An optimized strategy of nitrogen-split application based on the leaf positional differences in chlorophyll meter readings

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.014

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2024, Vol. 23

Issue (8): 2605-2617 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.014

Crop Science

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An optimized strategy of nitrogen-split application based on the leaf positional differences in chlorophyll meter readings

Gaozhao Wu^{1, 2}, Xingyu Chen^{1, 2}, Yuguang Zang^{1, 2}, Ying Ye^{1, 2,} Xiaoqing Qian³, Weiyang Zhang^{1, 2}, Hao Zhang^{1, 2}, Lijun Liu^{1, 2}, Zujian Zhang^{1, 2}, Zhiqin Wang^{1, 2}, Junfei Gu^{1, 2#}, Jianchang Yang^{1, 2#}

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology/Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
²Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
³Key Laboratory of Arable Land Quality Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China

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摘要

现代水稻生产面临着提高粮食产量、减少化肥投入的多重挑战。然而土壤氮素供应与植物氮素需求往往不匹配，严重阻碍了这些目标地实现。基于植株氮素营养状况的诊断可以帮助农民更好地选择施肥时期和施肥量。本研究的目的是评价一种基于植株不同叶位叶绿素值相对SPAD值（RSPAD）无损评估水稻氮素需求的方法。本研究包含两个试验：不同氮肥梯度试验和基于RSPAD的氮肥运筹方法的评估试验。结果表明，较高的氮肥投入显著提高了现代高产超级水稻的产量，但以牺牲氮素利用效率为代价。氮营养指数（NNI）可以准确评价水稻氮素营养过剩、适宜和不足的情况。现代高产水稻适宜的氮肥施用量显著高于常规水稻。RSPAD的计算考虑了氮素在冠层内的不均匀分布，为顶部完全展开叶的SPAD值除以倒三叶的SPAD值。RSPAD参数可作为评估水稻高产和氮肥高效利用的指标，指导氮肥运筹。与农民习惯相比，基于RSPAD参数开发的氮肥运筹方法，能够显著减少了18.7%的氮肥施用量，提高产量1.7%，提高氮肥农学利用效率27.8%。这种新的氮肥运筹策略在提高水稻产量与氮肥利用效率，减少氮肥施用量方面具有巨大的应用潜力。

Abstract

Modern rice production faces the dual challenges of increasing grain yields while reducing inputs of chemical fertilizer. However, the disequilibrium between the nitrogen (N) supplement from the soil and the demand for N of plants is a serious obstacle to achieving these goals. Plant-based diagnosis can help farmers make better choices regarding the timing and amount of topdressing N fertilizer. Our objective was to evaluate a non-destructive assessment of rice N demands based on the relative SPAD value (RSPAD) due to leaf positional differences. In this study, two field experiments were conducted, including a field experiment of different N rates (Exp. I) and an experiment to evaluate the new strategy of nitrogen-split application based on RSPAD (Exp. II). The results showed that higher N inputs significantly increased grain yield in modern high yielding super rice, but at the expense of lower nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The N nutrition index (NNI) can adequately differentiate situations of excessive, optimal, and insufficient N nutrition in rice, and the optimal N rate for modern high yielding rice is higher than conventional cultivars. The RSPAD is calculated as the SPAD value of the top fully expanded leaf vs. the value of the third leaf, which takes into account the non-uniform N distribution within a canopy. The RSPAD can be used as an indicator for higher yield and NUE, and guide better management of N fertilizer application. Furthermore, we developed a new strategy of nitrogen-split application based on RSPAD, in which the N rate was reduced by 18.7%, yield was increased by 1.7%, and the agronomic N use efficiency was increased by 27.8%, when compared with standard farmers’ practices. This strategy of N fertilization shows great potential for ensuring high yielding and improving NUE at lower N inputs.

Keywords: canopy crop management practices nitrogen nitrogen nutrition index rice SPAD

Received: 25 April 2023 Accepted: 12 June 2023

Fund:

This project was finically supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2300304), the R&D Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BE2022425), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher-Education Institutions, China (PAPD).

About author: Gaozhao Wu, E-mail: 211701108@stu.yzu.edu.cn; #Correspondence Junfei Gu, Tel/Fax: +86-514-87979317, E-mail: gujf@yzu.edu.cn; Jianchang Yang, Tel/Fax: +86-514-87979317, E-mail: jcyang@yzu.edu.cn

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Gaozhao Wu, Xingyu Chen, Yuguang Zang, Ying Ye, Xiaoqing Qian, Weiyang Zhang, Hao Zhang, Lijun Liu, Zujian Zhang, Zhiqin Wang, Junfei Gu, Jianchang Yang. 2024. An optimized strategy of nitrogen-split application based on the leaf positional differences in chlorophyll meter readings. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 23(8): 2605-2617.

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