Recent Advances on the Technologies to Increase Fertilizer Use Efficiency

To increase fertilizer use efficiency （FUE） and to minimize its negative impact on environment have been the focal points in the world for a long time. It is very important to increase FUE in China for its relatively low FUE and serious losses of nutrients. Recent advances of the technologies to increase FUE are reviewed in this article. These include site-specific and real-time nitrogen management, non-destructive quick test of the nitrogen status of plants, new types of slow release and controlled release fertilizers, site-specific nutrient management, and use of urease inhibitor and nitrification inhibitor to decrease nitrogen losses. Future outlook in technologies related to FUE improvement is also discussed.

The relationship between farm size and fertilizer use efficiency:Evidence from China

Low fertilizer use efficiency is commonly found in China’s agriculture sector. It is critical to understand the drivers of fertilizer use in order to increase fertilizer use efficiency(FUE). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between farm size and FUE based on farm-level data in China. The results suggest a positive farm size–FUE relationship. The estimated elasticities of farm size for rice, maize, wheat–maize, and rice–maize are similar, and the average elasticity of farm size is around 0.2. Statistically, a 1% increase in farm size is associated with a 0.2%increase in FUE. The positive effect of farm size on FUE is not due to the increase in yield, but the reduction in fertilizer use while keeping yield largely unchanged. The findings suggest that promoting the expansion of farm size may increase FUE, and thus reduce environmental pollution caused by fertilizer overuse.

Effect of Indigenous Nitrogen Supply of Soil on the Grain Yield and Fertilizer-N Use Efficiency in Rice

The effects of application of N fertilizer on wheat on the grain yield and N use efficiency （FNUE） of rice in the wheat-rice rotation system, as well as on the soil fertility were studies. N-fertilizer application on wheat significantly increased total N, arnrnoniurn-N and nitrate-N contents in paddy field, resulting in high indigenous N supply of soil （INS）. Compared with low INS, the effect of N rate on the grain yield of rice was reduced significantly, and FNUE was decreased under high INS. These results indicated that high INS was one of the main reasons for the low FNUE in rice.

Effects of Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium Combined Fertilization on Rice Yield and Fertilizer Use Efficiency in Jianghan Plain

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the rational formula for rice fertilization in Jianghan Plain.[Methods]An experiment on the combined application of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium fertilizers was carried out in Jianghan Plain,an important rice producing area in Hubei,with a total of five treatments to study the effects of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium fertilizers on the fertilizer use efficiency and yield of rice.[Results]Fertilization had a significant effect on improving rice yield,and nitrogen fertilizer had the greatest effect on rice yield,followed by potassium fertilizer and phosphorous fertilizer.[Conclusions]This study provides a scientific basis for the application of rice fertilizers and the reduction and efficiency improvement of chemical fertilizers in Jianghan Plain.

Effects of Slow-release Fertilizer and Balanced Fertilization on Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Uptake in Peppers

Field plot experiment was conducted to study the effects of two slow-re- lease fertilizers and balanced fertilization on dry matter accumulation, yield, fertilizer use efficiency, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake of peppers at Jiangna Town, Yanshan County, Yunnan Province in 2011. The results showed that the dry matter accumulation in dried pepper plant, pepper yield, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium uptake in peppers were significantly increased in all the fertilizer treat- ments, compared with those in control （no fertilizer）. Compared with conventional fertilization, balanced fertilization, slow-release compound fertilizer and slow-release urea fertilizer significantly increased dried pepper economic output by 20.94%, 17.5% and 14.54%, nitrogen uptake in dried peppers by 21.53%,18.46% and 13.19%, phosphorus uptake in dried peppers by 14.08%, 15.76% and 10.44%, potassium uptake in dried peppers by 22.66%, 15.73% and 16.28%; they also in- creased nitrogen and potassium use efficiency, but reduced potassium use efficiency due to the increased potassium addition. In treatments with balanced fertilization, slow-release compound fertilizer and slow-release urea fertilizer, the nitrogen utiliza- tion was 5.84%, 7.14% and 8.33% higher and the phosphorus utilization was 3.32%, 3.27% and 2.47% higher than those in treatment with conventional fertiliza- tion. In addition, the nitrogen application could be reduced by 20%-50% by bal- anced fertilization and the two slow-release fertilizers, thereby reducing environmen- tal pollution. Slow-release fertilizers could also reduce the frequency of fertilization and labor costs.

