ABSTRACT
The efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen (N) use strongly depends on soil pH and affects both agricultural production and environmental pollution control. We selected four treatments (no-fertilization control (CT); combined mineral N, P and K fertilization (CF); 50% CF+50% chicken manure N (CFM); and chicken manure N (M)) to compare crop yield, N uptake, N use efficiency (NUE), and the N surplus in a Chinese cabbage-maize cropping system in a field experiment from 2011 to 2016 along a pH gradient (alkaline (pH 8.32), near-neutral (pH 6.56) and acidic soil (pH 5.91)). Chicken manure treatment was most appropriate in acidic soils because it increased pH by 2.03 units, up to 13% crop yield, and increased N uptake and NUE than that in alkaline and near-neutral soils. Under mineral fertilization, the N surplus in acidic soil was the highest. We conclude that combined organic-mineral fertilization in alkaline, near-neutral, and acidic soils is a promising strategy that not only increases the crop yield, N uptake, and NUE but also decreases the N surplus. Organic manure is especially recommended as an efficient strategy in acidic soils to increase crop yield and NUE.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).