Abstract
Crop residue management is a major concern in China. Returning straw to the field has been promoted to reduce chemical fertilizer input and increase crop yield. For this, the present study as a part of an existing long-term field experiment was conducted including four treatments: (1) Maize straw return with reduced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers (straw + NPK; SNPK); (2) NPK fertilizers; (3) PK fertilizers; and (4) no fertilizers added (nF) in the years of 2016 and 2017. Results showed SNPK and NPK produced similar grain yield over the two years (12,485 vs. 12,754 kg ha−1), which was approximately 3-fold of PK and nF (4763 vs. 3858 kg ha−1). The yield difference was not significant between SNPK and NPK and between PK and nF. The effect of straw return on plant productivity is related to precipitation. In contrast to total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), K was lost from leaf, stem, and grain. Dynamics of plant N post-flowering is critical to determine maize yield and yield components relative to C, P, and K. Dynamics of P and K in leaf were more correlated with yield than in stem, implying the significance of leaf productivity in determining grain yield. These results indicate that combination of NPK fertilizers is critical for increasing grain yield in maize. Crop straw return with reduced NPK fertilizers will help to improve yield and reduce chemical fertilizer input in the long run.
Highlights
Soil degradation is a major global threat to agriculture and has been of great concern to the black soil region of Northeast China [1,2]
The two-year experiment was conducted as part of an existing long-term different fertilizer application field experiment on black soil initiated in 1990 at the Gongzhuling experimental station, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling City, Northeast China (43◦ 300 N, 124◦ 480 E)
No significant differences were detected in yield and yield components between SNPK and NPK and between PK and no fertilizers added (nF)
Summary
Soil degradation is a major global threat to agriculture and has been of great concern to the black soil (mollisols) region of Northeast China [1,2]. Intensive farming that involves continuous and increased use of chemical fertilizers significantly increased crop yield [8,9]; it had negative effects on soil quality [10,11], such as acidifying effects on soil [9]. These changes in soil quality will alter plant growth, productivity, nutrient dynamics, and yield
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