Current Soil Nutrient Status of Intensively Managed Greenhouses

Nine districts covering the main greenhouse vegetable areas in Tianjin Municipality of the North China Plain were selected for the soil investigation in 2010 to survey the current soil nutrient status (soil available N, P and K), acidification and salinization due to excessive input of fertilizers in greenhouses in Tianjin. The study showed that, in particular, soil available P content increased with the age of greenhouses. In contrast, our results did not reveal higher K accumulation and lowered pH in the greenhouse soils compared with cultivation in open fields. Over-fertilization, causing high NO3− accumulation, most likely resulted in salinity problems in the greenhouses. Ninety percent of the investigated greenhouse soils had electrical conductivity values of saturated paste extracts of 2–10 d S m−1, which might affect the yields of vegetable crops like green bean, pepper, cabbage, carrot, eggplant, lettuce, spinach, celery, cucumber and tomato. The findings of our survey of the current fertility and salinity problems in greenhouse soils suggest that there is an urgent need to improve the farmers’ practices and strategies in fertilization management in greenhouses of China. Because education and the agricultural technical extension services may play a more important role in avoiding overuse of fertilizers, we suggest that current nutrient management practices should be improved in the near future through training of local farmers in farmers’ schools and through strengthening the agricultural extension services with practical techniques.