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Chinese cabbage as a catch crop decreases soil soluble N and labile organic N during one-month summer fallow in greenhouse vegetable production

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Summer catch crops can reduce soil soluble nitrogen (N) during the summer fallow period in Chinese greenhouse vegetable production. However, the influence of growing fast-growing leafy vegetables as catch crops on soil organic N pools remain insufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of growing Chinese cabbage (Kuaicai) on soil N pools in the top 0.3 m soil layer during a one-month fallow period in two years. Treatments included Kuaicai cultivation and a fallow treatment for comparison. Results show that soil soluble N pools and non-hydrolysable N (NHN) in the top 0.3 m soil layer were increased during the summer fallow period in the fallow treatment. Kuaicai accumulated 40–114 kg N ha -1 each year, improving N use efficiency by 9.2–26.3%. Growing Kuaicai with drip irrigation to 90% field capacity reduced soil total N (TN) by 12–16% and total soluble N (TSN) by 37–83%. Growing Kuaicai reduced labile N fractions, specifically ammonium N (AN) in the top 0.2 m soil layer by 13–26% and amino acid N (AAN) in the 0.1–0.2 m soil layer by 5–17%. The partial least squares path modelling (a goodness of fit = 0.67) revealed that fallow period management had direct effects on TSN, NHN, and TN, and an indirect effect on labile organic N fractions. The AN and AAN were direct contributors to TSN. These findings suggest that growing Kuaicai as a catch crop is an effective strategy for reducing soluble N pools and labile organic N fractions, thereby lowering the risk of N loss in the next growing season.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijagro.2025.100040
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,640
OpenAlex ID: W4410629600
FWCI:
Cites: 43
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Related to: 10