Effects of Super Absorbent Polymers on Yield and Water-saving and Drought-escaping Mechanism in Spring Maize

The effects of super absorbent polymers （SAP） on yield as well as water-saving and drought-escaping mechanism in spring maize in the seasonal drought region were studied. As shown by the results, during the seasonal drought in southern China, SAP treatment promoted the soil moisture, improved the capability of absorption and transportation of roots, promoted physiological and biochemical functions, increased the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate and intercellular CO2 concentration, and reduced the stomatal conductance and transplre.tion rate. As a result, the economic characters of spring maize were improved, and the yield was increased.

Influences of Nitrogen Level on Carbon Metabolism of Spring Maize

[Objective]To study the effect of supplies of nitrogen level on spring maize leaf blade carbon metabolism.[Method]In this experiment,field trail and biochemistry analysis were used to study the effect of the diference-nitrogen level on the content of chlorophyl and carboxylase activity of RuBP and PEP in the leaf of spring maize during main growing period.[Result]Applying proper amount of N could keep relative higher content of chlorophyl and higher activity of carboxylase of RuBP and PEP in the leaf of spring maize,insufficient or excessive（N 400 kg/hm^2） of nitrogenous fertilizer has the adverse effect.[Conclusion]In this experiment,applying 300 kg/hm^2 amount of N could keep relative higher content of chlorophyl and higher activity of carboxylase of RuBP and PEP in the leaf of spring maize during main growing period.It was important to strengthens the leaf blade photosynthesis ability,promote the yield formation and postpone the decline of leaf blade.

Effects of Different Nitrogen Application Methods on Enzyme Activities in Leaves at Late Growth Stage of Spring Maize

[Objective] This paper aimed at exploring the effects of different nitrogen application methods on the enzyme activities of leaves at ear position in late growth stage of maize. [Method] By pot experiment, the superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity, peroxidase （POD） activity, malonyl dialdehyde （MDA） content and soluble protein content were determined. [Result] At the filling stage and ripening stage, with the increasing of nitrogen application rate, MDA content gradually decreased, while SOD activity, POD activity and soluble protein content increased. MDA content with two topdressing nitrogen was lower than that with one top dressing nitrogen at the same nitrogen application rate, while SOD activity, POD activity and soluble protein content with two topdressing nitrogen were higher than that with one topdressing nitrogen. [Conclusion] Different nitrogen application methods have relatively significant effects on the MDA content, SOD activity, POD activity and soluble protein content, which is of certain directive significance for preventing spring maize prematuration.

Study on Matter Production and Population Photosynthetic Characteristics of High-yielding Spring Maize under Different Modes

In order to construct a good population structure, improve the light energy utilization ratio, and give a full play to the high-yielding potential of spring maize, the effects of maize variety, planting density and fertilizer management on matter production and population photosynthetic physiological indices of spring maize were investigated under three different modes （traditional mode, optimized mode and high- yielding mode）. The results showed that compared with those under the traditional mode, the yield of spring maize under the optimized mode and high-yielding mode was increased by 10.79% and 27.62%, respectively, and the barren tip length was reduced significantly. Among the three modes, the leaf area index （LA/）, leaf area duration （LAD）, dry matter accumulation （DMA） and crop growth rate （CGR） all ranked as high-yielding rnode＇s〉optimized mode＇s〉traditional mode＇s. In conclusion, optimized variety, appropriately increased planting density and strengthened fertilizer management are the key measures to obtain high yield of spring maize.

