Fertilization strategies to improve crop yields and N use efficiency depending on soil pH

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese cabbage
• maize
• N uptake
• N use efficiency
• N surplus

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by China Agriculture Research System - Green Manure (No. CARS-22-G-13).