Drive soil nitrogen transformation and improve crop nitrogen absorption and utilization - a review of green manure applications

Abstract

Green manure application presents a valuable strategy for enhancing soil fertility and promoting ecological sustainability. By leveraging green manures for effective nitrogen management in agricultural fields can significantly reduce the dependency of primary crops on chemical nitrogen fertilizers, thereby fostering resource efficiency. This review examines the current advancements in the green manure industry, focusing on the modulation of nitrogen transformation in soil and how crops absorb and utilize nitrogen after green manure application. Initially, the influence of green manure on soil nitrogen transformation is delineated, covering processes such as soil nitrogen immobilization, and mineralization, and losses including NH3, N2O, and NO3−-N leaching. The review then delves into the effects of green manure on the composition and function of soil microbial communities, highlighting their role in nitrogen transformation. It emphasizes the available nitrogen content in the soil, this article discussing nitrogen uptake and utilization by plants, including aspects such as nitrogen translocation, distribution, the root system, and the rhizosphere environment of primary crops. This provides insights into the mechanisms that enhance nitrogen uptake and utilization when green manures are reintroduced into fields. Finally, the review anticipates future research directions in modulating soil nitrogen dynamics and crop nitrogen uptake through green manure application, aiming to advance research and the development of the green manure sector.

Understorey Plant Functional Traits of Platycladus orientalis Depends on Crown Closure and Soil Properties in the Loess Plateau, China

“…LC is significantly positively correlated with LTD; studies indicate that an increase in LC content is often accompanied by thicker leaf cell walls, reduced cell spaces, and a denser arrangement [32]. LN is positively correlated with LP, LNP, LV, and H, and LP is also significantly positively correlated with LV and H, reflecting the important role of nitrogen in ecosystem processes; research also demonstrates that an increase in nitrogen promotes phosphorus absorption and utilization, thereby affecting leaf volume and the growth and development of the entire plant [33]. The specific leaf area (SLA) is significantly positively correlated with the leaf volume (LV); an increase in leaf volume is usually accompanied by an increase in specific leaf area [34].…”

Advancing Agricultural Sustainability in Tropical Climates: Harnessing the Potential of Green Manuring

“…Thus, green manuring serves as a mechanism to rehabilitate degraded soils, ameliorate lowfertility conditions, and sustain the fertility of productive soils. With a historical legacy spanning centuries in agriculture, green manuring has demonstrated its efficiency and effectiveness, as evidenced by numerous recent articles and scientific publications [4][5][6]. Green manure crops can be grown in rotation, succession, or intercropped with agricultural or forestry crops.…”

“…Numerous scientific publications highlight various promising plant species for use as green manure [4,9]. Typically, research evaluates species and cultivars best adapted to different soil and climate regions, along with the establishment of management methods in various agroecosystems aimed at soil erosion prevention and crop nutrient provision.…”

Substitution of Inorganic Fertilizers with Organic Fertilizers Influences Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Content and Enzyme Activity under Rubber Plantation

“…In addition, the partial replacement of conventional N fertilizers with organic fertilizers increased the content of available nitrogen, nitrate, and ammonia in this study. Firstly, organic fertilizers like manure and compost, containing organic matter serving as a substrate for microbial activity, contribute to increased nitrogen availability in soil by releasing NH + 4-N during microbial decomposition, which undergoes nitrification processes to convert into NO -3-N, thereby increasing the availability of both forms of nitrogen in soil [28,29]. Secondly, due to extreme weather conditions (high temperature and rainfall) in southern China, Hainan region, nitrogen undergoes rapid conversion in the soil, resulting in the loss of NH4 + and NO3through ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching [2].…”