Akeem T. Shorunke, Bobbi L. Helgason, Richard E. Farrell
{"title":"Evidence of the need for crop-specific N2O emission factors","authors":"Akeem T. Shorunke, Bobbi L. Helgason, Richard E. Farrell","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109694","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109694","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crop residues are an important source of N for subsequent crops and contribute to cropping system nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) emissions. Oilseed residues, particularly canola (<em>Brassica napus</em> L.), can instigate higher N<sub>2</sub>O emissions compared to pulse and wheat crop residues but the reason for this disproportionate emission response is unknown. To determine the quantity and source of N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, we conducted an incubation experiment (84 d) using <sup>15</sup>N and <sup>13</sup>C labelled residues of canola, wheat, flax, pea and investigated key N-cycling gene abundances, microbial abundance and community structure using PLFA and soil C and N dynamics. Residue addition of all types significantly increased microbial abundance and abundances of denitrification and nitrification genes. Canola residue resulted in significantly greater <em>nosZI</em> abundance. Lower incorporation of canola residue <sup>13</sup>C into PLFA and higher <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> emissions suggests that canola residue C was used less efficiently (i.e., less for growth and more for respiration), depleting O<sub>2</sub> and stimulating denitrification. The magnitude of N<sub>2</sub>O emission from residue-amended soils was significantly higher (<em>p</em> < 0.05) than the unamended control soil and differed with residue type: canola > pea = wheat > flax > control. The canola residue emission factor was 1.56% of residue N – significantly higher than that of wheat (0.99%), pea (0.95%) and flax (0.18%). This higher canola emission factor resulted from greater residue-derived (1.47%) N<sub>2</sub>O as well as residue-induced (0.65%) soil emissions. The combined use of stable isotope tracing of <sup>15</sup>N<sub>2</sub>O and <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> and microbial characterization quantified differences in residue-derived N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from common crops that were linked to differences in microbial abundance, community structure and activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109694"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Li Liu , Junjie Yang , Jing Wang , Qiang Yu , Cunzheng Wei , Liangchao Jiang , Jianhui Huang , Yunhai Zhang , Yong Jiang , Haiyang Zhang , Xingguo Han
{"title":"Increase in mineral-associated organic carbon does not offset the decrease in particulate organic carbon under long-term nitrogen enrichment in a steppe ecosystem","authors":"Li Liu , Junjie Yang , Jing Wang , Qiang Yu , Cunzheng Wei , Liangchao Jiang , Jianhui Huang , Yunhai Zhang , Yong Jiang , Haiyang Zhang , Xingguo Han","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109695","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109695","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) deposition significantly impacts ecosystem carbon (C) cycling. However, most experimental N deposition studies applied N fertilizers in low-frequency, typically once or twice per year during the growing season. Few studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of high-frequency N deposition at varying rates on the formation and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC). Additionally, the effects of N addition on the two SOC fractions — particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) — and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. To address these gaps, we conducted a long-term N addition experiment in a typical steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China, beginning in 2008. The N addition rates ranged from 0 to 50 g N m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>, with a high frequency of N additions (once a month, 12 additions per year). After a decade of N addition, we observed a consistent decrease in SOC (by 3.9 ± 0.51 %) and POC (by 17.5 ± 2.31 %) and an increase in MAOC (by 5.8 ± 1.68 %) compared to the control treatment (i.e., the treatment without N addition). The decline in POC was attributed to stimulated microbial decomposition due to improved quality of particulate organic matter and increased priming effect from SOC. The increase in MAOC was associated with enhanced mineral protection, resulting from increased solubility of iron/aluminum (Fe/Al) that are reactive in directly adsorbing SOC molecules to form stable metal-SOC complexes. However, this increase in MAOC does not offset the decrease in POC, leading to an overall decrease in SOC under N enrichment. This study reveals the crucial roles of microbial decomposition and mineral protection in determining SOC fractions in <em>N</em>-enriched steppe ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109695"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Mitsunobu , R. Wagai , H. Shimada , H. Kato , K. Ito , S. Sato , M. Hayatsu , K. Minamisawa