Basic Soil Productivity of Spring Maize in Black Soil Under Long-Term Fertilization Based on DSSAT Model

Increasing basic farmland soil productivity has significance in reducing fertilizer application and maintaining high yield of crops. In this study, we defined that the basic soil productivity （BSP） is the production capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local environment and field management. Based on 22-yr （1990-2011） long-term experimental data on black soil （Typic hapludoll） in Gongzhuling, Jilin Province, Northeast China, the decision support system for an agro-technology transfer （DSSAT）-CERES-Maize model was applied to simulate the yield by BSP of spring maize （Zea mays L.） to examine the effects of long-term fertilization on changes of BSP and explore the mechanisms of BSP increasing. Five treatments were examined： （1） no-fertilization control （control）; （2） chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium （NPK）; （3） NPK plus farmyard manure （NPKM）; （4） 1.5 time of NPKM （1.5NPKM） and （5） NPK plus straw （NPKS）. Results showed that after 22-yr fertilization, the yield by BSP of spring maize significantly increased 78.0, 101.2, and 69.4% under the NPKM, 1.5NPKM and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value （in 1992）, but not significant under NPK （26.9% increase） and the control （8.9% decrease）. The contribution percentage of BSP showed a significant rising trend （P〈0.05） under 1.5NPKM. The average contribution percentage of BSP among fertilizations ranged from 74.4 to 84.7%, and ranked as 1.5NPKM〉NPKM〉NPK〉NPKS, indicating that organic manure combined with chemical fertilizers （I.5NPKM and NPKM） could more effectively increase BSP compared with the inorganic fertilizer application alone （NPK） in the black soil. This study showed that soil organic matter （SOM） was the key factor among various fertility factors that could affect BSP in the black soil, and total N, total P and/or available P also played important role in BSP increasing. Compared with the chemical fertilization, a balanced chemical plus manure or straw fertilization （NPKM or NPKS） not only increased the concentrations of soil nutrient, but also improved the soil physical properties, and structure and diversity of soil microbial population, resulting in an iincrease of BSP. We recommend that a balanced chemical plus manure or straw fertilization （NPKM or NPKS） should be the fertilization practices to enhance spring maize yield and improve BSP in the black soil of Northeast China.

The causes and impacts for heat stress in spring maize during grain filling in the North China Plain--A review

High-temperature stress （HTS） at the grain-filling stage in spring maize （Zea mays L.） is the main obstacle to increasing productivity in the North China Plain （NCP）. To solve this problem, the physiological mechanisms of HTS, and its causes and impacts, must be understood. The HTS threshold of the duration and rate in grain filling, photosynthetic characteristics （e.g., the thermal stability of thylakoid membrane, chlorophyll and electron transfer, photosynthetic carbon assimilation）, water status （e.g., leaf water potential, turgor and leaf relative water content） and signal transduction in maize are reviewed. The HTS threshold for spring maize is highly desirable to be appraised to prevent damages by unfavorable temperatures during grain filling in this region. HTS has negative impacts on maize photosynthesis by damaging the stability of the thylakoid membrane structure and degrading chlorophyll, which reduces light energy absorption, transfer and photosynthetic carbon assimilation. In addition, photosynthesis can be deleteriously affected due to inhibited root growth under HTS in which plants decrease their water-absorbing capacity, leaf water potential, turgor, leaf relative water content, and stomatal conductance. Inhibited photosynthesis decrease the supply of photosynthates to the grain, leading to falling of kernel weight and even grain yield. However, maize does not respond passively to HTS. The plant transduces the abscisic acid （ABA） signal to express heat shock proteins （HSPs）, which are molecular chaperones that participate in protein refolding and degradation caused by HTS. HSPs stabilize target protein configurations and indirectly improve thylakoid membrane structure stability, light energy absorption and passing, electron transport, and fixed carbon assimilation, leading to improved photosynthesis. ABA also induces stomatal closure to maintain a good water status for photosynthesis. Based on understanding of such mechanisms, strategies for alleviating HTS at the grain-filling stage in spring maize are summarized. Eight strategies have the potential to improve the ability of spring maize to avoid or tolerate HTS in this study, e.g., adjusting sowing date to avoid HTS, breeding heat-tolerance varieties, and tillage methods, optimizing irrigation, heat acclimation, regulating chemicals, nutritional management, and planting geometric design to tolerate HTS. Based on the single technology breakthrough, a com- prehensive integrated technical system is needed to improve heat tolerance and increase the spring maize yield in the NCP.

