Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 193-204. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20196577

Special Issue: Corn Soil fertilizer Animal husbandry

• Resources & Environment·Plant Protection • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Partial Substitution of Chemical Fertilizers with Cow Manure-Derived Biochar-based Organic Fertilizer on Soil N2O Emissions in Summer Maize Fields and Its Underlying Regulating Mechanism

ZHAI Lichao1, ZHANG Lihua1, LYU Lihua1, ZHANG Jingting1, CUI Yongzeng1, MA Liqiang2, YAO Haipo1, YAO Yanrong1   

  1. 1 Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation Physiology and Green Production of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050035, China
    2 Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Ningjin County, Xingtai 055550, China
  • Received:2025-11-06 Published:2026-08-28

Abstract:

To investigate the effects of partially substituting chemical fertilizer with biochar-based organic fertilizer derived from cattle manure on N2O emissions in summer maize fields and the underlying regulatory mechanisms,a field plot experiment was conducted from 2023 to 2024 at the Dishang Experimental Station of the Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops,Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences.Four fertilization treatments were set up:CF(conventional nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer),and COF1,COF2,and COF3,which replaced 15%,30%,and 45% of the chemical nitrogen in CF with an equivalent amount of nitrogen from biochar-based organic fertilizer derived from cattle manure,respectively.The study analyzed the effects of different fertilization regimes on N2O emissions,plant nitrogen uptake,soil physicochemical properties,abundance of nitrogen-cycle-related functional genes,and grain yield.The results showed that:(1)Compared with CF,the cumulative N2O emissions under COF1,COF2,and COF3 treatments were significantly reduced by 39.4%,42.5%,and 43.8%,respectively.While reducing emissions,COF1 and COF2 increased plant nitrogen uptake by 45.9% and 24.5%,and yield by 10.6% and 11.7%,respectively.(2)COF1 and COF2 significantly promoted the formation of water-stable aggregates(WSA)(increased by 12.7% and 16.5% compared with CF,respectively)and reduced the abundance of key denitrification functional genes(norB,norC,narH),while enhancing the expression of genes related to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium(DNRA)(napA,napB),thereby promoting the accumulation of soil nitrate and ammonium nitrogen.(3)COF1 and COF2 increased root biomass and the activities of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase in roots and leaves,synergistically improving plant nitrogen uptake and utilization.Correlation analysis further revealed that soil WSA formation was significantly negatively correlated with the abundance of key denitrification genes(norB/C,narH),while positively correlated with plant nitrogen uptake,root biomass,and nitrogen metabolism enzyme activities.In conclusion,replacing 15%—30% of chemical fertilizer with biochar-based organic fertilizer derived from cattle manure can directly inhibit the denitrification process and reduce N2O emissions by promoting the formation of water-stable soil aggregates.Simultaneously,it indirectly reduces N2O emissions by enhancing the DNRA pathway and plant nitrogen uptake capacity,which competes with denitrification for nitrate substrates.

Key words: Summer maize, Cow manure-derived biochar-based organic fertilizer, Chemical fertilizer, N2O emission, Regulating mechanism

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Cite this article

ZHAI Lichao, ZHANG Lihua, LYU Lihua, ZHANG Jingting, CUI Yongzeng, MA Liqiang, YAO Haipo, YAO Yanrong. Effects of Partial Substitution of Chemical Fertilizers with Cow Manure-Derived Biochar-based Organic Fertilizer on Soil N2O Emissions in Summer Maize Fields and Its Underlying Regulating Mechanism[J]. Acta Agriculturae Boreali-Sinica, 2026, 41(4): 193-204. doi: 10.7668/hbnxb.20196577.

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