Scholarlink

Background <p>Rational increase in maize planting density under optimum nitrogen (N) supply is critical to achieve food security and environmental sustainability goals. Although the effects of conventional fertilization methods on maize grain yield in Northeast China are well-documented, the impact of one-time root-zone targeted fertilization (RTF) on maize productivity and soil N balance under varying planting densities remains unexplored.</p> Methods <p>This two-year field study investigated maize performance and N dynamics within the plant-soil continuum under conventional band fertilization (BF) and RTF approach, across three planting densities: low (LPD), medium (MPD), and high (HPD). Multivariate correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to explore the plant-soil interactions.</p> Results <p>One-time RTF increased grain yield across planting densities; however, the highest response was observed with MPD, which showed a 6.8–17.5% higher yield than BF. Overall, RTF enhanced aboveground N uptake (AGN) by 7.4–7.7% and N productive efficiency by 3.7–8.4%, while reducing apparent N surplus by 16.8–17.3% relative to BF. Grain yield was positively correlated with AGN but inversely correlated with soil mineral-N and apparent N surplus. Increasing planting density reduced apparent N losses under both methods, with RTF mitigating them more effectively (by 28.4–31.1%) than BF. SEM demonstrated that AGN and N-use efficiency directly influenced maize grain yield, while fertilization methods, planting density, and soil mineral-N influenced it indirectly through intermediate pathways (e.g., N harvest index and N uptake).</p> Conclusion <p>One-time RTF offered a promising approach for improving maize productivity by supporting HPD and mitigating N losses, thus contributing to environmental sustainability.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Narrowing yield gaps and mitigating nitrogen losses by optimizing one-time root-zone targeted fertilization and maize planting density in black soil

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月14日

查看全文
  • Muhammad Irfan,
  • Yiliu Wang,
  • Solomon Yokamo,
  • Bin Wang,
  • Dianjun Lu,
  • Xiaoqin Chen,
  • Huoyan Wang

摘要

Background

Rational increase in maize planting density under optimum nitrogen (N) supply is critical to achieve food security and environmental sustainability goals. Although the effects of conventional fertilization methods on maize grain yield in Northeast China are well-documented, the impact of one-time root-zone targeted fertilization (RTF) on maize productivity and soil N balance under varying planting densities remains unexplored.

Methods

This two-year field study investigated maize performance and N dynamics within the plant-soil continuum under conventional band fertilization (BF) and RTF approach, across three planting densities: low (LPD), medium (MPD), and high (HPD). Multivariate correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to explore the plant-soil interactions.

Results

One-time RTF increased grain yield across planting densities; however, the highest response was observed with MPD, which showed a 6.8–17.5% higher yield than BF. Overall, RTF enhanced aboveground N uptake (AGN) by 7.4–7.7% and N productive efficiency by 3.7–8.4%, while reducing apparent N surplus by 16.8–17.3% relative to BF. Grain yield was positively correlated with AGN but inversely correlated with soil mineral-N and apparent N surplus. Increasing planting density reduced apparent N losses under both methods, with RTF mitigating them more effectively (by 28.4–31.1%) than BF. SEM demonstrated that AGN and N-use efficiency directly influenced maize grain yield, while fertilization methods, planting density, and soil mineral-N influenced it indirectly through intermediate pathways (e.g., N harvest index and N uptake).

Conclusion

One-time RTF offered a promising approach for improving maize productivity by supporting HPD and mitigating N losses, thus contributing to environmental sustainability.