Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Restoration,College of Resources and Environment,Southwest University,Chongqing 400715,China
Objective Sloping farmland with purple soil is characterized by shallow plow layers and poor structural stability, making it highly susceptible to soil and water loss. This study aims to investigate the effects of straw mulching on nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) losses from purple soil sloping farmland, providing new ideas and approaches for the prevention and control of non-point source pollution. Methods Sloping farmland with purple soil subjected to 15 months of straw mulching was selected as the study object. Field-simulated rainfall experiments were conducted under the combined conditions of 90 mm/h rainfall intensity and a 15° slope gradient. The loss patterns of NO3--N and NH4+-N in slope runoff were analyzed under five straw mulching amounts (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 kg/m²). Results (1) Under different straw mulching amounts, the runoff generation rate showed a rapid increase followed by dynamic equilibrium with rainfall duration, and the sediment production rate showed a rapid increase, slow decrease, and eventual dynamic equilibrium. Compared with a straw mulching amount of 0 kg/m2, the average sediment production rate significantly decreased by 17.07%~66.95% (p<0.05) under amounts of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 kg/m2. The average sediment production rates under 0.6 and 0.8 kg/m2 were significantly lower than that under 0.2 kg/m2, indicating that higher straw mulching amounts had better effects on reducing sediment production. (2) Under different straw mulching amounts, the concentrations of NO3--N and NH4+-N in runoff exhibited a rapid increase, slow decrease, and eventual dynamic equilibrium with rainfall duration, and their losses increased rapidly before reaching dynamic equilibrium. The cumulative loss of NO3--N differed significantly among different straw mulching amounts (p<0.05). Compared with 0 kg/m2, straw mulching amounts of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 kg/m2 reduced cumulative losses of NO3--N by 14.35%~29.69%. Most NH4+-N concentrations and losses decreased with increasing straw mulching amounts. The concentrations and losses of NO3--N were much greater than those of NH4+-N, indicating that nutrient loss was mainly NO3--N. (3) The average runoff generation rate showed a linear positive correlation with the cumulative loss of NO3--N (p<0.01), and the straw mulching amount showed a linear negative correlation with the average sediment production rate (p<0.05). Conclusion Straw mulching can effectively reduce NO3--N and NH4+-N losses, and high straw mulching amounts have better effects on preventing and controlling nitrogen loss from sloping farmland.
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