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Agronomy
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Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches
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Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 10213

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jin Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
Interests: nutrient transformation and cycling in agroecosystems
Dr. Dengjun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Interests: transport; transformation; remediation of nutrients and contaminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutrient transformation and cycling play a critical role in agricultural productivity and environmental safety toward the goal of sustainable agriculture. An improved understanding of soil nutrient transformation and cycling depends on the advances in analytical techniques used for nutrient analysis in agroecosystems. Compared to conventional methods, with a generally low specificity and inherent uncertainty, the state-of-the-art approaches could provide valuable insights into chemical speciation, biochemistry dynamics and bioavailability of soil nutrients. These emerging techniques, involving nuclear magnetic resonance, synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy, isotopes, nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry, diffusive gradients in thin films, etc., are increasingly applied in soil nutrient research. The aim of this Special Issue is to consolidate research on the investigation of nutrient (carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.) transformation and cycling in agroecosystems with innovative analytical methods. We aim to highlight advances in the understanding of nutrient biogeochemistry achieved by recently developed techniques to optimize soil nutrient management for the improved efficiency and sustainability of agroecosystems.

Dr. Jin Liu
Dr. Dengjun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • nutrient
  • advanced techniques
  • speciation
  • dynamics
  • bioavailability
  • spectroscopy
  • isotope
  • soil chemistry
  • soil fertility

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 8393 KiB  
Article
Soil C:N:P Stoichiometry Succession and Land Use Effect after Intensive Reclamation: A Case Study on the Yangtze River Floodplain
by Baowei Su, Huan Zhang, Yalu Zhang, Shuangshuang Shao, Abdul M. Mouazen, He Jiao, Shuangwen Yi and Chao Gao
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13041133 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2402
Abstract
The coupling cycles of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) have a significant impact on biogeochemical processes and ecosystem services. For centuries, large areas of floodplain wetlands in China have been extensively reclaimed for agricultural purposes due to population growth. However, [...] Read more.
The coupling cycles of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) have a significant impact on biogeochemical processes and ecosystem services. For centuries, large areas of floodplain wetlands in China have been extensively reclaimed for agricultural purposes due to population growth. However, little is known about the evolution of soil C:N:P stoichiometry along a reclamation chronosequence, particularly across different land uses. In this study, we investigated the variations in soil C:N:P ratios with land use and time gradients along a reclamation chronosequence comprising c. 0, 60, 100, 280, 2000, and 3000 years. Land reclamation induced nutrient decoupling, as it facilitated C and N accumulation from biological processes but restricted P supply controlled by geochemical processes. Soil C and N sequestration reached a stable state after 2000 years, while P declined steadily from 60 years. Soil C/P and N/P increased significantly and were controlled by organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN), respectively, indicating that an increase in C and N could also promote P uptake. Soil C/N declined in the first 60 years and stabilized at a threshold of 10:1. Different land use patterns following reclamation resulted in distinct soil nutrient structures. Paddies retained more OC and TN but exhibited lower adsorption of total phosphorus (TP) compared to adjacent dryland, leading to significant differences in C/P and N/P between land uses. Based on the redundancy analysis and random forest model, soil OC and TN were mainly affected by the abundance of bacteria metabolizing cellulose, while metal oxides, including Fe2O3 and CaO, could best predict TP. Soil C/P and N/P were mainly driven by soil texture and rose significantly with the increasing proportion of clay particles. Our study suggests that as reclamation proceeds, more anthropogenic management is required to regulate potential nutrient imbalances in order to prevent adverse effects on crop growth, soil quality, and ecosystem health. Additionally, any fertilization strategy should be developed based on dryland C and N deficiencies, and lack of P in paddies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches)
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26 pages, 6040 KiB  
Article
Transformation of Soil Accumulated Phosphorus and Its Driving Factors across Chinese Cropping Systems
by Yanhua Chen, Ning Guo, Wentian He, Naeem A. Abbasi, Yi Ren, Xiaolin Qu and Shuxiang Zhang
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13040949 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1614
Abstract
Understanding the transformation of accumulated phosphorus (P) is vital for P management. However, previous studies are limited to a few sites in Chinese agroecosystems. In this study, to investigate the temporal-spatial differences of transformation from accumulated P to available P (determined by the [...] Read more.
