Integrated assessment of yield,nitrogen use efficiency and ecosystem economic benefits of use of controlled-release and common urea in ratoon rice production

Controlled-release urea(CRU)is commonly used to improve the crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).However,few studies have investigated the effects of CRU in the ratoon rice system.Ratoon rice is the practice of obtaining a second harvest from tillers originating from the stubble of the previously harvested main crop.In this study,a 2-year field experiment using a randomized complete block design was conducted to determine the effects of CRU on the yield,NUE,and economic benefits of ratoon rice,including the main crop,to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization of ratoon rice.The experiment included four treatments:(i)no N fertilizer(CK);(ii)traditional practice with 5 applications of urea applied at different crop growth stages by surface broadcasting(FFP);(iii)one-time basal application of CRU(BF1);and(iv)one-time basal application of CRU combined with common urea(BF2).The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly increased the main crop yield by 17.47 and 15.99%in 2019,and by 17.91 and 16.44%in 2020,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF2 treatment achieved similar yield of the ratoon crop to the FFP treatment,whereas the BF1 treatment significantly increased the yield of the ratoon crop by 14.81%in 2019 and 12.21%in 2020 compared with the FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly improved the 2-year apparent N recovery efficiency,agronomic NUE,and partial factor productivity of applied N by 11.47-16.66,27.31-44.49,and 9.23-15.60%,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments reduced the chalky rice rate and chalkiness of main and ratoon crops relative to the FFP treatment.Furthermore,emergy analysis showed that the production efficiency of the BF treatments was higher than that of the FFP treatment.The BF treatments reduced labor input due to reduced fertilization times and improved the economic benefits of ratoon rice.Compared with the FFP treatment,the BF1 and BF2 treatments increased the net income by 14.21-16.87 and 23.76-25.96%,respectively.Overall,the one-time blending use of CRU and common urea should be encouraged to achieve high yield,high nitrogen use efficiency,and good quality of ratoon rice,which has low labor input and low apparent N loss.

Combining controlled-release urea and normal urea with appropriate nitrogen application rate to reduce wheat stem lodging risk and increase grain yield and yield stability

A mixture of controlled-release urea and normal urea(CRUNU)is an efficient nitrogen(N)fertilizer type,but little is known about its effects on stem lodging resistance,grain yield,and yield stability of wheat.In this study,a 4-year field experiment(from 2017 to 2021)was conducted to analyze the effects of N fertilizer types(CRUNU and normal urea(NU))and application rates(low level(L),135 kg ha^(–1);medium level(M),180 kg ha^(–1);high level(H),225 kg ha^(–1))on population lodging resistance,basal internode strength,lignin content and synthetase activity,stem lodging resistance,grain yield,and yield stability of wheat.Our results showed that the two N fertilizer types had the highest lodging rate under high N application rates,and the M-CRUNU treatment showed the lowest lodging rate.Compared with NU,CRUNU improved the wheat population lodging resistance under the three N application rates,mainly related to improving wheat population characteristics and breaking the strength of the second basal internode.Correlation analysis showed that the breaking strength of the second basal internode was related to the physical characteristics,chemical components,and micro-structure of the internode.Compared with NU,CRUNU significantly increased wheat grain yield by 4.47,14.62,and 3.12%under low,medium,and high N application rates,respectively.In addition,CRUNU showed no significant difference in grain yield under medium and high N application rates,but it presented the highest yield stability under the medium N application rate.In summary,CRUNU,combined with the medium N application rate,is an efficient agronomic management strategy for wheat production.

Increase in yield and nitrogen use efficiency of double rice with long-term application of controlled-release urea

Controlled-release urea(CRU)has better characteristics than conventional urea for synchronizing nitrogen(N)release with plant uptake.Understanding the effects of CRU on crop yield and N use efficiency(NUE)has long been the key to evaluate the performance of CRU.A long-term experiment over five consecutive years was conducted in Changsha,Hunan Province,China,to investigate the effects of polyethylene-coated urea with a 90-d release period on the yield and NUE of double rice(early and late crops are grown in the same year),the amount of residual soil mineral N and the soil–plant N balance,as well as on the economic benefits.Four N fertilizer treatments including CK(no N fertilizer),U(conventional urea),CRU1(polyethylene-coated urea with equal N application rate to U)and CRU2(20%reduction in N application rate of CRU1)were established.The results indicated that CRU1 application increased the yield and NUE of double rice by 11.0 and 13.5%,respectively,compared with U.Higher yield and NUE of late rice were found than in early rice in CRU treatments.Compared with conventional U,the yield and NUE of early rice in the CRU1 treatment were increased by 6.0 and 10.2%,respectively,and those of late rice were increased by 15.4 and 13.8%,respectively.There was no significant difference between CRU1 and CRU2 in double rice yield.Furthermore,CRU treatments(including CRU1 and CRU2)had higher apparent residual Nmin rate(ARNR)and apparent N recovery rate(ANRR),but lower apparent N loss(NS)than the conventional U treatment.Concentrations of NH_(4)^(+)-N and NO_(3)^(-)-N were greater in the surface soil(0–20 cm)and lower in the deeper soil layer(40–60 cm)with CRU treatments than in the U treatment after harvest.Moreover,CRU application produced a greater economic benefit than conventional U application.In general,CRU outperformed U fertilizer in terms of rice yield,NUE,soil–plant N balance,economic benefit,and CRU2 provided greater comprehensive benefits than CRU1.It is suggested that CRU application is beneficial for solving N management challenges in the production of rice.

Strip deep rotary tillage combined with controlled-release urea improves the grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of maize in the North China Plain

Inappropriate tillage practices and nitrogen(N) management have become seriously limitations for maize(Zea mays L.) yield and N use efficiency(NUE) in the North China Plain(NCP). In the current study, we examined the effects of strip deep rotary tillage(ST) combined with controlled-release(CR) urea on maize yield and NUE, and determined the physiological factors involved in yield formation and N accumulation during a 2-year field experiment. Compared with conventional rotary tillage(RT) and no-tillage(NT), ST increased the soil water content and soil mineral N content(Nmin) in the 20–40 cm soil layer due to reduction by 10.5 and 13.7% in the soil bulk density in the 0–40 cm soil layer, respectively. Compared with the values obtained by common urea(CU) fertilization, CR increased the Nmin in the 0–40 cm soil layers by 12.4 and 10.3% at the silking and maturity stages, respectively. As a result, root length and total N accumulation were enhanced under ST and CR urea, which promoted greater leaf area and dry matter(particularly at post-silking), eventually increasing the1 000-kernel weight of maize. Thus, ST increased the maize yield by 8.3 and 11.0% compared with RT and NT, respectively, whereas CR urea increased maize yield by 8.9% above the values obtained under CU. Because of greater grain yield and N accumulation, ST combined with CR urea improved the NUE substantially. These results show that ST coupled with CR urea is an effective practice to further increase maize yield and NUE by improving soil properties and N supply, so it should be considered for sustainable maize production in the NCP(and other similar areas worldwide).

Effects of reducing and postponing controlled-release urea application on soil nitrogen regulation and maize grain yield

