Influence of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application on Soil Acidification Characteristics of Tea Plantations in Karst Areas of Southwest China

Yanling Liu, Meng Zhang, Yu Li (), Yarong Zhang, Xingcheng Huang, Yehua Yang, Huaqing Zhu, Han Xiong and Taiming Jiang
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Yanling Liu: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Meng Zhang: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Yu Li: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Yarong Zhang: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Xingcheng Huang: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Yehua Yang: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Huaqing Zhu: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Han Xiong: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Taiming Jiang: Institute of Soil and Fertilizer, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Nitrogen (N) fertilizer application is one of the causes of soil acidification at tea plantations. However, the effect of N fertilizer application on the soil acidification characteristics of tea plantations with different acidities remains unclear. In this study, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of different nitrogen fertilizer application rates on the pH, pH buffer capacity (pHBC), exchangeable total acidity (ETA), exchangeable base cations (EBCs), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in the topsoil of non-acidified (NA), mildly acidified (MA), and heavily acidified (HA) tea plantations. The results showed that the exchangeable Al 3+ (E-Al) and CEC were HA > MA > NA in all tea plantations, whereas the EBCs and base saturation percentage (BSP) were HA < MA < NA. In the tea plantations with pH > 4.0, the pH, EBCs, and BSP showed decreasing trends with increasing N fertilizer application, whereas E-Al showed an increasing trend. In the tea plantations with pH < 4.0, the soil pH showed a small increasing trend with the increase in N fertilizer application, whereas the soil exchangeable H + (E-H), E-Al, and CEC showed decreasing trends. Meanwhile, in the pH range of 4–6, the soil acid–base buffer curve rose sharply, and an excessive application of N fertilizer (N900) significantly reduced the pHBC. In addition, a stepwise regression analysis showed that the BSP, EBCs, and exchangeable Mg 2+ (E-Mg) had significant direct effects on the soil pH, whereas the CEC and N application had significant direct effects on the soil pHBC. In conclusion, a decrease in the BSP and an increase in E-Al were the main mechanisms of acidification at tea plantations, whereas a decrease in the BSP caused by the application of N fertilizer was the main cause of exacerbated soil acidification in non-acidified tea plantations.

Keywords: soil acidification; tea plantation; N fertilization; pH buffer capacity; exchangeable function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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