A field experiment was conducted in an arid region to investigate the effects of nitrogen form and drip irrigation placement on nitrogen transformation dynamics in rice rhizosphere and yield formation, aiming to address low nitrogen use efficiency in drip-irrigated rice and provide theoretical and technical support for improving nitrogen management in these systems.
A three-factor randomized complete block design was adopted. The experimental factors included nitrogen application methods under drip irrigation, i.e., surface drip irrigation (Su) and subsurface drip irrigation at a depth of 10 cm (Sh); nitrogen forms, including no nitrogen application (N0), nitrate nitrogen (NN, calcium nitrate), and ammonium nitrogen combined with a nitrification inhibitor (AN, ammonium sulfate + DMPP, where DMPP is a nitrification inhibitor); and rice cultivars, namely Liangxiang 3 (LX3) and Ningjing 48 (NJ48). The three factors were fully crossed, resulting in 12 treatment combinations with three replicates for each combination. We conducted a comparative analysis of the following parameters across the different treatment combinations: rhizosphere soil pH, NH4+-N and NO3--N content, nitrification rate and denitrification potential, aboveground nitrogen accumulation, and yield components.
Dry matter accumulation, nitrogen accumulation, and yield differed significantly among the treatment combinations. Overall, the AN treatment outperformed the NN and N0 treatments, with the Sh+AN combination yielding the highest results.The rhizosphere soil pH was significantly lower in the AN treatment than in the NN treatment. At both the tillering and heading stages, the soil NH4+-N content differed significantly among nitrogen forms, with the AN treatment being significantly higher than the N0 and NN treatments. The highest values were observed in the Sh+AN combination (LX3: 20.39 mg/kg; NJ48: 21.05 mg/kg). Similarly, soil NO3--N content varied significantly among nitrogen forms, with the NN treatment significantly exceeding the N0 and AN treatments. The Su+NN combination showed the highest levels (LX3: 61.71 mg/kg; NJ48: 59.97 mg/kg). The soil potential nitrification rate and denitrification potential were significantly higher in the NN treatment than in the N0 and AN treatments. While these rates were slightly higher under Su irrigation compared to Sh, the difference was not statistically significant.
Shallow subsurface drip irrigation at 10 cm depth combined with ammonium nitrogen stabilization management (Sh + AN) better maintained NH4+-N levels in the rice rhizosphere and suppressed nitrification-related nitrogen loss. Consequently, this practice enhanced nitrogen uptake and increased grain yield. Therefore, the Sh+AN strategy can be recommended as an optimized nitrogen and irrigation management practice for drip-irrigated rice in the arid region of Xinjiang, effectively balancing yield enhancement with the mitigation of nitrogen loss.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |