Regional distribution of wheat yield and chemical fertilizer requirements in China

Quantification of currently attainable yield and fertilizer requirements can provide detailed information for assessing the food supply capacity and offer data support for agricultural decision-making.Datasets from a total of 5408 field experiments were collected from 2000 to 2015 across the major wheat production regions in China to analyze the spatial distribution of wheat yield,the soil nutrient supply capacity(represented by relative yield,defined as the ratio of the yield under the omission of one of nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P)and potassium(K)to the yield under the full NPK fertilizer application),and N,P and K fertilizer requirements by combining the kriging interpolation method with the Nutrient Expert Decision Support System for Wheat.The results indicated that the average attainable yield was 6.4 t ha^(−1),with a coefficient of variation(CV)of 24.9% across all sites.The yields in North-central China(NCC)and the northern part of the Middle and Lower reaches of the Yangtze River(MLYR)were generally higher than 7 t ha^(−1),whereas the yields in Southwest China(SWC),Northeast China(NEC),and the eastern part of Northwest China(NWC)were usually less than 6 t ha^(−1).The precentage of area having a relative yield above 0.70,0.85,and 0.85 for N,P,and K fertilizers accounted for 52.3,74.7,and 95.9%,respectively.Variation existed in N,P,and K fertilizer requirements,with a CV of 24.8,23.9,and 29.9%,respectively,across all sites.More fertilizer was needed in NCC and the northern part of the MLYR than in other regions.The average fertilizer requirement was 162,72,and 57 kg ha^(−1) for N,P2O5,and K2O fertilizers,respectively,across all sites.The incorporation of the spatial variation of attainable yield and fertilizer requirements into wheat production practices would benefit sustainable wheat production and environmental safety.

Evaluation of nitrogen requirement and efficiency of rice in the region of Yangtze River Valley based on large-scale field experiments

Overestimation of nitrogen（N） uptake requirement is one of the driving forces of the overuse of N fertilization and the low efficiency of N use in China. In this study, we collected data from 1 844 site-years of rice（Oryza sativa L.） under various rotation cropping systems across the Yangtze River Valley. Selected treatments included without（N0 treatment） and with N application（N treatment） which were recommended by local technicians, with a wide grain range of 1.5–11.9 t ha–1. Across the 1 844 site-years, over 96% of the sites showed yield increase（relative yield〉105%） with N fertilization, and the increase rates decreased from 78.9 to 16.2% within the lowest range 〈4.0 to the highest 〉6.5 t ha–1. To produce one ton of grain, the rice absorbed approximately 17.8 kg N in the N0 treatment and 20.4 kg N in the N treatment. The value of partial factor productivity by N（PFP N） reached a range of 35.2–51.4 kg grain kg–1 with N application under the current recommended N rate. Averaged recovery rate of N（RE N） was above 36.0% in yields below 6.0 t ha–1 and lower than 31.7% in those above 6.0 t ha–1. Soil properties only affected yield increments within low rice yield levels（〈5.5 t ha–1）. There is a poor relationship between N application rates and indigenous nitrogen supply（INS）. From these observations and considering the local INS, we concluded there was a great potential for improvement in regional grain yield and N efficiency.

Nutritional requirements and precise fertilization of wine grapes in the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the wine-producing area of Helan Mountain,East Ningxia,China,were the research object in this study.The dissection of the roots and branching stems method was used to explore the dynamic changes in the nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium nutrient requirements of wine grapes over a number of growth stages.The results showed that over the whole growth period,the nitrogen content of the roots was the highest during the leaf-expansion stage and lowest during the turning-color stage,and that the nitrogen content of the leaves and fruit showed a downward trend as growth progressed.The nitrogen content of the secondary branches was the lowest during the fruit expansion stage and the highest during the leaf-expansion stage;and the phosphorus content of the roots was the highest during the leaf-expansion stage and lowest during the fruit expansion stage.The phosphorus content of the trunk and primary branches showed a trend of“rising-falling-rising”.The phosphorus content of the leaves and secondary branches was the lowest during the turning-color stage,whereas the phosphorus content of the fruit was at its highest during this stage.The potassium contents of the secondary branches and fruit showed a downward trend,but the potassium content of the leaves was highest during the fruit expansion stage and lowest in the nutrient return stage.Over the whole growth period,the accumulation of nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium in wine grapes was 129.92 kg/hm2,41.51 kg/hm2,and 189.47 kg/hm2,respectively,the total requirements for N,P2O5,and K2O were 262.38 kg/hm2,288.15 kg/hm2,and 569.04 kg/hm2,respectively,and the reasonable nutrient requirement ratio was 1.00:1.10:2.17.