Sustainable intensification of protected vegetable crops entails increasing yield while reducing environmental impact and labor input. To explore a comprehensive strategy for high yielding, highly efficient and high quality production of greenhouse tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), an integrated crop-nitrogen management (ICNM) strategy was compared to farmers’ traditional management (TM) in a field experiment in a solar greenhouse. A split-plot block design was used. The main factor was the management strategy of ICNM and TM. The secondary factor was four different basal fertilizer treatments, being a control (CK; 0 kg N ha⁻¹), carbon-based urea (BU; 100 kg N ha⁻¹), controlled release urea (CU; 100 kg N ha⁻¹), and conventional compound fertilizer (CF; 100 kg N ha⁻¹). An additional 200 kg N ha⁻¹ through drip irrigation as topdressing was used. Tomato fruit yield, N uptake, and N partial productivity with ICNM were significantly higher than with TM, increasing by 32.1%, 39.7%, and 31.1%, respectively. The proportion of fine roots was increased in ICNM, and the average diameter of roots decreased by 10.7% compared to TM. There was a significant negative correlation between mean root diameter and N uptake. In conclusion, the ICNM strategy was beneficial to form a good root system configuration, promote the development of shoot biological potential, increase tomato yield, maintain fruit quality, increase N uptake, and reduce environmental risks.

Heterocyclic nitrogen compounds containing two adjacent nitrogen atoms generally have a significant effect on soil nitrification inhibition, and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (DMP) is a typical representative of this structure. However, the inhibitory effect and the regulatory mechanism of DMP on soil N transformation are unclear. In this study, a microcosm with different concentrations of DMP was carried out in brown soil to detect the dynamic changes of soil NH₄⁺–N, NO₃–N and related soil enzyme activities. Results showed that DMP inhibited soil nitrification effectively and decreased soil nitrate reductase activity, while increasing nitrite reductase and dehydrogenase activities. The inhibition effects were dose dependent, and DMP at the rate of 0.025 g kg⁻¹ dry soil showed the strongest inhibitory effect on N transformation in brown soil. The soil dehydrogenase activity was increased with an increasing DMP application rate. The changes in the soil’s chemical and biological properties caused by DMP application provided a new idea for systematically explaining how DMP participated in the soil N transformation process. This study further implied that DMP would play positive roles in alleviating environmental pressure by delaying nitrate-N formation and decreasing the activity of nitrate reductase.

Soil nutrient testing is an effective way to uncover soil nutrient status. However, the conventional testing method (CT method) and Mehlich 3 method (M3 method) demand long-time consumption, tedious testing steps, high testing cost, dangerous chemicals contained in extractant, etc. Therefore, it is important to develop a new rapid test method or improve the existing rapid test method of soil available nutrients. In this study, an improved Mehlich3 method (IM3 method) with the new combined extractant were developed and evaluated on the testing feasibility, precision, efficiency, and cost. The results showed that: (1) IM3 method avoided the usage of two hazardous chemicals, i.e., ammonium nitrate and nitric acid, which were difficult in purchase and storage but contained in the combined extractant of M3 method. (2) The correlation coefficients of available P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn in calcareous soil between M3 and CT, and between IM3 and CT methods all reached highly significant level. The correlation coefficient of available Zn between IM3 and CT method was significantly higher than that between M3 and CT method, and those of the other elements had not obviously changed. (3) The variation coefficients of available P, K, Fe and Cu determined by M3 and IM3 methods were all lower than those determined by CT method. The variation coefficients of available Mn and Zn determined by IM3 were 3.67% and 6.43%, which were slightly higher than those determined by CT method with 2.72% and 5.29%, but were lower than those determined by M3 method. (4) Under the premise of ensuring testing precision, IM3 method took only 6.3 min/piece for determining six elements, reducing testing time by 70.7% and 3.08% compared with CT (21.5 min/piece) and M3 (6.5 min/piece) methods, respectively. The testing cost of IM3 method was reduced by 26% and 61.2% compared with M3 and CT methods, respectively. In conclusion, IM3 method is an ideal rapid measurement method for the simultaneous determination of available soil nutrients in calcareous soil.