Characterization of vegetable nitrogen uptake and soil nitrogen transformation in response to continuous molybdenum application. Issue 4 (17th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wen, Xin; Hu, Chengxiao; Sun, Xuecheng; Zhao, Xiaohu; Tan, Qiling; Liu, Peijie; Xin, Juan; Qin, Shiyu; Wang, Pengcheng
• Is Part Of: Journal of plant nutrition and soil science. Volume 181:Issue 4(2018:Aug.)
• Page Start: 516
• Page End: 527
• Publication Date: 2018-04-17
• Subjects: denitrification -- nitrification -- nitrogen losses -- nitrogen transformation; Plants -- Nutrition -- Periodicals; Soil science -- Periodicals; 630
• DOI: 10.1002/jpln.201700556
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1436-8730

Abstract

Abstract: Molybdenum (Mo), a plant micronutrient, is involved in nitrogen (N) cycling of global ecosystem, but little is known about its effect on soil N transformation especially the key processes nitrification and denitrification. A long‐term field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of continuous sufficient soil available Mo on vegetable N uptake and soil N transformation. The experiment consisted of three treatments: control (CK), Mo deficiency (NPK), and Mo application (NPK+Mo). The results show that (1) after a 7‐year‐experiment, continuous Mo application significantly increased soil available Mo content. (2) Compared to the NPK treatment, NPK+Mo treatment showed an increase of 11, 18, and 8% in the cumulative crop yield, plant N uptake, and N fertilizer use efficiency. (3) With continuous Mo application, the soil NO 3 - - N, NH 4 + - N, microbial biomass N, and total N contents were reduced by 14, 29, 40, and 12%, the soil nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) activities were reduced by 14 and 8%, as well as the potential denitrification activity (PDA) and gross nitrification rate (GNR) were decreased by 64 and 80%, respectively. Additionally, continuous Mo application decreased the abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and increased the abundance of narG ‐containing denitrifiers ( narG ) and nirK ‐type nitrite reducers ( nirK ) significantly. The data suggest that a deficiency in soil available Mo may induce the risk of soil N accumulation and environmental N emission in vegetable soil, whereas continuous Mo application could mitigate this risk by increasing crop yield and N uptake and, by decreasing soil N residues, soil nitrification and denitrification.