Subsoiling and Ridge Tillage Alleviate the High Temperature Stress in Spring Maize in the North China Plain

High temperature stress（HTS） on spring maize（Zea mays L.） during the filling stage is the key factor that limits the yield increase in the North China Plain（NCP）.Subsoiling（SS） and ridge tillage（R） were introduced to enhance the ability of spring maize to resist HTS during the filling stage.The field experiments were conducted during the 2011 and 2012 maize growing seasons at Wuqiao County,Hebei Province,China.Compared with rotary tillage（RT）,the net photosynthetic rate,stomatal conductance,transpiration rate,and chlorophyll relative content（SPAD） of maize leaves was increased by 40.0,42.6,12.8,and 29.7% under SS,and increased by 20.4,20.0,5.4,and 14.2% under R,repectively.However,the treatments reduce the intercellular CO 2 concentration under HTS.The SS and R treatments increased the relative water content（RWC） by 11.9 and 6.2%,and the water use efficiency（WUE） by 24.3 and 14.3%,respectively,compared with RT.The SS treatment increased the root length density and soil moisture in the 0-80 cm soil profile,whereas the R treatment increased the root length density and soil moisture in the 0-40 cm soil profile compared with the RT treatment.Compared with 2011,the number of days with temperatures 33°C was more 2 d and the mean day temperature was higher 0.9°C than that in 2012,whereas the plant yield decreased by 2.5,8.5 and 10.9%,the net photosynthetic rate reduced by 7.5,10.5 and 18.0%,the RWC reduced by 3.9,5.6 and 6.2%,and the WUE at leaf level reduced by 1.8,5.2 and 13.1% in the SS,R and RT treatments,respectively.Both the root length density and the soil moisture also decreased at different levels.The yield,photosynthetic rate,plant water status,root length density,and soil moisture under the SS and R treatments declined less than that under the RT treatment.The results indicated that SS and R can enhance the HTS resistance of spring maize during the filling stage,and led to higher yield by directly improving soil moisture and root growth and indirectly improving plant water status,photosynthesis and grain filling.The study can provide a theoretical basis for improving yield of maize by adjusting soil tillage in the NCP.

Impacts of Fertilization Alternatives and Crop Straw Incorporation on N_2O Emissions from a Spring Maize Field in Northeastern China

Spring maize is one of the most popular crops planted in northeastem China. The cropping systems involving spring maize have been maintaining high production through intensive management practices. However, the high rates of nitrogen （N） fertilizers application could have introduced a great amount of nitrous oxide （N2O） into the atmosphere. It is crucial for sustaining the maize production systems to reduce N2O emissions meanwhile maintaining the optimum yields by adopting alternative farming management practices. The goal of this study was to evaluate effects of alternative fertilization and crop residue management practices on N2O emission as well as crop yield for a typical maize field in northeastern China. Field experiments were conducted during the 2010-2011 maize growing seasons （from early May to late September） in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. N2O fluxes were measured at the field plots with six different treatments including no N fertilizer use （CK）, farmers＇ conventional N fertilizer application rate （FP）, reduced N fertilizer rate （OPT）, reduced N fertilizer rate combined with crop straw amendment （OPTS）, slow-release N fertilizer （CRF）, and reduced N fertilizer rate combined with nitrification inhibitor （OPT＋DCD）. The static chamber method combined with gas chromatography technique was employed to conduct the measurements of N2O fluxes. The field data showed that N2O emissions varied across the treatments. During the maize growing season in 2010, the total N2O emissions under the treatments of CK, FP, OPT, OPTS, and CRF were 0.63, 1.11, 1.03, 1.26, and 0.98 kg N ha-1, respectively. The seasonal cumulative N2O emissions were 0.54, 1.07, 0.96, 1.12, and 0.84 kg N ha1, respectively, under CK, FP, OPT, OPTS, and OPT＋DCD in 2011. In comparison with FP, CRF or OPT＋DCD reduced the N2O emissions by 12 or 21%, respectively, while the crop yields remained unchanged. The results indicate that the reduction of N-fertilizer application rate in combination with the slow-release fertilizer type or nitrification inhibitor could effectively mitigate N2O emissions from the tested field. The incorporation of crop residue didn＇t show positive effect on mitigating N2O emissions from the tested cropping system. The field study can provide useful information for the on-going debate on alternative N fertilization strategies and crop straw management in China. However, further studies would be needed to explore the long-term impacts of the alternative management practices on a wide range of environmental services.

