Impacts of Long-Term Micronutrient Fertilizer Application on Soil Properties and Micronutrient Availability

Abstract

Deficiencies of micronutrients in calcareous soils have been reported in different areas of China’s Loess Plateau. The objective of this research was to study the influence of the continuous application of micronutrient fertilizers on soil properties and micronutrient availability in this region. The micronutrient fertilizer field plot experiment began in 1984. It included Zn, Mn and Cu fertilizer treatments and the control treatment. The crop system was continuously cropped winter wheat. The soil properties and available Zn, Mn, Cu and Fe were measured. Their relationships were analyzed through correlation and path analysis. After 31 years, the soil pH, CaCO3 and available P levels decreased; in contrast, the organic matter, fulvic acid, reducing substances and soil moisture levels in the surface soil increased in the micronutrient fertilized treatments compared to the control treatment. Cu and Zn fertilizers promoted the available Cu and Zn levels in the surface and deep soil, but available Mn was not significantly affected by Mn fertilizer. It can be seen from the interaction between the micronutrient availability and micronutrient fertilizers that Zn, Cu and Mn fertilizers can increase the available Fe level; Mn fertilizer can increase the available Cu level, and Cu and Mn fertilizers can increase the available Zn level. This means that Fe, Cu and Zn availability were easy to implement, whereas the soil-available Mn was difficult to improve in calcareous soils on the Loess Plateau. Fulvic acid and organic matter showed a significant and direct effect on the available Zn; the available Mn and Fe were mainly affected by the soil CaCO3 and moisture; the available Cu was mainly affected by the soil organic matter, available P and reducing substances. These results indicate the importance of organic matter in calcareous soils; it can not only directly affect the availability of micronutrients but also indirectly affect their availability through the indirect interaction with fulvic acid, reducing substances, available P and CaCO3. The above conclusions suggest that the long-term micronutrient fertilizers changed some important soil properties and increased the micronutrient availability in the loess-derived soil.

Plant communities and potential phytoremediation species for resource utilization of abandoned drilling mud

“…A and B in Tables 4, 5 was the same as Table 3 Frontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org could lead to a higher content of Cu and Zn in the plants in mud pools. The average total Mn concentration in soils on the Loess Plateau was 537 mg kg −1 (Wang et al, 2022), this value was much higher than the value inside the plant body (Table 4). The average total Fe concentration in WBSM samples was 20.31 mg kg −1 (Fu et al, 2022), this value was much lower than the value inside the plant body (Table 4).…”

“…In 10 wells, the contents of Cu in the plants inside the mud pit were higher than that outside the mud pit, with an average increase of 0.4%. The study of Wang et al (2022) showed that the average total Cu, Zn concentration in soils on the Loess Plateau was 22.5 mg kg −1 , 69.1 mg kg −1 , respectively. The study of Fu et al (2022) showed that the average total Cu, Zn concentration in WBSM samples was 23.5 mg kg −1 , 506.7 mg kg −1 , respectively.…”

The Potential Role of Zinc and Silicon in Improving Grain Yield and Lodging Resistance of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

“…Micronutrient fertilizers have been developed as novel and efficient alternatives to conventional fertilizers [8]. These fertilizers greatly reduce the chances of pollution and the hazards associated with chemical fertilization, while also improving fertilizer application efficiency [9]. Micronutrients may also enhance plant metabolism owing to their distinctive physicochemical features [10].…”

“…Micronutrients may also enhance plant metabolism owing to their distinctive physicochemical features [10]. Moreover, in comparison to the requirements and cost of chemical fertilizers, micro-nutrient fertilizers are more economically affordable and require smaller quantities for crops [9]. Zinc (Zn), being an essential nutrient, is equally crucial for both plants and human beings.…”

Effect of Inorganic and Integrated Long-term Nutrient Management on DTPA-extractable Micronutrients in a Vertisol under Soybean-wheat Cropping System across the Soil Depth

“…The lack of micronutrients has an adverse impact on human well-being, and more than 2 billion people worldwide are malnourished. The deficiency of micronutrient to plant is the main contributor to this shortage [1]. Injudicious or imbalanced use of inorganic fertilizers for crop production over a long period results in low nutrient availability [2].…”