{"title":"First microscale data on depth profiles of microbial N₂O reduction, O2 availability, and pore networks inside contrasting single soil aggregates","authors":"S. Mitsunobu , R. Wagai , H. Shimada , H. Kato , K. Ito , S. Sato , M. Hayatsu , K. Minamisawa","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A major greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) significantly emitted from agricultural soils, is reduced to innocuous N<sub>2</sub> gas by the activity of two groups of N<sub>2</sub>O-reducing microbes (typical clade I and more recently discovered atypical clade II) having different enzymatic efficiency. Yet, basic information such as the locations of N₂O reduction hotspots and soil factors regulating their formations is still lacking. In addition, oxygen availability, which is strongly constrained by soil pore property, likely dictates their ecology in soil as N<sub>2</sub>O reductase enzyme (coded by <em>nosZ</em> genes) is inhibited by O<sub>2</sub>. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess the mechanistic linkage among soil pore networks, chemical microenvironments (pH, Eh, and O<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O abundances), ecology of N₂O-reducing microbes, and the occurrence of N₂O reduction hotspots in single soil aggregates. Using water-stable macroaggregates from two contrasting soil types (highly porous Andosol and less porous clay-rich Acrisol), we determined microscale depth profiles of N<sub>2</sub>O and O<sub>2</sub> dynamics, three-dimensional pore properties, and the two N<sub>2</sub>O reducer populations in the single aggregates after 48-h lab incubation under a water-saturated condition. The N<sub>2</sub>O and O<sub>2</sub> depth profiles showed the increase in N<sub>2</sub>O production with O<sub>2</sub> depletion towards deeper part of the incubated aggregates, indicating denitrification N<sub>2</sub>O production especially in Andosol aggregate where O<sub>2</sub> availability was higher. The gene distribution with depth clearly showed higher abundance of <em>nosZ</em> harboring microbes (including both clades I and II) in the Acrisol aggregate than Andosol aggregate especially towards the aggregate interior. In the Acrisol aggregate, the abundance of <em>nosZ</em> clade I harboring microbes was maximum at the middle depth corresponding to N<sub>2</sub>O maxima, whereas the <em>nosZ</em> clade II harboring microbes had slightly different niche as their population monotonically increased towards the aggregate core, which were consistent with theoretical O<sub>2</sub> availability and pore connectivity. The current findings underscore the intimate connection between soil physical complexity and microbial ecology, which merits further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109684"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142809591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johannes Wirsching , Martin-Georg Endress , Eliana Di Lodovico , Sergey Blagodatsky , Christian Fricke , Marcel Lorenz , Sven Marhan , Ellen Kandeler , Christian Poll
{"title":"Coupling energy balance and carbon flux during cellulose degradation in arable soils","authors":"Johannes Wirsching , Martin-Georg Endress , Eliana Di Lodovico , Sergey Blagodatsky , Christian Fricke , Marcel Lorenz , Sven Marhan , Ellen Kandeler , Christian Poll","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) is an important metric for understanding the balance between anabolic and catabolic metabolism, while energy use efficiency (EUE) provides insight into microbial energy requirements. They are linked by the ratio between released heat and respiration (calorespirometric ratio, CR), which can be used to describe the efficiency of microbial growth. In this study, microbial C and energy use during the degradation of <span><math><mmultiscripts><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><none></none><none></none><mprescripts></mprescripts><none></none><mrow><mn>13</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts></math></span>-labeled cellulose in eight different soils was investigated experimentally and simulated using a process-based model. Our results show close agreement between the cumulative C and energy balances during the incubations, with a total C and energy release equal to 30–50% of the amount added as cellulose. Both energy and C fluxes indicated that a positive priming effect of soil organic matter (SOM) increased the release of heat and CO<sub>2</sub> by 10–32% relative to the added substrate. The CR-CUE relationship indicated that growth on cellulose was energy limited during the early but not the later stages of the incubation, especially in soils with high SOM content. We partly observed systematic differences between estimates for CUE based either on the <span><math><mmultiscripts><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><none></none><none></none><mprescripts></mprescripts><none></none><mrow><mn>13</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts></math></span> label or on the calorespirometric ratio. Both approaches were constrained by technical and methodological limitations and agreed best during the phase of microbial growth in the SOM-rich soils, with CUE values between 0.4 and 0.75 indicating efficient aerobic growth. During early stages or after transition to a maintenance phase, both estimates were less meaningful for cellulose degradation, a substrate with a lower turnover rate than glucose. Still, the coupled heat and mass balances during cellulose degradation in combination with process-based modeling provided additional information on growth yields as well as the contribution of SOM priming to microbial growth compared to considering mass balances alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109691"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142804871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xuhui Zhou , Zhiqiang Feng , Yixian Yao , Ruiqiang Liu , Junjiong Shao , Shuxian Jia , Yining Gao , Kui Xue , Hongyang Chen , Yuling Fu , Yanghui He
{"title":"Nitrogen input alleviates the priming effects of biochar addition on soil organic carbon decomposition","authors":"Xuhui Zhou , Zhiqiang Feng , Yixian Yao , Ruiqiang Liu , Junjiong Shao , Shuxian Jia , Yining Gao , Kui Xue , Hongyang Chen , Yuling Fu , Yanghui He","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The combination of biochar and nitrogen (N) addition has been proposed as a potential strategy to sustain crop productivity and mitigate climate change by increasing soil fertility, sequestering carbon (C), and reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions. However, our current knowledge about how biochar and N additions interactively alter mineralization of native soil organic C (SOC), which is referred to priming effects (PEs), is largely limited. To address this uncertainty, C<sub>3</sub> biochar (pyrolyzing rice straw at 300, 550, and 800 °C) and its combination with N fertilizer (urea) were incubated in a C<sub>4</sub>-derived soils at 25 °C. All these 3 types of biochar with different addition rates caused positive priming of native soil organic matter decomposition (up to +58.4%). The maximum negative priming effects (up to −25.4%) occurred in soil treated with 1% of N-bound biochar pyrolyzed at 300 °C. In addition, a negative correlation was found between the priming intensity and soil inorganic N content across all treatments. The decrease in biochar-induced PEs was related with a shift in microbial community composition and reduction in microbial biomass determined by chloroform-fumigation. Such a reduction, however, was not confirmed by PLFA analysis. These findings advance our understanding on the microbial mechanisms mediating net soil C balance with the adequate biochar use for blending traditional mineral fertilizers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109689"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Vermeiren , J. Ceulemans , Y. Thiry , E. Smolders
{"title":"Increased soil pH and enhanced microbial activity stimulate the gradual immobilisation of selenate added to soils","authors":"C. Vermeiren , J. Ceulemans , Y. Thiry , E. Smolders","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, a global interest in selenium (Se) has arisen, both in the light of crop biofortification and risk assessments of <sup>79</sup>Se present in nuclear waste. In both cases, a profound understanding of the fate of Se in soils is required. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the fate of selenate (Se(VI)) added to soil and to relate the rate and extent of its immobilisation in the months after soil spiking, termed ageing, to soil properties. The underlying hypothesis is that Se mobility can be reduced by incorporation in microbial biomass and by pH-dependent adsorption to oxyhydroxides. Ageing of Se was studied in 14 soils with contrasting properties after spiking with an enriched <sup>77</sup>Se(VI) isotope tracer. During six months of incubation, subsamples of the soils were collected and extracted to monitor the mobile, adsorbed and NaOH-extractable fractions of soil-native Se and spiked <sup>77</sup>Se. After 182 days, the mobile concentration of the <sup>77</sup>Se spike was reduced by a factor 2–300, with the largest factors consistently found in soils with a pH above 6. The decrease in Se availability with time was described by first-order kinetics, which allowed to derive a rate and extent of Se ageing in soils. Distinct but gradual ageing was mainly promoted by high soil pH, whereas Se immobilisation was faster but less pronounced in low pH soils. Amendment of five soils with a carbon source enhanced microbial activity, thereby increasing the rate and/or extent of Se ageing. Also among the unamended soils, the immobilisation rate constant increased with increasing measured soil respiration rates. This study showed a pronounced effect of both soil pH and biochemical reactions on the time-dependent solid:liquid distribution of Se, which should be considered in biofortification practices and risk assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109688"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yeye Zhang , Chun Yan , Tao Wang , Guangxin Zhang , Michael Bahn , Fei Mo , Juan Han
