Long-term cattle manure addition enhances soil-available phosphorus fractions in subtropical open-field rotated vegetable systems

Yanting Mao; Wei Hu; Yongmei Li; Yuan Li; Baokun Lei; Yi Zheng

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1138207

Long-term cattle manure addition enhances soil-available phosphorus fractions in subtropical open-field rotated vegetable systems

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Mar 13:14:1138207. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1138207. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yanting Mao^{1

2}, Wei Hu³, Yongmei Li⁴, Yuan Li⁵, Baokun Lei², Yi Zheng^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China.
² Institute of Agricultural Environment and Resources, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), Kunming, China.
³ The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand.
⁴ Faculty of Resource and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China.
⁵ National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems in Gansu Qingyang, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, The State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
⁶ Department of President Office, Yunnan Open University, Kunming, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Evaluation of the changes in phosphorus (P) fractions (various P forms) and their availability at different soil layers is critical for enhancing P resource use efficiency, mitigating subsequent environmental pollution, and establishing a suitable manure application strategy. However, changes in P fractions at different soil layers in response to cattle manure (M), as well as a combined cattle manure and chemical fertilizer application (M+F), remain unclear in open-field vegetable systems. If the amount of annual P input remains the same, identifying which treatment would cause a higher phosphate fertilizer use efficiency (PUE) and vegetable yield while simultaneously reducing the P surplus is especially warranted.

Methods: Based on a long-term manure experiment that started in 2008, we used a modified P fractionation scheme to analyze P fractions at two soil layers for three treatments (M, M+F, and control without fertilizer application) in an open-field cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) system, and assessed the PUE and accumulated P surplus.

Results: The concentrations of the soil P fractions were higher in the 0-20-cm soil layer compared to the 20-40-cm layer, except for organic P (Po) and residual-P. M application significantly increased the inorganic P (Pi) (by 8.92%-72.26%) and the Po content (by 5.01%-61.23%) at the two soil layers. Compared with the control and M+F treatments, M significantly increased residual-P, Resin-P, and NaHCO3-Pi at both soil layers (by 31.9%-32.95%, 68.40%-72.60%, and 48.22%-61.04%), whereas NaOH-Pi and HCl-Pi at 0-20 cm were positively correlated with available P. Soil moderately labile-P was the predominant P component in the two soil layers (accounting for 59%-70%). With the same annual P input amount, M+CF created the highest vegetable yield (117.86 t ha-1), and PUE (37.88%) and M created the highest accumulated P surplus (128.80 kg ha^-1yr^-1).

Discussion: Collectively, a combined manure-chemical fertilizer application has great potential to yield a long-term positive outcome both in terms of vegetable productivity and environmental health in open-field vegetable systems. This highlights the methods' benefits as a sustainable practice in subtropical vegetable systems. Specific attention should be given to a P balance to avoid excessive P input if a rational strategy for manure application is to be attained. This is especially the case for stem vegetables that require manure application and decreases the environmental risk of P loss in vegetable systems.

Keywords: manure; phosphate use efficiency; phosphorus fractions; subtropical; vegetable yield.

Grants and funding

This research work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31960635); Promote research cooperation and high-level talent training projects with New Zealand (CSC2022), Major science and technology special plan of Yunnan Province (202102AE090011), 2022 Yunnan Agricultural Province Agricultural Joint Special Project.