Abstract
Purpose
In central China, N fertilizer reduction and green manure planting are dominant measures used by the government to improve N use efficiency in citrus orchards, but the effects on nutrient loss in runoff are unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of those two measures on N and P losses in runoff in citrus orchards in central China.
Materials and methods
This 2-year field experiment included four N fertilizer rate treatments (CK: 0 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea; N1: 259.9 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea; N2: 315.6 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea; N3: 371.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea, the conventional N fertilizer rate) and four green manure treatments (CKG: 0 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea plus green manure; N1G: 259.9 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea plus green manure; N2G: 315.6 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea plus green manure; N3G: 371.3 kg N ha−1 year−1 of urea plus green manure). The sowing rate of green manure is 75.0 kg ha−1 year−1, and the green manure was covered on the soil surface after being harvested.
Results and discussion
Results indicated that a 30% (N1) and 15% (N2) reduction of fertilizer N reduced the cumulative total N (TN) loss by 31 ± 10% and 28 ± 8%, but increased the cumulative total P (TP) loss by 33 ± 26% and 21 ± 24% compared to conventional N fertilizer rates (N3). During the growing stage, green manure reduced TN loss by 15 ± 11%. During the ground mulching stage, green manure increased TN and TP losses by 21 ± 2% and 37 ± 21%, respectively. Both N fertilizer reduction and green manure planting had no significant effect on citrus yield and quality.
Conclusions
Overall, we suggest that a 30% reduction in mineral fertilizer N combined with legume green manure planting (not mulching on the soil surface after harvested) is a better fertilization strategy that can reduce N and P losses in runoff in Hubei, China.
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This study was financed by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFD0200106 and 2017YFD0800102).
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Luo, Y., Xiao, H., Wu, X. et al. Mitigation of nutrient runoff loss using reduced nitrogen application and green manure planting in citrus orchard in Hubei, China. J Soils Sediments 23, 582–595 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03356-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03356-z