Copper Dynamics in a Typic Hapludalf Under Rice-Wheat Cropping System After Twelve Years of Annual Lantana Camara L. Residue Incorporation

Long term effects of lantana (Lantana camera L.) residue and fertilizer application were studied on copper (Cu) fractions in a Typic Hapludalf under rice-wheat cropping at Palampur, India (32°6′N, 76°3′E). A partitioning of soil Cu revealed residual Cu and organically bound Cu as the most dominant fractions followed by Cu occluded by free oxides, specifically exchangeable Cu and soil solution and exchangeable Cu. Continuous incorporation of lantana after 12 years resulted in redistribution of Cu from non-available forms to readily and potentially available forms in soil. All the Cu fractions were positively interrelated amongst themselves and with grain yield and Cu uptake in rice and wheat crops. Specifically exchangeable Cu followed by organically bound Cu were the most important Cu fraction contributing towards grain yield and Cu uptake in rice and wheat crops.     

腐植酸与氮肥配施对冬小麦氮素吸收利用及产量的影响

研究腐植酸与氮肥配施对冬小麦产量、氮素吸收及经济效益的影响,可为提高氮肥的增产效益,减少氮肥对生态环境的污染提供理论指导。在河南褐土区冬小麦-夏玉米轮作制度下,于2014年开始在河南省南阳市卧龙区开展田间定位试验,共设置单施磷钾肥、常规施肥、单施腐植酸、常规施肥+腐植酸、常规施肥减氮15%+腐植酸、常规施肥减氮30%+腐植酸6个处理,分析不同氮肥与腐植酸配施下冬小麦产量和氮肥利用的特征。结果表明,腐植酸与氮肥配施可以有效提高冬小麦的产量及其构成要素,促进植株对氮素的累积,提高氮肥利用率。其中,常规施肥减氮15%+腐植酸处理下冬小麦产量、籽粒氮含量、籽粒氮累积量、地上部总氮累积量、氮肥利用效率和纯收益均增加,与常规施肥相比,冬小麦产量增加4.96%,氮肥利用效率增加23.42%,纯收益增加2.18%。常规施肥减氮30%+腐植酸条件下冬小麦产值和收益降低。因此,在施用腐植酸的基础上,配施适量氮肥才能获得较高的产值和收益。常规施肥减氮15%+腐植酸是本研究区域最佳的施肥模式,对实现现代化农业生产的高产高效、资源节约和生态环境保护具有重要意义。     

NITROGEN FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED GRAIN QUALITY AND YIELD IN WINTER WHEAT IN OKLAHOMA

From 2002 to date, a long-term field experiment has been conducted at Lake Carl Blackwell, Oklahoma, with different rates and times of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application to determine their effect on grain yield, protein and N uptake of winter wheat. Trend analysis for N rates (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha^?1) and orthogonal contrasts for different application times (pre-plant, top-dressed in February and March) were performed. With increasing fertilizer N, wheat grain yield and protein content increased from 2110 kg ha^?1 to 6783 kg ha^?1 and from 8.96 to 17.19%, respectively. For grain yield, protein, and N use efficiency, split applications of N fertilizer were much more efficient than applying all N pre-plant. Large differences in grain yields were noted for different years at the same N rate (range exceeded 5.0 Mg ha^?1) and that illustrated the need for making within-year-specific N rate recommendations.     

Long‐term pig manure application reduces the requirement of chemical phosphorus and potassium in two rice–wheat sites in subtropical China

