Effect of Silicon Fertilizer and Straw Return on the Maize Yield and Phosphorus Efficiency in Northeast China

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim was to investigate the effect of silicon fertilizer with straw return in phosphorus efficiency and maize grain yield. In 2018 and 2019, two field experiments were established in Nong’an County, Jilin province China. Four treatments were arranged in a randomized block design: S+ Si1 (straw return + Silicon), S-Si1 (no straw return + Si), S+ Si0 (straw return + no Silicon) and S-Si0 (no straw return + no Silicon). The total uptake of phosphorus under the S+ Si1 increased by 22.9% compared to that under the S-Si0. Compared to S-Si0, the average recovery phosphorus efficiency, agronomic phosphorus efficiency, and partial factor productivity for S-Si1 increased by 16.7%, 34.7%, and 4.8%, respectively. The average of the recovery phosphorus efficiency, agronomic phosphorus efficiency, and partial factor productivity in S+ Si1 was 26.6%,44.6%, and 6.3% higher than that in S-Si0, respectively. The straw and grain yield were significantly higher under the S-Si1, which increased by 10.6% and 4.8% respectively than that S-Si0, and S+ Si1 significantly outperformed S-Si0 by 17.3% and 6.3% for straw and grain yield, respectively. Our results indicate that the application of silicon fertilizer with straw return improves soil available phosphorus, plant uptake, phosphorus efficiency to meet crop requirements, and increasing crop productivity.