Effect of N Fertilization on Grain Yield of Winter Wheat and Apparent N Losses

Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizer application to winter wheat is a common problem on the North China Plain. To determine the optimum fertilizer N rate for winter wheat production while minimizing N losses, field experiments were conducted for two growing seasons at eight sites, in Huimin County, Shandong Province, from 2001 to 2003. The optimum N rate for maximum grain yield was inversely related to the initial soil mineral N content (Nmin) in the top 90 cm of the soil profile before sowing. There was no yield response to the applied N at the three sites with high initial soil mineral N levels (average 212 kg N ha-1). The average optimum N rate was 96 kg N ha-1 for the five sites with low initial soil Nmin (average 155 kg N ha-1) before sowing. Residual nitrate N in the top 90 cm of the soil profile after harvest increased with increasing fertilizer N application rate. The apparent N losses during the wheat-growing season also increased with increasing N application rate. The average apparent N losses with the optimum N rates were less than 15 kg N ha-1, whereas the farmers' conventional N application rate resulted in losses of more than 100 kg N ha-1. Therefore, optimizing N use for winter wheat considerably reduced N losses to the environment without compromising crop yields.

The Nutrient Expert decision support system improves nutrient use efficiency and environmental performance of radish in North China

Excessive fertilization has led to nutrient use inefficiency and serious environmental consequences for radish cultivation in North China.The Nutrient Expert(NE)system is a science-based,site-specific fertilization decision support system,but the updated NE system for radish has rarely been evaluated.This study aims to validate the feasibility of NE for radish fertilization management from agronomic,economic,and environmental perspectives.A total of 46 field experiments were conducted over four seasons from April 2018 to November 2019 across the major radish growing regions in North China.The results indicated that NE significantly reduced N,P_(2)O_(5),and K_(2)O application rates by 98,110,and 47 kg ha^(-1) relative to those in the farmers’practice(FP),respectively,and reduced N and P_(2)O_(5) inputs by 48 and 44 kg ha^(-1),respectively,while maintaining the same K_(2)O rate as soil testing(ST).Relative to FP and ST,NE significantly increased radish yield by 2.7 and 2.6 t ha^(-1)(4.2 and 4.0%)and net returns by 837 and 432 USD ha^(-1),respectively.On average,NE significantly improved the agronomic efficiency(AE)of N,P,and K(relative to FP and ST)by 42.4 and 31.0,67.4 kg kg^(-1) and 50.9,and 20.3 and 12.3 kg kg^(-1);enhanced the recovery efficiency(RE)of N,P,and K by 11.4 and 7.0,14.1 and 7.5,and 11.3 and 6.3 percentage points;and increased the partial factor productivity(PFP)of N,P,and K by 162.9 and 96.8,488.0 and 327.3,and 86.9 and 22.4 kg kg^(-1),respectively.Furthermore,NE substantially reduced N and P_(2)O_(5) surpluses by 105.1 and 115.1 kg ha^(-1),respectively,and decreased apparent N loss by 110.8 kg ha^(-1) compared to FP.These results indicated that the NE system is an effective and feasible approach for improving NUE and promoting cleaner radish production in North China.

Application of controlled-release urea increases maize N uptake,environmental benefits and economic returns via optimizing temporal and spatial distributions of soil mineral N

The creation of controlled-release urea (CRU) is a potent substitute for conventional fertilizers in order to preserve the availability of nitrogen (N) in soil,prevent environmental pollution,and move toward green agriculture.The main objectives of this study were to assess the impacts of CRU’s full application on maize production and to clarify the connection between the nutrient release pattern of CRU and maize nutrient uptake.In order to learn more about the effects of CRU application on maize yields,N uptake,mineral N (N_(min)) dynamics,N balance in soil-crop systems,and economic returns,a series of field experiments were carried out in 2018–2020 in Dalian City,Liaoning Province,China.There were 4 different treatments in the experiments:no N fertilizer input (control,CK);application of common urea at 210 kg ha^(-1)(U),the ideal fertilization management level for the study site;application of polyurethane-coated urea at the same N input rate as U (PCU);and application of PCU at a 20% reduction in N input rate (0.8PCU).Our findings showed that using CRU (i.e.,PCU and 0.8 PCU) may considerably increase maize N absorption,maintain maize yields,and increase N use efficiency (NUE) compared to U.The grain yield showed considerable positive correlations with total N uptake in leaf in U and 0.8 PCU,but negative correlations with that in PCU,indicating that PCU caused excessive maize absorption while 0.8 PCU could achieve a better yield response to N supply.Besides,PCU was able to maintain N fertilizer in the soil profile 0–20 cm away from the fertilization point,and higher N_(min)content was observed in the 0–20 cm soil layer at various growth stages,particularly at the middle and late growing stages,optimizing the temporal and spatial distributions of N_(min).Additionally,compared to that in U,the apparent N loss rate in PCU was reduced by 36.2%,and applying CRU (PCU and 0.8 PCU) increased net profit by 8.5% to 15.2% with less labor and fertilization frequency.It was concluded that using CRU could be an effective N fertilizer management strategy to sustain maize production,improve NUE,and increase economic returns while minimizing environmental risks.