Optimizing nitrogen varieties improved sustainability of rice–crayfish co-culture system
摘要
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is essential for rice production, and its formulation critically influences nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and environmental impacts. This is particularly relevant for the rice–crayfish co-culture system (RC), a system prone to nutrient surplus and water quality concerns due to multiple nutrient inputs and prolonged flooding. A comprehensive understanding of how different N fertilizers affect NUE, N balance, soil microbial communities, and field water quality in RC is currently lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate these effects and assess the overall sustainability of RC under different N management practices. Three long-term field trials were conducted to evaluate suitable nitrogen (N) types. Four treatments were included in the trials: no N (CK), conventional fertilizer (CF), controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), and organic–inorganic fertilizer (OF). We measured soil inorganic N, rice agronomic traits, N balance, microbial biomass/diversity (via Illumina sequencing), and field water N concentrations. CRF significantly enhanced soil N availability (NH₄⁺–N by 36.5–166.9%; NO₃⁻–N by 13.6–73.7% vs. CF), increased rice yield (up to 35.6%) and NUE (up to 13.8%), and achieved the lowest N surplus (174.7–195.7 kg ha⁻1). It also boosted microbial biomass (C, N, P), diversity (Shannon index + 9.7%), and key nitrifying bacteria (e.g., Bacillus, Nitrospira; OTUs + 63.5% vs. CK), while reducing field water NH₄⁺-N by 31.6–73.0%. CRF use represents a transformative N management approach for the rice–crayfish co-culture system, thus achieving synergistic benefits in terms of crop productivity, N use efficiency, and environmental sustainability.