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农业生态环境-植物营养和肥料Agro-ecosystem & Environment—Plant Nutrition & Fertilizer

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For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Ris BibTeX Toggle Thumbnails Select Local nitrogen application increases maize post-silking nitrogen uptake of responsive genotypes via enhanced deep root growth CHEN Zhe, REN Wei, YI Xia, LI Qiang, CAI Hong-guang, Farhan ALI, YUAN Li-xing, MI Guo-hua, PAN Qing-chun, CHEN Fan-jun 2023, 22 (1): 235-250.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.07.003 Abstract （385）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Nitrogen (N) is unevenly distributed throughout the soil and plant roots proliferate in N-rich soil patches.  However, the relationship between the root response to localized N supply and maize N uptake efficiency among different genotypes is unclear.  In this study, four maize varieties were evaluated to explore genotypic differences in the root response to local N application in relation to N uptake.  A split-root system was established for hydroponically-grown plants and two methods of local N application (local banding and local dotting) were examined in the field.  Genotypic differences in the root length response to N were highly correlated between the hydroponic and field conditions (r>0.99).  Genotypes showing high response to N, ZD958, XY335 and XF32D22, showed 50‒63% longer lateral root length and 36‒53% greater root biomass in N-rich regions under hydroponic conditions, while the LY13 genotype did not respond to N.  Under field conditions, the root length of the high-response genotypes was found to increase by 66‒75% at 40‒60 cm soil depth, while LY13 showed smaller changes in root length.  In addition, local N application increased N uptake at the post-silking stage by 16‒88% in the high-response genotypes and increased the grain yield of ZD958 by 10‒12%.  Moreover, yield was positively correlated with root length at 40‒60 cm soil depth (r=0.39).  We conclude that local fertilization should be used for high-response genotypes, which can be rapidly identified at the seedling stage, and selection for “local-N responsive roots” can be a promising trait in maize breeding for high nitrogen uptake efficiency.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Combining rhizosphere and soil-based P management decreased the P fertilizer demand of China by more than half based on LePA model simulations YU Wen-jia, LI Hai-gang, Peteh M. NKEBIWE, YANG Xue-yun, GUO Da-yong, LI Cui-lan, ZHU Yi-yong, XIAO Jing-xiu, LI Guo-hua, SUN Zhi, Torsten MÜLLER, SHEN Jian-bo 2023, 22 (8): 2509-2520.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.003 Abstract （169）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Phosphorus (P) is a finite natural resource and is increasingly considered to be a challenge for global sustainability. Agriculture in China plays a key role in global sustainable P management. Rhizosphere and soil-based P management are necessary for improving P-use efficiency and crop productivity in intensive agriculture in China. A previous study has shown that the future demand for phosphate fertilizer by China estimated by the LePA model (legacy phosphorus assessment model) can be greatly reduced by soil-based P management (the building-up and maintenance approach). The present study used the LePA model to predict the phosphate demand by China through combined rhizosphere and soil-based P management at county scale under four P fertilizer scenarios: (1) same P application rate as in 2012; (2) rate maintained same as 2012 in low-P counties or no P fertilizer applied in high-P counties until targeted soil Olsen-P (TPOlsen) level is reached, and then rate was the same as P-removed at harvest; (3) rate in each county decreased to 1–7 kg ha–1 yr–1 after TPOlsen is reached in low-P counties, then increased by 0.1–9 kg ha–1 yr–1 until equal to P-removal; (4) rate maintained same as 2012 in low-P counties until TPOlsen is reached and then equaled to P-removal, while the rate in high-P counties is decreased to 1–7 kg ha–1 yr–1 until TPOlsen is reached and then increased by 0.1–9 kg ha–1 yr–1 until equal to P-removal. Our predictions showed that the total demand for P fertilizer by whole China was 693 Mt P2O5 and according to scenario 4, P fertilizer could be reduced by 57.5% compared with farmer current practice, during the period 2013–2080. The model showed that rhizosphere P management led to a further 8.0% decrease in P fertilizer use compared with soil-based P management. The average soil Olsen-P level in China only needs to be maintained at 17 mg kg–1 to achieve high crop yields. Our results provide a firm basis for government to issue-relevant policies for sustainable P management in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Increasing nitrogen absorption and assimilation ability under mixed NO3– and NH4+ supply is a driver to promote growth of maize seedlings WANG Peng, WANG Cheng-dong, WANG Xiao-lin, WU Yuan-hua, ZHANG Yan, SUN Yan-guo, SHI Yi, MI Guo-hua 2023, 22 (6): 1896-1908.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.037 Abstract （201）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Compared with sole nitrate (NO3–) or sole ammonium (NH4+) supply, mixed nitrogen (N) supply may promote growth of maize seedlings.  