Microbial C/N metabolic capabilities contribute to the fate of crop residue N in plant-soil-microbe continuum over multiple seasons

Summary: The mineralization of crop residue-nitrogen (N) is important for sustainable N supply to subsequent crops. However, the microbial mechanisms regarding residue-N mineralization over growth seasons are still unclear. We amended 15N-labelled maize and soybean residues to a Mollisol soil and fo...

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Main Authors: Zhihuang Xie, Yansheng Li, Zhenhua Yu, Guanghua Wang, Xiaobing Liu, Caixian Tang, Junjie Liu, Judong Liu, Junjiang Wu, Stephen J. Herbert, Jian Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:iScience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225007606
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Summary:Summary: The mineralization of crop residue-nitrogen (N) is important for sustainable N supply to subsequent crops. However, the microbial mechanisms regarding residue-N mineralization over growth seasons are still unclear. We amended 15N-labelled maize and soybean residues to a Mollisol soil and found that, after three growth seasons, soybean plants utilized 43% and 37% of soybean and maize residue-N, respectively. Approximately 10.5% of soybean and 18.6% of maize residue-N were recovered in the labile N pools in soil. Over time, 82% of soybean residue-N was mineralized compared with 66% for maize residue-N. Greater increases in abundances of microbial functional genes involved in organic C decomposition, N mineralization, N2 fixation, and denitrification were observed in the soybean residue compared to the maize residue treatment. The study implies that soybean residue amendment may lower fertilizer N input more effectively than maize residue, considering the N balance between crop demand and soil supply in farming Mollisols.
ISSN:2589-0042