Understanding the transformation of accumulated phosphorus (P) is vital for P management. However, previous studies are limited to a few sites in Chinese agroecosystems. In this study, to investigate the temporal-spatial differences of transformation from accumulated P to available P (determined by the Olsen method), a dataset was assembled based on 91 national long-term experimental sites across China in the recent 31 years (1988–2018). A boosted regression tree (BRT) and a structural equation model (SEM) were used to analyze the factors influencing the transformation. The results showed that the transformation from accumulated P to available P in South China (1.97 mg kg−1) was significantly higher than that in other regions (0.69–1.22 mg kg−1). Soil properties were the main driving factors with a relative contribution of 81.8%, while climate and management practices explained 7.8% and 10.4% of the variations, respectively. Furthermore, SEM analysis revealed that the soil organic matter (SOM) could positively and directly affect the transformation, whereas the soil pH, soil silt content, and P fertilizer had negative and direct effects on it. For the first time, this study analyzed the transformation from soil accumulated P to available P at a national scale and at multiple sites and quantified the contribution of the main influencing factors. These results help to predict the soil available P content across different agroecosystems based on the input amount of P fertilizer, contributing to the regional precise management of P fertilizer application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches)
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13 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
Molecular-Level Insights into Phosphorus Transformation Mechanisms in Entisol Soils under Multiple Long-Term Fertilization Regimes
by Jin Liu, Chaoqun Han, Yuhang Zhao, Dongling Yang, Jianjun Yang, Lei Zheng, Yongfeng Hu, Jumei Li, Peng Sui, Yuanquan Chen, Xiaojun Shi and Yibing Ma
Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2760; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112760 - 6 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Improving phosphorus (P) fertilization strategies benefits mitigating future global P shortage and reducing legacy P loss risk in agricultural lands. In this study, the molecular transformation mechanisms of P in Entisol soils under multiple long-term fertilization regimes including PK; NK; NPK; NPK with [...] Read more.
Improving phosphorus (P) fertilization strategies benefits mitigating future global P shortage and reducing legacy P loss risk in agricultural lands. In this study, the molecular transformation mechanisms of P in Entisol soils under multiple long-term fertilization regimes including PK; NK; NPK; NPK with pig manure (NPKM); and NPK with rice straw return (NPKS) were investigated by sequential fractionation (SF), synchrotron-based P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (P-XANES) and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (P-NMR) spectroscopy. Compared with conventional NPK fertilization, a higher accumulation of total P occurred in soils under the PK, NPKM and NPKS treatments. By SF, there were relatively higher contents of NaHCO3-extracted inorganic P (Pi) fractions for the soils under PK (52.5 mg/kg) and NPKM (35.5 mg/kg) fertilization relative to the NPK (23.3 mg/kg) treatment. Consistently, P-XANES analysis revealed that there was a higher proportion of brushite, as a bioavailable P form, in soil under the PK and NPKM treatments compared with the NPK treatment, indicating higher P availability in the Entisol soils under PK and NPKM fertilizations. By P-NMR, long-term PK fertilization resulted in relatively a higher ratio of orthophosphate diesters to orthophosphate monoesters after correction compared with the NPK fertilization, which strongly suggested that N deficiency enhanced the biodegradability of soil organic P (Po) pools, thus providing new molecular-level insights into soil Po transformation. Collectively, these results, obtained from a long-term experimental study, facilitates the comprehensive understanding of P availability and transformation mechanisms in Entisol soils under multiple fertilization regimes, and thus benefits the improvement of fertilization strategies in agricultural soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches)
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14 pages, 1301 KiB  
Article
Soil Properties of Different Planting Combinations of Zanthoxylum planispinum var. dintanensis Plantations and Their Effect on Stoichiometry
by Yitong Li, Yanghua Yu and Yanping Song
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2562; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102562 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1452
Abstract
The soil quality of plantations with different planting patterns and the effect of soil quality on stoichiometry provide a theoretical basis for the selection of Zanthoxylum planispinum var. dintanensis (hereafter Z. planispinum) planting patterns and nutrient management. Four mixed plantations: Z. planispinum [...] Read more.