Producing optimal grain yields while reducing adverse environmental impacts of over‐fertilization is essential in intensive, but sustainable, farming systems. We investigated the effects of long‐term (1982–2005) application of chemical nitrogen (N), N + chemical phosphorus (P) and N + P + chemical potassium (K) on grain yield, nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE) and N losses in two rice–wheat sites in subtropical China where pig manure was applied (Suining and Wuchang). Four (Suining) or five (Wuchang) treatments were examined: no‐fertilizer, chemical N plus manure (NM), chemical NP plus manure (NPM), chemical NPK plus manure (NPKM) or chemical NPK plus 1.6 times manure (NPKhM, Wuchang only). Fertilizers resulted in 1.5–2.5 times higher grain yields than no‐fertilizer, which led to a NRE in the range from 21.0 to 58.3%. Grain yields of rice and wheat were significantly increased by 22.6–25.9 and 34.4–37.5%, respectively, under NPM and NPKM (similar to each other) compared to NM at Suining. Yields were similar for NM, NPK, NPKM and NPKhM at Wuchang. The N accumulation and NRE among fertilizers were in the order NM < NPM = NPKM at the low amount of manure‐applied site (Suining), but NM = NPM = NPKM at the high amount of manure‐applied site (Wuchang). The ratio of N losses to total N input was 21.4–49.1% at the studied sites. Soil total N accumulated at a rate of 0.01–0.04 g/kg/yr during 1982–2005 with fertilizers and decreased or was constant in soil without fertilizer. Application of chemical P and K fertilizers could be reduced or eliminated after long‐term manure application at these two sites, while maintaining optimal grain yields and enhancing soil N accumulation.     

ENHANCING NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY BY COMBINATIONS OF NITROGEN APPLICATION AMOUNT AND TIME IN WHEAT

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important impact factors on development and growth of wheat. In this study the effects of nitrogen use efficiency on quantity and quality of grains were studied by agronomic management of N fertilizers on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under field conditions for two years. The experiments were performed at 16 combinations of N application amount and time, including four levels of N at 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha^?1 that were used as pre-plant fertilizers, sub-treated with four levels of the same N amount used as top-dress fertilizers. As a result, with an increase in total N fertilizers, grain yield increased in a cubic equitation, but partial factor productivity (PFP_N, kg grain yield per kg N applied) decreased exponentially. With total fertilizers, N content and accumulation in vegetative tissues and grains increased linearly, but N uptake efficiency (UtE_N, kg nutrient taken up per kg N applied) decreased exponentially. When N was over-applied (>360 kg N ha^?1 in this study), grain yield clearly declined, due to decrease in productivity from per unit N. The high N level (240～300 kg N ha^?1), the reasonable distribution between pre-plant and top dress from the same amount N fertilizer not only increased grain yield but also enhanced N use efficiency.     

氮肥减量施生物炭对水稻产量和养分利用的影响

为解决水稻生产过度依赖化肥及其环境和高效利用问题,探讨贵州黄壤稻田科学施用生物炭。在贵州省思南县典型黄壤稻田开展氮肥不减量(T0)和氮肥减10%施2.5 t/hm²(T1),氮肥减20%施5.0 t/hm²(T2),氮肥减30%施7.5 t/hm²(T3),氮肥减40%施10.0 t/hm²生物炭(T4)和不施肥对照(CK)共6个处理3次重复田间小区随机区组试验,研究了氮肥减量施生物炭对水稻产量、产量构成和氮磷钾养分吸收利用的影响。结果表明,氮肥减量施生物炭显著影响贵州黄壤稻田水稻产量、产量构成、地上部氮磷钾积累量和利用效率。水稻产量和氮磷钾积累量随氮肥减量和生物炭用量增加先增大后减小。2019年、2020年和2021年水稻实际产量和理论产量均分别以T2、T3和T2最高,较T0分别显著增产16.04%,17.94%和14.73%以及55.72%,64.08%和118.91%,水稻籽粒N、P₂O₅和K₂O积累量、偏生产力、农学效率、表观利用率和收获指数均较高,是较好的氮肥减量施生物炭处理。产量—施生物炭量回归方程和极值分析表明,2019年、2020年和2021年氮肥分别减量21.76%,24.60%和19.00%(即32.64,36.90,28.50 kg/hm²)施生物炭量5.44,6.15,4.75 t/hm²时水稻产量最高(分别为7.80,8.57,8.03 t/hm²),较T0分别增产22.52%,18.78%和13.74%。氮肥减量施生物炭显著提高氮磷钾化肥利用率,但导致化肥+生物炭磷和钾利用率降低,因此,贵州黄壤稻田施生物炭时应氮磷钾化肥同步减量,降低比例以氮磷钾减量19.00%~24.60%,施生物炭5.00~6.25 t/hm²为宜。研究结果对指导贵州黄壤稻田氮磷钾化肥减量和施生物炭具有重要指导意义。     

