Effects of different cropping systems on ammonia nitrogen load in a typical agricultural watershed of South China

The excessive application of agricultural irrigation water and chemical fertilizer has increased crop yields to help meet the demand for food, but it has also led to major water environment problem, i.e. non-point source (NPS) pollution, which needs to be addressed to achieve sustainable development targets. Although numerous studies have focused on the control and reduction of agricultural NPS pollution from the perspective of irrigation and fertilizer, the effects of different cropping systems on NPS pollution (ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N)) in the Dongjiang River Basin (DRB) were seldom assessed. Specifically, variation in the NH₃-N load was simulated and analyzed at the annual and semi-annual scales under ten different cropping systems using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, which was calibrated and validated with satisfactory statistical index values in the DRB. The results indicated that the NH₃-N load decreased, distinctly increased, slightly decreased when sweet potato, peanut, and rice were planted, respectively. Compared with mono-cropping, crop rotation could reduce the NH₃-N load, and the planting sequence of crops could affect the NH₃-N load to a certain extent. Planting peanuts in spring would dramatically increase NH₃-N load. To evaluate NH₃-N pollution, a critical threshold of NH₃-N emission (5.1 kg·ha^-1·year^-1) was proposed. Meeting the NH₃-N emission threshold cannot be achieved by altering the cropping system alone; additional measures are needed to reduce agricultural NPS pollution. This study facilitates the development of cropping systems and provides relevant information to aid the sustainable development of agriculture in the DRB.