☆ 4.7 Article

Metagenomic analysis reveals the effects of cotton straw-derived biochar on soil nitrogen transformation in drip-irrigated cotton field

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH (2020)

Journal

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

Volume 27, Issue 35, Pages 43929-43941

Publisher

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10267-4

Keywords

Cotton straw-derived biochar; Soil N transform; Metagenomic analysis; Microbial composition; N metabolic pathway; Drip-irrigated cotton field

Funding

National Key Research and Development Project [2017YFD0200100, 2018YFD0800800]

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Abstract

Biochar has been widely accepted as a soil amendment to improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency, but the effect of biochar on N transformation metabolic pathways is unclear. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of biochar on N transformation in drip-irrigated cotton field. Four treatments were set as (1) no N fertilization (CK), (2) N fertilizer application at 300 kg ha(-1)(N300), (3) N fertilizer application plus cotton straw (N300+ST), and (4) N fertilizer application plus cotton straw-derived biochar (N300+BC). Result showed that soil total N in N300+ST and N300+BC was 16.3% and 24.9% higher than that in N300, respectively. Compared with N300+ST, the nitrate N (NO3--N) in N300+BC was significantly increased. Acidolyzable N and non-acidolyzable N in N300+ST and N300+BC were higher than those in CK and N300, while N300+BC performed better than N300+ST. Furthermore, the N fertilizer use efficiency of cotton in N300+ST and N300+BC was 15.1% and 23.2% higher than that in N300, respectively. Both N fertilizer incorporations with straw and biochar significantly altered the microbial community structures and N metabolic pathways. Genes related to denitrification and nitrate reduction in N300+ST were higher than those in N300, and N300+BC significantly increased nitrification and glutamate synthesis genes. Therefore, N fertilizer application plus cotton straw-derived biochar changed the microbial community composition, increased nitrification and glutamate synthesis enzyme genes which were beneficial to the accumulation of soil N content, and improved soil N retention capacity thus to increase N fertilizer use efficiency.

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Simulation of root zone soil water dynamics under cotton-silverleaf nightshade interactions in drip-irrigated cotton

Atinderpal Singh, Sanjit K. Deb, Lindsey C. Slaughter, Sukhbir Singh, Glen L. Ritchie, Wenxuan Guo, Rupinder Saini

Summary: The uncontrolled establishment of weeds in upland cotton, especially perennial silverleaf nightshade, reduces lint yield and quality of cotton primarily by competing with cotton to limit essential resources such as water. Quantitative insight into the effects of cotton-silverleaf nightshade interactions on the root water uptake (RWU) in cotton is needed to develop weed management systems, particularly based on the critical periods of competitive water uses. Field experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to understand and predict soil water dynamics under different cotton-weed competitive interactions, providing valuable information for developing weed control measures during critical periods.

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