Extracellular Enzyme Patterns Provide New Insights Regarding Nitrogen Transformation Induced by Alkaline Amendment of Acidic Soil
Junhui Yin,
Xin Bai,
Owen Fenton,
Bingbing Tang,
Shuo Chen,
Yan Ma,
Shuai Zhang,
Wenchao Cao,
Shuai Ding,
Rui Liu,
Qing Chen
Affiliations
Junhui Yin
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Xin Bai
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Owen Fenton
Teagasc, Environmental Research Centre, Johnstown Castle, Co. Y35 Y521 Wexford, Ireland
Bingbing Tang
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Shuo Chen
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yan Ma
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Shuai Zhang
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Wenchao Cao
JIA Sixie Agricultural College, Weifang University of Science and Technology, Shouguang 262700, China
Shuai Ding
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Rui Liu
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Qing Chen
Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmyard Soil Pollution Prevention-Control and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Nitrogen (N) availability is generally a limiting factor in highly acidic soil, which could be improved by amending these soils with alkaline materials. Soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) plays an important role in N transformation; a current knowledge gap is how this occurs in acidic soils amended with alkaline material. The present 45-day incubation experiment was designed to examine the effects of different amounts of alkaline materials (urea and/or calcium–silicon–magnesium–potassium fertilizer (CSMP)) on N transformation. The results show that soil pH significantly increased after the CSMP amendment (1.2 units) and increased soil net N mineralization (Rmin), net nitrification (Rnit) rates, and net ammonification (Ramo) rates. CSMP amendment changed the different soil EEA but with differing or opposing effects, e.g., Rnit was positively correlated with the activities of L-leucine aminopeptidase, β-xylosidase, α-glucosidase, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase but negatively correlated with β-1, 4-glucosidase and β-cellobiosidase. A machine learning analysis indicated that the best predictor for Rmin and Ramo was soil pH, and for Rnit, it was nitrate. The results of the present study improve our understanding of N availability in acidic soils amended with materials to control soil pH. Such knowledge could lead to more bespoke nutrient management planning at the field scale, leading to better agronomic and environmental outcomes.
