Abstract:
Objectives The effects of single chemical fertilizer application and the combined application of chemical fertilizer with different amounts of organic fertilizer on the total salt (TS) content and ion composition of surface soil were studied, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization management to mitigate soil secondary salinization in greenhouse tomato cultivation.
Methods This study was based on a long-term tomato experiment established in 2012 in Shenyang, Liaoning, using brown soil as the test soil. Treatments were set up by cultivation combining organic fertilizer at rates of 15,000 (M1), 45,000 (M2), and 75,000 (M3) kg/hm2 with each NPK treatment (M1NPK, M2NPK, and M3NPK). Except for the control treatment, the annual application rates of N, P2O5, and K2O in all other treatments were 375, 225, and 450 kg/hm2, respectively. Soil samples (0−20 cm) were collected in 2023 during the pre-ploughing period (S1), seedling period (S2), first and fourth fruit expansion periods (S3 and S4), and after uprooting of tomatoes (S5). The soil samples were analyzed for TS content, pH, and the contents of salt ions (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, SO42−, CO32−, HCO3−, and NO3−).
Results Compared with CK, the NPK treatment significantly reduced soil pH, while the other treatments had no significant effect on soil pH. Fertilization significantly increased soil TS during the five sampling periods, and this increase was in proportion to the application rate of organic fertilizers. The M1NPK treatment reduced soil TS by 6.5%−43.7% relative to the NPK treatment during the five sampling periods, whereas the M3NPK treatment increased soil TS by 3.1%−39.4% compared with NPK. In all treatments, the total contents of soil water-soluble cations and anions increased, with Ca2+ and SO42− being the main components, respectively. The total contents of soil water-soluble cations and anions in the treatments with combined NPK and organic fertilizer application increased with the rise in the application rate of organic fertilizer. During the fallow season (S1 and S5), water-soluble K+ and SO42− were important ions affecting soil TS, and the contents of water-soluble K+, Ca2+, NO3−, and SO42− were significantly positively correlated with soil TS and EC (P<0.01), while soil TS was significantly negatively correlated with soil pH (P<0.05). The relative contribution rate of water-soluble K+ content to the effect on soil TS was the largest (31.2%), followed by that of SO42− (12.7%). During the growing season (S2, S3, and S4), water-soluble Ca2+ and K+ were important ions affecting soil TS. The contents of the eight salt ions were significantly positively correlated with soil TS (P<0.05), and the water-soluble HCO3− content was significantly positively correlated with soil pH (P<0.001). The proportions of water-soluble Ca2+, K+, and HCO3− increased in the treatments with combined NPK and organic fertilizer application, while those of NO3− and SO42− decreased. The relative contribution rates of water-soluble Ca2+, K+, NO3−, and SO42− contents to the effect on soil TS were relatively large, at 31.6%, 18.3%, 12.9%, and 12.5%, respectively.
Conclusions The important ions influencing soil TS were K+ and SO42− during the fallow season, while they were Ca2+ and K+ during the growing season. Long-term continuous application of chemical fertilizers, especially those containing urea, significantly promoted soil TS accumulation. Co-applying an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer effectively reduced the buildup of water-soluble ions, thereby alleviating secondary salinization and acidification. However, since commercial organic fertilizers are inherently rich in salt, excessive application increased rather than decreased soil TS, ultimately leading to soil secondary salinization. In the brown soil region, annual application rates of 375 kg/hm2 as urea (N), 225 kg/hm2 as superphosphate (P2O5), and 450 kg/hm2 as potassium sulfate (K2O), along with 15,000−45,000 kg/hm2 of organic fertilizer, effectively reduce the risk of secondary salinization in greenhouse tomato cultivation.