Search Results (2,515)

The present study aims to address critical research gaps in duckweed–microbe symbiotic systems specifically applied to high-load livestock and poultry breeding wastewater. These gaps include the insufficient development of well-characterized, multi-functional, complex microbial consortia adapted to complex livestock wastewater matrices, and the technical challenge of achieving simultaneous efficient wastewater purification and duckweed feed quality enhancement. This study is motivated by the pressing issue of agricultural non-point source pollution, which is caused by large-scale livestock and poultry breeding wastewater discharge, and the high external dependence of the feed industry on protein raw materials. The present study utilised Spirodela as the fundamental material, and a functionally complementary complex symbiotic bacterial consortium consisting of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus tequilensis and Pseudomonas fluorescens was screened and constructed. An experiment was conducted over a 14-day period in which a range of inoculation ratios were systematically explored. The aim of this experiment was to ascertain the purification efficiency of the duckweed–bacteria symbiotic system on high-load livestock and poultry breeding wastewater. Furthermore, the experiment sought to determine the effect of this purification process on the feed value of duckweed. The results demonstrated that complex bacterial inoculation significantly enhanced wastewater purification efficiency. The final removal rate of ammonia nitrogen in all treatment groups exceeded 90% after 14 days, and the maximum removal rates of total nitrogen and total phosphorus reached 67.0% and 58.9%, respectively, thereby demonstrating superior purification performance in comparison to the control group. The inoculation ratio of 10:1 was identified as the optimal parameter for wastewater purification, while the 5:1 ratio was found to be the maximum for crude protein accumulation in duckweed. The maximum dry-based crude protein content recorded was 38.9% on day 14, representing an increase of 26.3% in comparison with the control group. The established duckweed–bacteria symbiotic system has the capacity to simultaneously achieve the efficient purification of livestock and poultry breeding wastewater and the high-value utilisation of duckweed. The optimal process parameters for a range of application scenarios have been determined. This study contributes to the theoretical framework of aquatic plant–microbe symbiotic remediation and provides technical support for the recycling of wastewater resources and the sustainable development of the livestock and poultry breeding industry. Full article

Degraded grey desert soils are characterized by severe nutrient deficiencies and structural compaction. This study elucidated how biogas slurry drip irrigation regulates the micro-pore architecture, fertility, and macroscopic hydraulic properties. A one-year field experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The experimentation included three irrigation levels (W1: 70% W, W2: 85% W, and W3: 100% W, where W is full irrigation) and three slurry ratios (S1: 60% S, S2: 80% S, and S3: 100% S, where S is the annual nitrogen application rate of 93 kg ha⁻¹), with undisturbed (CK) and chemical fertilizer (CF) controls. Surface soil samples (0–20 cm) were analyzed based on treatment averages using scanning electron microscopy and the van Genuchten (vG) model. The results indicated that W3S2 increased the total porosity to a peak of 42.39% compared with the CK baseline of 25.25%, while expanding the mean pore diameter to 9.24 μm. Concurrently, the application minimized the morphological pore fragmentation, reducing the fractal dimension from 1.82 under CK to 1.61 under W3S3. Although the macroscopic porosity expanded, the effective saturated water content decreased. We hypothesize that this reduction is driven by partial micropore clogging by organic coatings. This mitigated the excessive near-saturation water retention and accelerated drainage, while significantly increasing the specific water capacity at 100–1000 kPa suctions to delay moisture depletion. W2S3 (85% W, 100% S) performed favorably with regard to soil fertility and water retention stability. The W2S3 treatment optimized soil fertility and water retention stability by achieving peak concentrations of 17.69 g kg⁻¹ for SOM and 1.31 g kg⁻¹ for TN. Path analysis suggested that physical microstructural traits dominate macroscopic hydraulic regulation. In conclusion, biogas slurry drip irrigation provides a sustainable framework to optimize structural and hydraulic resilience in dryland agriculture. Full article