{"title":"Biochar strategy for long-term N2O emission reduction: Insights into soil physical structure and microbial interaction","authors":"Yeye Zhang , Chun Yan , Tao Wang , Guangxin Zhang , Michael Bahn , Fei Mo , Juan Han","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109685","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Applying biochar to agricultural soils is a promising strategy for mitigating nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) emissions. Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are essential for crop production but also represent a significant source of N<sub>2</sub>O emissions. The effectiveness of biochar in reducing N<sub>2</sub>O emissions depends on the amount of N fertilizer applied and the morphological structure of the biochar. However, few studies have examined the impact of field-aged biochar on N₂O emissions under different N application levels, especially concerning the mechanisms by which biochar's morphological properties and soil characteristics influence microbial-driven N₂O production. We conducted a long-term field experiment over three winter wheat seasons, applying two N fertilizer doses (113.25 and 226.5 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) and four biochar doses (0, 5, 10, 20 t ha<sup>−1</sup>). In-situ N₂O measurements, combined with amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA, ITS rRNA), metagenomic sequencing, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, were performed to explore the effects of combined application of biochar with N fertilizer on soil N₂O emissions and potential soil physicochemical and microbial mechanisms. The study demonstrated that biochar aged for several years consistently reduced soil N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, likely due to modifications in soil physical properties such as specific surface area, pore size, and pore volume. The dose of N fertilizer had a significant effect on how biochar regulated soil pore structure, consequently impacting the abundance of N cycle genes and microbes. The intermediate biochar dose of 10 t ha<sup>−1</sup> biochar significantly increased soil mesopore size and the abundance of N<sub>2</sub>O-reducing genes such as <em>nosZ</em>, while simultaneously suppressing the N<sub>2</sub>O production genes such as <em>napA</em> and <em>norB</em> through enhanced soil specific surface area and pore volume, but further increasing the dose did not result in sustained improvement. The functional diversity of N-cycling genes proved to be a more reliable predictor of N<sub>2</sub>O emissions than the diversity of fungal and bacterial taxa. Our findings advance the understanding of how biochar influences physical-microbial interactions that determine N<sub>2</sub>O production in agricultural soils. These mechanistic insights are crucial for developing integrated biochar and fertilization management strategies to mitigate climate change effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109685"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
He Wang , Jiayu Lu , Feike A. Dijkstra , Lijuan Sun , Liming Yin , Peng Wang , Weixin Cheng
{"title":"Rhizosphere priming effects and trade-offs among root traits, exudation and mycorrhizal symbioses","authors":"He Wang , Jiayu Lu , Feike A. Dijkstra , Lijuan Sun , Liming Yin , Peng Wang , Weixin Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The influence of living roots on soil organic matter decomposition is termed the rhizosphere priming effect (RPE). Although root traits are critical for understanding the RPE, it is unclear how the trade-offs among root traits, exudation and mycorrhizal symbioses mediate the RPE. The RPEs of 12 grassland species were quantified using a natural <sup>13</sup>C tracer method in a mesocosm experiment. Ten root functional traits were measured to examine the trade-offs among root traits, and their linkage with the RPEs. All species produced positive RPEs, with legumes and forbs showing larger RPEs than grasses. The magnitude varied from 32% to 350% compared to the unplanted soil. After accounting for root biomass effect, specific RPEs were positively correlated with specific root length, specific root surface area, root exudation rate, and specific rhizosphere respiration, while negatively correlated with root diameter and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization. These results demonstrate that plants with thinner roots show efficient root morphology and/or more exudation by inducing larger specific RPEs, while plants with thicker roots associate more with mycorrhizal symbioses and induce smaller specific RPEs. Overall, root functional traits play key roles in mediating the species-specific RPEs and have implications for predicting soil organic matter dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109690"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142797377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Milda Pucetaite , Per Persson , Julia Parker , Ulf Johansson , Edith C. Hammer
