Effects of Nitrogen and Zeolite on Rice Grain Yield, Water and Nitrogen Use, and Soil Total Nitrogen in Coastal Region of Northeast China

Abstract

ABSTRACTPot experiment were conducted from 2013 to 2014 to provide solutions for poor water–nitrogen (N) use efficiency with zeolite (Z) in near-surface soil. This article aims to study the influences of different levels of Z (Z1, Z2, Z3, 0, 7500, and 15,000 kg hm−2) and N (N1, N2, N3, 0, 78.75, and 157.5 kg hm−2) on rice grain yield, soil total N (STN), water productivity (WP), and N recovery efficiency (NRE). Results showed that higher dry matter weight, grain yield, water consumption, N accumulation, and WP were obtained with increasing N rates. There were no significant influences on dry matter weight of stem and leaf, water consumption, and WP with the application of Z. However, Z input could obtain a higher spike and root weight, grain yield, 1000-grain weight, N accumulation, STN, and NRE. Z might alleviate the water used in jointing-booting stage, heading-flowering stage, and milky ripen stage. Overuse of Z and N led to a decrease in NRE. N3Z2 increased rice grain yield by 10.4%, WP by 7.3%, and NRE by 63% compared with conventional fertilization (N3Z1). The way of N3Z2 is recommended to improve rice yield, WP, NRE, and STN comprehensively in coastal region of Northeast China.