Rhizosphere Aeration Improves Nitrogen Transformation in Soil, and Nitrogen Absorption and Accumulation in Rice Plants

Two rice cultivars (Xiushui 09 and Chunyou 84) were used to evaluate the effects of various soil oxygen (O2) conditions on soil nitrogen (N) transformation, absorption and accumulation in rice plants. The treatments were continuous flooding (CF), continuous flooding and aeration (CFA), and alternate wetting and drying (AWD). The results showed that the AWD and CFA treatments improved soil N transformation, rice growth, and N absorption and accumulation. Soil NO3– content, nitrification activity and ammonia-oxidising bacteria abundance, leaf area, nitrate reductase activity, and N absorption and accumulation in rice all increased in both cultivars. However, soil microbial biomass carbon and pH did not significantly change during the whole period of rice growth. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the nitrification activity and ammonia-oxidising bacteria abundance, and both of them significantly increased as the total N accumulation in rice increased. Our results indicated that improved soil O2 conditions led to changing soil N cycling and contributed to increases in N absorption and accumulation by rice in paddy fields.