Magnesium fertilizer application generally improves both the internal and visual quality of tomato fruits grown in magnesium-deficient soils. However, it remains unclear whether similar effects occur in magnesium-sufficient soils under high nitrogen fertilization. A field experiment was conducted in Wuhan, China, using soil with suitable available Mg content (385.97 mg kg⁻¹) and four nitrogen (N) application rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg N ha⁻¹) combined with foliar Mg spraying. This study evaluated tomato yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and fruit quality. Nitrogen application combined with foliar Mg significantly increased yield and biomass. The highest fruit yield was achieved with 200 kg N ha⁻¹ plus foliar Mg, showing a 104.9% increase compared with the control, while the greatest biomass was observed under 300 kg N ha⁻¹ with Mg spraying. Foliar Mg application also enhanced leaf nitrogen accumulation, shoot magnesium accumulation, and nitrogen use efficiency. Furthermore, fruit titratable acidity, vitamin C, total phenols, redness, chroma, and yellowness were significantly improved. Fruit redness was positively associated with sugars, amino acids, vitamin C, and phenolic compounds. Overall, foliar Mg application under 200 kg N ha⁻¹ improved tomato yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and fruit quality. Full article

To investigate the effects of co-application of KMnO₄-modified biochar and organic fertilizer on the physicochemical properties, carbon and nitrogen content, and growth of Chinese cabbage in acidic red soil. Using typical acidic red soil from Yunnan as the test substrate, this study conducted a pot experiment with four treatment groups: control (CK), organic fertilizer alone (OF), biochar combined with organic fertilizer (BOF), and potassium permanganate KMnO₄-modified biochar combined with organic fertilizer (Mn-BOF), each at three application rates (1500, 3000, and 4500 kg/ha). The results indicated that KMnO₄ modification significantly improved the pore structure of biochar, increasing its specific surface area by 22.776%, and successfully loaded manganese onto the biochar surface. Compared with the CK, all treatments significantly increased soil pH, organic matter (SOM), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK), with the effects gradually increasing as the application rate rose; the 4500 kg/ha treatment yielded the best results. The Mn-BOF treatment was most effective in increasing soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), soluble organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC/DON), and microbial carbon and nitrogen (MBC/MBN); simultaneously, the Mn-BOF treatment significantly promoted the growth of Chinese cabbage, with yield under the 4500 kg/ha treatment increasing by 158.58% compared to CK (under pot-grown conditions), and soluble total sugars, chlorophyll, and vitamin C content also significantly increased. In summary, Mn-BOF can improve the fertility of acidic red soil, particularly demonstrating excellent performance in enhancing key carbon and nitrogen components such as SOC, TN, DOC, DON, MBC and MBN. This, in turn, promotes increased yield and improved quality of Chinese cabbage, providing feasible guidance for enhancing soil fertility in highland agricultural systems. Full article

Abandoned slopes often encounter problems such as compacted soil and lack of nutrients. Biochar, as a promising soil amendment agent, can effectively enhance soil fertility. Moreover, evaluating the nutrient and microbial characteristics during the improvement process is of great significance for revealing its mechanism of action in improving abandoned land. This study analyzed the characteristics of soil nutrients, microbial community structure, and co-occurrence network after reclamation under different application rates (0%, 1%, 2.5%, 4%, 5.5%, hereinafter referred to as CK, T1, T2, T3, T4) of corn straw biochar. The results showed that biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon (by 60.74–164.82%), total nitrogen (11.31–27.73%), and total phosphorus (13.32–56.03%) content, and the effect was best at a rate of 4% (T3). With the increase in biochar application rate, soil bulk density generally showed a downward trend, and pH generally showed an upward trend. Significant levels (p < 0.05) were reached from T2 to T4. There was a strong linear correlation between biochar application rate and soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and pH in the fitted model, with R² values reaching 0.753, 0.601, and 0.706, respectively. Microbial community analysis showed that biochar application changed the bacterial community structure. With the increase in soil depth, the Shannon index and Chao index of each treatment generally increased, indicating that soil depth is one of the key factors regulating the community structure. Biochar application promoted the proliferation of beneficial bacterial groups such as Pseudomonadota and Acidobacteriota, by increasing the number of co-occurrence network nodes and edges enhancing the complexity and stability of the microbial network. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the hypothesis that transient oxygen depletion is the mechanism of the skin sparing effect of ultra-high dose-rate irradiation, commonly referred to as FLASH irradiation. Methods: Two skin tattoo dots were placed approximately 1.0 cm apart on the thigh of FVB/N mice. The area overlapping the dots was irradiated with a single dose of 27 Gy protons delivered with either FLASH (~120 Gy/s) or 0.5 Gy/s conventional dose-rate (CDR) irradiation. Skin contraction was assessed by measuring the distance between the tattoo dots and complemented by histopathological skin analyses. Mice were placed in a 1.4 L chamber flushed with 5%, 7%, 20.9% or 100% oxygen (balance nitrogen, where applicable) prior to and during irradiation. Skin oxygenation was measured non-invasively using the phosphorescence quenching method. Results: Compared to air-breathing mice, skin contraction increases in mice breathing 100% oxygen and decreases when breathing 7% and 5% oxygen following CDR irradiation, showing that skin is neither fully oxygenated nor hypoxic. FLASH irradiation reduced skin contraction, epidermal thickening, and fibrosis in air-breathing mice compared to CDR irradiation. The difference between FLASH and CDR skin contraction decreases as the inspired gas oxygen content is reduced from 20.9% to 7%. Under 5% oxygen breathing conditions, the FLASH sparing effect is eliminated. Conclusions: Mean normal tissue pO₂ does not reveal the presence of cells at low pO₂ that could become susceptible to FLASH-induced radiobiological hypoxia at doses lower than would be predicted from the mean tissue pO₂ value. In the absence of oxygen, FLASH skin sparing for the late normal tissue effect, skin contraction, is eliminated. Full article

