Nitrogen Utilization and Loss of the Tea Plantation System on Sloped Farmland: A Short-Term Response to Substitution with Organic Fertilizer
Yingliang Yu,
Yafei Zhang,
Bei Yang,
Cong Qian,
Yizhi Wang,
Taifeng Chen,
Xuemei Han,
Linzhang Yang,
Lihong Xue
Affiliations
Yingliang Yu
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Yafei Zhang
School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Bei Yang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Cong Qian
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Yizhi Wang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Taifeng Chen
Wuzhong District Agriculture and Rural Bureau, Suzhou 215104, China
Xuemei Han
Wuzhong District Agriculture and Rural Bureau, Suzhou 215104, China
Linzhang Yang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Lihong Xue
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environment of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
(1) Background: Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in tea plantations leads to challenges such as soil acidification and nitrogen loss, impending the sustainable development of the plantation system. Yet, there is a lack of research on blended fertilization strategies, and limited data regarding N loss when substituting with organic fertilizer. (2) Methods: A year-long field monitoring experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of substituting compound fertilizer with organic fertilizer, specifically with respect to runoff N loss and uptake of chemical fertilizer N by tea trees. (3) Results: The annual runoff N loss ranged from 0.16 to 0.57 kg·hm−2 and accounted for a mere 0.22–0.48% of N from fertilizer applications. Substitution with organic fertilizer reduced runoff N loss by 21–53% and improved the tea tree utilization efficiency of chemical fertilizer N from 16% to 27%. A 50% organic fertilizer substitution (based on the amount of N) promoted a net soil N mineralization rate, creating an ammonium-rich environment favored by tea trees. (4) Conclusions: The positive effects of partially substituting N fertilizer with organic fertilizer in tea plantation systems on both N utilization efficiency and N loss were confirmed. If conditions permit, the study team would aim to expand the temporal scope of the study, and to investigate the impact of organic fertilizer substitution on N loss under various precipitation intensities.
