Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize
In the North China Plain, the excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer for ensuring high yield and a single application at sowing for simplifying management in farmer practice lead to low N use efficiency and environmental risk in maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) production. However, i...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/625 |
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| author | Tao Deng Jia-Hui Wang Zhen Gao Si Shen Xiao-Gui Liang Xue Zhao Xian-Min Chen Gong Wu Xin Wang Shun-Li Zhou |
| author_facet | Tao Deng Jia-Hui Wang Zhen Gao Si Shen Xiao-Gui Liang Xue Zhao Xian-Min Chen Gong Wu Xin Wang Shun-Li Zhou |
| author_sort | Tao Deng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the North China Plain, the excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer for ensuring high yield and a single application at sowing for simplifying management in farmer practice lead to low N use efficiency and environmental risk in maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) production. However, it is unclear whether and how late split application with a lower level of N fertilizer influences maize yield. To address this question, a two-year field experiment was conducted with two commercial maize cultivars (Zhengdan 958 and Denghai 605) using a lower level of N input (180 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>) by setting up single application at sowing and split application at sowing and later stages (V12, R1, and R2) with four different ratios, respectively. The maize yield with split-applied 180 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> N did not decrease compared to the average yield with 240 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> N input in farmer practice, while it increased by 6.7% to 11.5% in the four N split-application treatments compared with that of the single-application control. Morphological and physiological analyses demonstrated that late split application of N (i) increased the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content and thus promoted the photosynthetic efficiency during the reproductive stages; (ii) promoted the sink capacity via improved kernel number, endosperm cells division, and grain-filling rate; and (iii) increased the final N content and N efficiency in the plant. Therefore, we propose that late split application of N could reduce N fertilizer input and coordinately improve N efficiency and grain yield in summer maize production, which are likely achieved by optimizing the source–sink relations during the grain-filling stage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:29:45Z |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:29:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-c73b3c162ce3477c94e3d33b305b221f2023-11-16T17:45:06ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-01-0112362510.3390/plants12030625Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer MaizeTao Deng0Jia-Hui Wang1Zhen Gao2Si Shen3Xiao-Gui Liang4Xue Zhao5Xian-Min Chen6Gong Wu7Xin Wang8Shun-Li Zhou9College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaIn the North China Plain, the excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer for ensuring high yield and a single application at sowing for simplifying management in farmer practice lead to low N use efficiency and environmental risk in maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) production. However, it is unclear whether and how late split application with a lower level of N fertilizer influences maize yield. To address this question, a two-year field experiment was conducted with two commercial maize cultivars (Zhengdan 958 and Denghai 605) using a lower level of N input (180 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>) by setting up single application at sowing and split application at sowing and later stages (V12, R1, and R2) with four different ratios, respectively. The maize yield with split-applied 180 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> N did not decrease compared to the average yield with 240 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> N input in farmer practice, while it increased by 6.7% to 11.5% in the four N split-application treatments compared with that of the single-application control. Morphological and physiological analyses demonstrated that late split application of N (i) increased the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content and thus promoted the photosynthetic efficiency during the reproductive stages; (ii) promoted the sink capacity via improved kernel number, endosperm cells division, and grain-filling rate; and (iii) increased the final N content and N efficiency in the plant. Therefore, we propose that late split application of N could reduce N fertilizer input and coordinately improve N efficiency and grain yield in summer maize production, which are likely achieved by optimizing the source–sink relations during the grain-filling stage.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/625late split application of Nsummer maizeyieldsource–sink mediationN uptake and utilizationlimited N fertilizer input |
| spellingShingle | Tao Deng Jia-Hui Wang Zhen Gao Si Shen Xiao-Gui Liang Xue Zhao Xian-Min Chen Gong Wu Xin Wang Shun-Li Zhou Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize Plants late split application of N summer maize yield source–sink mediation N uptake and utilization limited N fertilizer input |
| title | Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize |
| title_full | Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize |
| title_fullStr | Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize |
| title_full_unstemmed | Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize |
| title_short | Late Split-Application with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Yield by Mediating Source–Sink Relations during the Grain Filling Stage in Summer Maize |
| title_sort | late split application with reduced nitrogen fertilizer increases yield by mediating source sink relations during the grain filling stage in summer maize |
| topic | late split application of N summer maize yield source–sink mediation N uptake and utilization limited N fertilizer input |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/3/625 |
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