Controversy persists on a global scale regarding the trade-offs between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yield, the global warming potential (GWP), and GHG intensity (GHGI) following organic fertilizer substitution within vegetable cropping systems. This study aimed to quantify these effects under diverse conditions and elucidate the direct and indirect drivers governing these outcomes through a meta-analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). We synthesized 655 paired observations from 69 published studies using random-effects meta-analysis, finding that organic fertilizer substitution significantly increased CH₄ emissions and GWP compared to inorganic fertilizer controls. Although this was the general trend, organic fertilizer could reduce GWP under specific climatic and soil conditions by reducing N₂O emissions, such as mean annual precipitation <400 mm or soil total nitrogen ≥3 g kg⁻¹. These conditions were also associated with substantially higher yield and lower GHGI. Furthermore, SEM demonstrated that field management practices exerted significant direct effects on N₂O emissions, GWP, and GHGI. Reductions in N₂O emissions, GWP, and GHGI could be achieved with fertilizer application duration ≥10 years, total N application rate ≥300 kg ha⁻¹, and field cultivation or plowing. GHGI was also reduced through yield enhancement under a moderate organic substitution rate (33–66%) or irrigation ≥300 mm. Our study provides a scientific basis for moving beyond universal recommendations towards precision organic management, which is essential for optimizing fertilization strategies to mitigate agricultural GHG emissions. Full article

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) serves as the initial rate-limiting enzyme in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, governing the biosynthesis of precursors for photosynthetic pigments and terpenoids. In this study, the LaDXS2-2 gene was cloned and functionally characterized in lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). The full-length coding sequence (CDS) of LaDXS2-2 spans 2178 base pairs, encoding a protein of 725 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that LaDXS2-2 is most closely related to the DXS from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Expression profiling demonstrated that LaDXS2-2 was highly expressed in flower buds, and its transcript levels were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05) in response to ethephon, high light intensity, and low temperature, while exhibiting tissue-specific responses to gibberellin application. Subcellular localization assays confirmed LaDXS2-2 is targeted to the chloroplast. Heterologous overexpression of LaDXS2-2 in tobacco resulted in a marked increase in photosynthetic pigment content, enhanced the actual photochemical efficiency of photosystem II [Y(II)], and reduced non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses further revealed that LaDXS2-2 overexpression activated the diterpenoid biosynthesis pathway and upregulated amino acid metabolism as well as the TCA cycle, while competitively suppressing phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. These findings indicate that LaDXS2-2 not only enhances photosynthetic efficiency by promoting the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments but also suggests a potential role in influencing primary carbon and nitrogen metabolism, as inferred from transcriptomic and metabolomic data. This functionality may ultimately influence plant growth and metabolic homeostasis. Overall, this study provides a theoretical foundation for the synergistic improvement of photosynthetic efficiency and secondary metabolism in crops. Full article

