Network


Latest external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.

Hotspot


Dive into the research topics where Yufang Shen is active.

Publication


Featured researches published by Yufang Shen.


Crop & Pasture Science | 2016

Soil amendment with biochar increases maize yields in a semi-arid region by improving soil quality and root growth

Qian Xiao; Li-xia Zhu; Hongpei Zhang; Xiuyun Li; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li

Abstract. Biochar has been widely proposed as a relatively novel approach to improve soil quality and increase crop productivity, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. A large root system in plants is either a constitutive or an inducible trait dependent on the uptake of resources and the production of shoot dry matter. Here a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochar amendment on the dynamic growth and development of maize (Zea mays L.), both above- and belowground, and to explore the relationship between soil condition, root traits and shoot biomass over two growing seasons on the Loess Plateau in northern China. Biochar was added to a maize field at rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha–1 without mulching and at rates of 0 and 20 t ha–1 with film mulching before sowing the first crop. The application of straw biochar with 30 t ha–1 decreased soil bulk density by 12% and increased soil total porosity by 13% in the 0–10-cm soil layer 6 months after biochar addition. Biochar amendment increased soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, carbon : nitrogen ratio, and available phosphorus and potassium at the end of each growing season. Although, root growth was inhibited at a rate of 30 t ha–1 in the early stage of the first year, biochar amendment exhibited a positive effect in other stages, resulting in higher root weight density, root length density and root surface-area density. These responses led to higher growth rates, maize biomass, grain yields and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as the rate of biochar addition increased. Film mulching with biochar amendment achieved the greatest root and shoot biomass and grain yield in both crops, despite differences in climate conditions. Biochar aged in the field for 2 years had the same effect on soil properties and crop production, suggesting that the application of straw biochar may be a promising option for increasing productivity in semi-arid farmland.


Science of The Total Environment | 2016

Characteristics of N2O production and transport within soil profiles subjected to different nitrogen application rates in China.

Weige Nan; Shanchao Yue; Shiqing Li; Haizhou Huang; Yufang Shen

To better understand the effect of N fertilizer on the responses of subsoil N2O to N2O emissions in a high-yield plot, we investigated the subsurface N2O concentrations at seven mineral soil depths and analyzed the subsoil N2O fluxes between soil horizons. This study was conducted from 2012 to 2013 in farmland located in the semi-humid area of the Changwu station, Shaanxi, and the results showed that the application of N fertilizer triggered the highest amount of N2O production and effluxes in the various soil layers. With an increase of N fertilizer, N2O effluxes and production significantly increased; the mean variation of 380 kg N ha(-1) treatment was much greater than that of 250 kg N ha(-1) treatment, particularly after fertilization during the maize growing season (MS). N2O concentrations increased within 30 cm and maintained low and stable values. However, N2O fluxes and production decreased with depth (below 30 cm) and then remained low (approximately zero or even negative) at depths of 30-90 cm. The cumulative N2O fluxes in the 0-15 cm soil layer accounted for 99.0% of the total amount in the soil profile, and high fluxes coincided with periods of relatively high production rates. The cumulative production of N2O also remained in step with the cumulative fluxes. In addition, more N fertilizer was applied, greater production occurred in the topsoil. A significantly positive relationship was found between N2O fluxes and mineral N, and a negative relationship was found between the fluxes and the water-filled pore space (WFPS) in the shallow soil. N2O effluxes increased with increasing amounts of N fertilizer, which was primarily due to nitrification on the Loess Plateau.


Journal of Integrative Agriculture | 2016

Effects of plastic film mulching on soil greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) concentration within soil profiles in maize fields on the Loess Plateau, China

Weige Nan; Shanchao Yue; Haizhou Huang; Shi-qing Li; Yufang Shen

Abstract To better understand the effects of plastic film mulching on soil greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, we compared seasonal and vertical variations of GHG concentrations at seven soil depths in maize (Zea mays L.) fields at Changwu station in Shaanxi, a semi-humid region, between 2012 and 2013. Gas samples were taken simultaneously every one week from non-mulched (BP) and plastic film-mulched (FM) field plots. The results showed that the concentration of GHGs varied distinctly at the soil-atmosphere interface and in the soil profile during the maize growing season (MS). Both carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations increased with increasement of soil depth, while the methane (CH4) concentrations decreased with increasement of soil depth. A strong seasonal variation pattern was found for CO2 and N2O concentrations, as compared to an inconspicuous seasonal variation of CH4 concentrations. The mean CO2 and N2O concentrations were higher, but the mean CH4 concentration in the soil profiles was lower in the FM plots than in the BP plots. The results of this study suggested that plastic film mulching significantly increased the potential emissions of CO2 and N2O from the soil, and promoted CH4 absorption by the soil, particularly during the MS.


Journal of Plant Nutrition | 2013

EFFECTS OF SPATIAL COUPLING OF WATER AND FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS ON ROOT GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS AND WATER USE OF WINTER WHEAT

Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li; Mingan Shao

□ Root systems play vital roles, inter alia in the acquisition of water and nutrients in all plants, and hence in their growth, physiology and metabolism. However, much remains to be learned about the mechanisms affecting root distributions and uptake efficiencies. These are important aspects to understand in order to optimize water and fertilizer applications, especially in arid areas such as the Loess Plateau of China, where a key crop is winter wheat. Therefore, we have studied the effects of spatial coupling of water, nitrogen and phosphorus applications on winter wheat root growth patterns at different growth stages and in different soil layers in soil columns. Observations by minirhizotrons showed root length, surface area, volume and number to be respectively 18.9, 25.3, 29.8 and 8.0% higher under dry treatments than under wet treatments. Simultaneous application of nitrogen and phosphorus in the 0–90 or 0–30 cm layers promoted extensive spatial distributions of roots, especially in the 0–30 cm layer. In addition, water use efficiency (WUE) was found to be strongly correlated with root length, surface area, volume and number (r 2 = 0.72–0.80, n = 26), but weakly correlated with root biomass (r 2 = 0.3).


Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety | 2017

Microbial functional diversity responses to 2 years since biochar application in silt-loam soils on the Loess Plateau

Li-xia Zhu; Qian Xiao; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li

The structure and function of soil microbial communities have been widely used as indicators of soil quality and fertility. The effect of biochar application on carbon sequestration has been studied, but the effect on soil microbial functional diversity has received little attention. We evaluated effects of biochar application on the functional diversities of microbes in a loam soil. The effects of biochar on microbial activities and related processes in the 0-10 and 10-20cm soil layers were determined in a two-year experiment in maize field on the Loess Plateau in China. Low-pyrolysis biochar produced from maize straw was applied into soils at rates of 0 (BC0), 10 (BC10) and 30 (BC30)tha-1. Chemical analysis indicated that the biochar did not change the pH, significantly increased the amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen, and decreased the amount of mineral nitrogen and the microbial quotient. The biochar significantly decreased average well colour development (AWCD) values in Biolog EcoPlates™ for both layers, particularly for the rate of 10tha-1. Biochar addition significantly decreased substrate richness (S) except for BC30 in the 0-10cm layer. Effects of biochar on the Shannon-Wiener index (H) and Simpsons dominance (D) were not significant, except for a significant increase in evenness index (E) in BC10 in the 10-20cm layer. A principal component analysis clearly differentiated the treatments, and microbial use of six categories of substrates significantly decreased in both layers after biochar addition, although the use of amines and amides did not differ amongst the three treatments in the deeper layer. Maize above ground dry biomass and height did not differ significantly amongst the treatments, and biochar had no significant effect on nitrogen uptake by maize seedlings. H was positively correlated with AWCD, and negatively with pH. AWCD was positively correlated with mineral N and negatively with pH. Our results indicated that shifts in soil microbial functional diversity affected by biochar were not effective indicators of soil quality in earlier maize growth periods in this region.


Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science | 2018

Microbial residues were increased by film mulching with manure amendment in a semiarid agroecosystem

Li-xia Zhu; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li

ABSTRACT Amino sugars, as a kind of microbial residue, are strongly associated with cycling of microbial-derived soil organic matter. However, responses of amino sugars to agricultural practices on the Loess Plateau in North-western China are poorly known. The objective was to evaluate effects of film mulching (no film mulching + NPK fertilizers, CK; film mulching + NPK fertilizers, PF; film mulching + NPK fertilizers + cow manure, FM) on accumulations of amino sugars in this region. FM significantly increased total amino sugar by 190.46 mg kg−1 in 0–10 cm layer and 214.66 mg kg−1 in 10–20 cm layer relative to CK, but PF significantly decreased it by 139.28 mg kg−1 in 0–10 cm layer. Ratios of glucosamine to muramic acid were markedly decreased by 2.50 in 0–10 cm layer and 2.28 in 10–20 cm layer in FM than CK, suggesting a tendency of microbial residues pool shift towards bacterial residues in this agroecosystem. These results indicated film mulching alone was not benefitial to accumulation of amino sugar while organic manure contributed to the build-up of amino sugar partly due to manure contained microbial residues. The different patterns of amino sugars suggested significant changes in the quality of microbial-derived organic matter.


European Journal of Soil Biology | 2015

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon stocks and fractions to soil surface mulching in semiarid farmland

Shasha Luo; Lin Zhu; Jianliang Liu; Lingduo Bu; Shanchao Yue; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li


Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems | 2016

Fate of 15N fertilizer under different nitrogen split applications to plastic mulched maize in semiarid farmland

Shaojie Wang; Shasha Luo; Shanchao Yue; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li


Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | 2016

Effect of split application of nitrogen on nitrous oxide emissions from plastic mulching maize in the semiarid Loess Plateau

Shaojie Wang; Shasha Luo; Xiaosha Li; Shanchao Yue; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li


Field Crops Research | 2016

Sensitivity of soil water retention and availability to biochar addition in rainfed semi-arid farmland during a three-year field experiment

Qian Xiao; Li-xia Zhu; Yufang Shen; Shiqing Li

Collaboration


Dive into the Yufang Shen's collaboration.

Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Weige Nan

Chinese Academy of Sciences

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Top Co-Authors

Avatar
Researchain Logo
Decentralizing Knowledge