Previous study suggested that mixed N supply not only increased photosynthesis rate, but also enhanced leaf growth by increasing auxin synthesis to build a large sink for C and N utilization.  However, whether this process depends on N absorption is unknown.  Here, maize seedlings were grown hydroponically with three N forms (NO3– only, 75/25 NO3–/NH4+ and NH4+ only).  The study results suggested that maize growth rate and N content of shoots under mixed N supply was little different to that under sole NO3– supply at 0–3 d, but was higher than under sole NO3– supply at 6–9 d.  15N influx rate under mixed N supply was greater than under sole NO3– or NH4+ supply at 6–9 d, although NO3– and NH4+ influx under mixed N supply were reduced compared to sole NO3– and NH4+ supply, respectively.  qRT-PCR determination suggested that the increased N absorption under mixed N supply may be related to the higher expression of NO3– transporters in roots, such as ZmNRT1.1A, ZmNRT1.1B, ZmNRT1.1C, ZmNRT1.2 and ZmNRT1.3, or NH4+ absorption transporters, such as ZmAMT1.1A, especially the latter.  Furthermore, plants had higher nitrate reductase (NR) glutamine synthase (GS) activity and amino acid content under mixed N supply than when under sole NO3– supply.  The experiments with inhibitors of NR reductase and GS synthase further confirmed that N assimilation ability under mixed N supply was necessary to promote maize growth, especially for the reduction of NO3– by NR reductase.  This research suggested that the increased processes of NO3– and NH4+ assimilation by improving N-absorption ability of roots under mixed N supply may be the main driving force to increase maize growth. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Identifying the critical phosphorus balance for optimizing phosphorus input and regulating soil phosphorus effectiveness in a typical winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in North China XU Meng-ze, WANG Yu-hong, NIE Cai-e, SONG Gui-pei, XIN Su-ning, LU Yan-li, BAI You-lu, ZHANG Yin-jie, WANG Lei 2023, 22 (12): 3769-3782.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.030 Abstract （154）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Phosphorus (P) is a nonrenewable resource and a critical element for plant growth that plays an important role in improving crop yield.  Excessive P fertilizer application is widespread in agricultural production, which not only wastes phosphate resources but also causes P accumulation and groundwater pollution.  Here, we hypothesized that the apparent P balance of a crop system could be used as an indicator for identifying the critical P input in order to obtain a high yield with high phosphorus use efficiency (PUE).  A 12-year field experiment with P fertilization rates of 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, and 225 kg P2O5 ha–1 was conducted to determine the crop yield, PUE, and soil Olsen-P value response to P balance, and to optimize the P input.  Annual yield stagnation occurred when the P fertilizer application exceeded a certain level, and high yield and PUE levels were achieved with annual P fertilizer application rates of 90–135 kg P2O5 ha–1.  A critical P balance range of 2.15–4.45 kg P ha–1 was recommended to achieve optimum yield with minimal environmental risk.  The critical P input range estimated from the P balance was 95.7–101 kg P2O5 ha–1, which improved relative yield (>90%) and PUE (90.0–94.9%).  In addition, the P input–output balance helps in assessing future changes in Olsen-P values, which increased by 4.07 mg kg–1 of P for every 100 kg of P surplus.  Overall, the P balance can be used as a critical indicator for P management in agriculture, providing a robust reference for limiting P excess and developing a more productive, efficient and environmentally friendly P fertilizer management strategy. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Fate of fertilizer nitrogen and residual nitrogen in paddy soil in Northeast China BI Shi-ting, LUO Xiang-yu, ZHANG Chen, LI Peng-fei, YU Cai-lian, LIU Zhi-lei, PENG Xian-long 2023, 22 (11): 3535-3548.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.010 Abstract （197）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The relationship between the fate of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and the N application rate in paddy fields in Northeast China is unclear, as is the fate of residual N.  To clarify these issues, paddy field and 15N microplot experiments were carried out in 2017 and 2018, with N applications at five levels: 0, 75, 105, 135 and 165 kg N ha–1 (N0, N75, N105, N135 and N165, respectively).  15N-labeled urea was applied to the microplots in 2017, and the same amount of unlabeled urea was applied in 2018.  Ammonia (NH3) volatilization, leaching, surface runoff, rice yield, the N contents and 15N abundances of both plants and soil were analyzed.  The results indicated a linear platform model for rice yield and the application rate of N fertilizer, and the optimal rate was 135 kg N ha–1.  N uptake increased with an increasing N rate, and the recovery efficiency of applied N (REN) values of the difference subtraction method were 45.23 and 56.98% on average in 2017 and 2018, respectively.  The REN was the highest at the N rate of 135 kg ha–1 in 2017 and it was insignificantly affected by the N application rate in 2018, while the agronomic efficiency of applied N (AEN) and physiological efficiency of applied N (PEN) decreased significantly when excessive N was applied.  