Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study
Excessive nitrogen (N) application in wheat–maize cropping systems was adjusted towards more sustainable practices to reduce hydrological N losses while maintaining crop yield. In comprehensive quantification of N management effects on crop yield, N use efficiency (NUE), hydrological N losses, and s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1274943/full |
| _version_ | 1827762799397306368 |
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| author | Li Wang Li Wang Li Wang Lei Ma Yan Li Christoph-Martin Geilfus Jianlin Wei Fuli Zheng Zhaohui Liu Deshui Tan |
| author_facet | Li Wang Li Wang Li Wang Lei Ma Yan Li Christoph-Martin Geilfus Jianlin Wei Fuli Zheng Zhaohui Liu Deshui Tan |
| author_sort | Li Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Excessive nitrogen (N) application in wheat–maize cropping systems was adjusted towards more sustainable practices to reduce hydrological N losses while maintaining crop yield. In comprehensive quantification of N management effects on crop yield, N use efficiency (NUE), hydrological N losses, and soil nitrate residual across eight seasons, we have added to growing evidence of strategies beneficial for sustainable crop production with lower hydrological N losses. The results show that adjusted N practices enhanced crop yield and NUE, as compared to farmer’s practices, but benefits varied with N rates and types. Optimized N treatment (OPT, 180 kg N ha-1 in both maize and wheat seasons) with or without straw returning produced the most crop yield. They increased maize yield by 5.5% and 7.3% and wheat yield by 6.2% and 3.2% on average, as compared to farmer’s practice with huge N application (FP, 345 kg N ha−1 and 240 kg N ha−1 in maize and wheat). Regulation of N release through amendment with controlled release urea at a rate of 144 kg N ha−1 crop−1 (CRU treatment) obtained 4.4% greater maize yield than FP, and sustained a similar wheat yield with less N input, resulting in the highest crop NUE. Additionally, CRU was most effective in mitigating hydrological N loss, with 39.5% and 45.5% less leachate N and 31.9% and 35.9% less runoff N loss than FP in maize and wheat seasons. Synthetic N input correlated significantly and positively with runoff and leachate N losses, indicating it was one of the dominant factors driving hydrological N losses. Moreover, compared to OPT, additional straw returning (STR) or substituting 20% of the nutrients by duck manure (DMS) further reduced runoff N discharges due to the fact that organic matter incorporation increased resilience to rainfall. N over-application in FP caused considerable nitrate accumulation in the 0–90-cm soil profile, while the adjusted N practices, i.e., OPT, STR, CRU, and DMS treatments effectively controlled it to a range of 79.6–92.9 kg N ha−1. This study suggests that efforts using optimized N treatment integrated with CRU or straw returning should be encouraged for sustainable crop production in this region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:36:36Z |
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| id | doaj.art-85acdd9f7cbe432ab0645b42d3a82cc2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:36:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-85acdd9f7cbe432ab0645b42d3a82cc22023-11-14T10:05:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2023-11-011410.3389/fpls.2023.12749431274943Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field studyLi Wang0Li Wang1Li Wang2Lei Ma3Yan Li4Christoph-Martin Geilfus5Jianlin Wei6Fuli Zheng7Zhaohui Liu8Deshui Tan9State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaInstitute of Modern Agriculture on Yellow River Delta, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaDepartment of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Geisenheim, GermanyState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, ChinaExcessive nitrogen (N) application in wheat–maize cropping systems was adjusted towards more sustainable practices to reduce hydrological N losses while maintaining crop yield. In comprehensive quantification of N management effects on crop yield, N use efficiency (NUE), hydrological N losses, and soil nitrate residual across eight seasons, we have added to growing evidence of strategies beneficial for sustainable crop production with lower hydrological N losses. The results show that adjusted N practices enhanced crop yield and NUE, as compared to farmer’s practices, but benefits varied with N rates and types. Optimized N treatment (OPT, 180 kg N ha-1 in both maize and wheat seasons) with or without straw returning produced the most crop yield. They increased maize yield by 5.5% and 7.3% and wheat yield by 6.2% and 3.2% on average, as compared to farmer’s practice with huge N application (FP, 345 kg N ha−1 and 240 kg N ha−1 in maize and wheat). Regulation of N release through amendment with controlled release urea at a rate of 144 kg N ha−1 crop−1 (CRU treatment) obtained 4.4% greater maize yield than FP, and sustained a similar wheat yield with less N input, resulting in the highest crop NUE. Additionally, CRU was most effective in mitigating hydrological N loss, with 39.5% and 45.5% less leachate N and 31.9% and 35.9% less runoff N loss than FP in maize and wheat seasons. Synthetic N input correlated significantly and positively with runoff and leachate N losses, indicating it was one of the dominant factors driving hydrological N losses. Moreover, compared to OPT, additional straw returning (STR) or substituting 20% of the nutrients by duck manure (DMS) further reduced runoff N discharges due to the fact that organic matter incorporation increased resilience to rainfall. N over-application in FP caused considerable nitrate accumulation in the 0–90-cm soil profile, while the adjusted N practices, i.e., OPT, STR, CRU, and DMS treatments effectively controlled it to a range of 79.6–92.9 kg N ha−1. This study suggests that efforts using optimized N treatment integrated with CRU or straw returning should be encouraged for sustainable crop production in this region.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1274943/fullnitrogen managementnitrogen leachingnitrogen runoffnitrogen use efficiencywheat-maize rotation system |
| spellingShingle | Li Wang Li Wang Li Wang Lei Ma Yan Li Christoph-Martin Geilfus Jianlin Wei Fuli Zheng Zhaohui Liu Deshui Tan Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study Frontiers in Plant Science nitrogen management nitrogen leaching nitrogen runoff nitrogen use efficiency wheat-maize rotation system |
| title | Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study |
| title_full | Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study |
| title_fullStr | Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study |
| title_short | Managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system: an eight-season field study |
| title_sort | managing nitrogen for sustainable crop production with reduced hydrological nitrogen losses under a winter wheat summer maize rotation system an eight season field study |
| topic | nitrogen management nitrogen leaching nitrogen runoff nitrogen use efficiency wheat-maize rotation system |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1274943/full |
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