Influence of Straw Incorporation on Maize Yield,N Accumulation and Remobilization on Slope Farmland in Northeast China

Slope farmland is a main type of agricultural land throughout northeast China.Long-term high intensity utilization and unreasonable farming have caused the deterioration of soil resources and a decrease in crop production.Here,it was hypothesized that crop straw incorporation might help to reduce nutrient losses and increase maize yields across time and space.A field experiment for testing straw management practices on maize across three slope positions(top,back and bottom slopes)was conducted in Northeast China in 2018 and 2019.In this study,the dry matter accumulation(DMA),N accumulation(NA),N remobilization,postsilking N uptake and grain yield were measured under SI(straw incorporation)and NSI(no straw incorporation)across three slope positions of 100-m-long consecutive black soil slope farmland during the maize(Zea mays L.)growth stages.Compared with NSI,SI significantly increased DMA and NA at the silking and maturity stages.SI typically increased the N remobilization in all slope positions,and significantly increased N remobilization efficiency and contribution of N remobilization to grain on the back and bottom slopes.However,post-silking N uptake was only increased by SI on the top slope.SI generally increased the crop yield in three slope positions.In the SI treatments,the bottom slope was the highest yield position,followed by the top,and then the back slopes,suggesting that the bottom slope position of regularly incorporated straw might have increased the potential for boosting maize yield.Overall,the study demonstrated the outsized potential of straw incorporation to enhance maize NA and then increase the grain yield in black soil slope farmland.

Study on Nitrogen Distribution in Leaf, Stem and Sheathat Different Layers in Winter Wheat Canopyand Their Influence on Grain Quality

Vertical distribution of nitrogen in wheat canopy, nitrogen remobilization and their influence on grain quality of winter wheat were studied. Two winter wheat cultivars, Jingdong8, a common cultivar, and Zhongyou9507, a high quality cultivar, were selected. Leaf nitrogen showed an obvious decreasing trend from the canopy top to the ground surface for all treatments in growth duration. There was no apparent vertical nitrogen gradient in stem and sheath of Zhongyou9507 compared with Jingdong8. Zhongyou9507 had more nitrogen remobilization from leaf, stem and sheath than Jingdong8 from middle grain filling to waxening, especially the nitrogen remobilization amount in stem and sheath, which was higher than that in Jingdong8 during growth duration. Higher vertical nitrogen gradients in Jingdong8 at anthesis had disadvantages on its grain quality. But higher vertical nitrogen gradients between middle and lower layers of Jingdong8 at grain filling stage enhanced its grain quality. Higher vertical nitrogen gradients in upper layer at anthesis and upper layer leaf and middle layer stem and sheath at grain filling stage had advantages on protein accumulation in grain of Zhongyou9507. There were positive correlations between foliar nitrogen remobilization amount and grain quality at later growth stage for the two cultivars. There was a positive correlation between quality of Jingdong8 and stem and sheath nitrogen remobilization amount from anthesis to early grain filling, and that of Zhongyou9507 emerged from anthesis to early grain filling and from middle grain filling to waxening. Contribution of leaf nitrogen to the quality of Jingdong8 was larger than nitrogen from stem and sheath. High protein content of Zhongyou9507 was attributed to the nitrogen condition in its leaf, stem and sheath. Nitrogen in stem and sheath played a more important role on the grain quality of Zhongyou9507 than on that of Jingdong8.

Distribution and accumulation of zinc and nitrogen in wheat grain pearling fractions in response to foliar zinc and soil nitrogen applications

Increasing zinc(Zn)concentration in wheat grain is important to minimize human dietary Zn deficiency.This study aimed to investigate the effect of foliar Zn and soil nitrogen(N)applications on the accumulation and distribution of N and Zn in grain pearling fractions,N remobilization,and the relationships between nutrient concentration in the vegetative tissues and grain or its fractions in two cropping years in the North China Plain.The results showed a progressive decrease in N and Zn concentrations from the outer to the inner parts of grain,with most of the accumulation in the core endosperm.Foliar Zn application significantly increased N concentration in the pericarp,and soil N application increased N concentration in each grain fraction.Both treatments significantly increased core endosperm Zn concentration.Foliar Zn had no effect on grain N and Zn distribution.Soil N application made N concentrated in the aleurone,promoted Zn translocation to the core endosperm and also increased N remobilization and its efficiency from the shoot to the grain,but no improved contribution to grain was found.N concentration in grain and its fractions were positively correlated with N in vegetative organs at anthesis and maturity,while positive correlations were obtained between N concentration in the pericarp and progressive central area of the endosperm and Zn concentration in the core endosperm.Thus,foliar Zn and soil N applications effectively increased yield and N and Zn concentrations in the wheat grain,particularly in the endosperm,and could be promising strategies to address Zn deficiency.