Abstract
Inappropriate irrigation conditions and nitrogen application can negatively affect soil carbon–nitrogen content and yield of maize, as well as can lead to underground water pollution and soil degradation. A two year (2018, 2019) field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of irrigation and N, alone and in combination on maize grain yield, grain nitrogen content, soil inorganic N and MBC of one-year double cropping maize (Zea mays L.) in a subtropical region. Split plot design was adopted, with main plots consisting of two water regimes: drip irrigation (drip irrigation to keep soil water content no less than 70% of maximum field capacity) and rainfed (no irrigation during growing period). Split-plot treatments consisted of five nitrogen application levels, including 0 (N0), 150 (N150), 200 (N200), 250 (N250), and 300 kg/ha (N300). The results of two-year field experiment showed that soil irrigation nitrogen interaction had a significant influence on the all measured parameters. In detail, soil NH4+-N and NO3−-N content, total nitrogen (TN), soil organic carbon (SOC) and grain nitrogen contents under the combined treatment of N250 and supplementary irrigation were higher relative to other treatments. Compared with rainfed, maize yield, thousand grains weight (TGW) and harvest index increased by 22.0%, 7.7%, and 15.2% under supplemental irrigation. Yield and TGW N300 were 287 kg/ha and 3.1 g higher than those of N250, and yield and TGW of N250 were 59.4% and 23.1% higher than those of N0, respectively. The yield of spring maize was 24.0% significantly higher than that of autumn maize. Therefore, we suggested that 250 kg/ha nitrogen application fertilizer combined with supplementary irrigation can improve soil fertility and annual maize yield in subtropical one-year double cropping region.
Highlights
In the current food production scenario across major cropping systems of the world, crop yield is affected more by available resources of water and nitrogen (N), rather than by crop genetics [1]
It is obvious that suitable irrigation and nitrogen application have enhanced the yield, which is an important factor for efficient absorption and utilization of N by the plants resulting in higher yield, especially higher dose of N has a dominant effect on crop yield [2,3,4,5,6]
The results showed that the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content of rainfed was significantly higher than that of supplementary irrigation, while there was no significant difference in soil organic carbon (SOC)
Summary
In the current food production scenario across major cropping systems of the world, crop yield is affected more by available resources of water and nitrogen (N), rather than by crop genetics [1]. There is increasing demand for food, but the water resources are depleting, and environmental pollution is increasing day by day which has further necessitated the optimizations and management of the water resources for the crops. In order to increase yields, water and nitrogen are often overused, resulting in waste of water resources and accumulation of inorganic nitrogen in the soil. Ahmed et al [7] and Hao et al [8] mentioned that excessive nitrogen fertilizer application affects environment, while contributing to global warming, soil acidification, and water eutrophication. It reduces fertilizer utilization efficiency and causes environmental pollution and ecological damage [9,10]. It is very vital to optimize the interactive utilization of water and N to achieve the maximum crop yield
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