Abstract: We explored the impacts of nitrogen (N) reduction and biochar application on soil fertility and nutrient uptake of rice in early and late seasons of 2018 with a field experiment. There were six treatments, including control (no N application, CK), conventional N application (N₁₀₀), 20% N reduction (N₈₀), 20% N reduction plus biochar application (N₈₀+BC), 40% N reduction (N₆₀), 40% N reduction plus biochar application (N₆₀+BC). Our results showed that 20% and 40% N reduction and/or with biochar application did not affect soil pH, organic matter, total N, total phosphorous (P), total potassium (K), ammonium N, available P and K in comparison with N₁₀₀ treatment. N₈₀+BC and N₆₀+BC substantially increased soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) at tillering stage and electrical conductivity (EC) at heading stage in late season, respectively. Compared with the treatment with single N reduction, N₈₀+BC significantly increased soil available K in early and late seasons and soil pH and total N in late season, while N₆₀+BC increased soil total K at mature stage in early season. Soil nitrate content was decreased along with the growth stages for all treatments in early season. Compared with tillering stage, soil nitrate N content in conventional N application at heading stage and mature stage was decreased by 50.0% and 71.6%, respectively. Soil nitrate content in biochar treatment only was decreased by 6.3%-45.5%. N application along with biochar application had no significant effects on plant N uptake and utilization in early season. However, N reduction with biochar application significantly increased plant N uptake and N utilization rate by 34.8%-52.4% in late season, compared to conventional N application and single N reduction. Our findings suggest that adequate N reduction along with biochar application could maintain soil health and improve plant N uptake and utilization efficiency.

Key words: rice, biochar, nitrogen fertilizer reduction, soil nutrient, nitrogen utilization efficiency