Tracing the contribution and fate of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer in young apple orchard agrosystems
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Excessive synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer in orchards leads to low plant uptake and significant soil accumulation. Abiotic fixation and soil N mineralization are key retention pathways, with potential for environmental N loss over time.
Area Of Science
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science
Background
- Intensive orchard farming relies heavily on synthetic nitrogen (N) inputs, raising environmental concerns.
- Optimizing N use efficiency and minimizing N losses are critical for sustainable fruit production.
Purpose Of The Study
- To quantify the transformation and fate of fertilizer N in a young apple orchard.
- To assess the contribution of fertilizer N to soil pools and plant uptake.
- To understand N cycling dynamics under sustained N fertilization.
Main Methods
- A 15N tracer experiment was conducted over two growing seasons.
- Fertilizer N distribution and contribution to soil nitrate, microbial biomass N, and fixed ammonium were measured.
- Plant N uptake, soil N recovery, N2O emissions, and nitrate leaching were quantified.
Main Results
- Fertilizer N contributed significantly to soil nitrate (25-75%) but minimally to microbial biomass N (<8%) and plant N (9-19%).
- Plant N use efficiency was low (2.6-4.9%), with most N recovered in the soil (54-56.6%).
- Nitrate leaching below 1m increased from 4.6% to 22.5% over two seasons, while N2O emissions remained low (0.4%).
Conclusions
- Abiotic ammonium fixation and enhanced soil N mineralization retained synthetic N more effectively than microbial immobilization.
- Long-term N fertilization impacts soil N cycling, increasing N retention and potential for environmental N release.
- Improving soil N retention and turnover capacity through microbial and abiotic processes is crucial for sustainable orchard management.
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