A pot experiment including five treatments of CK(neither urea nor chicken manure was applied)

N100(100% of nitrogen was provided by urea)

M10N90(10% and 90% of nitrogen was provided by chicken manure and urea

respectively)

M30N70(30% and 70% of nitrogen was provided by chicken manure and urea

respectively)

and M50N50(50% and 50% of nitrogen was provided by chicken manure and urea

respectively) was conducted to evaluate the effects of chicken manure co-applied with inorganic fertilizer on root morphological characteristics and ecological environment of 1-year PopulusבLulin-1’seedlings rhizosphere soil. The results indicated that in comparison to N100 treatment

M30N70 treatment significantly increased the root surface area

specific root surface area

total root length and root volume

and obviously increased the content of total amino acids

total organic acids and total sugars in root exudates. In the meantime

M30N70 treatment apparently increased available nitrogen

available phosphorus

available potassium and trace element contents

but decreased the pH value in the rhizosphere soil. Besides

different fertilizer treatments had great effects on humus composition of rhizosphere soil. M30N70 treatment decreased the ratio of humin to humic acid

while significantly increased the humic acid contents and the ratio of humic acid to fulvic acid. However

in M10N90 and M50N50 treatments

less effects on poplar seedlings was observed than that in M30N70 treatment. In conclusion

chicken manure co-applied with inorganic fertilizer

especially M30N70 treatment

is beneficial to the root morphological characteristics and ecological environment at rhizosphere soil

which is importance to increase the transplanting survival rate of poplar seedlings.