Water Requirements and Irrigation Scheduling of Spring Maize Using GIS and CropWat Model in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Due to the over use of available water resources, it has become very important to define appropriate strategies for planning and management of irrigated farmland. In this paper, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) region was chosen as the case study area for its special political and economic status and its severe water problem. To achieve effective planning, the information about crop water requirements, irrigation withdrawals, soil types and climatic conditions were obtained in the study area. In the meantime, a GIS method was adopted, which extends the capabilities of the crop models to a regional level. The main objectives of the study are: 1) to estimate the spatial distribution of the evapotranspiration of spring maize; 2) to estimate climatic water deficit; 3) to estimate the yield reduction of spring maize under different rainfed and irrigated conditions. Based on the water deficit analysis, recommended supplemental irrigation schedule was developed using CropWat model. Compared to the rainfed control, the two or three times of supplemental water irrigated to spring maize at the right time reduced the loss of yield, under different scenarios.

Differences of yield and nitrogen use efficiency under different applications of slow release fertilizer in spring maize

Excessive or insufficient application of fertilizer has raised broader concerns regarding soil and environmental degradation.One-time application of slow release fertilizer (SF) has been widely used to reduce yield gap with potential maize yield and improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).A 2-year field experiment (2018–2019) was conducted to evaluate the effects of SF rates from 0 to 405 kg N ha^(–1) (named F0,SF225,SF270,SF315,SF360,and SF405) and 405 kg N ha^(–1) of common fertilizer(CF405) on the grain yield,biomass and N accumulation,enzymatic activities related with carbon–nitrogen metabolism,NUE and economic analysis.Results indicated that the highest grain yields,NUEs and economic returns were achieved at SF360in both varieties.The enzymatic activities related with carbon–nitrogen metabolism,pre-and post-silking accumulation of biomass and N increased with increasing SF rate,and they were the highest at SF360 and SF405.The grain yield at SF360had no significant difference with that at SF405.However,the N partial factor productivity,N agronomic efficiency and N recovery efficiency at SF360 were 9.8,6.6 and 8.9% higher than that at SF405.The results also indicated that the average grain yields,NUE and economic benefit at SF405 were 5.2,12.3 and 18.1% higher than that at CF405.In conclusion,decreasing N rate from 405 kg ha^(–1)(CF) to 360 kg ha^(–1)(SF) could effectively reduce the yield gap between realized and potential maize yields.The N decreased by 11.1%,but the yield,NUE and economic benefit increased by 3.2,22.2 and 17.5%,which created a simple,efficient and business-friendly system for spring maize production in Jiangsu Province,China.

Effect of Limited Single Irrigation on Yield of Winter Wheat and Spring Maize Relay Intercropping

A field experiment was conducted during the 2002/2003 cropping season of winter wheat （Triticum aestivum） and spring maize （Zea mays） to evaluate the effect of limited single drip irrigation on the yield and water use of both crops under relay intercropping in a semi-arid area of northwestern China. A controlled 35 mm single irrigation, either early or late, was applied to each crop at a certain growth stage. Soil water, leaf area, final grain yield and yield components such as the thousand-grain weight, length of spike, fertile spikelet number, number of grains per spike, and grain weight per spike were measured, and water use efficiency and leaf area index were calculated for the irrigated and non-irrigated relay intercropping treatments and sole cropping controls. The results showed that yield, yield components, water use efficiency, and leaf area index in the relay intercropping treatments were affected by limited single drip irrigation during various growth stages of wheat and maize. The total yields in the relay intercropping treatment irrigated during the heading stage of wheat and the heading and anthesis stage of maize were the highest among all the treatments, followed by that irrigated during the anthesis stage of wheat and silking stage of maize; so was the water use efficiency. Significant differences occurred in most yield components between the irrigated and non-irrigated relay-intercropping treatments. The dynamics of the leaf area index in the relay-intercropped or solely cropped wheat and maize showed a type of single-peak pattern, whereas that of the relay intercropping treatments showed a type of double-peak pattern. Appropriately, limited single irrigation and controlled soil water content level could result in higher total yield, water use efficiency, and leaf area index, and improved yield components in relay intercropping. This practice saved the amount of water used for irrigation and also increased the yield. Therefore, heading stage of wheat and heading and anthesis stage of maize were suggested to be the optimum limited single irrigation time for relay-intercropped wheat and maize in the semi-arid area.