Rice-wheat productivity and nutrient status in a lantana- (Lantana spp.) amended soil

Imbalanced and inadequate use of chemical fertilizers is responsible for low rice- (Oryza sativa L.) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity in many resource-poor farmers' fields. Wheat yields in post-rice soils are also constrained due to soil conditions created by puddling in rice, especially in fine to medium textured soils. Organic amendments are known to improve soil productivity under rice-wheat cropping by way of improving physical conditions and nutrient status of the soil, but their availability is restricted. There is a need to identify locally available and cost-effective organic materials, which have minimal alternate uses as fodder and fuel. We evaluated lantana (Lantana spp. L.) residues, a fast-growing weed in nearby wastelands, as a potential soil organic amendment. Yield trends, and soil and crop nutrient status in a 12-year rice-wheat experiment at Palampur, India, involving four levels (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 fresh mass) of lantana addition were investigated. Chopped lantana was incorporated into soil 10–15 days before puddling. Lantana additions at 10, 20 and 30 Mg ha^-1 increased rice yields on average by 18%, 23% and 30%, wheat yields by 11%, 14% and 20%, and total system productivity (rice + wheat) by 15%, 20% and 26% over controls, respectively, and at the same time saved NPK fertilizer. Linear regression analyses over 12 years did not show any change in yield trends of rice and wheat at P =0.05. Continuous cultivation of rice-wheat significantly increased total C, labile C, and other C indices of soils. Total N, Olsen's P, and NH₄OAc-extractable K in the lantana-amended plots were higher than in the controls. Nutrient concentrations in crop biomass, however, remained generally unaffected by lantana treatments. Results suggest that lantana residues, which improved the nutrient status of soil and system yield, have the potential for resource conservation and sustaining rice-wheat productivity.     

猪粪沼液施用对稻、麦产量和氮磷吸收的影响

在江苏太湖稻麦轮作区,开展了连续2年不同沼液替代化肥比例及沼液基追比的等氮田间试验,结果表明:单施化肥处理(NPK)及沼液化肥配施处理水稻、小麦生物量及产量均显著高于无肥对照,各处理以75％沼液替代比例分3次施入(N75％)处理的水稻生物量和产量为最高,其生物量及产量分别比单施化肥处理提高2.7％和7.5％;而小麦生物量和产量以50％沼液替代比例(N50％)处理最高,其生物量和产量比单施化肥处理分别提高15.9％和7.8％.沼液化肥配施对稻麦的增产作用主要体现在提高水稻与小麦总穗数及穗粒数上;各处理水稻、小麦的氮素累积量和氮素当季表观利用率分别以75％(N75％)和50％(N50％)替代比例为最高;在50％～ 100％替代比例内沼液分次施用,水稻、小麦氮肥农学效率、偏生产力都高于化肥处理.水稻、小麦不同器官的氮分配比例显示,沼液配施化肥促进氮素向籽粒转移;相同沼液替代比例下,沼液分次施用水稻、小麦的产量、氮素累积量及氮素利用率均较基肥一次性施入高.稻、麦根、叶部磷含量分别以N75％和N100％处理最高.以上表明稻麦配施50％ ～ 75％的沼液分3次施用,可获得与纯化肥处理相当的产量,且在一定程度上提高稻麦氮素利用率.     

