Long-term fertilizer application mitigates the impacts of climate conditions on soil nitrogen activation

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.11.033

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2026, Vol. 25

Issue (10): 4327-4338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.11.033

Agro-ecosystem & Environment

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Long-term fertilizer application mitigates the impacts of climate conditions on soil nitrogen activation

Hongqin Zou¹, Minggang Xu¹^,², Hayatu Nafiu Garba³, Keyu Ren¹, Dejin Li¹, Wenju Zhang¹, Changai Lu¹, Yinghua Duan^1#

¹State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arable Land in China/Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

²Engineer and Technology Academy of Ecology and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China

³Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, PMB 2346, Nigeria

Highlights

● Nitrogen activation rate, i.e., slope of correlation between available nitrogen and total nitrogen, declined at later period of fertilization.

● Soil properties were the main factors regulating nitrogen activation.

● Impact of climate on soil nitrogen activation was attenuated under long-term fertilization.

● Interaction between climate and soil had an enhanced impact on nitrogen activation in the later period.

Abstract
References

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摘要

土壤全氮转化为有效氮（氮有效化，N_act）的过程是全球氮循环的关键过程，直接影响作物氮素吸收和氮的环境效应。然而，长时间尺度下气候变化与施肥措施如何单独或共同影响土壤N_act仍不清楚。本研究基于1982/1990年建立的6个典型长期施肥试验，研究了不施肥、单施化肥、化肥配施有机肥和秸秆还田下第一个10年和后期土壤N_act的变化。结果表明，有机肥处理下5个试验点的土壤全氮（TN）和土壤有效氮 (AN) 分别以10.1–58.2 mg kg^–1 yr^–1 和1.41–4.13 mg kg^–1 yr^–1的速率增加，这表明施用有机肥可同时提高土壤氮储量及其有效性。公主岭（GZL）试验点的TN年变化速率最高，达48.3–58.2 mg kg^–1 yr^–1，而张掖（ZY）的最低，仅为10.1 mg kg^–1 yr^–1。杨凌（YL）的AN 年变化率最高（3.65–4.13 mg kg^–1 yr^–1），郑州（ZZ）的最低，为1.41–2.23 mg kg^–1 yr^–1。有机肥处理在所有试验点的前10年N_act速率（42–181 mg g^–1）均高于后期的33–92 mg g^–1，说明长期施用有机肥后期土壤全氮转化为有效氮的速率降低。所有试验点所有处理下的第一个10年的平均N_act（79–105 mg g^–1）均高于后期的30–78 mg g^–1，说明随着试验时间延长，土壤氮有效化速率降低。方差分解分析表明，从试验开始后前10年到后期，土壤因素对N_act的贡献从35%增加至45%，而气候因素的贡献则从19%降至8%。结构方程模型表明，年均温度直接影响N_act，其路径系数由前10年的0.86降至后期的0.45。综上，长期施肥削弱了气候因素对土壤N_act的直接影响，但增强了施肥后期气候与土壤因素的交互作用对N_act的影响。该研究通过明确不同试验点长期施肥下气候和土壤因素对氮转化的时间分异特征，为提高氮素有效性、调节气候变化对农业生产的影响及减少环境氮损失提供了依据。

Abstract

Soil nitrogen activation (N_act) is pivotal for the global N cycle, influencing crop N availability and environmental N losses. However, it remains unclear how climate and fertilization individually, or jointly, affect soil N_act over multiple decades. Here, we examined the dynamic shifts in N_act between the first decade and later period in soils treated with non-fertilizer, mineral fertilizer with/without manure, mineral fertilizer with stover return, in 1982 and 1990, in six typical agricultural zones. Results revealed that soil total N (TN) and available N (AN) increased at rates of 10.1–58.2 and 1.41–4.13 mg kg^–1 yr^–1, respectively, by manure application at five sites, suggesting that manure enhanced both soil N storage and availability. The GZL site exhibited the highest annual change rate (ACR) in TN (48.3–58.2 mg kg^–1 yr^–1), while the ZY site had the lowest (10.1 mg kg^–1 yr^–1). Conversely, the YL site showed the highest ACR in AN (3.65–4.13 mg kg^–1 yr^–1), whereas the ZZ site exhibited the lowest (1.41–2.23 mg kg^–1 yr^–1). Notably, the N_act rates with manure application were higher in the first decade (42–181 mg g^–1) than in the later period (33–92 mg g^–1) at all sites. Overall, the average N_act of all treatments in the first decade (79–105 mg g^–1) across six study sites was higher than in the later period (30–78 mg g^–1). Variance portioning analysis indicated that soil properties’ contribution to N_act increased from 35% to 45% over time, while climatic conditions’ effect decreased from 19% to 8%. Structural equation modeling confirmed a direct impact of annual temperature on N_act, with path coefficients of 0.86 in the first decade and 0.45 in the later period. These results show that the impacts of climate on soil N_act were attenuated under long-term fertilizer application, while the interactions between climate and soil had an enhanced impact on N_act in the later period of fertilization. This context-specific insight can guide soil management strategies to enhance N availability, modulate the effects of climate change on agricultural production, and minimize environmental N losses.

Keywords: nitrogen mineralization climatic effect soil properties long-term fertilization manure application

Received: 15 August 2025 Accepted: 30 October 2025 Online: 21 November 2025

Fund:

This work was supported by the Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS- CSAL-202302), and the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, China (Y2025YC88).

About author: Hongqin Zou, Mobile: +86-18275029476, E-mail: 171885228@qq.com; #Correspondence Yinghua Duan, Mobile: +86-15101019161, E-mail: duanyinghua@caas.cn

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Hongqin Zou, Minggang Xu, Hayatu Nafiu Garba, Keyu Ren, Dejin Li, Wenju Zhang, Changai Lu, Yinghua Duan. 2026. Long-term fertilizer application mitigates the impacts of climate conditions on soil nitrogen activation. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 25(10): 4327-4338.

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