Abstract
Optimal irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization play essential roles in improving crops yield, but the interactive effects of irrigation and controlled-release N fertilizer on yield, photosynthesis characterizes, water, and N productivity in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were not well studied.
A two-year field experiment was conducted with two types of N fertilizer (urea (U) and polymer-coated urea (PCU)) in combination with three irrigation levels ((traditional irrigation (100%I); 85% of traditional irrigation (85%I), and 70% of traditional irrigation (70%)) using the split-plot design.
The N released from PCU was consistent with the N requirement of winter wheat, especially with 100% irrigation. Compared with U treatments, the nitrate N (NO3−-N) in 0–20 cm soil was improved after the jointing stage, while it was decreased in 80–120 cm soil by using PCU after wheat harvested. Compared with 70%I, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of 100%I and 85%I were enhanced at the jointing and anthesis stage, and the grain yields improved by 1.9 ~ 16.3% and 3.8 ~ 30.2%, respectively. In addition, the application of PCU combined with 85% of traditional irrigation achieved higher water productivity, while the grain yields were nearly the same as 100% irrigation.
Fifteen percent reduced irrigation combined with PCU was recommended as the optimal measure to obtain superior benefits for winter wheat growth in arid and semi-arid areas.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41807092), The Open Project of Liaocheng University Animal Husbandry Discipline (No. 319312101-18), Project of Shandong Province Higher Educational Science and Technology Program (KJ2018BAF034), and Startup Foundation for PhD of Liaocheng University (318051839).
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Fan, Z., Zhao, Y., Chen, H. et al. Effects of Irrigation and Polymer-Coated Urea on Water-Nitrogen Productivity and Yield of Winter Wheat. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 22, 4717–4726 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00954-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00954-1