Furrow diking and N management for dryland wheat production in permanent raised beds

The permanent bed planting system for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production has recently received additional attention. Studies using hard red spring wheat (cultivar Nahuatl F2000) were conducted at two locations in central Mexico. The studies included the installation of three furrow diking treatments, two granular N timing treatments and three foliar N rates applied at the end of anthesis. The objective was to evaluate the effect of these factors on wheat grain yield, yield components and grain N in a wheat–maize (Zea maize L.) rotation with residues of both crops left as stubble. Results indicated that diking in alternate furrows increased both grain yield and the final number of spikes per m². The split application of N fertilizer enhanced the number of spikes per m² and grain N uptake, but the effect on grain yield was inconsistent. Similarly, grain protein increased with the foliar application of 6 kg N ha^?1, depending upon the maximum temperature within the 10 days following anthesis. The normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) readings collected at four growth stages were generally higher for the split N application than for the basal N application at planting. Grain N uptake was associated to NDVI readings collected after anthesis.     

Excessive nitrogen application decreases grain yield and increases nitrogen loss in a wheat–soil system

Abstract

Excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in wheat fields has led to elevated NO₃-N concentrations in groundwater and reduced N use efficiency. Three-year field and ¹⁵N tracing experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of N application rates on N uptake from basal and topdressing ¹⁵N, N use efficiency, and grain yield in winter wheat plants; and determine the dynamics of N derived from both basal and topdressing ¹⁵N in soil in high-yielding fields. The results showed that 69.5–84.5% of N accumulated in wheat plants derived from soil, while 6.0–12.5%and 9.2–18.1% derived from basal ¹⁵N and top ¹⁵N fertilizer, respectively. The basal N fertilizer recovery averaged 33.9% in plants, residual averaged 59.2% in 0–200 cm depth soil; the topdressing N fertilizer recovery averaged 50.5% in plants, residual averaged 48.2% in 0–200 cm soil. More top ¹⁵N was accumulated in plants and more remained in 0–100 cm soil rather than in 100–200 cm soil at maturity, compared with the basal ¹⁵N. However, during the period from pre-sowing to pre-wintering, the soil nitrate moved down to deeper layers, and most accumulated in the layers below 140 cm. With an increase of N fertilizer rate, the proportion of the N derived from soil in plants decreased, but that derived from basal and topdressing fertilizer increased; the proportion of basal and top ¹⁵N recovery in plants decreased, and that of residual in soil increased. A moderate application rate of 96–168 kg N ha^?1 led to increases in nitrate content in 0–60 cm soil layer, N uptake amount, grain yield and apparent recovery fraction of applied fertilizer N in wheat. Applying above 240 kg N ha^?1 promoted the downward movement of basal and top ¹⁵N and soil nitrate, but had no significant effect on N uptake amount; the excessive N application also obviously decreased the grain yield, N uptake efficiency, apparent recovery fraction of applied fertilizer N, physiological efficiency and internal N use efficiency. It is suggested that the appropriate application rate of nitrogen on a high-yielding wheat field was 96–168 kg N ha^?1.     

Fertilizer nitrogen uptake by rice increased by biochar application

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that biochar application can increase rice yield through improving nitrogen (N) uptake and utilization by rice plants under N application conditions. A pot experiment was done with a hybrid rice cultivar grown on a Fe-leachi-Stagnic Anthrosols with and without biochar application. The N fertilizer used was ¹⁵N-labeled urea. Results showed that biochar application resulted in 23–27 % increase in fertilizer N uptake by rice plants and consequently 8–10 % increase in grain yield. The higher fertilizer N uptake under biochar application was associated with a reduced fertilizer N loss. Fertilizer N loss rate was reduced by 9–10 % by applying biochar. We suggest that further studies are needed to assess the short-term and long-term effects of different biochars on N uptake and utilization by rice under field conditions.     

施肥模式对双季稻产量、养分吸收及经济效益的影响

水旱轮作田间定位试验条件下研究了连续4年（20052008）不同施肥模式对双季稻产量、养分吸收及经济效益的影响。结果表明,氮磷钾肥配施能显著提高水稻产量,长期有机无机肥配施增产效果明显。定位4年后,有机无机肥配施处理早稻和晚稻平均产量分别比未施肥处理增产135%和130%。随着产量的增加,稻草与稻谷中氮、磷和钾养分吸收量呈增大的趋势,表明水稻植株养分吸收量与稻谷产量呈显著正相关。不同施肥模式显著影响水稻稻草、稻谷中的氮、磷、钾养分含量。氮磷钾肥配施处理,特别是有机无机肥配施处理稻谷的养分吸收量最高,在土壤中的氮、磷盈余也最少。肥料配施虽增加了支出,但提高了经济产出,其纯收益相对较高,以有机无机肥配施处理的纯收益最高。双季稻生产实践中,有机无机肥配施模式值得推荐且需合理增施磷、钾肥。     

