Abstract
Paddy fields account for a large proportion of cultivated land, with huge N consumption each year. Reducing N loss via application of low-cost slow-release fertilizers is beneficial for eco-friendly rice production. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of matrix-based urea on soil N availability, rice yield, agronomical efficiency (AE), and rice profits. A 2-year field experiment was conducted during 2015 and 2016 following a randomized block design. It included three treatments, i.e., control test (CK, without urea application), common urea (CU, 150 kg N ha−1), and matrix-based urea (MU, 150 kg N ha−1). Besides, three laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the N leaching, ammonia volatilization, and slow-release mechanism. Results showed that application of MU increased rice yields by > 10%, biomass by > 6%, and AE by > 30% in both seasons. Greater yield, biomass, and AE in MU were largely attributed to higher soil available N, resulted from lower risk of N leaching and ammonia volatilization. Aggregate structure was partly responsible for lower N loss in MU. Greater soil available N in MU increased rice height, leaf area, root area, leaf total chlorophyll, and activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase in flag leaves, and thus favored rice growth. Compared with CU, MU increased fertilizer cost by about 23 USD ha−1, but increased rice profits by > 230 USD ha−1 due to greater yield. Overall, matrix-based urea is suitable for application in field rice production, due to its low risk of N loss and acceptable profitability.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bai SS, Wan SQ, Kang YH, Liu SP (2017) Effect of different loss-control fertilizers on winter wheat yield and agronomic nutrient efficiency. Acta Agric Boreali-Sinica 32:149–155 (in Chinese with English abstract)
Cai DQ, Wu ZY, Jiang J, Wu YJ, Feng HY, Brown IG, Chu PK, Yu ZL (2014) Controlling nitrogen migration through micro-nano networks. Sci Rep 4:1–8
Chagas WFT, Guelfi DR, Caputo ALC, de Souza TL, Andrade AB, Faquin V (2016) Ammonia volatilization from blends with stabilized and controlled-released urea in the coffee system. Cienc Agrotec 40:497–509
Chen Y, Shu WZ (2012) Development and evaluation of loss preventive compound fertilizers. Chem Fertil Ind 39:46–48 (in Chinese with English abstract)
Feng BL, Yu H, Hu YG, Gao XL, Gao JF, Gao DL, Zhang SW (2009) The physiological characteristics of the low canopy temperature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under simulated drought condition. Acta Physiol Plant 31:1229–1235
Gao X, Li CL, Zhang M, Wang R, Chen BC (2015) Controlled release urea improved the nitrogen use efficiency, yield and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) on silt loamy soil. Field Crop Res 181:60–68
Geng JB, Ma Q, Chen JQ, Zhang M, Li CL, Yang YC, Yang XY, Zhang WT, Liu ZG (2016) Effects of polymer coated urea and sulfur fertilization on yield, nitrogen use efficiency and leaf senescence of cotton. Field Crop Res 187:87–95
Golbashy M, Sabahi H, Allahdadi I, Nazokdast H, Hosseini M (2017) Synthesis of highly intercalated urea-clay nanocomposite via domestic montmorillonite as eco-friendly slow-release fertilizer. Arch Agron Soil Sci 63:84–95
Grant CA, Wu R, Selles F, Harker KN, Clayton GW, Bittman S, Zebarth BJ, Lupwayi NZ (2012) Crop yield and nitrogen concentration with controlled release urea and split applications of nitrogen as compared to non-coated urea applied at seeding. Field Crop Res 127:170–180
Guo SL, Wu JS, Coleman K, Zhu HH, Li Y, Liu WZ (2012) Soil organic carbon dynamics in a dryland cereal cropping system of the Loess Plateau under long-term nitrogen fertilizer applications. Plant Soil 353:321–332
Guo LW, Ning TY, Nie LP, Li ZJ, Lal R (2016) Interaction of deep placed controlled-release urea and water retention agent on nitrogen and water use and maize yield. Eur J Agron 75:118–129
Haider G, Steffens D, Moser G, Muller C, Kammann CI (2017) Biochar reduced nitrate leaching and improved soil moisture content without yield improvements in a four-year field study. Agric Ecosyst Environ 237:80–94
Han K, Zhou CJ, Wang LQ (2014) Reducing ammonia volatilization from maize fields with separation of nitrogen fertilizer and water in an alternating furrow irrigation system. J Integr Agric 13:1099–1112
Hayashi K, Hiradate S, Ishikawa S, Nouchi I (2008) Ammonia exchange between rice leaf blades and the atmosphere: effect of broadcast urea and changes in xylem sap and leaf apoplastic ammonium concentrations. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 54:807–818
Ju XT, Xing GX, Chen XP, Zhang SL, Zhang LJ, Liu XJ, Cui AL, Yin B, Christie P, Zhu ZL, Zhang FS (2009) Reducing environmental risk by improving N management in intensive Chinese agricultural systems. PNAS 106:3041–3046
Li Q, Yang A, Wang Z, Roelcke M, Chen X, Zhang F, Pasda G, Zerulla W, Wissemeier AH, Liu X (2015) Effect of a new urease inhibitor on ammonia volatilization and nitrogen utilization in wheat in north and northwest China. Field Crop Res 175:96–105