Effect of Continuous Application of Controlled Release Nitrogen Fertilizer in Various Types of Soil in Dong-Ting Lake Region under Double Rice Cropping System

[Objective] This study aimed to explore the effects of continuous application of controlled release nitrogen fertilizer under double rice cropping system. [Method] By modeling three types of paddy soils in Dong-Ting Lake area, four treatments as no fertilizer （CK）, urea, controlled release nitrogen fertilizer （CRNF） and 70% controlled release nitrogen fertilizer （70% CRNF） were designed in the micro-plot trials from 2005 to 2008. [Result] The rice yield in treatment CRNF at N 150 kg/hm2 was increased by 10.3%, 8.0% and 2.4% compared with treatment of urea, in alluvial sandy loamy paddy soil （ALS）, purple calcareous clayey paddy soil （PCS）, and reddish yellow loamy paddy soil （RYS）, respectively; and the yield in treatment of 70% CRNF was increased by 6.1%, 2.6% and -0.8%, respectively. The ranking order of nitrogen uptake amount by plant in early rice and late rice was CRNF 70% CRNF urea CK in all three types of soil. Nitrogen utilization efficiency of CRNF in above three types of soil was 60.7%, 59.6% and 56.3%, increased by 23.8%, 19.4% and 16.3% compared with that in treatment of urea, respectively. Nitrogen utilization efficiency of CRNF in early rice was increased year by year, and was higher than that of 70% CRNF during the whole experiment stage, while that in late rice was increased first and then decreased from the 3rd year. [Conclusion] Continuous application CRNF could alleviate the decreasing of soil nitrogen fertility and organic carbon especially in ALS, increase rice yield and nitrogen utilization efficiency in double-rice cropping system.

Effects of Growing of Different Types of Crops on Constitution of Soil Available Nitrogen and Conversion and Utilization of Nitrogen Fertilizer

The soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum were planted in pot under low nitrogen, high nitrogen treatments, the soil available nitrogen constitution and con- version and utilization of nitrogen fertilizer were determined, so as to provide techni- cal guidance for reasonable use and improving use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer for different types of crops. Compared with the control with nitrogen but unplanted crop, growing soybean, cotton, maize, sorghum significantly decreased the soil available N contents by 53. 48%, 51.54%, 33.10%, 55.03%,and influenced the constitution of soil available N. Thereinto, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased soil inorganic N contents by 85.41%, 83.09%, 70.89% and 83.35%,but increased soil hydrolysable organic N contents by 1.41, 1.53, 2.11 and 1.28 times, respectively; growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly decreased the rate of soil inorganic N to available N by 68.61%, 65.09%, 56.47% and 63.00%, but increased the rate of soil hydrolysable organic N to available N by 4.18, 4.21, 3.66 and 4.08 times, respectively. Compared with the control, growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum significantly increased the transform rate of ammonium nitrogen fertilizer by 93.66%, 38.19%, 32.58% and 38.31% respectively, and growing soybean treatment had the highest increasing range; the nitrification rates of ammo- nium nitrogen fertilizer of growing soybean, cotton, maize and sorghum treatments were negative values, and growing soybean treatment had the highest decreasing amplitude. The ammonium nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of growing soybean, cot- ton, maize and sorghum treatments were 52.01%, 28.31%, 24.16% and 28.40% re- spectively and growing soybean treatment had the highest value. In conclusion, growing crops suppressed the soil nitrification and accelerated the development of soil hydrolysable organic nitrogen by the utilization of soil available nitrogen and the alteration of soil environment, and hence impacted the constitution of soil available nitrogen and the transform and use of ammonium nitrogen applied in soil. Legumi- nous crops had stronger ability of suppressing nitrification, making use of ammonium compared with non-Leguminous crops.