Content and uptake of phosphorus and copper by spring wheat: Effect of environment,genotype, and management

Copper (Cu) deficiency in grain crops grown on the Canadian Prairie has increased recently, while nearly 50% of the soils have low available phosphorus (P) levels. This study was conducted to quantify the variation in Cu and P uptake among some common Canadian wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars due to the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and the environment. The effects of N fertilizer application at 0,50, and 100 kg N ha^‐1 and seeding in early May or mid‐May on the P and Cu contents of four wheat cultivars were determined in an experiment conducted over two years at Fort Vermilion (58°24'N, 116°0’ W). Cultivar and N fertilizer produced similar variances in P concentration. Phosphorus uptake was increased by N fertilizer, but was not affected by the cultivars tested. Nitrogen fertilizer produced four times as much variability in Cu concentration and uptake as did the effect of genotypes. Date of sowing within the recommended time frame had no effect on plant P and Cu contents. There was no treatment interaction effect on plant P or Cu content. In a second experiment, situated near Grande Prairie (55°10'N, 118°48'W) and conducted over two years, P and Cu uptake and concentrations were determined for 10 agronomically diverse spring wheat cultivars. The range was 1.2‐ to 1.4‐fold for P and 1.5‐ to 1.7‐fold for Cu concentration. Plant Cu, but not plant P, was correlated with grain yield (r=0.64 to 0.86), suggesting that either varietal differences in Cu uptake may affect yield or prior selection for yield may have resulted in the selection for Cu‐efficient plants as well. Environmental, i.e., site‐year, effects on plant P, and particularly Cu concentrations, were larger than the varietal effects in both studies. These studies indicate that selection of Canadian wheat cultivars should be based on their yield potential rather than their efficiency in Cu or P uptake since crop nutrition can be more readily managed by optimal fertilization.     

Effects of 15N-labelled ammonium nitrate and urea on soil nitrogen during growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions

We studied the effects of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium nitrate and urea on the yield and uptake of labelled and unlabelled N by wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Mexi-Pak-65) in a field experiment. The dry matter and N yields were significantly increased with fertilizer N application compared to those from unfertilized soil. The wheat crop used 33.6–51.5 and 30.5–40.9% of the N from ammonium nitrate and urea, respectively. Splitting the fertilizer N application had a significant effect on the uptake of fertilizer N by the wheat. The fertilizer N uptake showed that ammonium nitrate was a more available source of N for wheat than urea. The effective use of fertilizer N (ratio of fertilizer N in grain to fertilizer N in whole plant) was statistically similar for the two N fertilizers. The application of fertilizer N increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N by wheat, a result attributed to a positive added N interaction, which varied according to the fertilizer N split; six split applications gave the highest added N interaction compared to a single application or two split applications for both fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate gave 90.5, 33.5, and 48.5% more added N interaction than urea with one, two, and six split N applications. A values were not significantly correlated with the added N interaction (r=0.557). The observed added N interaction may have been the result of pool substitution, whereby added labelled fertilizer N replaced unlabelled soil N.     

