The impact of fertilization on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and comammox Nitrospira communities and the subsequent effect on N2O emission and maize yield in a semi-arid region.

The control of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions through nitrification and the optimization of maize yield are important in agricultural systems. However, within the semi-arid region, the impact of fertilization on the function of nitrification communities and its connection with N2O emissions in the rhizosphere soil is still unclear. Our study investigates the influence of fertilization treatments on the communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and the complete ammonia oxidizers of the Nitrospira known as comammox (CAOB) in a maize agroecosystem. Nitrous oxide production, potential nitrification activity (PNA), maize yield, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were determined for the same samples. The fertilizer treatments included a control group without fertilization (NA), inorganic fertilizer (CF), organic fertilizer (SM), combined inorganic and organic fertilizer (SC), and maize straw (MS). The SC treatment indicated a lower cumulative N2O emission than the CF treatment in the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons. The AOB community under the CF, MS, and SM treatments was predominantly composed of Nitrosospira cluster 3b, while the SC treatment was associated with the comammox Nitrospira clade A.1 lineage, related to key species such as Ca. Nitrospira inopinata and Ca. Nitrospira nitrificans. Network analysis demonstrated a positive potential for competitive interaction between hub taxonomy and distinct keystone taxa among AOB and comammox Nitrospira nitrifiers. The structural equation model further revealed a significant positive association between AOB nitrifiers and N2O emission, PNA, soil pH, SOC, NO3--N, and DON under organic fertilization. The keystone taxa in the comammox Nitrospira nitrifier and network Module II exhibited a positive correlation with maize productivity and NUE, likely due to their functional activities stimulated by the SC treatment. It is noteworthy that the AOB community played a more significant role in driving nitrification compared to the composition of comammox Nitrospira. Collectively, combined inorganic and organic fertilizer (SC) treatment exhibits high potential for reducing N2O emissions, enhancing maize productivity, increasing NUE, and increasing the sustainability of the nitrogen dynamics of maize agroecosystems in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.

Nitrogen fertilization promoted microbial growth and N2O emissions by increasing the abundance of nirS and nosZ denitrifiers in semiarid maize field.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are a major source of gaseous nitrogen loss, causing environmental pollution. The low organic content in the Loess Plateau region, coupled with the high fertilizer demand of maize, further exacerbates these N losses. N fertilizers play a primary role in N2O emissions by influencing soil denitrifying bacteria, however, the underlying microbial mechanisms that contribute to N2O emissions have not been fully explored. Therefore, the research aimed to gain insights into the intricate relationships between N fertilization, soil denitrification, N2O emissions, potential denitrification activity (PDA), and maize nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in semi-arid regions. Four nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates, namely N0, N1, N2, and N3 (representing 0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha-1 yr.-1, respectively) were applied to maize field. The cumulative N2O emissions were 32 and 33% higher under N2 and 37 and 39% higher under N3 in the 2020 and 2021, respectively, than the N0 treatment. N fertilization rates impacted the abundance, composition, and network of soil denitrifying communities (nirS and nosZ) in the bulk and rhizosphere soil. Additionally, within the nirS community, the genera Cupriavidus and Rhodanobacter were associated with N2O emissions. Conversely, in the nosZ denitrifier, the genera Azospirillum, Mesorhizobium, and Microvirga in the bulk and rhizosphere soil reduced N2O emissions. Further analysis using both random forest and structural equation model (SEM) revealed that specific soil properties (pH, NO3--N, SOC, SWC, and DON), and the presence of nirS-harboring denitrification, were positively associated with PDA activities, respectively, and exhibited a significant association to N2O emissions and PDA activities but expressed a negative effect on maize NUE. However, nosZ-harboring denitrification showed an opposite trend, suggesting different effects on these variables. Our findings suggest that N fertilization promoted microbial growth and N2O emissions by increasing the abundance of nirS and nosZ denitrifiers and altering the composition of their communities. This study provides new insights into the relationships among soil microbiome, maize productivity, NUE, and soil N2O emissions in semi-arid regions.

Impact of soil amendments on nitrous oxide emissions and the associated denitrifying communities in a semi-arid environment.

Denitrifying bacteria produce and utilize nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. However, there is little information on how organic fertilization treatments affect the denitrifying communities and N2O emissions in the semi-arid Loess Plateau. Here, we evaluated how the denitrifying communities are responsible for potential denitrification activity (PDA) and N2O emissions. A field experiment was conducted with five fertilization treatments, including no fertilization (CK), mineral fertilizer (MF), mineral fertilizer plus commercial organic fertilizer (MOF), commercial organic fertilizer (OFP), and maize straw (MSP). Our result showed that soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were significantly increased under MSP treatment compared to MF treatment, while nitrate nitrogen (NO3 --N) followed the opposite trend. Organic fertilization treatments (MOF, OFP, and MSP treatments) significantly increased the abundance and diversity of nirS- and nosZ-harboring denitrifiers, and modified the community structure compared to CK treatment. The identified potential keystone taxa within the denitrifying bacterial networks belonged to the distinct genera. Denitrification potentials were significantly positively correlated with the abundance of nirS-harboring denitrifiers, rather than that of nirK- and nosZ-harboring denitrifiers. Random forest modeling and structural equation modeling consistently determined that the abundance, community composition, and network module I of nirS-harboring denitrifiers may contribute significantly to PDA and N2O emissions. Collectively, our findings highlight the ecological importance of the denitrifying communities in mediating denitrification potentials and the stimulatory impact of organic fertilization treatments on nitrogen dynamics in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.

Nitrogen Supply Affects Yield and Grain Filling of Maize by Regulating Starch Metabolizing Enzyme Activities and Endogenous Hormone Contents.

This study aimed to examine the effect of nitrogen (N) application rate and time on yield, grain filling, starch metabolizing enzymes, and hormones of maize based on a long-term field experiment initiated in 2012. The total N fertilizer dose [(0 (N0), 100 (N1), 200 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg N ha-1] was split into two (T1, one-third at sowing and two-thirds at the six-leaf stage) or three (T2, one-third each at sowing, six-leaf, and eleven-leaf stage) times application. The results showed that the highest yield was obtained under N3T2, N2T1, and N3T2 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, which was 222.49, 185.31, and 194.00% than that of N0 in each year, respectively. N2 and N3 significantly increased the yield through enhancing ears ha-1, grains per plant, and 100-grain weight; however, N2 and N3 did not show a significant difference in yield and above-yield components. In addition, N application time did not significantly change yield under the same N rate. N0 limited the activities of starch metabolizing enzymes, resulting in insufficient accumulation of sucrose and starch. The contents of indole-3-acetic acid, cytokinin, abscisic acid, and gibberellin were decreased under N0 during grain filling. The average grain-filling rate and maximum grain-filling rate (G max) and grain weight increment achieving G max increased under N2 and N3, and the grain-filling parameters were positively correlated with 100-grain weight. In conclusion, 200 kg N ha-1 with one-third application at sowing and two-thirds application at the six-leaf stage is a suitable N supply way to improve starch metabolizing enzymes, regulate hormone content, and enhance grain-filling rates, and thus increasing the maize yield in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China.