Estimates of N_2O Emissions and Mitigation Potential from a Spring Maize Field Based on DNDC Model

Agricultural production plays an important role in affecting atmospheric nitrous oxide （N20） concentrations. Field measurements were conducted in Dalian City, Liaoning Province in Northeast China from two consecutive years （2009 and 2010） to estimate NzO emissions from a spring maize field, a main cropping system across the Chinese agricultural regions. The observed flux data in conjunction with the local climate, soil and management information were utilized to test a process-based model, DeNitrification-DeComposition （DNDC）, for its applicability for the cropping system. The validated DNDC was then used for exploring strategies to reduce N20 emissions from the target field. The results showed that the major N20 pulse emissions occurred with duration of about 3-5 d after fertilizer application in both years 2009 and 2010, which on average accounted for about 60% of the total N20 emissions each year. Rainfall and fertilizer application were the major factors influencing the N20 emissions from spring maize field. The average N20 flUXeS from the CK （control plot, without fertilization） and FP （traditional chemical N fertilizer） treatments were 23.1 and 60.6 gg m-2 h-~ in 2009, respectively, and 21.5 and 64.3 gg m-2 h-~ in 2010, respectively. The emission factors （EFs） of the applied N fertilizer （270 kg N ha-1） as N20- N were 0.62% in 2009 and 0.77% in 2010, respectively. The comparison of modeled daily NzO emission fluxes against observations indicated that the DNDC model had a good performance even if without adjusting the internal parameters. The modeled results showed that management practices such as no-till, changing timing or rate of fertilizer application, increasing residue incorporation, and other technically applicable measures could effectively reduce N20 emissions from the tested fields. Our study indicated that avoiding application of N fertilizers at heavy rainfall events or splitting the fertilizer into more applications would be the most feasible approaches to reduce N20 emissions from spring maize production in Northeast China.

Delaying application time of slow-release fertilizer increases soil rhizosphere nitrogen content,root activity,and grain yield of spring maize

Application of slow-release fertilizer(SF)is a nutrient-management measure aimed at improving maize nutrient use and yield and saving labor cost.One-time application of SF at sowing usually results in nutrient deficiency during the post-silking stage,owing to the long growth period of spring maize.This study was conducted to investigate the effects on spring maize of SF application stage(zero,three-,and six-leaf stages,designated as SF0,SF3,and SF6,respectively)on grain yield,total soil rhizosphere nitrogen(N)content,and root activity,in comparison with the conventional fertilization mode(CF,application of compound fertilizer at sowing time,and topdressing urea at six-leaf and tasseling stages)at the same fertilization level as the control.Compared with no fertilization(F0)and CF,SF increased grain number and weight.The maize cultivars Suyu 30(SY30)and Jiangyu 877(JY877)produced the highest grain yield and net return under SF6 treatment over the three years.SF6 increased enzymatic activities including oxidoreductase,hydrolase,transferase,and lyase in rhizosphere soil at silking(R1)and milking stages(R3).SF6 increased the total N contents of rhizosphere soil by 7.1%at R1 and 9.2%R3 stages compared with SF0.The activities of antioxidant enzymes in roots were increased under SF6 treatments at R1and R3.The mean root activities of SF0,SF3,and SF6 increased by 7.1%,12.8%,and 20.5%compared with CF at R1 and by 8.8%,13.0%,and 23.5%at R3.Delaying the application time of SF could increase grain yield by increasing total N content of rhizosphere soil,delaying root senescence,and increasing root activity at the late reproductive stage.Applying SF at the six-leaf stage is recommended as an effective fertilization strategy for the sustainable production of spring maize in southern China.