{"title":"Visualization of soil aggregate structures provides insights into their formation mechanisms induced by litter inputs","authors":"Milda Pucetaite , Per Persson , Julia Parker , Ulf Johansson , Edith C. Hammer","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil aggregation is a dynamic process influenced by physical, chemical and biological factors; however, their individual and combined effect on the formation and turnover of aggregates is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine incorporation of fresh litter inputs of different physicochemical properties including their carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio – maize (C/N = 12) and straw (C/N = 103) - into aggregates, <em>de novo</em> formed from mineral soil with or without the presence of microbiota. Using rare-earth element oxides, we labelled structures formed during a four-week incubation with a single litter type and traced their incorporation into newly formed aggregates after mixing them together and incubating for a subsequent seven-week period. To visualize them, we used synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microspectroscopy, which allowed us to demonstrate that presence of the plant-derived particulate organic matter was the key factor for the aggregate formation. Within the timescale of the experiment, neither microbial abundance nor the community composition had any significant effect. However, the relative increase in straw-associated soil in aggregates larger than 250 μm provided support for our hypothesis regarding impact of carbon-rich organic matter on macroaggregation, likely via promotion of fungal growth and hyphal enmeshing. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis further confirmed relatively higher abundance of fungi in macroaggregates in straw-containing soil. All in all, our study provides insights into the initial stages of aggregate formation following litter additions and development of associated microbial community. The spatial analysis enabled by the X-ray fluorescence microspectroscopy enabled visualization of internal aggregate structures, shedding light on the processes involved, which is not possible with bulk analysis alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109686"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142793592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Si-Yi Liu , Di Wu , Xiao-Tang Ju , Ju-Pei Shen , Yi Cheng , Na Deng , Xiao-Tong Song , Hong-Jie Di , Pei-Pei Li , Li-li Han , An-Hui Ge , Chuan-Fa Wu , Li-Mei Zhang
{"title":"Nitrification inhibitor induced microbial NH4+-N immobilization improves maize nitrogen use efficiency in strong ammonia oxidation soil","authors":"Si-Yi Liu , Di Wu , Xiao-Tang Ju , Ju-Pei Shen , Yi Cheng , Na Deng , Xiao-Tong Song , Hong-Jie Di , Pei-Pei Li , Li-li Han , An-Hui Ge , Chuan-Fa Wu , Li-Mei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) have been acknowledged since 1970s for their potential to mitigate N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, enhance fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and improve crop productivity. However, their effectiveness in improving yield and NUE varies significantly across different soil types, with the underlying mechanisms largely unexplored. This study integrates laboratory <sup>15</sup>N labeling incubation experiments with field trials to evaluate the influence of a specific NI, nitraprin, on soil gross N transformation rates, N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, maize yield and NUE across three distinct soil types prevalent in China's major crop production zones. These soils include acidic black soil at GZL site, alkaline fluvo-aquic soil at XC site, and acidic red soil at QJ site. The alkaline fluvo-aquic soil (XC) exhibited the highest gross nitrification rates (<em>O</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub>) and cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, while also showing the lowest immobilization rate of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N (<em>I</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub>). Conversely, the acidic black soil (GZL) had opposite trends. NI application lead to a significant reduction in <em>O</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub> by 23–53% and in N<sub>2</sub>O emissions by 48–85%. Notably an increase in maize yield (by 18.7%) and NUE (by 30.3 %) were observed exclusively at XC. NI addition notably enhanced <em>I</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub> at XC, due to the suppression of a high nitrification rate, reduced the N losing risk (N/I ratio) and consequently supported higher maize yield. Further analyses highlighted that autotrophic nitrification, predominantly mediated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), particularly the AOB <em>Nitrosospira</em> cluster 3a.2 (D11), is pivotal in regulating soil N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and is sensitive to NI addition. This study underscores the significant role that the interplay between <em>O</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub> and <em>I</em><sub><em>NH4</em></sub> plays in influencing maize yield, NUE, and the effectiveness of NIs across various soil types. These insights are crucial for developing tailored N management strategies that aim to maximize NUE and minimize N<sub>2</sub>O emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 109687"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142789804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}