Establishment and Validation of Nutrient Expert System for Radish Fertilization Management in China

Abstract

Imbalanced nutrient application has resulted in low productivity and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) for radish (Raphanus sativus L.) production in China. This study aims to introduce a science‐based, cost‐effective, and reliable nutrient management approach to resolve the problem. A radish database from 247 published and unpublished studies with on‐farm experiments from 2000 to 2017 in the main radish‐producing regions in China was established to develop Nutrient Expert (NE) system for radish nutrient management and field experiments were conducted to evaluate its feasibility. The relationships among indigenous soil nutrient supply, yield response (YR), agronomic efficiency (AE), and relative yield were investigated for the establishment of NE system. Results showed that the average indigenous supply of N, P, and K in soil was 118.7, 28.2, and 208.8 kg ha–1, respectively. The mean YR of radish to N, P, and K was 17.7, 10.4, and 10.3 t ha–1, respectively; while the AE of them was 104.7, 105.0, and 69.5 kg kg–1. Significantly negative exponential relationship between YR and indigenous nutrient supply and linear correlation between YR and relative yield were observed. Results demonstrated a quadratic curve relationship between YR and AE. The NE system for radish was developed based on YR and AE, and field experiments validified that NE system significantly enhanced fleshy root yield of radish, profitability, and NUE over those obtained under farmers’ practices (FP). The NE system for radish demonstrated a promising method and will assist Chinese radish growers in achieving effective fertilizer use and higher yield goals.Core Ideas Soil indigenous nutrient supply, yield response, and agronomic efficiency were analyzed in radish‐producing regions. The relationships among yield response, indigenous nutrient supply, and agronomic efficiency were determined. Nutrient Expert for radish was first established based on yield response and agronomic efficiency.