Reducing nitrogen (N) fertilization is essential for sustainable agriculture, but it frequently suppresses photosynthetic capacity and diminishes grain yield in sorghum. To determine whether exogenous brassinolide (BL) can offset these negative effects, a two-year field experiment was conducted using foliar BL application (0.1 mg L⁻¹) under three N levels (0, 75, and 150 kg N ha⁻¹), with assessments of grain yield, photosynthetic parameters, dry matter accumulation, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Results showed that BL significantly increased grain yield under zero N (by 15.47%) and moderately under 50% N reduction (by 4.32%), primarily by increasing grains per panicle. Under N-reduced conditions, BL enhanced net photosynthetic rate (Pn), chlorophyll content, Rubisco/PEPC activities, and dry matter partitioning to panicles, with these traits positively correlated with yield. Under 50% N reduction, BL improved N recovery efficiency (RE) and agronomic efficiency (AE) while leaf N content correlated positively with SPAD, Pn, and yield. No significant BL effects occurred under normal N. Thus, exogenous BL application partially compensates for N reduction-induced yield loss by enhancing photosynthesis, source–sink partitioning, and NUE, providing a promising, environmentally sustainable strategy for sorghum production under reduced N input. Full article

Optimizing nitrogen management is essential for maintaining high spring maize yield while mitigating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions in irrigated areas. However, the interactive effects of total nitrogen application rate and starter nitrogen proportion on yield and N₂O emissions remain insufficiently quantified. Reliable assessment of these interactions requires well-calibrated DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) simulations, yet existing calibration studies often emphasize crop parameters while neglecting soil parameters critical for soil hydrothermal dynamics and N₂O production. In this study, field data from shallow-buried drip-irrigated spring maize in Tongliao during 2024–2025 were used to conduct Extended Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (EFAST) sensitivity analysis on 12 crop and 13 soil parameters of the DNDC model. Sensitive parameters were calibrated using the differential evolution algorithm, and 64 nitrogen management scenarios were simulated by combining eight total nitrogen application rates (100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, and 450 kg N ha⁻¹) with eight starter nitrogen proportions (0%, 15%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, and 50% of the total nitrogen rate). The results showed that DNDC outputs were jointly controlled by crop and soil parameters, among which maximum yield, leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, stem fraction, grain carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, thermal degree days for maturity, grain fraction, soil organic carbon (SOC) decrease rate below topsoil, soil clay content, soil porosity, wilting point and depth of top soil with uniform SOC content were dominant. Compared with the conventional crop-parameter calibration, the sensitivity-screened parameter set improved the simulation of both cumulative N₂O emissions and yield. Across the 64 scenarios, cumulative N₂O emissions ranged from 0.42 to 4.87 kg [N]/ha, while simulated maize yield ranged from 1597 to 6347 kg [C]/ha. N₂O emissions increased with total nitrogen rate, whereas yield increased initially and then reached a plateau. Increasing the starter nitrogen proportion did not substantially enhance yield but increased N₂O emission risk under high nitrogen rates. Overall, the scenario with 300 kg/ha and no nitrogen applied at sowing achieved a relatively high yield of 5519 kg [C]/ha while maintaining a low cumulative N₂O emission of 0.98 kg [N]/ha and was therefore identified as the preferred trade-off strategy under shallow-buried drip irrigation. This study provides an EFAST–DNDC framework for optimizing nitrogen management to sustain spring maize yield while reducing N₂O emissions in the West Liaohe Plain. Full article

A nitrogen/sulfur co-doped reduced graphene oxide (N,S-RGO) material was rationally prepared via a modified Hummers method followed by microwave-assisted reduction. The resulting material was uniformly deposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to fabricate an electrochemical sensor for nitrobenzene (NB) detection. The prepared N,S-RGO material was characterized in detail using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy, confirming the successful incorporation of heteroatoms. Furthermore, electrochemical studies, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), revealed the enhanced electrical conductivity of the material. The fabricated N,S-RGO/GCE sensor exhibited remarkable electroanalytical performance, achieving a low detection limit (LOD) of 7 nM within a linear concentration range of 0.05 to 147 µM. The enhanced sensing performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of nitrogen and sulfur doping, which improves electron transfer kinetics and abundant active sites for NB reduction. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated outstanding selectivity toward NB in the presence of common interfering substances. Its practical applicability was confirmed through the successful detection of NB in environmental water samples, yielding convincing recovery rates. These results highlight the potential of the N,S-RGO/GCE platform as an efficient and reliable electrochemical sensor for environmental monitoring of NB contamination. Full article

