Patterns of Nitrogen and Phosphorus along a Chronosequence of Tea Plantations in Subtropical China

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play crucial roles in tea planting, but information on how the long-term excessive application of chemical N fertilizer affected N and P in subtropical tea plantations remains limited. In this study, soil and leaf samples were collected along a chronosequence of tea plantations (0-, 5-, 10-, 18- and 23-year-old plantations) with excessive N input but no P application to investigate the effects of planting age on N and P availability. Diverse soil N forms and P fractions, and the concentrations of leaf N and P were measured. The results showed that (1) NO3--N and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations in both topsoil and subsoil, and the N concentration of mature leaf showed significant upward trends with tea plantation age; (2) the concentrations of available phosphorus (AP), NaHCO3-Pi in labile P pool, NaOH-Pi and D.HCl-Pi in moderately labile P pool in both layers of soil and that the P concentration of mature leaf also increased with age; (3) the N concentration of mature leaves had closely significant logarithmic relations with NO3--N concentration, while the TP (total P) concentration of mature leaves had significant positive correlations with AP; and (4) the ratio of N/P in tea leaves indicated a slightly P limitation in tea plantations. We concluded that the NO3--N concentration, instead of TN (total N) of NH4+-N, would be a good indicator to reflect N availability for tea trees, and the increasing of NO3--N concentration in soil has a diminishing promoting effect on the TN concentration of mature leaves. The long-term application of chemical N fertilizer had not lead to serious P limitation in subtropical tea plantations. Generally, our study could contribute to improving our understanding of N and P availability and optimizing fertilization management in subtropical tea plantations.