Effects of different cultivation patterns and application of nitrogen fertilizer on moisture,temperature and nitrogen mineralization in soil of dryland

【Objective】 Different cultivation patterns are used in dryland farming to conserve water in soil.How these cultivation patterns affect the soil moisture,temperature and nitrogen mineralization is an issue deserving study.【Method】 A field in-situ incubations method was conducted to investigate the effect of different cultivation patterns(conventional pattern(no mulching and irrigation),plastic film mulching,and straw mulching(wheat straw,4 500 kg/hm2)) and addition of nitrogen(N) fertilizer(0 and 120 kg/hm2) on the soil moisture,temperature,and nitrogen mineralization.【Result】 In comparison with the conventional cultivation pattern,the plastic mulching and straw mulching patterns significantly increased soil water content in depth of 0-20 cm.The plastic mulching also significantly increased soil temperature in depth of 0-10 and 10-20 cm and straw mulching decreased temperature during the incubation period.The application of N fertilizer significantly increased the content of nitrate in soil,and nitrate leaching from the 0-20 cm soil column.The addition of N fertilizer also significantly increased the N mineralization of the soil.Straw mulching decreased the N mineralization of the soil.Although the plastic mulching significantly increased soil temperature,it did not increase the soil N mineralization in comparison with the conventional cultivation pattern.【Conclusion】 It is necessary to continue using the in-situ incubations method to study the N mineralization in the field.