Abstract
Abstract Sustainably feeding the growing human population requires improvements in both soil quality and nitrogen (N) management. However, in response to N fertilizer addition, whether soil quality will be optimized at N application rates that maximize yields is rarely explored from a long‐term perspective. We conducted a 9‐year field experiment to examine agronomic and soil quality indices in a wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system. Optimal nitrogen rates (ONR) were determined by in‐season soil NO 3 − ‐N testing. Other treatments included control plots, 50–70% ONR, 130–150% ONR, and local farmers' N practices (FNP). The ONR increased grain yield by 10.5% in comparison with the 50–70% ONR treatment and achieved yields comparable to the 130–150% ONR treatment. The ONR treatment reduced the applied N fertilization rate by 38.5% in comparison with FNP levels but without any yield losses. After N fertilization for 9 years, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, C sequestration rates, and soil microbial biomass C were the highest with the ONR treatment. Relative to the control, the ONR treatment significantly increased the weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregates, reduced the richness and diversity of fungi, and reduced the richness of bacteria in comparison with the FNP treatment. Furthermore, the soil microbial community structure had a significant relationship with the SOC, organic C input, and soil inorganic N content, which was ascribed to the driving of N management strategy. These results highlight the importance of the optimization of N management to produce high grain with less N fertilizer input in agricultural systems while concurrently promoting soil quality and providing benefits to the microbial community.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates increased grain yield by 10.5% versus 50–70% optimal rates.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)
Triticum aestivume1 - Treatment
- ONRe0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 10.5%e0
- Comparator
- 50–70% ONR treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ONR increased grain yield by 10.5% in comparison with the 50–70% ONR treatment and achieved yields comparable to the 130–150% ONR treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates produced yields comparable to 130–150% optimal rates.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONRe0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Comparator
- 130–150% ONR treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ONR increased grain yield by 10.5% in comparison with the 50–70% ONR treatment and achieved yields comparable to the 130–150% ONR treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates reduced applied nitrogen by 38.5% relative to farmer practice without yield loss.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- applied N fertilization ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 38.5%e0
- Qualifier
- without any yield lossese0
- Comparator
- FNP levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The ONR treatment reduced the applied N fertilization rate by 38.5% in comparison with FNP levels but without any yield losses.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil organic carbon stocks and carbon sequestration rates were highest under optimal nitrogen rates.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, C sequestration ratese0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- for 9 yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After N fertilization for 9 years, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, C sequestration rates, and soil microbial biomass C were the highest with the ONR treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil microbial biomass carbon was highest under optimal nitrogen rates.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- soil microbial biomass Ce0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- for 9 yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After N fertilization for 9 years, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, C sequestration rates, and soil microbial biomass C were the highest with the ONR treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates significantly increased soil aggregate weight diameter relative to control.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregatese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Relative to the control, the ONR treatment significantly increased the weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregates, reduced the richness and diversity of fungi, and reduced the richness of bacteria in comparison with the FNP treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates reduced fungal richness and diversity relative to control.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- richness and diversity of fungie0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Relative to the control, the ONR treatment significantly increased the weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregates, reduced the richness and diversity of fungi, and reduced the richness of bacteria in comparison with the FNP treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal nitrogen rates reduced bacterial richness relative to farmer practice.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- ONR treatmente0
- Outcome
- richness of bacteriae0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- FNP treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Relative to the control, the ONR treatment significantly increased the weight diameter of soil water‐stable aggregates, reduced the richness and diversity of fungi, and reduced the richness of bacteria in comparison with the FNP treatment.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil microbial community structure was significantly related to soil organic carbon, organic carbon input, and inorganic nitrogen.
- Taxon
- wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.)Triticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- N management strategye0
- Outcome
- soil microbial community structuree0
- Qualifier
- SOC, organic C input, and soil inorganic N contente0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the soil microbial community structure had a significant relationship with the SOC, organic C input, and soil inorganic N content, which was ascribed to the driving of N management strategy.”
e1“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/maize ( Zea mays L.) double cropping system.”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · soil: biology · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
22 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- no effect
- negative
25 papers more in this group
See all 29 papers →nitrogen · soil: chemistry · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
37 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
45 papers more in this group
See all 49 papers →nitrogen · growth · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
425 papers in the same direction as this paper · 116 in the opposite direction · 9 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- no effect
- negative
547 papers more in this group
See all 551 papers →nitrogen · yield · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
1,736 papers in the same direction as this paper · 285 in the opposite direction · 39 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
2,057 papers more in this group
See all 2,061 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.