Background: Soil mulching is a widely adopted agricultural practice known to regulate soil microclimate and enhance crop productivity; yet the biochemical mechanisms by which intact plastic and biodegradable mulch films influence soil nitrogen (N) cycling at the metabolic pathway level remain largely unexplored. Understanding these nitrogen transformation pathways is critical for assessing the long-term impacts of mulching materials on soil microbial communities, soil health, and sustainable agricultural management. This study focuses on the biochemical effects of intact mulch film application on soil N metabolism. Methods: N cycle-related soil metabolites were profiled using GC–MS/MS and MALDI TOF/TOF MS and then integrated with multivariate statistical modelling and pathway-level metabolic network perturbation analysis to compare conventional plastic and biodegradable plastic mulch film application against unmulched controls. Results: A panel of 62 KEGG-annotated N-cycle metabolites was profiled, and material-dependent metabolome separation was confirmed by OPLS-DA (R²Y 0.893–0.956; Q² 0.546–0.786). Both mulching materials significantly perturbed soil N-metabolite pools but differed in terms of pathway identity, magnitude, and directionality. Conventional plastic mulching caused the greatest disruption—near-complete suppression of N-storage and stress-adaptation pools (NES of −1.16; impact score of 10.01) and severe impairment of aspartate-centred metabolism—with L-aspartate identified as a critical stoichiometric hub. Biodegradable mulching material imposed a distinct profile dominated by inhibition of branched-chain amino acid catabolism and lysine degradation, with L-pipecolate as a treatment-specific critical impact node. Conclusions: These findings support that mulching material choice is a primary determinant of soil N-cycling biochemistry. The observed metabolite-level perturbations are suggestive of potential consequences for nitrogen retention. Though this inference is based on metabolite pool size differences and network topology metrics rather than directly measured process rates, it should therefore be interpreted with appropriate caution. Full article

In view of the frequent occurrence of trapped annular pressure and the increasingly prominent risk of wellbore integrity under the periodic high-intensity injection and production conditions of gas storage wells, a trapped annular pressure prediction model suitable for deep gas storage wells is established based on the comprehensive heat transfer characteristics of the tubing string-cement sheath-formation. The calculation results of the model are in good agreement with field-measured pressure data, with a coincidence degree of about 95%. Based on the established model, the influence laws of four major factors, including tubing specification and dimension, thermophysical properties of annular fluid, casing material characteristics and daily gas production rate, on trapped annular pressure are systematically analyzed. Meanwhile, the pressure control effects of three measures, namely Annulus A pressure relief, application of insulated tubing and nitrogen injection into Annulus B, are quantitatively compared for the case well. The research results show that adopting tubing with larger outer diameter and thinner wall thickness, injecting fluid with lower thermal expansion coefficient or higher isothermal compressibility coefficient into the annulus and appropriately reducing daily gas production can effectively decrease trapped annular pressure. Among them, the influence of fluid properties on trapped annular pressure is far greater than that of pipe material parameters. Among the three pressure control measures, nitrogen injection into Annulus B presents the optimal pressure control effect; when the nitrogen volume accounts for approximately 3% of the total annular fluid volume, the trapped annular pressure is reduced by about 82%. The research findings provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the prediction and control of trapped annular pressure in gas storage wells. It is recommended to prioritize the nitrogen injection technology for Annulus B in the well construction stage, and realize pressure management for producing wells by combining Annulus A pressure relief and production regulation. Full article

