Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (11): 2083-2092.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.11.11

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on nutrient content and physiological traits of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica needles in sandy land

ZHANG Hui1,2(), GAO Hongyu3, ZHANG Zheng3(), LIU Cuiying3   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing 100083, China
    2. Yulin Grassland Workstation, Yulin 719000, Shaanxi, China
    3. Modern Agricultural College, Yulin University, Yulin 719000, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2025-04-30 Revised:2025-05-18 Online:2025-11-15 Published:2025-12-13
  • Contact: ZHANG Zheng E-mail:22458338@qq.com;zhangz@yulinu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers effectively can significantly improve the growth of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in sandy regions. To investigate this, we conducted a study on P. sylvestris var. mongolica trees in the Mu Us Sandy Land. We included an unfertilized control (CK) and tested eight different fertilization treatments: N1 (46 g N per plant), N2 (92 g N per plant), P1 (18 g P per plant), P2 (36 g P per plant), P1N1 (18 g P and 46 g N per plant), P1N2 (18 g P and 92 g N per plant), P2N1 (36 g P and 46 g N per plant), and P2N2 (36 g P and 92 g N per plant). Specifically, the present study investigated the physiological and biochemical responses of P. sylvestris var. mongolica needles to varying N and P fertilization regimes. We quantified nutrient elements, chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, and superoxide anion concentrations. Correlations and comprehensive ranking analyses of these indicators were conducted to establish a theoretical framework for sustainable fertilization in sandy habitats. Our results show that both single and combined applications of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers significantly increased the concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the needles (P<0.05), confirming enhanced nutrient uptake. While higher nitrogen or phosphorus rates did not significantly increase chlorophyll content and sometimes led to a decline, certain treatments reduced oxidative stress markers. Specifically, malondialdehyde content was significantly lower in the P1, P1N1, P1N2, and P2N1 treatments relative to CK (P<0.05), indicating that phosphorus enhances stress tolerance. Similarly, P1N1, P1N2, and P2N1 treatments significantly reduced superoxide anion levels (P<0.05), demonstrating that combined nitrogen and phosphorus application confers greater resistance to oxidative damage. A comprehensive analysis, incorporating a membership function value and fertilization costs, identified P1N1 as the most effective fertilization strategy.

Key words: Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, nutrient elements, chlorophyll, resistance