Combining nitrogen effects and metabolomics to reveal the response mechanisms to nitrogen stress and the potential for nitrogen reduction in maize

The physiological and metabolic differences in maize under different nitrogen(N)levels are the basis of reasonable N management,which is vital in improving fertilizer utilization and reducing environmental pollution.In this paper,on the premise of defining the N fertilizer efficiency and yield under different long-term N fertilization treatments,the corresponding differential metabolites and their metabolic pathways were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics in maize.N stress,including deficiency and excess,affects the balance of carbon(C)metabolism and N metabolism by regulating C metabolites(sugar alcohols and tricarboxylic acid(TCA)cycle intermediates)and N metabolites(various amino acids and their derivatives).L-alanine,L-phenylalanine,L-histidine,and L-glutamine decreased under N deficiency,and L-valine,proline,and L-histidine increased under N excess.In addition to sugar alcohols and the above amino acids in C and N metabolism,differential secondary metabolites,flavonoids(e.g.,kaempferol,luteolin,rutin,and diosmetin),and hormones(e.g.,indoleacetic acid,trans-zeatin,and jasmonic acid)were initially considered as indicators for N stress diagnosis under this experimental conditions.This study also indicated that the leaf metabolic levels of N2(120 kg ha–1 N)and N3(180 kg ha–1 N)were similar,consistent with the differences in their physiological indexes and yields over 12 years.This study verified the feasibility of reducing N fertilization from 180 kg ha–1(locally recommended)to 120 kg ha–1 at the metabolic level,which provided a mechanistic basis for reducing N fertilization without reducing yield,further improving the N utilization rate and protecting the ecological environment.

Identifying the critical phosphorus balance for optimizing phosphorus input and regulating soil phosphorus effectiveness in a typical winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in North China

Phosphorus(P)is a nonrenewable resource and a critical element for plant growth that plays an important role in improving crop yield.Excessive P fertilizer application is widespread in agricultural production,which not only wastes phosphate resources but also causes P accumulation and groundwater pollution.Here,we hypothesized that the apparent P balance of a crop system could be used as an indicator for identifying the critical P input in order to obtain a high yield with high phosphorus use efficiency(PUE).A 12-year field experiment with P fertilization rates of 0,45,90,135,180,and 225 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1)was conducted to determine the crop yield,PUE,and soil Olsen-P value response to P balance,and to optimize the P input.Annual yield stagnation occurred when the P fertilizer application exceeded a certain level,and high yield and PUE levels were achieved with annual P fertilizer application rates of 90-135 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1).A critical P balance range of 2.15-4.45 kg P ha^(-1)was recommended to achieve optimum yield with minimal environmental risk.The critical P input range estimated from the P balance was 95.7-101 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1),which improved relative yield(>90%)and PUE(90.0-94.9%).In addition,the P input-output balance helps in assessing future changes in Olsen-P values,which increased by 4.07 mg kg^(-1)of P for every 100 kg of P surplus.Overall,the P balance can be used as a critical indicator for P management in agriculture,providing a robust reference for limiting P excess and developing a more productive,efficient and environmentally friendly P fertilizer management strategy.