Drip irrigation combined with organic fertilizers improves crop N uptake and yield by reducing soil salinity and N loss in saline–alkali sunflower farmlands

IF 6.8 1区农林科学 Q1 SOIL SCIENCE

Soil & Tillage Research Pub Date : 2025-08-11 DOI:10.1016/j.still.2025.106789

Min Hu , Yue Li , Zhijun Chen , Keyan Lv , Yunwu Xiong , Guanhua Huang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Traditional border irrigation and excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization have caused severe soil salinization, NO₃⁻-N leaching, and low crop yields in saline–alkali sunflower farmlands in Northwest China. To improve crop yields and N use efficiency, a three-year field experiment was conducted from 2021 to 2023 by considering drip irrigation combined with organic fertilizer application. Two irrigation levels with the soil matric potential of −20 kPa (D1) and −30 kPa (D2) were respectively designed. Three fertilization modes (WOF: without any organic fertilizer, LBF: lignite carbon-based organic fertilizer of 4.5 t ha⁻¹, and SMF: sheep manure of 5 t ha⁻¹) were set for each drip irrigation treatment. In addition, local border irrigation combined with mineral fertilizer treatment was used as a control treatment. The soil aggregate structure, salt and N dynamics, and crop yields corresponding to these treatments were compared and analyzed. Results indicated that the LBF and SMF treatments improved the proportion of > 0.25 mm water-stable macro-aggregate and aggregate stability compared with the control treatment, thus promoting soil salt leaching. In addition, the soil desalting rate of the D1 irrigation treatment was higher than that of the D2 irrigation treatment and the control treatment. Therefore, drip irrigation combined with organic fertilizer (D1LBF and D1SMF) treatments significantly improved soil desalting with values of 21.7 %–25.3 % and 16.4 %–22.2 % higher than those of the control treatment, respectively. Furthermore, drip irrigation reduced soil NO₃⁻-N leaching during growth period, whereas organic fertilization reduced its value during spring and autumn irrigation periods. Compared with the control treatment, drip irrigation combined with organic fertilization treatments significantly reduced the total NO₃⁻-N leaching by 51.6 %–62.1 %. Considering the combined impact of soil salinity and N dynamics, the D1LBF treatment achieved the highest crop N uptake and yield among all treatments, which were 74.8 %–137.0 % and 43.4 %–48.8 % higher than those of the control treatment, respectively. Moreover, the water and N productivities of the D1LBF treatment were respectively increased by 47.3 %–69.8 % and 43.4 %–48.7 % compared with those of the control treatment. This then implies that drip irrigation combined with organic fertilizer application provide an efficient practice to increase crop productivity by improving the soil aggregate structure, reducing soil salinity, and reducing NO₃⁻-N leaching in the saline–alkali farmlands in the arid Northwest China as well as other arid regions.

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在盐碱向日葵田，滴灌配施有机肥通过降低土壤盐分和氮素流失，提高作物氮素吸收和产量

传统的畦灌和过量施氮导致西北盐碱化向日葵田土壤盐碱化严重，硝态氮淋溶严重，作物产量低。为提高作物产量和氮素利用效率，从2021年至2023年进行了3年滴灌配施有机肥的田间试验。土壤基质电位分别为- 20 kPa （D1）和- 30 kPa （D2）。每个滴灌处理设置3种施肥模式（WOF：不施任何有机肥，LBF：褐煤碳基有机肥4.5 t ha−1，SMF：羊粪5 t ha−1）。另外，采用局部畦灌配合矿肥处理作为对照处理。比较分析了不同处理的土壤团聚体结构、盐态氮动态和作物产量。结果表明：与对照处理相比，LBF和SMF处理提高了>； 0.25 mm水稳性宏观团聚体比例和团聚体稳定性，促进了土壤盐淋溶；此外，D1灌溉处理的土壤脱盐率高于D2灌溉处理和对照处理。因此，滴灌配施有机肥（D1LBF和D1SMF）处理显著改善了土壤脱盐，分别比对照处理提高了21.7% % ~ 25.3 %和16.4 % ~ 22.2 %。滴灌降低了生育期土壤NO3−-N淋失量，而有机肥降低了春秋季灌溉期土壤NO3−-N淋失量。与对照处理相比，滴灌配施有机肥处理显著降低NO3−-N淋溶总量，降低幅度为51.6 % ~ 62.1 %。考虑土壤盐分和氮动态的综合影响，D1LBF处理的作物氮素吸收和产量最高，分别比对照提高74.8 % ~ 137.0 %和43.4 % ~ 48.8 %。与对照相比，D1LBF处理的水分生产力和氮生产力分别提高了47.3% % ~ 69.8% %和43.4% % ~ 48.7 %。这说明滴灌配施有机肥是改善土壤团聚体结构、降低土壤盐分、减少NO3−n淋溶的有效方法，可提高西北干旱地区及其他干旱地区盐碱地的作物生产力。

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来源期刊

Soil & Tillage Research 农林科学-土壤科学

CiteScore

13.00

自引率

6.20%

发文量

266

审稿时长

5 months

期刊介绍： Soil & Tillage Research examines the physical, chemical and biological changes in the soil caused by tillage and field traffic. Manuscripts will be considered on aspects of soil science, physics, technology, mechanization and applied engineering for a sustainable balance among productivity, environmental quality and profitability. The following are examples of suitable topics within the scope of the journal of Soil and Tillage Research: The agricultural and biosystems engineering associated with tillage (including no-tillage, reduced-tillage and direct drilling), irrigation and drainage, crops and crop rotations, fertilization, rehabilitation of mine spoils and processes used to modify soils. Soil change effects on establishment and yield of crops, growth of plants and roots, structure and erosion of soil, cycling of carbon and nutrients, greenhouse gas emissions, leaching, runoff and other processes that affect environmental quality. Characterization or modeling of tillage and field traffic responses, soil, climate, or topographic effects, soil deformation processes, tillage tools, traction devices, energy requirements, economics, surface and subsurface water quality effects, tillage effects on weed, pest and disease control, and their interactions.