Rhizosphere Aeration Improves Nitrogen Transformation in Soil, and Nitrogen Absorption and Accumulation in Rice Plants

doi:10.1016/j.rsci.2020.01.007

Abstract

Abstract:

Two rice cultivars (Xiushui 09 and Chunyou 84) were used to evaluate the effects of various soil oxygen (O₂) conditions on soil nitrogen (N) transformation, absorption and accumulation in rice plants. The treatments were continuous flooding (CF), continuous flooding and aeration (CFA), and alternate wetting and drying (AWD). The results showed that the AWD and CFA treatments improved soil N transformation, rice growth, and N absorption and accumulation. Soil NO₃^- content, nitrification activity and ammonia-oxidising bacteria abundance, leaf area, nitrate reductase activity, and N absorption and accumulation in rice all increased in both cultivars. However, soil microbial biomass carbon and pH did not significantly change during the whole period of rice growth. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the nitrification activity and ammonia-oxidising bacteria abundance, and both of them significantly increased as the total N accumulation in rice increased. Our results indicated that improved soil O₂ conditions led to changing soil N cycling and contributed to increases in N absorption and accumulation by rice in paddy fields.

Key words: ammonium-nitrogen content, nitrate-nitrogen content, nitrification activity, nitrate reductase activity, rhizosphere oxygen condition, ammonia-oxidising bacteria abundance, rice, nitrogen use efficiency

Chunmei Xu, Liping Chen, Song Chen, Guang Chu, Danying Wang, Xiufu Zhang. Rhizosphere Aeration Improves Nitrogen Transformation in Soil, and Nitrogen Absorption and Accumulation in Rice Plants[J]. Rice Science, 2020, 27(2): 162-174.

Figures/Tables 12

References 72

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Soil characteristic	Value
Soil organic matter (g/kg)	34.20 ± 1.80
Total N (g/kg)	2.51 ± 0.32
Available N (mg/kg)	318.40 ± 12.00
Available P (mg/kg)	11.40 ± 1.30
Available K (mg/kg)	72.00 ± 0.90
pH	6.04 ± 0.04
Gravimetric soil moisture content (kg/kg)	0.17 ± 0.05
Bulk density (g/cm³)	1.24 ± 0.20

Soil characteristic	Value
Soil organic matter (g/kg)	34.20 ± 1.80
Total N (g/kg)	2.51 ± 0.32
Available N (mg/kg)	318.40 ± 12.00
Available P (mg/kg)	11.40 ± 1.30
Available K (mg/kg)	72.00 ± 0.90
pH	6.04 ± 0.04
Gravimetric soil moisture content (kg/kg)	0.17 ± 0.05
Bulk density (g/cm³)	1.24 ± 0.20

Treatment	Tillering stage		Heading stage		Maturity stage
Treatment	Leaf area (cm²/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)	Leaf area (cm²/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)
Xiushui 09
CF (Control)	355.62 ± 6.20 c	4.42 ± 0.15 a	831.56 ± 26.10 b	18.05 ± 0.92 b	27.41 ± 0.15 c
AWD	397.40 ± 11.70 b	4.53 ± 0.33 a	804.36 ± 12.98 b	22.13 ± 1.50 a	36.61 ± 0.74 a
CFA	435.62 ± 10.81 a	4.05 ± 0.30 a	887.38 ± 18.31 a	18.74 ± 0.99 b	31.86 ± 0.52 b
Chunyou 84
CF (Control)	901.52 ± 17.98 b	9.44 ± 0.38 a	2 661.08 ± 46.47 a	47.20 ± 1.33 b	80.61 ± 0.80 b
AWD	756.96 ± 11.98 c	8.43 ± 0.84 a	2 316.09 ± 63.67 b	56.12 ± 0.97 a	78.56 ± 1.00 c
CFA	959.77 ± 10.78 a	9.59 ± 0.82 a	2 790.18 ± 36.96 a	55.09 ± 1.87 a	82.62 ± 0.93 a

Treatment	Tillering stage		Heading stage		Maturity stage
Treatment	Leaf area (cm²/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)	Leaf area (cm²/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)	TDMA (g/hill)
Xiushui 09
CF (Control)	355.62 ± 6.20 c	4.42 ± 0.15 a	831.56 ± 26.10 b	18.05 ± 0.92 b	27.41 ± 0.15 c
AWD	397.40 ± 11.70 b	4.53 ± 0.33 a	804.36 ± 12.98 b	22.13 ± 1.50 a	36.61 ± 0.74 a
CFA	435.62 ± 10.81 a	4.05 ± 0.30 a	887.38 ± 18.31 a	18.74 ± 0.99 b	31.86 ± 0.52 b
Chunyou 84
CF (Control)	901.52 ± 17.98 b	9.44 ± 0.38 a	2 661.08 ± 46.47 a	47.20 ± 1.33 b	80.61 ± 0.80 b
AWD	756.96 ± 11.98 c	8.43 ± 0.84 a	2 316.09 ± 63.67 b	56.12 ± 0.97 a	78.56 ± 1.00 c
CFA	959.77 ± 10.78 a	9.59 ± 0.82 a	2 790.18 ± 36.96 a	55.09 ± 1.87 a	82.62 ± 0.93 a

Treatment	Tillering stage		Heading stage			Maturity stage
Treatment	Stem	Leaf	Stem	Leaf	Panicle	Stem	Leaf	Panicle
Xiushui 09
CF	1.52 ± 0.07 b	3.30 ± 0.14 c	0.65 ± 0.00 b	1.31 ± 0.14 c	1.23 ± 0.03 ab	0.52 ± 0.02 a	0.76 ± 0.05 ab	1.20 ± 0.06 a
AWD	1.78 ± 0.07 a	3.64 ± 0.04 b	0.68 ± 0.02 ab	2.02 ± 0.09 b	1.20 ± 0.04 b	0.51 ± 0.00 a	0.69 ± 0.04 b	1.32 ± 0.04 a
CFA	1.87 ± 0.10 a	3.98 ± 0.12 a	0.70 ± 0.02 a	2.34 ± 0.12 a	1.32 ± 0.05 a	0.53 ± 0.01 a	0.83 ± 0.04 a	1.19 ± 0.07 a
Chunyou 84
CF	1.35 ± 0.10 b	3.02 ± 0.06 b	0.53 ± 0.01 b	1.54 ± 0.03 c	1.11 ± 0.05 a	0.44 ± 0.02 b	0.75 ± 0.05 c	1.18 ± 0.07 ab
AWD	2.09 ± 0.05 a	3.28 ± 0.21 ab	0.72 ± 0.00 a	1.73 ± 0.07 b	1.19 ± 0.05 a	0.43 ± 0.02 b	0.89 ± 0.03 a	1.26 ± 0.03 a
CFA	1.46 ± 0.05 b	3.59 ± 0.18 a	0.54 ± 0.03 b	1.92 ± 0.07 a	1.12 ± 0.06 a	0.58 ± 0.00 a	0.82 ± 0.03 b	1.14 ± 0.00 b