Controlled-release urea(CRU-N)fertilizer application is a solution to improve the utilization rate of nitrogen(N),reduces economic costs and improves crop yields.It is significant to study the effects of release CRU-N reduction and the combined application of conventional urea on soil N control and the large-scale maize planting system.In this study,the effects of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer reduction and postponement on soil nitrogen components,enzyme activities,and yields were investigated.Seven treatments were set up in this study,including no N fertilizer(CK),100%conventional urea(U),100%controlled-release urea(S),30%controlled-release urea(SU_(3/7)),50%controlled-release urea(SU_(5/5)),70%controlled-release urea(SU_(7/3))and Sodium Salt of Polyaspartic Acid(PASP)-N.The results showed that mixed CRU-N and urea increased yields and net benefits compared with conventional urea at the same application rate of N,and reduced N loss.The application of CRU-N at 70%for maize represented the best overall effects.Compared with U treatment,soil ammonium nitrogen(NH_(4)-N),soil nitrate-nitrogen(NO_(3)-N),and microbial biomass nitrogen(SMB-N)of CRU-N at 70%(SU_(7/3))increased by 35.00%,15.53%,and 25.04%.However,soil nitrate reductase(S-NR)and urease(S-UA)were the best in SU_(5/5) and significantly higher than other treatments.The applications of CRU-N would effectively increase soil N;CRU-N in 50%proportion can promote the maize root growth and improve the efficient utilization of N by soil microorganisms.Like the yields(9186.61 kg/hm^(2)),expertly in the proportion of 70%CRU-N(SU_(7/3))plays a vital role in a wheat-maize rotation system,which can potentially be used to improve the yields,nitrogen use efficiency,and net benefit with low N losses.In conclusion,using CRU-N fertilize effectively improves soil nitrogen,and various ratios of CRU-N can ensure the continuous release the nutrients during the growing period.And among the different proportions of CRU-N,it is optimal in SU_(7/3).

控释尿素不同施用条件下冬小麦产量和氮素利用效应

采用田间试验方法研究了控释尿素不同施用条件对冬小麦产量、氮素利用和经济效益的影响。试验共设7个处理,即CK(空白处理,不施氮肥)、100%PU10/0(普通尿素全量基施,N 240 kg·hm-2)、100%PU6/4(60%的普通尿素基施、40%的普通尿素于拔节期追施,N 240 kg·hm-2)、80%PU6/4(60%的普通尿素基施、40%的普通尿素于拔节期追施,N 192 kg·hm-2)、100%CRU(全量树脂包膜控释尿素基施,N 240 kg·hm-2)、80%CRU(80%树脂包膜控释尿素基施,N 192 kg·hm-2)和40%CRU+40%PU(40%树脂包膜控释尿素+40%的普通尿素基施,N 192 kg·hm-2)。结果表明,无论是产量效应还是氮素利用效应,树脂包膜控释尿素(CRU)处理总体优于普通尿素(PU)处理,尤其树脂包膜控释尿素和普通尿素配施(40%CRU+40%PU)效果最佳,以7 709 kg·hm-2的产量、36.44%的氮肥吸收利用率、15 946元·hm-2的相对净收入达到处理间最高水平。该处理在减少氮素投入量的情况下,不仅促进了冬小麦增产,而且显著提高了肥料的利用率,拥有较高的产投比。因此,树脂包膜控释尿素和普通尿素的配施处理(40%CRU+40%PU)是本试验条件下最优的氮肥处理。

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 Urea and Controlled Release Urea Fertilizers on Methane Emission from Paddy Fields: A Multi-Year Field Study

A four-year(2008–2011) field study was implemented in a major rice-growing region of China to better understand the effect of urea and controlled release fertilier(CRF, thermoplastic resin-coated urea in this study) on CH4 emission from paddy fields. Over the four years, the average CH4 emission during the rice growing seasons was 76.9, 65.8 and 64.9 kg CH4ha-1in treatments CK(zero N), U(urea) and C(CRF), respectively. Urea and CRF significantly reduced CH4 emission by 14.4% and 15.6%, and increased average rice grain yield by 25.8% and 19.7%(P < 0.05), respectively, compared with treatment CK. Flooding duration would affect CRF's effect on CH4 emission from paddy fields. Under normal aeration conditions, CH4 emission tended to be 3.9%–15.2% lower in treatment C than in treatment U from 2009 to 2011, while it tended to be 4.2% higher under delayed aeration conditions in 2008. The findings suggest that mid-season aeration(MSA) starting on D30(30 days after rice transplanting), just like the local practice, would optimize the CRF's effect on CH4 emission from rice fields in China. Over the four years, average rice yield did not differ between treatments U and C, and tended to be 5% lower in treatment C than in treatment U.