N loss through NH3 volatilization, leaching and surface runoff was low in the paddy fields in Northeast China.  NH3 volatilization accounted for 0.81 and 2.99% of the total N application in 2017 and 2018, respectively.  On average, the leaching and surface runoff rates were 4.45% and less than 1.05%, respectively, but the apparent denitrification loss was approximately 42.63%.  The residual N fertilizer in the soil layer (0–40 cm) was 18.37–31.81 kg N ha–1 in 2017, and the residual rate was 19.28–24.50%.  Residual 15N from fertilizer in the soil increased significantly with increasing N fertilizer, which was mainly concentrated in the 0–10 cm soil layer, accounting for 58.45–83.54% of the total residual N, and decreased with increasing depth.  While the ratio of residual N in the 0–10 cm soil layer to that in the 0–40 cm soil layer was decreased with increasing N application.  Furthermore, of the residual N, approximately 5.4% was taken up on average in the following season and 50.2% was lost, but 44.4% remained in the soil.  Hence, the amount of applied N fertilizer should be reduced appropriately due to the high residual N in paddy fields in Northeast China.  The appropriate N fertilizer rate in the northern fields in China was determined to be 105–135 kg N ha–1 in order to achieve a balance between rice yield and high N fertilizer uptake. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Lateral root elongation in maize is related to auxin synthesis and transportation mediated by N metabolism under a mixed NO3– and NH4+ supply Peng Wang, Lan Yang, Xichao Sun, Wenjun Shi, Rui Dong, Yuanhua Wu, Guohua Mi 2024, 23 (3): 1048-1060.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.012 Abstract （170）      PDF in ScienceDirect       A mixed nitrate (NO3–) and ammonium (NH4+) supply can promote root growth in maize (Zea mays), however, the changes in root morphology and the related physiological mechanism under different N forms are still unclear.  Here, maize seedlings were grown hydroponically with three N supplied in three different forms (NO3– only, 75/25 NO3–/NH4+ and NH4+ only).  Compared with sole NO3– or NH4+, the mixed N supply increased the total root length of maize but did not affect the number of axial roots.  The main reason was the increased total lateral root length, while the average lateral root (LR) length in each axle was only slightly increased.  In addition, the average LR density of 2nd whorl crown root under mixed N was also increased.  Compared with sole nitrate, mixed N could improve the N metabolism of roots (such as the N influx rate, nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthase (GS)enzyme activities and total amino content of the roots).  Experiments with exogenously added NR and GS inhibitors suggested that the increase in the average LR length under mixed N was related to the process of N assimilation, and whether the NR mediated NO synthesis participates in this process needs further exploration.  Meanwhile, an investigation of the changes in root-shoot ratio and carbon (C) concentration showed that C transportation from shoots to roots may not be the key factor in mediating lateral root elongation, and the changes in the sugar concentration in roots further proved this conclusion.  Furthermore, the synthesis and transportation of auxin in axial roots may play a key role in lateral root elongation, in which the expression of ZmPIN1B and ZmPIN9 may be involved in this pathway.  This study preliminarily clarified the changes in root morphology and explored the possible physiological mechanism under a mixed N supply in maize, which may provide some theoretical basis for the cultivation of crop varieties with high N efficiency. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Integrating phosphorus management and cropping technology for sustainable maize production Haiqing Gong, Yue Xiang, Jiechen Wu, Laichao Luo, Xiaohui Chen, Xiaoqiang Jiao, Chen Chen 2024, 23 (4): 1369-1380.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.018 Abstract （131）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Achieving high maize yields and efficient phosphorus (P) use with limited environmental impacts is one of the greatest challenges in sustainable maize production.  Increasing plant density is considered an effective approach for achieving high maize yields.  However, the low mobility of P in soils and the scarcity of natural P resources have hindered the development of methods that can simultaneously optimize P use and mitigate the P-related environmental footprint at high plant densities.  In this study, meta-analysis and substance flow analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of different types of mineral P fertilizer on maize yield at varying plant densities and assess the flow of P from rock phosphate mining to P fertilizer use for maize production in China.  A significantly higher yield was obtained at higher plant densities than at lower plant densities.  The application of single super-phosphate, triple super-phosphate, and calcium magnesium phosphate at high plant densities resulted in higher yields and a smaller environmental footprint than the application of diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate.  