Study on the Photosynthetic Characteristics in Spring Maize (Zea mays L.)of Different Quality Type

common maize synthetic rate（ Photosynthetic characteristics were probed by sweet maize, waxy maize, high starch maize and The results revealed that leaf area index （LAI）, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content,photo-PR） showed single peak curve at the whole growth stage. The stages of peak were different according to different varieties. NEAUS4 had the lowest peak and while SIDAN 19 had the highest among all stages. Ratio of chlorophyll a to b was low at seedling stage, reached the peak atjointing stage and then declined. SIDAN 19 had the lower level at the last stages.

Influence of Transplantation in Different Stage on Growth and Yield of Spring Maize in Shanxi Early Mature Area

In order to explore a new mulch-free maize planting mode and the best seedling age for maize transplantation in Shanxi early mature area,a field experiment was carried out using completely randomized block design.Taking mulch-based direct sowing as the control group,effects of transplantation in different stage on maize growing process,plant height,three-ear leaf area in mature period,and yield and composition factors of maize were studied.Results indicate that growing process of maize seedlings transplanted in every stage is slightly slower than the control group.Transplantation has effect of reducing plant height and three-ear leaf area in mature period.There was no significant difference between the yield of maize transplanted on May 1st and the control group,and the yield declined only by 7% compared with mulch-based direct sowing(CK).Damages to maize seedlings by the local late frost must be noticed when maize is planted by the method of mulch-free transplantation in early mature area.Transplanting the seedlings earlier after the late frost is deemed as an appropriate period in this area.

Evaluation of Agricultural Climatic Resource Utilization During Spring Maize Cultivation in Northeast China Under Climate Change

Agricultural climatic resources （such as light,temperature,and water） are environmental factors that affect crop productivity.Predicting the effects of climate change on agricultural climatic resource utilization can provide a theoretical basis for adapting agricultural practices and distributions of agricultural production.This study investigates these effects under the IPCC （Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change） scenario A1B using daily data from the high-resolution RegCM3 （0.25° ×0.25°） during 1951-2100.Model outputs are adjusted using corrections derived from daily observational data taken at 101 meteorological stations in Northeast China between 1971 and 2000.Agricultural climatic suitability theory is used to assess demand for agricultural climatic resources in Northeast China during the cultivation of spring maize.Three indices,i.e.,an average resource suitability index （Isr）,an average efficacy suitability index （Ise）,and an average resource utilization index （K）,are defined to quantitatively evaluate the effects of climate change on climatic resource utilization between 1951 and 2100.These indices change significantly in both temporal and spatial dimensions in Northeast China under global warming.All three indices are projected to decrease in Liaoning Province from 1951 to 2100,with particularly sharp declines in Isr,Ise,and K after 2030,2021,and 2011,respectively.In Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces,Isr is projected to increase slightly after 2011,while Ise increases slightly and K decreases slightly after 2030.The spatial maxima of all three indices are projected to shift northeastward.Overall,warming of the climate in Northeast China is expected to negatively impact spring maize production,especially in Liaoning Province.Spring maize cultivation will likely need to shift northward and expand eastward to make efficient use of future agricultural climatic resources.

Study on micro-water-collecting technique in dryland field of spring maize

This paper analyses the effect of water storage and soil moisture conservation by means of micro water collecting technique in the dryland field of spring maize. The results indicate that the rainfall infiltration depth is deeper by means of micro water collecting treatment than that of the control. In micro water collecting treatment, the amount of soil water storage within 0～200 cm of soil layers increases by 50.5 mm, 13.5～58.6 mm, and 24.5 mm respectively during seedling stage, the critical stage of water requirement and the ripening and harvesting stage compared with the control. The micro water collecting technique not only has the function of regulating and adjusting the amount and distribution of field evapotranspiration, but also can raise the water use efficiency, which results in an obvious effect of increasing crop yield, especially in the dry years.