The soil quality of plantations with different planting patterns and the effect of soil quality on stoichiometry provide a theoretical basis for the selection of Zanthoxylum planispinum var. dintanensis (hereafter Z. planispinum) planting patterns and nutrient management. Four mixed plantations: Z. planispinum + Prunus salicina, Z. planispinum + Sophora tonkinensis, Z. planispinum + Arachis hypogaea, and Z. planispinum + Lonicera japonica, and a monoculture Z. planispinum plantation were selected to clarify the effect of soil quality on stoichiometry. The results showed that the soil quality index (SQI) of Z. planispinum + L. japonica (1.678) was the highest, indicating that it was the preferred planting combination and that it was significantly limited by soil water content (SWC). The nutrient forms, SWC, and pH all have significant effects on processes such as nutrient transformation and cycling. The contributions of total Ca and total Mg in soil nutrients to stoichiometry were relatively high, while the effect of SQI on stoichiometry was not significant. The microbial stoichiometry ratio was mainly influenced by microbial biomass phosphorus, reflecting that microorganisms have strong internal stability. Strong interactions among soil factors occur, affecting elemental geochemical processes. The regulatory effects of different soil factors on their stoichiometry should be emphasized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches)
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19 pages, 3301 KiB  
Article
The Phosphorus Availability in Mollisol Is Determined by Inorganic Phosphorus Fraction under Long-Term Different Phosphorus Fertilization Regimes
by Qiong Wang, Naiyu Zhang, Yanhua Chen, Zhenhan Qin, Yuwen Jin, Ping Zhu, Chang Peng, Gilles Colinet, Shuxiang Zhang and Jin Liu
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2364; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102364 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2003
Abstract
Understanding the effects of a fertilization regime on the long-term accumulation and transformation of soil phosphorus (P) is essential for promoting the development of sustainable management of soil P. Based on a 29-year field experiment in Mollisol, the compositions and changes of P [...] Read more.
Understanding the effects of a fertilization regime on the long-term accumulation and transformation of soil phosphorus (P) is essential for promoting the development of sustainable management of soil P. Based on a 29-year field experiment in Mollisol, the compositions and changes of P forms using a modified Hedley sequential extraction method, solution 31P-NMR and P K-edge XANES and soil properties were investigated under continuous mono maize with and without manure (NPKM and NPK). Results showed a stronger positive related coefficient between soil total P and labile P, and mid-labile P fraction was found in NPKM than in NPK treatment. It indicated NPKM could improve the availability of soil accumulated P and reduce its transformation to stable P. Accumulated inorganic P (Pi) was dominated by aluminum phosphate (Al-P) and monobasic calcium phosphate monohydrate (MCP) for NPK treatment, Al-P, MCP, and tricalcium phosphate for NPKM treatment with XANES analysis, which contributed to the P availability in Mollisol. Moreover, the proportion of IHP with XANES and ratio of orthophosphate diesters to monoesters in NPK compared to NPKM indicated the higher Po lability with NPK treatment. Pi, especially NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi, were the potential sources of resin-Pi. Soil organic matter (SOM), organic-bound iron, and alumina oxide (Fep + Alp) showed significant influence on the transformation of P forms. Our research suggested that due to the rise in SOM and Fep + Alp, the fertilization regime significantly increased most highly active soil P fractions, especially in NPKM treatment. This work gives new insight into sustainable P management, which benefits the reduction in soil P accumulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Transformation and Cycling Mechanisms in Agroecosystems Using Innovative Approaches)
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