Fertilizer Utilization Efficiency Research Articles

Response of the vertical distribution of soil water and nitrogen in the 5 m soil layer to the conversion of cropland to apple orchards in the Loess Plateau, China

In the Loess Plateau, apple (Malus pumila Mill.) orchards converted from cropland are expanding because of the economic value of apples. Understanding the effects of the conversion of cropland to apple orchards on soil water and nitrogen distributions, as well as the potential soil nitrate accumulation, is important and necessary. In this study, apple orchards (Red Fuji) of different growing ages (5, 15, and 28 year old), an abandoned apple orchard, a wheat field, and a maize field in Changwu County of the Loess Plateau were selected to evaluate the soil water content (SWC), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N), and other soil parameters within the 0–5 m soil depth. Results showed that SWC of maize field (21.22%) was the highest, followed by that of the 5-years-old apple orchard (20.24%) and wheat field (18.83%). The SWC of the 28-years-old apple orchard (16.09%) was the lowest of the six treatments. Soil NO3−-N storage within the 0–5 m soil profile under 5-, 15-, and 28-years-old, abandoned apple orchards, wheat fields, and maize fields reached approximately 613.2, 1929.4, 4277.9, 1282.4, 95.2, 275.9 kg ha−1, respectively. The SWC deficits were found severe, and high nitrate accumulation was found in 15- and 28-years-old apple orchards. Soil water deficits and nitrate accumulation in abandoned apple orchards can persist for ten years. The soil NO3−-N content was significantly (P < 0.01) negatively correlated with SWC. After converting croplands to apple orchards, soil water deficit and nitrate accumulation were the main soil environmental problems, which worsened with age. A reasonable amount of fertilizer should be applied in orchards to reduce contaminants in the soil environment. Coupling enhancement of the utilization efficiency of fertilizers and limited soil water resources could be important for establishing the soil environment in arid and semi-arid areas.

Spatial effects and impact factors of food nitrogen footprint in China based on spatial durbin panel model.

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) has far-reaching advantages and disadvantages on human beings. Nitrogen footprint (NF) is a tool to quantify the use of Nr in the environment. Food nitrogen footprint (FNF) accounts for the largest proportion of the total NF, and the differences between provinces in China exist objectively. In order to explore the spatial correlation and socio-economic driving factors of China's FNF, this paper uses N-calculator tool to calculate the FNF of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2018, and uses exploratory spatial data to analyze the spatial correlation and changes of provincial FNF, The driving factors and spatial effects of FNF change in the province were analyzed by using spatial Durbin panel model and spatial regression partial differential method. The results showed that: (1) There is a significant and stable positive spatial dependence and heterogeneity in the FNF among provinces; (2) The direct effect factors of promoting the growth of FNF in the province are urban household Engel coefficient, per capita disposable income of rural residents and rural household Engel coefficient. The main factors of restraining the growth of FNF in the province are wastewater discharge per unit GDP and per capita GDP; (3) the spillover effect is mainly manifested as the negative effect of the increase of urban household Engel coefficient on neighboring provinces, and the spillover effect of per capita disposable income of urban residents and nitrogen fertilizer application rate per unit grain yield on the growth of FNF of neighboring provinces is significant. From the policy level, it is necessary to guide healthy and scientific eating habits, reduce the proportion of meat and fish in the diet structure, reduce the nitrogen fertilizer application per unit grain yield, and improve the efficiency of chemical fertilizer utilization. When formulating relevant policies, government departments should give consideration to the cooperation between provincial and regional governments.

Effects of potassium fertilizer and straw on maize yield, potassium utilization efficiency and soil potassium balance

ABSTRACT A three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of straw combined with potassium fertilizer on maize yield, potassium utilization efficiency and soil potassium balance. The study consisted of two straw treatments (S1: straw returning; S0: no straw returning) and five K levels (0,30,60,90,120 kg K ha−1). The results showed that compared to S0, the maize yield and available K content in S1 increased by 2.9%~6.2% and 19.3%~37.4%. The average of agronomy efficiency and surplus rate in S1 were 7.3%~35.4% and 24.8%~84.7% higher than S0 respectively, but the recovery efficiency, partial factor productivity under S0 and S1 were statistically identical. When the surplus rate is 0, the amount of potassium fertilizer required and the corresponding yield to maintain the soil K balance in S1 were 87.9 kg ha−1 and 12,424.6 kg ha−1. Compared to S0, S1 can decrease potassium fertilizer application rate by 10.2% while increasing maize yield by 3.5%. Overall, straw return combined with potassium fertilizer can improve maize yield and soil available potassium content, it can also reduce chemical fertilizer input while increasing fertilizer utilization efficiency, and play a positive role in keeping soil K balance simultaneously.