The Effect of Ecological Factors on the Indexes of Yield Property Equation and Quantitative Analysis

The mechanism of action of ecological factors affecting crop growth and development was complicated. In order to study the relationships between ecological factors and the indexes of yield property equation and determine the main ecological factors affecting yield, using 3-yr field experimental results for different yielding spring maize （Zea mays L.） populations and the relative meteorological observation data in Huadian of Jilin Province in China, and analyzing on the base of the yield property equation （MLAI × D × MNAR × HI = EN × GN × GW）, the main ecological factors were screened, and further mechanisms of action affecting yield were analyzed. Stepwise regression analysis showed that yield was affected mainly by effective accumulated temperature, daily mean minimum temperature, daily mean maximum temperature in July, the ratios of growth days, and the sunshine hour before and after silking. In yield property equation, four indexes of MLAI, growth days, ear number and grain number （total grain number） affected principally yield, the ecological factors affecting predominantly yield were effective accumulated temperature, daily mean temperature, daily mean minimum temperature, daily mean maximum temperature in July, the ratios of growth days, rainfall, accumulated temperature, and sunshine hours before and after silking. Combined with the two analytical methods, it could be deduced that the temperature and the allocated ratios before and after silking of ecological factors were the key factors to achieve high yield. Therefore, appropriate sowing data should be adjusted to achieve the suitable temperature indexes during the whole growth stage and the rational allocated ratios of ecological factors before and after silking.

Environmental benefits and farmers' adoption of winter cover crops in the North China Plain

The introduction of cover crops into monoculture systems to improve soil health has been widely adopted worldwide. However, little is known about the environmental risks and application prospects of different cover crops in spring maize(Zea mays L.) monocultures proposed in the North China Plain. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different winter cover crops on subsequent maize yield, soil fertility, and environmental risks of nitrogen(N) loss, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to examine factors influencing farmers' willingness to adopt cover crops in the North China Plain. Based on the same fertilization regime during the maize growing period, four winter cover crop treatments were set up, including bare fallow, hairy vetch(Vicia villosa Roth.), February orchid(Orychophragmus violaceus), and winter oilseed rape(Brassica campestris L.). The results indicated that winter cover crops significantly increased subsequent maize yield and soil organic carbon, total N, and microbial biomass carbon and N compared with the bare fallow treatment.The incorporation of cover crops led to a negligible increase in nitrous oxide(N_(2)O) emissions and had a very limited effect on ammonia(NH_(3)) emissions.The incorporation of February orchid and winter oilseed rape decreased nitrate leaching compared with the hairy vetch treatment in the maize growing season.The N losses via N_(2)O and NH_(3) emissions and N leaching accounted for 71%–84% of the N surplus. However, yield increase and environmental benefits were not the main positive factors for farmers to accept cover crops. Financial incentive was rated by 83.9% of farmers as an “extremely important” factor, followed by other costs, when considering winter cover cropping. These results indicate that the environmental benefits depend on the type of cover crop. Maintaining high levels of soil fertility and maize yield, providing sufficient subsidies, and encouraging large-area cultivation of cover crops are critical measures to promote winter cover cropping in the North China Plain.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of maize cropping system in Northeast China between 1980 and 2010 by using spatial production allocation model

Understanding crop patterns and their changes on regional scale is a critical re- quirement for projecting agro-ecosystem dynamics. However, tools and methods for mapping the distribution of crop area and yield are still lacking. Based on the cross-entropy theory, a spatial production allocation model （SPAM） has been developed for presenting spa- tio-temporal dynamics of maize cropping system in Northeast China during 1980-2010. The simulated results indicated that （1） maize sown area expanded northwards to 48~N before 2000, after that the increased sown area mainly occurred in the central and southern parts of Northeast China. Meanwhile, maize also expanded eastwards to 127°E and lower elevation （less than 100 m） as well as higher elevation （mainly distributed between 200 m and 350 m）; （2） maize yield has been greatly promoted for most planted area of Northeast China, espe- cially in the planted zone between 42°N and 48°N, while the yield increase was relatively homogeneous without obvious longitudinal variations for whole region; （3） maize planting density increased gradually to a moderately high level over the investigated period, which reflected the trend of aggregation of maize cultivation driven by market demand.