Effects of Postponing N Application on Metabolism,Absorption and Utilization of Nitrogen of Summer Maize in SuperHigh Yield Region

[Objective] The aim was to explore effects of application postponing of N fertilizer and the mechanism of yield increase in order to provide references for N fertilizer application in a rational way. [Method] In a super-high yielded region of summer maize, field experiment was conducted to research effects of N fertilizer postponing on key enzymes of N metabolism, yield of maize and N fertilizer use. [Result] After application of N fertilizer was postponed, NR, SPS and GS activities of ear-leaf of summer maize increased by 11.99%-34.87%, 8.25%-10.64% and 10.00%- 16.81% on the 28^th d of silking; content of soluble sugar in leaves enhanced signifi- cantly and accumulated nitrogen increased by 5.00%-9.74% in mature stage. The postponing fertilization of ＂30% of fertilizer in seedling stage＋30% of fertilizer in flare- opening stage＋40% of fertilizer in silking stage meets N demands of summer maize in late growth period. Compared with conventional fertilization, the maize yield, agro- nomic efficiency and use of N fertilizer all improved by 5.05%, 1.75 kg/kg and 6.87%, respectively, after application postponed. [Conclusion] Application postponing of N fertilizer maintains activity of NR, GS and SPS higher and coordinates metabolism of C and N in late growth period, to further improve yield of maize.

Measurement and analysis of biogas fertilizer use efficiency, nutrient distribution and influencing factors of biogas residues and slurry on pig farms

Although the effects of biogas residues and slurry returning to farmland are good,they still cannot be used widely in China.In this study,the biogas fertilizer use efficiency,nutrient distribution and influencing factors of fertilizer use efficiency of biogas residues and slurry in 20 biogas projects in Chongming County,Shanghai,China were measured and analyzed.The correlation and a linear regression fit of parts of test indicators were also analyzed.The results show that pig farm biogas residues and slurry mixture are nutrient-rich and can be used as a high-quality organic fertilizer,while its fertilizer use efficiency is unstable because of the differences among area,raw materials,fermentation technology and operation management.Nutrients are not evenly distributed in biogas residues and slurry.Higher levels of organic matters,P and trace elements were detected in biogas residues and higher levels of water-soluble N and K were detected in biogas slurry.The correlations between some test indicators of biogas residues and slurry mixture are significant,especially between total K and conductivity.Linear regression model fitting results of parts of test indicators are satisfactory.Hence,the values of the other test indicators can be estimated by one known indicator which can effectively reduce the determination workload under some limited situations.

Chemical fertilizer rate, use efficiency and reduction of cereal crops in China, 1998–2018

This paper studied the fertilizer rate(FR), fertilizer use efficiency(FUE) and fertilizer overuse rate(FOR) of rice, corn and wheat in China from 1998 to 2018 and briefly analysed the reasons why farmers were willing to apply more fertilizers.(1) The FR of grain in China reached 373.7 kg/ha in 2018, an increase of 26.8% compared to that in 1998. In 2018, the FR for corn was the highest, at 411.2 kg/ha, compared to the values of 338.3 kg/ha for rice and 371.7 kg/ha for wheat.(2) In recent years, the FUE of grain in China has obviously improved, with values of 32.9% in 1998, 36.7% in 2008, and 39.3% in 2018. In 2018, the FUE for rice was the highest(41.2%), followed by that for corn(39.9%), and the FUE for wheat was the lowest(36.0%).(3) By 2018, fertilizer was overused in all zones of rice, corn and wheat. In 2018, the average FOR for wheat reached 69.0%, which was 35.9% higher than that for corn and 42.8% higher than that for rice.(4) The lower price of chemical fertilizers was the main reason leading to overapplication.(5) Establishing market mechanisms and adjusting regional planting structures can be effective in reducing the application of chemical fertilizers.

Agronomic cultivation measures on productivity of oilseed flax:A review

Oilseed flax is one of the most important oil crops in China.With the improvement of people's living standards and the deepening knowledge of the nutritional value of oilseed flax,the demand and economic value of oilseed flax are increasing,and the cultivated area in China is expanding.However,the grain yield of oilseed flax is lower than other oil crops.It varies significantly from year to year,combined with a lower degree of mechanization,which has greatly limited the healthy development of the flax industry.Some of the effects of agronomic measures on productivity and water use efficiency of oilseed flax are reviewed in this paper.The major agronomic strategies for the productivity of oilseed flax were presented based on fertilization,plant density,irrigation,cropping pattern and weed control.Future research should investigate the effect of silicon and potassium fertilizers on the mechanism of lodging resistance of oilseed flax,the effects of diversified cropping systems(strip intercropping and crop rotation)on high and stable productivity and efficient utilization of resources.