Optimizing the interaction between planting density and nitrogen (N) application rate is critical for simultaneously improving grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains poorly understood in the fluvo-aquic soil region of the southern Huang–Huai–Hai Plain. This study aimed to elucidate the physiological mechanism by which planting density and nitrogen application interactively regulate source–sink coordination to achieve synergistic high grain yield and high NUE, and to screen the optimal local cultivation combination for winter wheat in southeastern Henan. A two-year consecutive field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2020 in Shangshui, Henan, using a split-plot design. Three planting densities (D1: 225 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹; D2: 375 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹; D3: 525 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹) and five N rates (N0: 0; N1: 180; N2: 240; N3: 300; N4: 360 kg N ha⁻¹) were established. Results demonstrated that planting density, N rate, and their interaction significantly regulated grain yield, NUE, and dry matter and N allocation, with consistent trends across both years. Increasing density enhanced total biomass and N accumulation, but dry matter and N partitioning to grains declined when density exceeded 375 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹. Grain yield exhibited a quadratic response to N rate; the optimal N rate for maximum yield decreased from 296.33 kg ha⁻¹ at low density (D1) to 237.50–245.38 kg ha⁻¹ at medium and high densities. The combination of 240 kg N ha⁻¹ and 375 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ (D2N2) produced the highest average grain yield (8875.35 kg ha⁻¹), with simultaneous improvements in spike number and kernels per spike as well as superior dry matter and N partitioning to grains. This combination also maintained high nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE) and nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE). Correlation analysis revealed that grain yield and NUE were significantly positively correlated with dry matter accumulation, N accumulation, and their partitioning proportions to grains. Overall, D2N2 achieved simultaneous high yield and high NUE by coordinately optimizing dry matter and N partitioning to grains. We therefore recommend reducing N fertilizer to approximately 240 kg ha⁻¹ combined with a moderate planting density of 375 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹ as the preferred strategy for sustainable and intensive winter wheat production in the fluvo-aquic soil region of southeastern Henan and adjacent areas. Full article

Maize, as a major cereal crop in China, is vital for national food security, and appropriate nitrogen fertilization is essential for its growth and yield. Avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilizer application while maintaining productivity remains a critical challenge for sustainable agriculture. Although straw returning is widely adopted to reduce chemical fertilizer inputs, its effectiveness is often regionally constrained. In the West Liaohe Plain, low temperature and spring drought limit straw decomposition and nutrient release, making it difficult to reduce nitrogen fertilizer input and improve fertilizer use efficiency. Therefore, this study examined the effects of different nitrogen management modes on straw decomposition, nutrient release, mineral fertilizer substitution potential, soil available nutrients, and maize yield under shallow buried drip irrigation with integrated water and fertilizer management. A field experiment was conducted with five nitrogen (N) fertilizer management treatments: a conventional fertilization treatment (CK), in which 15% of total N was applied as starter fertilizer; two increased starter N treatments, in which 30% (30%N) and 45% (45%N) of total N were applied as starter fertilizer; and two organic substitution treatments, in which 30% (30%ON) and 45% (45%ON) of mineral N fertilizer were substituted with decomposed sheep manure based on equivalent total N input. Straw decomposition and nutrient release were measured using the nylon mesh bag method and fitted with an exponential decay model. The mineral fertilizer substitution potential was estimated based on straw nutrient release, while soil available nutrient dynamics in the 0–40 cm soil layer were analyzed, and the Mantel test and PCA were used to assess their relationships. Organic substitution promoted straw decomposition. The 30%ON treatment showed the highest rate at 70.91%, which was 19.2% higher than that of CK, and it exhibited a higher theoretical maximum decomposition rate (a), higher decomposition rate constant (k), and a shorter half-life. All treatments increased nutrient release and soil available nutrients, and organic substitution demonstrated stronger temporal persistence and more uniform vertical distribution among soil layers. The 30%ON treatment increased straw nutrient release by 4.8% to 18.2% and enhanced mineral fertilizer substitution potential. Although the 30%ON treatment did not increase yield in the first experimental year, it showed a significant yield advantage in the second year, which coincided with greater straw nutrient release and higher soil available nutrient levels under this treatment. Substituting 30% of mineral N fertilizer with organic fertilizer under shallow buried drip irrigation (300 kg N ha⁻¹) optimized the C/N balance of the input system and facilitated straw decomposition and nutrient release. The continuous accumulation of soil available nutrients under this treatment, together with sustained straw nutrient release, was associated with a significant yield advantage in the second experimental year. Therefore, the 30%ON treatment may represent an appropriate management strategy for coordinating straw resource utilization, soil fertility maintenance, and stable maize production in the West Liaohe Plain. Full article