Our scenario analyses suggest that combining the optimal P type and application rate with a high plant density could increase maize yield by 22%.  Further, the P resource use efficiency throughout the P supply chain increased by 39%, whereas the P-related environmental footprint decreased by 33%.  Thus, simultaneously optimizing the P type and application rate at high plant densities achieved multiple objectives during maize production, indicating that combining P management with cropping techniques is a practical approach to sustainable maize production.  These findings offer strategic, synergistic options for achieving sustainable agricultural development. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Nitrogen rhizodeposition from corn and soybean, and its contribution to the subsequent wheat crops Sainan Geng, Lantao Li, Yuhong Miao, Yinjie Zhang, Xiaona Yu, Duo Zhang, Qirui Yang, Xiao Zhang, Yilun Wang 2024, 23 (7): 2446-2457.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.018 Abstract （96）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Nitrogen (N) is a key factor in the positive response of cereal crops that follow leguminous crops when compared to gramineous crops in rotations, with the nonrecyclable rhizosphere-derived N playing an important role.  However, quantitative assessments of differences in the N derived from rhizodeposition (NdfR) between legumes and gramineous crops are lacking, and comparative studies on their contributions to the subsequent cereals are scarce.  In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of NdfR from leguminous and gramineous crops based on 34 observations published worldwide.  In addition, pot experiments were conducted to study the differences in the NdfR amounts, distributions and subsequent effects of two major wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-preceding crops, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.), by the cotton wick-labelling method in the main wheat-producing areas of China.  The meta-analysis results showed that the NdfR of legumes was significantly greater by 138.93% compared to gramineous crops.  In our pot experiment, the NdfR values from corn and soybean were 502.32 and 944.12 mg/pot, respectively, and soybean was also significantly higher than corn, accounting for 76.91 and 84.15% of the total belowground nitrogen of the plants, respectively.  Moreover, in different soil particle sizes, NdfR was mainly enriched in the large macro-aggregates (>2 mm), followed by the small macro-aggregates (2–0.25 mm).  The amount and proportion of NdfR in the macro-aggregates (>0.25 mm) of soybean were 3.48 and 1.66 times higher than those of corn, respectively, indicating the high utilization potential of soybean NdfR.  Regarding the N accumulation of subsequent wheat, the contribution of soybean NdfR to wheat was approximately 3 times that of corn, accounting for 8.37 and 4.04% of the total N uptake of wheat, respectively.  In conclusion, soybean NdfR is superior to corn in terms of the quantity and distribution ratio of soil macro-aggregates.  In future field production, legume NdfR should be included in the nitrogen pool that can be absorbed and utilized by subsequent crops, and the role and potential of leguminous plants as nitrogen source providers in crop rotation systems should be fully utilized. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Optimized nitrogen application for maximizing yield and minimizing nitrogen loss in film mulching spring maize production on the Loess Plateau, China Qilong Song, Jie Zhang, Fangfang Zhang, Yufang Shen, Shanchao Yue, Shiqing Li 2024, 23 (5): 1671-1684.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.026 Abstract （138）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Excessive use of N fertilizers (driven by high-yield goals) and its consequent environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute in agricultural systems.  A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three N application methods (application of solid granular urea once (OF) or twice (TF), application of solid granular urea mixed with controlled-release urea once (MF)), and six N rates (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 kg N ha−1) on maize yield, economic benefits, N use efficiency, and soil N balance in the maize (Zea mays L.) film mulching system on the Loess Plateau, China.  The grain yield and economic return of maize were significantly affected by the N rate and application method.  Compared with the OF treatment, the MF treatment not only increased the maize yield (increased by 9.0–16.7%) but also improved the economic return (increased by 10.9–25.8%).  The agronomic N use efficiency (NAE), N partial factor productivity (NPFP) and recovery N efficiency (NRE) were significantly improved by 19.3–66.7, 9.0–16.7 and 40.2–71.5%, respectively, compared with the OF treatment.  The economic optimal N rate (EONR) of the OF, TF, and MF was 145.6, 147.2, and 144.9 kg ha−1 in 2019, and 206.4, 186.4, and 146.0 kg ha−1 in 2020, respectively.  The apparent soil N loss at EONR of the OF, TF, and MF were 97.1–100.5, 78.5–79.3, and 50.5–68.1 kg ha−1, respectively.  These results support MF as a one-time N application method for delivering high yields and economic benefits, with low N input requirements within film mulching spring maize system on the Loess Plateau. 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