Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa
Soil C:N:P stoichiometry is a powerful tool for determining soil nutrient cycling and limitations in agroecosystems and provides a basis for optimizing fertilizer strategies in crop production under partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI). PRDI is of particular interest in improving soil C:N:P st...
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Agricultural Water Management |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424005948 |
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| author | Jing Zhang Zheng Gang Guo |
| author_facet | Jing Zhang Zheng Gang Guo |
| author_sort | Jing Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil C:N:P stoichiometry is a powerful tool for determining soil nutrient cycling and limitations in agroecosystems and provides a basis for optimizing fertilizer strategies in crop production under partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI). PRDI is of particular interest in improving soil C:N:P stoichiometry in non-N-fixing crops because it enhances resource-use efficiency, which is critical for water management and soil health in arid agroecosystems. However, its effect on the soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops remains poorly understood. In this study, a three-year field experiment was conducted using alfalfa as a representative N-fixing crop to investigate the effect of PRDI on soil C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry. The field experiment involved two irrigation methods, PRDI and conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), with four irrigation volumes set at 70 %, 85 %, 100 %, and 115 % evapotranspiration (ETc). This study showed that PRDI increased soil porosity, soil organic C and total N concentrations, decreased soil bulk density and did not affect soil total P concentrations. Furthermore, PRDI increased the soil C:N:P ratio and irrigation modes contributed more to the abovementioned variables than irrigation volumes. These findings suggest that PRDI might expose alfalfa to P limitation and present a pattern of how PRDI influences soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops. Therefore, this study provides valuable guidance for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and researchers, with compelling evidence for developing sustainable water and nutrient management practices in the agroecosystems of arid regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b4c4e5ba21bd40bb8b31595d1b620ba7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1873-2283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Agricultural Water Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-b4c4e5ba21bd40bb8b31595d1b620ba72025-01-07T04:16:55ZengElsevierAgricultural Water Management1873-22832025-02-01307109258Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfaJing Zhang0Zheng Gang Guo1Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China; Corresponding authors.Soil C:N:P stoichiometry is a powerful tool for determining soil nutrient cycling and limitations in agroecosystems and provides a basis for optimizing fertilizer strategies in crop production under partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI). PRDI is of particular interest in improving soil C:N:P stoichiometry in non-N-fixing crops because it enhances resource-use efficiency, which is critical for water management and soil health in arid agroecosystems. However, its effect on the soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops remains poorly understood. In this study, a three-year field experiment was conducted using alfalfa as a representative N-fixing crop to investigate the effect of PRDI on soil C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry. The field experiment involved two irrigation methods, PRDI and conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), with four irrigation volumes set at 70 %, 85 %, 100 %, and 115 % evapotranspiration (ETc). This study showed that PRDI increased soil porosity, soil organic C and total N concentrations, decreased soil bulk density and did not affect soil total P concentrations. Furthermore, PRDI increased the soil C:N:P ratio and irrigation modes contributed more to the abovementioned variables than irrigation volumes. These findings suggest that PRDI might expose alfalfa to P limitation and present a pattern of how PRDI influences soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops. Therefore, this study provides valuable guidance for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and researchers, with compelling evidence for developing sustainable water and nutrient management practices in the agroecosystems of arid regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424005948Partial root-zone drying irrigationIrrigation volumesN-fixing cropsSoil physical propertiesSoil C:N:P stoichiometry |
| spellingShingle | Jing Zhang Zheng Gang Guo Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa Agricultural Water Management Partial root-zone drying irrigation Irrigation volumes N-fixing crops Soil physical properties Soil C:N:P stoichiometry |
| title | Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa |
| title_full | Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa |
| title_fullStr | Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa |
| title_short | Effect of partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRDI) on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in N-fixing crops: Insights from a three-year field study with alfalfa |
| title_sort | effect of partial root zone drying irrigation prdi on soil c n p stoichiometry in n fixing crops insights from a three year field study with alfalfa |
| topic | Partial root-zone drying irrigation Irrigation volumes N-fixing crops Soil physical properties Soil C:N:P stoichiometry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424005948 |
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