15N示踪法研究生物炭施用对水稻—土壤系统氮肥去向的影响

为探究施用水稻秸秆生物炭对水稻产量、氮肥利用率、氮肥残留及损失的影响,采用盆栽试验结合¹⁵N示踪技术,分析了施用水稻秸秆生物炭对水稻生物量、氮素积累量、肥料氮去向以及氨氧化微生物的影响。研究共设置5个处理:不施氮肥(N0)、单施化肥(CF)、施化肥配施0.5%生物炭(BC1)、施化肥配施1%生物炭(BC2)和施化肥配施2%生物炭(BC3)。结果表明:与CF处理相比,BC2和BC3处理均显著提高水稻产量,增产率分别为19.3%和22.0%。施用生物炭显著增加水稻氮素积累量和表观利用率。施用生物炭的水稻籽粒肥料氮积累和总肥料氮积累量较CF处理分别提高18.6%~23.4%和18.5%~26.5%。然而,施用生物炭处理与CF处理之间的籽粒土壤氮吸收量没有显著差异。BC1、BC2和BC3处理的氮肥利用率分别为30.4%,28.5%和29.3%,均显著高于CF处理(24.1%)。施用生物炭有利于肥料氮在土壤中的 残留,从而减少损失。因此,施用生物炭的肥料氮损失率(25.7%~27.5%)显著低于单施化肥处理(38.4%)。与CF处理相比,高量施用生物炭(BC3)显著降低氨氧化细菌的amoA基因拷贝数,但施用生物炭对氨氧化古菌丰度没有显著影响。综上表明,施用水稻秸秆生物炭是提高水稻产量和氮肥利用率,同时还是有效减少氮素损失的一种有效措施。     

SOIL POTASSIUM FRACTIONS IN RICE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM AFTER TWELVE YEARS OF LANTANA RESIDUE INCORPORATION IN A NORTHWEST HIMALAYAN ACID ALFISOL

A long-term field experiment with rice-wheat cropping was started in the wet season of 1988 with four levels of lantana (Lantana camara L.) (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha^?1 on fresh weight basis) and three tillage practices (No puddling, puddling, and soil compaction). From wet season of 1997, however, three tillage practices were replaced with three levels of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) to rice (33, 66, and 100% of recommended) and 66% of recommended N, phosphorus (P), and K to wheat. Phosphorus was totally omitted for the rice crop. The recommended N and K for rice was 90 and 40 kg ha^?1, whereas the recommendations for N, P, and K for wheat were 120, 90 and 30 kg ha^?1. Organic amendments are known to improve soil productivity under rice-wheat cropping by improving physical conditions and nutrient status of the soil, but their availability is restricted. There is a need to identify locally available and cost-effective organic materials that have minimal alternate uses as fodder and fuel. We evaluated Lantana camara L. residues, a fast-growing weed in nearby wastelands, as a potential soil organic amendment. Among the different fractions of K, nonexchangeable K was dominant followed by exchangeable and water soluble K. The incorporation of lantana (10 to 30 Mg ha^?1) over the last 12 years has resulted in a significant build-up of all the K fractions, the maximum being in water-soluble K (10 to 32%) followed by exchangeable K (18 to 27%) and least in nonexchangeable K (5 to 7%) over no lantana incorporation. The increasing levels of these two inputs significantly and consistently increased ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc)- extracted K (available K) content in soil and also resulted in significantly higher accumulation of K by the crops during the years of experimentation. Among different K fractions, exchangeable K was observed to be the most important K fraction contributing towards wheat and rice yields as well as K accumulation by wheat and rice. Stepwise multiple regression equations indicated that exchangeable K was the most important variable contributing towards total variation in grain yield and K accumulation by wheat or rice.     

Long-term effect of manure and mineral fertilizer application on the distribution of organic nitrogen fractions in soil under a rice–wheat cropping system

A long-term experiment was used to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management on the distribution of soil organic N fractions and their contribution to N nutrition of a rice–wheat system. Continuous application of mineral fertilizers, alone or in combination with organic manures for 7 years, led to a marked increase in total N, hydrolysable N (amino acid-N, amino sugar-N, ammonia-N, hydrolysable unknown-N) and non-hydrolysable N compared with their original status in soil. However, continuous rice–wheat cropping without any fertilization resulted in depletion of total N, hydrolysable N and non-hydrolysable N by 21.3, 23.5 and 15.1% over their initial status in surface soil. The effect of press mud (PM) treatment was more pronounced in increasing total and hydrolysable N compared with farmyard manure (FYM) or green manure (GM) treatment. Incorporation of PM, FYM and GM along with mineral fertilizers increased the total N content by 32.8, 18.3 and 5.1% and that of hydrolysable N by 25.7, 19.6 and 9.5%, respectively, over mineral fertilizer treatment. Among the most important fractions, amino sugar-N, amino acid-N and ammonia-N were found to be most the important fractions contributing to grain yield and nitrogen uptake of rice and wheat crops.     

