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Dual mechanism of electrochemical regulation to reduce soil Nitrous Oxide emissions-microbial recruitment and
Yufeng Li1, Lunalan Kang2, Xiangyang Qin1
1Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring in Agricultural Product Production Areas, Beijing 100097, China.
Abstract:
Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural nitrogen cycling, primarily Nitrous Oxide (N2O), are intrinsically linked to fertilizer dynamics. Conventional mitigation strategies emphasize synthetic fertilizer reduction, yet suffer from inefficiency and lack of sustainability. This study introduces an electrochemical regulation approach and, through comparative analysis of two fertilizers (ammonium sulfate vs. urea), elucidates dual mechanisms (redox modulation and microbial community engineering). Key findings: (1) 500 mV electrostimulation enriched nitrate-reducing microbiota, reducing N2O by 11.9 ± 5.9% (sulfate) and 14.2 ± 4.4% (urea) via enhanced denitrification; (2) Electrode interventions accelerated N2O-to-N2 conversion (15.8 ± 1.4% and 14.9 ± 8.9%) by optimizing redox fluxes and boosting electroautotrophic Pseudomonas spp. activity; (3) Urea exhibited delayed electroresponsiveness (6-10 h lag) due to slower amide nitrogen hydrolysis kinetics compared to sulfate; (4) Metagenomics confirmed upregulation of nitrogen metabolic genes (norC: 2.9×, nirD: 2.7×, narI: 2.6 × ) and restructured microbial networks. This study elucidates a fundamental electro-microbial mechanism that reconfigures nitrogen-transforming networks, providing a novel paradigm for managing soil biogeochemical cycles.
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