Fozia Dost Muhammad, Yuxin Xie, Yuanjia Gong, Muhammad Asghar Ali, Shuaijie Lu, Wenkai Hui, Jingyan Wang, Wei Gong
Effects of organic fertilizer nitrogen substitution on non-structural carbohydrates and biological carbon sequestration of Zanthoxylum armatum
Dendrobiology 2026, vol. 95: 1-14
https://doi.org/10.12657/denbio.095.001
Abstract:
Effective nitrogen (N) management is crucial for enhancing plant photosynthesis, non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) formation, and carbon (C) sequestration in perennial plants. However, the effects of partial substitution of chemical N with organic N on these processes remain poorly understood. A pot experiment was conducted using Zanthoxylum armatum to examine seven levels of organic N substitution (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 100%) and a no-fertilizer control. Plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, NSC content, and biomass C accumulation were measured. Fertilization enhanced growth, pigment content, and NSC accumulation. Moderate organic N substitution further improved photosynthetic efficiency, stomatal regulation, NSC biosynthesis, and biomass C storage, with regression analysis indicated an optimal substitution rate of 53.3%. The novel finding of this study is that partial organic N replacement can simultaneously enhance photosynthesis, carbohydrate allocation, and biomass C accumulation in Z. armatum, while reducing chemical N input under controlled conditions. These results provide mechanistic insight into optimizing organic N fertilization and identify a practical strategy to improve physiological performance and C storage in perennial woody plants.
Keywords: Zanthoxylum armatum, nitrogen management, organic-inorganic integration, photosynthesis, biological carbon sequestration