Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments to the Authors

„Nitrogen fate and efficiency of fertilizer application under a rape/wheat-rice rotation system in Southwest China”

            The manuscript presented the results of pot experiment in crop-rotation system (rapeseed/wheat and rice rotation. The Authors examined the effects of N application rate on previous crop yield, PN, SPN, SSR, 1000-GW, GY and HI and fate of 15N-labeled urea in the previous season crop and N management in rice season. The  subject is interesting and fall within the scope of the journal. The experimental dataset undoubtedly are useful experiments and constitutes some scientific values. The following points may be addressed by the Authors to enhance the usefulness of the paper.

Update the introduction section with most recent research. The 10.1080/03650340.2020.1817398 and 10.3390/agronomy10091392 has some useful contents to be added to the manuscript.

Specific comments:

Line 88 – It's not soil. This is a soil track.

Line 118-119 – the content of phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer should be given in the pure component.

Line 118 – How phosphorous fertilizer was applied?

Line 113 – Determine how many rapeseed plants were in the pot? (Chapter 2.2 - there is one plant),  three rapeseed plants were taken from the pot (Line 134).

Formula (1) - should be NA kg^.ha^-1.

Formula (2) - it should be N%.

Formula 5) TN - explain the abbreviation.

Formula (7) NRS - explain abbreviation.

There are no explanations below table 2.

Line 221 – What does GFP mean? Or maybe the SSR?

Line 292 – Sign correctly figure 4.

Line 324 – Missing explanations TS HS MS.

References

Lines 444-445 – Save as per publisher's requirements.

Lines 489-490 – Save as per publisher's requirements.  

Discussion

Discussion of results done correctly.The scientific manuscript has scientific merit and quality to be published, enabling great information for the scientific community.

Conclusions

1. Redraft the summary. The results obtained in pot tests cannot be recommended directly for agricultural practice.
2. In order to use the obtained results in agricultural practice, it is necessary to conduct research in field conditions.

Author Response

Point 1: The manuscript presented the results of pot experiment in crop-rotation system (rapeseed/wheat and rice rotation. The Authors examined the effects of N application rate on previous crop yield, PN, SPN, SSR, 1000-GW, GY and HI and fate of 15N-labeled urea in the previous season crop and N management in rice season. The  subject is interesting and fall within the scope of the journal. The experimental dataset undoubtedly are useful experiments and constitutes some scientific values. The following points may be addressed by the Authors to enhance the usefulness of the paper. Line 88 – It's not soil. This is a soil track. Line 118-119 – the content of phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer should be given in the pure component.

Response 1: Thank you for your comment. I have modified it according to your opinion.(line 90, 132)

Point 2: Line 118 – How phosphorous fertilizer was applied? Line 113 – Determine how many rapeseed plants were in the pot? (Chapter 2.2 - there is one plant),  three rapeseed plants were taken from the pot (Line 134).

Response 2:  Thank you for your comment. Spread the phosphate fertilizer in the pot and mix it evenly.There is one rapeseed plant in pot,and we took three pots to test during mature period

Point 3: Formula (1) - should be NA kg.ha-1.Formula (2) - it should be N%.Formula 5) TN - explain the abbreviation.Formula (7) NRS - explain abbreviation.

Response 3: Thank you for your comment. I have modified it according to your opinion(line 170-171,173,177,178-179).

Point 4: There are no explanations below table 2.Line 221 – What does GFP mean? Or maybe the SSR?Line 292 – Sign correctly figure 4.Line 324 – Missing explanations TS HS MS.

Response 4: Thank you for your comment.  I have modified it according to your opinion.I have already replaced GFR with SSR,TS ,HS and MS are tillering stage, heading stage and maturation stage,respectively(line191-193,235,314,345).

Point 5: In order to use the obtained results in agricultural practice, it is necessary to conduct research in field conditions.

Response 5: Thank you for your comment.  Our next step is to conduct a verification pot experiment in field.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

1. Abstract is too detailed. It would be necessary to make this clearer. It is superfluous to refer to, for example, "pot 1" here.
2. In Experiment design section 2.2. N fertilizers application and treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3 should be presented in tabular form for better clarity.

3. Figure 4 should be Figure 3 instead. The name of the figure should also be arranged.

4. There are too many multi-letter abbreviations for the results of the article, which prevents reading. Therefore, I recommend using short versions of abbreviations.

Author Response

Point 1: Abstract is too detailed. It would be necessary to make this clearer. It is superfluous to refer to, for example, "pot 1" here.

Response 1: Thank you for your comment.We have condensed the abstract of the paper. (line 11-31)

Point 2: In Experiment design section 2.2. N fertilizers application and treatments M0, M1, M2 and M3 should be presented in tabular form for better clarity.

 

Response 2: Thank you for your comment.We have revised according to your opinion.(line 110-114)

 

Point 3: Figure 4 should be Figure 3 instead. The name of the figure should also be arranged.

Response 3: Thank you for your comment.  I have modified it (line 314)

Point 4: There are too many multi-letter abbreviations for the results of the article, which prevents reading. Therefore, I recommend using short versions of abbreviations.

Response 4: Thank you for your comment. We have already used short versions of abbreviations.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf