Yuxuan Li; Zeinab El-Desouki; Cuncang Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131594

Biochar-N fertilizer interaction increases N utilization efficiency by modifying soil C/N component under N fertilizer deep placement modes

Chemosphere. 2022 Jan;286(Pt 1):131594. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131594. Epub 2021 Jul 20.

Authors

Hao Xia¹, Muhammad Riaz², Mengyang Zhang¹, Bo Liu³, Yuxuan Li¹, Zeinab El-Desouki⁴, Cuncang Jiang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Microelement Research Center, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources,Root Biology Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
³ Microelement Research Center, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, PR China; Institute of Plant Protection and Soil Fertilizer, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, PR China.
⁴ Microelement Research Center, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, PR China; Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11241, Egypt.
⁵ Microelement Research Center, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecoagriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832000, PR China. Electronic address: jcc2000@mail.hzau.edu.cn.

PMID: 34346321
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131594

Abstract

The situation of imbalance application of nitrogenous fertilizers in maize production is a serious issue in China, and excessive nitrogen (N) application is hazardous to sustainable agricultural production and environment. In this experiment, two biochar levels (C0: 0, C1: 2 %), three different N rates (N1: 50, N2: 100, and N3: 200 mg kg^-1), and two fertilization methods (T: traditional N fertilizer application mode and D: deep N fertilizer placement mode) were set up to study the response of different treatments on maize yield, N uptake, and N use efficiency. Herein, we found that fresh and dry biomasses were increased by 292 % and 283 % under C1N3 treatment with the deep application of N fertilizer compared to the control treatment (without nitrogen fertilizers and biochar). According to structural equation modeling (SEM), soil physical and chemical properties, N component and C component in different soil layers were associated with biochar and N fertilizer treatment, especially at 20-40 depth. The combination of N fertilizer and biochar application promoted the effects of biochar on the improving NUE of plants. The biochar alleviated the loss of soil nitrogen (from 52.00 to 25.94 %) under traditional N fertilizer application. Overall, excessive input of N fertilizer not only promotes the growth of crops but also causes a waste of resources and environmental pollution. We suggest that combined application of biochar and N fertilizer could significantly reduce N loss, and improve root growth and N uptake, resulting in improving NUE by improving soil environment (pH, SOM, EC) and adjusting soil C/N component.

Keywords: Biochar; Nitrogen fertilizer use modes; Nitrogen utilization efficiency; Soil C/N component.

MeSH terms

Agriculture
Charcoal
Fertilizers* / analysis
Nitrogen / analysis
Soil*

Substances

Fertilizers
Soil
biochar
Charcoal
Nitrogen