Li PC, Zhuang ZJ, Cai HG, Cheng S, Soomro AA, Liu ZG, Gu RL, Mi GH, Yuan LX, Chen FJ (2016) Use of genotype-environment interactions to elucidate the pattern of maize root plasticity to nitrogen deficiency. J Integr Plant Biol 58:242–253
Liu X, Zhang Y, Han W, Tang A, Shen J, Cui Z, Vitousek P, Erisman JW, Goulding K, Christie P, Fangmeier A, Zhang F (2013) Enhanced nitrogen deposition over China. Nature 494:459–462
Liu RH, Kang YH, Pei L, Wan SQ, Liu SP, Liu SH (2016) Use of a new controlled-loss-fertilizer to reduce nitrogen losses during winter wheat cultivation in the Danjiangkou reservoir area of China. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 47:1137–1147
Mamedov AI, Wagner LE, Huang C, Norton LD, Levy GJ (2010) Polyacrylamide effects on aggregate and structure stability of soils with different clay mineralogy. Soil Sci Soc Am J 74:1720–1732
Naz MY, Sulaiman SA (2016) Slow release coating remedy for nitrogen loss from conventional urea: a review. J Control Release 225:109–120
Naz MY, Sulaiman SA (2017) Attributes of natural and synthetic materials pertaining to slow-release urea coating industry. Rev Chem Eng 33:293–308
Ni XY, Wu YJ, Wu ZY, Wu L, Qiu GN, Yu LX (2013) A novel slow-release urea fertiliser: physical and chemical analysis of its structure and study of its release mechanism. Biosyst Eng 115:274–282
Qin SH, Wu ZS, Rasool A, Li C (2012) Synthesis and characterization of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer with water absorbency: based on poly(acrylic acid-acrylic amide)/Na-bentonite. J Appl Polym Sci 126:1687–1697
Ruidisch M, Bartsch S, Kettering J, Huwe B, Frei S (2013) The effect of fertilizer best management practices on nitrate leaching in a plastic mulched ridge cultivation system. Agric Ecosyst Environ 169:21–32
Salvagiotti F, Castellarin JM, Miralles DJ, Pedrol HM (2009) Sulfur fertilization improves nitrogen use efficiency in wheat by increasing nitrogen uptake. Field Crop Res 113:170–177
Sinha SK, Rani M, Bansal N, Gayatri Venkatesh K, Mandal PK (2015) Nitrate starvation induced changes in root system architecture, carbon: nitrogen metabolism, and miRNA expression in nitrogen-responsive wheat genotypes. Appl Biochem Biotech 177:1299–1312
Wu ZY, Yang Y, Zhou ZJ, Ni XY, Yu LX, Lu HW, Liu BM, Wu YJ, Wang Y (2017) Effects of adding proportions of functional absorption materials on performance of new slow-release urea. Chin J Eco-Agric 25:740–748 (in Chinese with English abstract)
Yamamoto CF, Pereira EI, Mattoso LHC, Matsunaka T, Ribeiro C (2016) Slow release fertilizers based on urea/urea-formaldehyde polymer nanocomposites. Chem Eng J 287:390–397
Yang YC, Zhang M, Li YC, Fan XH, Geng YQ (2013) Controlled-release urea commingled with rice seeds reduced emission of ammonia and nitrous oxide in rice paddy soil. J Environ Qual 42:1661–1673
Yang Y, Zhou CJ, Li N, Han K, Meng Y, Tian XX, Wang LQ (2015) Effects of conservation tillage practices on ammonia emissions from Loess Plateau rain-fed winter wheat fields. Atmos Environ 104:59–68
Yang Y, Ni X, Zhou Z, Yu L, Liu B, Yang Y, Wu Y (2017) Performance of matrix-based slow-release urea in reducing nitrogen loss and improving maize yields and profits. Field Crop Res 212:73–81
Yao Y, Xuan Z, He Y, Lutts S, Korpelainen H, Li C (2007) Principal component analysis of intraspecific responses of tartary buckwheat to UV-B radiation under field conditions. Environ Exp Bot 61:237–245
Zhang XD, Shi CY, Sui XY, Chen XG (2009) Screening of slow releasing substrate of matrix-based fertilizer and its nitrogen release mechanism. Trans CSAE 25:62–66 (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhang F, Chen X, Vitousek P (2013) Chinese agriculture: an experiment for the world. Nature 497:33–35
Zhang SL, Gao PC, Tong YA, Norse D, Lu YL, Powlson D (2015) Overcoming nitrogen fertilizer over-use through technical and advisory approaches: a case study from Shaanxi Province, northwest China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 209:89–99
Zhao X, Xie YX, Xiong ZQ, Yan XY, Xing GX, Zhu ZL (2009) Nitrogen fate and environmental consequence in paddy soil under rice-wheat rotation in the Taihu lake region, China. Plant Soil 319:225–234
Zhou LP, Yang LP, Bai YL, Lu YL, Wang L, Ni L (2016) Comparison of several slow-released nitrogen fertilizers in ammonia volatilization and nitrogen utilization in summer maize field. J Plant Nutr Fertil 22:1449–1457 (in Chinese with English abstract)
Acknowledgements
The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31601828), the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFD0301302), and the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KFJ-STS-QYZD-020, KFJ-STS-ZDTP-002). We appreciate the reviewers’ comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, Y., Liu, B., Yu, L. et al. Nitrogen loss and rice profits with matrix-based slow-release urea. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 110, 213–225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-017-9892-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-017-9892-4