Data are means with the standard errors (n=4) except for shoot biomass where n=8. Significant differences among three planting densities at each plant growth stages are denoted by different letters (post hoc Tukey–Kramer honest test, p < 0.05).

Table 2: Gross nitrification (GNN), total dissolved organic C (DOC) and dissolved N (DN), microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), mineral N (exchangeable NH₄⁺ plus NO₃^-), C: N ratio of SOM mineralization (SOM-derived CO₂: GNM), the DOC: DN ratio and the MBC: MBN ratio for each level of the planting density at different plant growth stages.