Tillage-Induced Fragmentation of Large Soil Macroaggregates Increases Nitrogen Leaching in a Subtropical Karst Region

Shuangshuang Xiao, Xiajiao Liu, Wei Zhang, Yingying Ye, Wurong Chen and Kelin Wang ()
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Shuangshuang Xiao: Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Xiajiao Liu: Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Wei Zhang: Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Yingying Ye: College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410125, China
Wurong Chen: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, China
Kelin Wang: Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Tillage leads to rapid loss of soil nitrogen (N) over a short period of time in karst areas. N leaching is the primary pathway of soil N loss and therefore is key to understanding the mechanisms of N loss induced by tillage. However, the factors affecting N leaching under tillage are not fully understood. Effects of tillage at various frequencies on leached N were examined in a one-year in situ simulation experiment using five tillage treatments: no tillage (T0), semiannual tillage (T1), and tillage every four months (T2), two months (T3), and monthly (T4). Concentration and amount of leached N had peaks in dry–rewetting months. Tillage significantly increased total amounts of leached N during the one-year experiment, and the largest amount of leached N was under tillage at the highest frequency. The primary form of N in leachate was NO 3 ¯ (88.49–91.11%), followed by DON (7.80–9.87%), and then NH 4 + with the lowest amount (1.09–2.10%). Tillage increased the amount of leached NO 3 ¯ and DON, but had no significant effect on leached NH 4 + . Additionally, the amount of leached N had significantly negative correlations with 5–8 mm soil aggregate, NO 3 ¯, DON, and sand content, and positive correlations with 2–5 and 0.25–2 mm. Soil 5–8 mm aggregate and DON were the main factors explaining the variation in leached N according to the RDA analysis. Tillage increased the breakdown of large aggregates, appearing to have increased the mineralization of organic matter, which resulted in increased N leaching. Our results emphasize the importance of reducing or eliminating physical disturbance indued by tillage and maintenance of large soil aggregates for decreasing N leachate in lime soil of karst regions.

Keywords: karst ecosystem; human disturbance; nitrate; leachate; aggregate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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