^(15)N Isotope Techniques for Estimating Effects of Urea-N Fertilizer Application Rate on Yields and Nutrient Contents of Pakchoi Cabbage and Asparagus Lettuce and Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency

摘要

A pot experiment combined with15N isotope techniques was conducted to evaluate effects of the varying rates of urea-N fertilizer application on yields,quality,and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of pakchoi cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) and asparagus lettuce (Lactuca saiva L.).15N-labbled urea (5.3515N atom %) was added to pots with 6.5 kg soil of 0.14,0.18,0.21,0.25,and 0.29 g N/kg soil,and applied in two splits:60 percent as basal dressing in the mixture and 40 percent as topdressing.The fresh yields of two vegetable species increased with the increasing input of urea-N,but there was a significant quadratic relationship between the dose of urea-N fertilizer application and the fresh yields.When the dosage of urea-N fertilizer reached a certain value,nitrate readily accumulated in the two kinds of plants due to the decrease in NR activity; furthermore,there was a linear negative correlation between nitrate content and NR activity.With the increasing input of urea-N,ascorbic acid and soluble sugar initially increased,declined after a while,and crude fiber rapidly decreased too.Total absorbed N (TAN),N derived from fertilizer (Ndff),and N derived from soil (Ndfs) increased,and the ratio of Ndff and TAN also increased,but the ratio of Ndfs and TAN as well as NUE of urea-N fertilizer decreased with the increasing input of urea-N.These results suggested that the increasing application of labeled N fertilizer led to the increase in unlabeled N (namely,Ndfs) presumably due to "added nitrogen interaction" (ANI),the decease in NUE of urea-N fertilizer may be due to excess fertilization beyond the levels of plant requirements and the ANI,and the decrease in the two vegetable yields with the increasing addition of urea-N possibly because the excess accumulation of nitrate reached a toxic level.