Comparative effects of nitrogen application on growth and nitrogen use in a winter wheat/summer maize rotation system

The application of fertilizer in agricultural production has become universally common for achieving high crop yields and economic benefits, but it has potential impacts on food safety, energy crisis and environmental pollution. Optimal management of fertilization is thus necessary for maintaining sustainable agriculture. Two-year（2013–2015） field experiment was conducted, in Yangling（108°24′E, 34°20′N, and 521 m a.s.l.）, Shaanxi Province, China, to explore the effects of different nitrogen（N） applications on biomass accumulation, crop N uptake, nitrate N（NO_3~–-N） distribution, yield, and N use with a winter wheat/summer maize rotation system. The N applications consisted of conventional urea（U）（at 80（U80）, 160（U160）, and 240（U240） kg N ha^（–1）; 40% applied as a basal fertilizer and 60% top-dressed at jointing stage） and controlled-release urea（CRU）（at 60（C60）, 120（C120）, 180（C180）, and 240（C240） kg N ha~（^（–1））; all applied as a basal fertilizer） with no N application as a control（CK）. The continuous release of N from CRU matched well with the N demands of crop throughout entire growing stages. Soil NO_3~–-N content varied less and peaked shallower in CRU than that in urea treatments. The differences, however, were smaller in winter wheat than that in summer maize seasons. The average yield of summer maize was the highest in C120 in CRU treatments and in U160 in urea treatments, and apparent N use efficiency（NUE） and N agronomic efficiency（NAE） were higher in C120 than in U160 by averages of 22.67 and 41.91%, respectively. The average yield of winter wheat was the highest in C180 in CRU treatments and in U240 in urea treatments with C180 increasing NUE and NAE by averages of 14.89 and 35.62% over U240, respectively. The annual yields under the two N fertilizers were the highest in C120 and U160. The results suggested that CRU as a basal fertilizer once could be a promising alternative of urea as split application in semiarid areas.

Effects of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin and the plant growth regulator gibberellic acid on yield-scale nitrous oxide emission in maize fields under hot climatic conditions

Nitrification inhibitors are widely used in agriculture to mitigate nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)emission and increase crop yield.However,no concrete information on their mitigation of N_(2)O emission is available under soil and environmental conditions as in Pakistan.A field experiment was established using a silt clay loam soil from Peshawar,Pakistan,to study the effect of urea applied in combination with a nitrification inhibitor,nitrapyrin(2-chloro-6-tri-chloromethyl pyridine),and/or a plant growth regulator,gibberellic acid(GA_3),on N_(2)O emission and the nitrogen(N)uptake efficiency of maize.The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five treatments in four replicates:control with no N(CK),urea(200 kg N ha^(-1))alone,urea in combination with nitrapyrin(700 g ha^(-1)),urea in combination with GA_3(60 g ha^(-1)),and urea in combination with nitrapyrin and GA_3.The N_(2)O emission,yield,N response efficiency,and total N uptake were measured during the experimental period.The treatment with urea and nitrapyrin reduced total N_(2)O emission by 39%–43%and decreased yield-scaled N_(2)O emission by 47%–52%,relative to the treatment with urea alone.The maize plant biomass,grain yield,and total N uptake increased significantly by 23%,17%,and 15%,respectively,in the treatment with urea and nitrapyrin,relative to the treatment with urea alone,which was possibly due to N saving,lower N loss,and increased N uptake in the form of ammonium;they were further enhanced in the treatment with urea,nitrapyrin,and GA_3 by 27%,36%,and 25%,respectively,probably because of the stimulating effect of GA_3 on plant growth and development and the reduction in biotic and abiotic stresses.These results suggest that applying urea in combination with nitrapyrin and GA_3 has the potential to mitigate N_(2)O emission,improve N response efficiency,and increase maize yield.