Fate of 15 N-labeled fertilizer in soils under dryland agriculture after 19 years of different fertilizations

This study addressed if long-term combined application of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers could improve the synchrony between nitrogen (N) supply and crop demand. ¹⁵?N-labeled urea was applied to micro-plots within three different fertilized treatments (no fertilizer, No-F soil; inorganic NPK fertilizers, NPK soil; and manure plus inorganic NPK fertilizers, MNPK soil) of a long-term field trial (1990–2009) in a dryland wheat field in the south Loess Plateau, China. After one season of wheat harvest, ¹⁵?N use efficiency was 20, 58, and 65 % in the No-F, NPK, and MNPK soil, respectively. During the early wheat growth stage, microbial immobilization of applied ¹⁵?N was significantly (P?<?0.05) highest in the MNPK soil (15.3 %), higher in the NPK soil (12.6 %), and lowest in the No-F soil (7.4 %). Of the ¹⁵?N immobilized by the soil microbial biomass, 69 % (NPK soil) to 83 % (MNPK soil) was released between the stem elongation and flowering of wheat. Compared with the NPK soil, the MNPK soil had significantly (P?<?0.05) higher grain yield. Our findings highlight that long-term application of organic manure with inorganic fertilizers cannot only improve the synchrony of N supply for crop demand but also increase N use efficiency and grain yield.     

Interaction of 15N-labelled ammonium nitrate,urea and ammonium sulphate with soil N during growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions

The effects of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate on yield and uptake of labelled and unlabelled N by wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Mexi-Pak-65) were studied in a field experiment. The dry matter and N yields were significantly increased with fertilizer N application compared to those from unfertilized soil. The wheat crop used 64.0–74.8%, 61.5–64.7% and 61.7–63.4% of the N from ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate, respectively. The fertilizer N uptake showed that ammonium nitrate was a more available source of N for wheat than urea and ammonium sulphate. The effective use of fertilizer N (ratio of fertilizer N in grain to fertilizer N in whole plant) was statistically similar for the three N fertilizers. The application of fertilizer N increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N by wheat, a result attributed to a positive added N interaction, which varied with the method of application of fertilizer N. Ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate gave 59.3%, 42.8% and 26.3% more added N interaction, respectively, when applied by the broadcast/worked-in method than with band placement. A highly significant correlation between soil N and grain yield, dry matter and added N interaction showed that soil N was more important than fertilizer N in wheat production. A values were not significantly correlated with added N interaction (r=0.719). The observed added N interaction may have been the result of pool substitution, whereby added labelled fertilizer N stood proxy for unlabelled soil N.     

Management of Sesbania aculeata Incorporation and Nitrogen on the Performance of Transplanted Rice in Calcareous Soil

Two field experiments were conducted to optimize the days for decomposition of dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) with different nitrogen (N) levels and scheduling in transplanted rice in calcareous soil in a split-plot design with three replications. Incorporation of dhaincha one day before transplanting (1-DBT) obviated the need for allowing N gap. Nitrogen scheduling as 50% at active tillering + 40% at panicle initiation + 10% at flowering recorded the maximum grain yield (59.05 q ha^?1) and N–?phosphorus (P)–?potassium (K) uptake. The different N fractions in post-harvest soil were in the order of total N> total hydrolyzable N> non-hydrolyzable N> exchangeable ammonium (NH₄⁺)–?N and nitrate (NO₃^?)–?N. Thus, in calcareous soil, rice may be transplanted immediately after burying the dhaincha without any time gap along with 80 kg N ha^?1. Also, application of nitrogenous fertilizer in three splits, delaying N application until active tillering stage, is beneficial for improving rice productivity.