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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2014, Vol. 13 Issue (2): 402-414    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60425-6
Soil & Fertilization · Irrigation · Agro-Ecology & Environment Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Trends of Yield and Soil Fertility in a Long-Term Wheat-Maize System
 YANG Xue-yun, SUN Ben-hua , ZHANG Shu-lan
1.State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P.R.China
2.Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-Environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture/Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P.R.China
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摘要  The sustainability of the wheat-maize rotation is important to China’s food security. Intensive cropping without recycling crop residues or other organic inputs results in the loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients, and is assumed to be non- sustainable. We evaluated the effects of nine different treatments on yields, nitrogen use efficiency, P and K balances, and soil fertility in a wheat-maize rotation system (1991-2010) on silt clay loam in Shaanxi, China. The treatments involved the application of recommended dose of nitrogen (N), nitrogen and phosphorus (NP), nitrogen and potassium (NK), phosphorus and potassium (PK), combined NPK, wheat or maize straw (S) with NPK (SNPK), or dairy manure (M) with NPK (M1NPK and M2NPK), along with an un-treated control treatment (CK). The mean yields of wheat and maize ranged from 992 and 2 235 kg ha-1 under CK to 5 962 and 6 894 kg ha-1 under M2NPK treatment, respectively. Treatments in which either N or P was omitted (N, NK and PK) gave significantly lower crop yields than those in which both were applied. The crop yields obtained under NP, NPK and SNPK treatments were statistically identical, as were those obtained under SNPK and MNPK. However, M2NPK gave a significant higher wheat yield than NP, and MNPK gave significant higher maize yield than both NP and NPK. Wheat yields increased significantly (by 86 to 155 kg ha-1 yr-1) in treatments where NP was applied, but maize yields did not. In general, the nitrogen use efficiency of wheat was the highest under the NP and NPK treatments; for maize, it was the highest under MNPK treatment. The P balance was highly positive under MNPK treatment, increasing by 136 to 213 kg ha-1 annually. While the K balance was negative in most treatments, ranging from 31 to 217 kg ha-1 yr-1, levels of soil available K remained unchanged or increased over the 20 yr. SOM levels increased significantly in all treatments. Overall, the results indicated that combinations of organic manure and inorganic nitrogen, or returning straw with NP is likely to improve soil fertility, increasing the yields achievable with wheat-maize system in a way which is environmentally and agronomically beneficial on the tested soil.

Abstract  The sustainability of the wheat-maize rotation is important to China’s food security. Intensive cropping without recycling crop residues or other organic inputs results in the loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients, and is assumed to be non- sustainable. We evaluated the effects of nine different treatments on yields, nitrogen use efficiency, P and K balances, and soil fertility in a wheat-maize rotation system (1991-2010) on silt clay loam in Shaanxi, China. The treatments involved the application of recommended dose of nitrogen (N), nitrogen and phosphorus (NP), nitrogen and potassium (NK), phosphorus and potassium (PK), combined NPK, wheat or maize straw (S) with NPK (SNPK), or dairy manure (M) with NPK (M1NPK and M2NPK), along with an un-treated control treatment (CK). The mean yields of wheat and maize ranged from 992 and 2 235 kg ha-1 under CK to 5 962 and 6 894 kg ha-1 under M2NPK treatment, respectively. Treatments in which either N or P was omitted (N, NK and PK) gave significantly lower crop yields than those in which both were applied. The crop yields obtained under NP, NPK and SNPK treatments were statistically identical, as were those obtained under SNPK and MNPK. However, M2NPK gave a significant higher wheat yield than NP, and MNPK gave significant higher maize yield than both NP and NPK. Wheat yields increased significantly (by 86 to 155 kg ha-1 yr-1) in treatments where NP was applied, but maize yields did not. In general, the nitrogen use efficiency of wheat was the highest under the NP and NPK treatments; for maize, it was the highest under MNPK treatment. The P balance was highly positive under MNPK treatment, increasing by 136 to 213 kg ha-1 annually. While the K balance was negative in most treatments, ranging from 31 to 217 kg ha-1 yr-1, levels of soil available K remained unchanged or increased over the 20 yr. SOM levels increased significantly in all treatments. Overall, the results indicated that combinations of organic manure and inorganic nitrogen, or returning straw with NP is likely to improve soil fertility, increasing the yields achievable with wheat-maize system in a way which is environmentally and agronomically beneficial on the tested soil.
Keywords:  wheat       maize       nitrogen use efficiency       P balance       K balance       soil organic matter  
Received: 31 October 2012   Accepted:
Fund: 

This study was financially supported by the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest of China (201203030) and the 2010 Innovation Group Program of Northwest A&F University, China.

Corresponding Authors:  ZHANG Shu-lan, Tel/Fax: +86-29-87088120, E-mail: zhangshulan@nwsuaf.edu.cn, zhshulan@hotmail.com   
About author:  YANG Xue-yun, Tel: +86-29-87088120, E-mail: xueyunyang@nwsuaf.edu.cn, xueyunyang@hotmail.com

Cite this article: 

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