Plant Soil Environ., 2018, 64(4):156-163 | DOI: 10.17221/768/2017-PSE

Soil nitrate accumulation and leaching in conventional, optimized and organic cropping systemsOriginal Paper

Dapeng WANG1,2, Liang ZHENG1, 3, Songdong GU4, Yuefeng SHI1, 5, Long LIANG1, Fanqiao MENG*,1, Yanbin GUO1, Xiaotang JU1, Wenliang WU1
1 College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
2 Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences,

Excessive nitrogen (N) and water input, which are threatening the sustainability of conventional agriculture in the North China Plain (NCP), can lead to serious leaching of nitrate-N (NO3--N). This study evaluates grain yield, N and water consumption, NO3--N accumulation and leaching in conventional and two optimized winter wheat-summer maize double-cropping systems and an organic alfalfa-winter wheat cropping system. The results showed that compared to the conventional cropping system, the optimized systems could reduce N, water consumption and NO3--N leaching by 33, 35 and 67-74%, respectively, while producing nearly identical grain yields. In optimized systems, soil NO3--N accumulation within the root zone was about 80 kg N/ha most of the time. In the organic system, N input, water consumption and NO3--N leaching was reduced even more (by 71, 43 and 92%, respectively, compared to the conventional system). However, grain yield also declined by 46%. In the organic system, NO3--N accumulation within the root zone was generally less than 30 kg N/ha. The optimized systems showed a considerable potential to reduce N and water consumption and NO3--N leaching while maintaining high grain yields, and thus should be considered for sustainable agricultural development in the NCP.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture; crop rotation; optimized management; environmental consequence; macronutrient

Published: April 30, 2018  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
WANG D, ZHENG L, Songdong G, SHI Y, LIANG L, MENG F, et al.. Soil nitrate accumulation and leaching in conventional, optimized and organic cropping systems. Plant Soil Environ. 2018;64(4):156-163. doi: 10.17221/768/2017-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Arduini I., Cardelli R., Pampana S. (2018): Biosolids affect the growth, nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen leaching of barley. Plant, Soil and Environment, 64: 95-101. Go to original source...
    2. Beaudoin N., Saad J.K., van Laethem C., Machet J.M., Maucorps J., Mary B. (2005): Nitrate leaching in intensive agriculture in Northern France: Effect of farming practices, soils and crop rotations. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 111: 292-310. Go to original source...
    3. Chen X., Zhang F., Römheld V., Horlacher D., Schulz R., BöningZilkens M., Wang P., Claupein W. (2006): Synchronizing N supply from soil and fertilizer and N demand of winter wheat by an improved N min method. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 74: 91-98. Go to original source...
    4. Chen X.P., Cui Z.L., Vitousek P.M., Cassman K.G., Matson P.A., Bai J.S., Meng Q.F., Hou P., Yue S.C., Römheld V., Zhang F.S. (2011): Integrated soil-crop system management for food security. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108: 6399-6404. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Cui Z.L., Zhang F.S., Chen X.P., Miao Y.X., Li J.L., Shi L.W., Xu J.F., Ye Y.L., Liu C.S., Yang Z.P., Zhang Q., Huang S.M., Bao D.J. (2008a): On-farm estimation of indigenous nitrogen supply for site-specific nitrogen management in the North China plain. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 81: 37-47. Go to original source...
    6. Cui Z.L., Zhang F.S., Miao Y.X., Sun Q.P., Li F., Chen X.P., Li J.L., Ye Y.L., Yang Z.P., Zhang Q., Liu C.S. (2008b): Soil nitrate-N levels required for high yield maize production in the North China Plain. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 82: 187-196. Go to original source...
    7. de Ponti T., Rijk B., van Ittersum M.K. (2012): The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 108: 1-9. Go to original source...
    8. Ercoli L., Masoni A., Pampana S., Mariotti M., Arduini I. (2013): As durum wheat productivity is affected by nitrogen fertilisation management in Central Italy. European Journal of Agronomy, 44: 38-45. Go to original source...
    9. Fang Q.X., Yu Q., Wang E.L., Chen Y.H., Zhang G.L., Wang J., Li L.H. (2006): Soil nitrate accumulation, leaching and crop nitrogen use as influenced by fertilization and irrigation in an intensive wheat-maize double cropping system in the North China Plain. Plant and Soil, 284: 335-350. Go to original source...
    10. Galloway J.N., Townsend A.R., Erisman J.W., Bekunda M., Cai Z., Freney J.R., Martinelli L.A., Seitzinger S.P., Sutton M.A. (2008): Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: Recent trends, questions, and potential solutions. Science, 320: 889-892. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Gheysari M., Mirlatifi S.M., Homaee M., Asadi M.E., Hoogenboom G. (2009): Nitrate leaching in a silage maize field under different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer rates. Agricultural Water Management, 96: 946-954. Go to original source...
    12. Ju X.T. (2014): Direct pathway of nitrate produced from surplus nitrogen inputs to the hydrosphere. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111: 416. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Ju X.T., Xing G.X., Chen X.P., Zhang S.L., Zhang L.J., Liu X.J., Cui Z.L., Yin B., Christie P., Zhu Z.L., Zhang F.S. (2009): Reducing environmental risk by improving N management in intensive Chinese agricultural systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106: 3041-3046. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Korsaeth A. (2008): Relations between nitrogen leaching and food productivity in organic and conventional cropping systems in a long-term field study. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 127: 177-188. Go to original source...
    15. Kramer S.B., Reganold J.P., Glover J.D., Bohannan B.J.M., Mooney H.A. (2006): Reduced nitrate leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103: 4522-4527. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Liu X.J., Ju X.T., Zhang F.S., Pan J.R., Christie P. (2003): Nitrogen dynamics and budgets in a winter wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain. Field Crops Research, 83: 111-124. Go to original source...
    17. Mäder P., Fliessbach A., Dubois D., Gunst L., Fried P., Niggli U. (2002): Soil fertility and biodiversity in organic farming. Science, 296: 1694-1697. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Masoni A., Mariotti M., Ercoli L., Pampana S., Arduini I. (2015): Nitrate leaching from forage legume crops and residual effect on Italian ryegrass. Agrochimica, 59: 75-91. Go to original source...
    19. Mueller N.D., Gerber J.S., Johnston M., Ray D.K., Ramankutty N., Foley J.A. (2012): Closing yield gaps through nutrient and water management. Nature, 490: 254-257. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Ren J.Z., Lin H.L. (2006): Arable land equivalent unit and potential food productivity of land resources in China. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 15: 1-10.
    21. Seufert V., Ramankutty N., Foley J.A. (2012): Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature, 485: 229-232. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Tilman D., Cassman K.G., Matson P.A., Naylor R., Polasky S. (2002): Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature, 418: 671-677. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Wang H.Y., Ju X.T., Wei Y.P., Li B.G., Zhao L.L., Hu K.L. (2010): Simulation of bromide and nitrate leaching under heavy rainfall and high-intensity irrigation rates in North China Plain. Agricultural Water Management, 97: 1646-1654. Go to original source...
    24. Yuan F.M., Chen Z.M., Yao Z.H., Zhou C.S., Ming F.G., Song Y.L., LI X.P. (1995): NO 3-N transformation accumulation and leaching loss in surface layer of Chao-soil in Beijing. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 32: 388-399. (In Chinese)
    25. Zhao R.F., Chen X.P., Zhang F.S., Zhang H.L., Schroder J., Römheld V. (2006): Fertilization and nitrogen balance in a wheat-maize rotation system in North China. Agronomy Journal, 98: 938-945. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content