An Integrated Strategy of Nitrogen Reduction, Microbial Amendment, and Straw Incorporation Mitigates Soil Degradation and Enhances Cucumber Yield in Northern Chinese Greenhouses

Yang Yang, Runze Guo, Xin Fu, Tianjie Sun, Yanqun Wang and Zhengping Peng ()
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Yang Yang: State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding 071001, China
Runze Guo: Tianjin Agricultural Development Service Center, Tianjin 300061, China
Xin Fu: State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding 071001, China
Tianjie Sun: State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding 071001, China
Yanqun Wang: Experiment and Practice Training Center, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
Zhengping Peng: State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Baoding 071001, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Facility agriculture is essential for modernizing the production of horticultural plants, while long-standing over-fertilization and improper tillage in some vegetable facilities in northern China have resulted in reduced soil quality, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and diminished vegetable yields and quality. This study systematically analyzed the deteriorating health of typical cucumber facility soils in Hebei Province, China, induced by long-term over-fertilization. Based on field surveys, we explored dynamic changes in soil physicochemical properties across different durations of over-fertilization. Subsequently, a series of field trials were conducted to assess whether reducing nitrogen application, either alone or when combined with microbial agents, could ameliorate soil properties, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance cucumber productivity. The initial field assessment revealed severe topsoil salt and nutrient accumulation, with water-soluble salt content in 5-year-old greenhouses from Yongqing soaring to 3.82 g·kg −1 , nearly eight times the level found in 1-year-old plots. Field experiments demonstrated that a 20% reduction in nitrogen application from the conventional rate of 900 kg·hm −2 effectively mitigated salt accumulation, improved the structure of the microbial community, and maintained cucumber yield at 66,914 kg·hm −2 , an output comparable to conventional practices. More notably, integrating this 20% nitrogen reduction with an inoculation of Bacillus megaterium reduced the overall global warming potential by 26.7% and simultaneously increased cucumber yield to 72,747 kg·hm −2 . The most comprehensive strategy combined deep tillage, soybean straw incorporation, and B. megaterium application under reduced nitrogen, which boosted nitrogen use efficiency by 13.7% and achieved the highest yield among all treatments. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that a combined approach of nitrogen reduction, microbial amendment, and straw application offers an effective strategy to restore soil health, enhance crop productivity, and mitigate environmental impacts in protective vegetable production systems.

Keywords: facility agriculture; reduced nitrogen fertilizer application; microbial community; soil quality; greenhouse gas emission (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: 2025
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