Enhanced nitrogen imbalances in agroecosystems driven by changing cropping systems in a coastal area of eastern China: from field to watershed scale

Abstract

Agricultural activities exacerbate nitrogen (N) imbalances in the agroecosystem by disturbing the N inputs and outputs, yet the influence of changes in cropping systems on the N balance of agroecosystems remains unclear. In this study, at the field scale, we calculated the N balance of four cropping systems, (1) traditional crops with traditional crop rotation (G–G), (2) vegetables with traditional crop rotation (V–G), (3) vegetables with vegetable rotation (V–V), and (4) greenhouse vegetables (GHV); then analyzed the influence of changes in cropping systems from 1995 to 2015 on the N balances in the agroecosystems in sub-watersheds of the Dagu River. The results indicate that N balances were higher in GHV, V–V, and V–G than G–G, due to significantly higher inputs of N fertilizers and lower N use efficiency (NUE) in vegetable cultivation compared to traditional crops. Driven by economic benefits between 1995 and 2015, V–G, V–V, and GHV replaced G–G in a considerable number of cultivation areas in the sub-watersheds. These changes resulted in an increase of 109.9–170.1% in the N balance in the agroecosystem in the sub-watersheds between 1995 and 2015. In the entire watershed, the total N surplus contribution by V–V, V–G, and GHV increased from 39.3% to 79.1% between 1995 and 2015. These findings suggest that increased vegetable cultivation contributed to the increased risk of N pollution in agricultural production. Thus, there should be a focus on the management of cropping systems to control N loss from agricultural lands.