Can controlled-release urea replace the split application of normal urea in China? A meta-analysis based on crop grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency

Normal urea (NU) often requires multiple applications to increase crop yield and nitrogen (N) fertilizer utilization efficiency by improving the synchronization of crop N demand, which increases the labor input. Controlled-release urea (CRU) has excellent N release performance, and it can significantly increase crop productivity with only one application as a base fertilizer. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive evaluation of whether CRU can replace the split application of NU (split-NU) to increase crop yield and N fertilizer use efficiency, as this would reduce the necessary labor. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether CRU can replace split-NU nationwide. To this end, we collected peer-reviewed articles on CRU and split-NU that were published in recent decades and performed a meta-analysis. The results showed that, compared with all NU as base fertilizer, CRU and split-NU increased crop yield by 10.08% and 8.11%, respectively, and N use efficiency by 47.55% and 45.21%, respectively. In general, CRU had a better substitution effect on split-NU nationwide. However, due to regional climate factors, soil physicochemical factors, and field management measures, the substitution effect of CRU on split-NU varied. In most cases, CRU had a good substitution effect on split-NU, but when the soil available N content (< 50 mg kg −1 ) and the N application rate (< 150 kg ha −1 ) are both low, the planted crop was wheat, CRU had a poor substitution effect on split-NU. In addition, we found that CRU had a good substitution effect on split-NU in reducing N loss (greenhouse gas emissions and nitrate leaching) and increasing economic benefits. Therefore, we highlighted the threefold benefits of CRU, as it can improve crop productivity, reduce N loss, and decrease labor input; thus, it can be widely applied nationwide. • Both CRU and split-application of NU can improve crop yield and NUE. • CRU had a good substitution effect for split-application of NU. • CRU can help reduce environment costs and the labor input.

Effects of Different Potassium Supply Levels on Potassium Fertilizer of Bananas under Drip Irrigation

HighlightsThe effects of different potassium levels on banana production were investigated under drip irrigation.The most economical and rational potassium level for Brazil 118 was recommended to be 675 kg/ha.Fertilization plays an important role in improving the potassium fertilizer efficiency of bananas.Abstract.Applying potassium with water is an effective way to meet the potassium needs of banana and improve the utilization efficiency of potassium fertilizer. This paper aims to explore the fertilizer effect of different potassium levels on banana production under drip irrigation to provide a theoretical basis for the efficient and rational utilization of potassium fertilizer in banana production. Brazilian banana was used in the field experiment in this study. Under the condition of applying nitrogen fertilizer (N 750 kg/ha) and phosphate fertilizer (P2O5 450 kg/ha), five potassium supply levels of CK (without potassium fertilizer), K1 (K2O 225 kg/ha), K2 (450 kg/ha), K3 (675 kg/ha), and K4 (900 kg/ha) were employed to study the effects of drip irrigation on banana yield, fruit quality and economic benefits. The results showed that drip irrigation with potassium application could significantly increase the pseudo-stem diameter, fruits per comb, and green leaves of bananas (P&amp;lt;0.05). The banana yield with K3 treatment was 45.11 t/ha, which was 73.97%, 37.87%, 11.11%, and 5.67% higher than those with CK, K1, K2, and K4, respectively. The net cash income with K3 treatment was 122400 Chinese yuan/ha, increased by 57.32% compared with the CK treatment, and the output/input ratio increased from 1.41:1 to 3.11:1. Considering the increasing yield and economic benefits of bananas, application of drip irrigation coupled with the optimized potassium dosage (K2O 675 kg/ha) could achieve the highest banana production. Keywords: Banana, Drip irrigation, Economic benefit, Fruit quality, Potassium application level.

Selenium combined with chitin reduced phosphorus leaching in soil with pomelo by driving soil phosphorus cycle via microbial community

Phosphorus leaching is severe in the orchard of Fujian province, especially in Pinghe where 'Guanximiyou' Pomelo is extensively grown. It triggers decreased phosphorus fertilizer utilization efficiency and causes eutrophication of waterways. Microorganisms can promote plant growth, mineralize organic phosphorus and solubilize inorganic phosphorus in soil. Here, metagenomics was used to explore the effects of selenium combined with chitin inputs on genes and microorganisms related to the soil phosphorous cycle. Phenotypic approaches were used to explore phosphorus accumulation in plants and the leaching of soil phosphorus from leaching column experiments. The results showed that compared with the control, the combination of selenium and chitin could significantly promote phosphorus accumulation in leaves by 33.3% and reduce the leaching of phosphorus from soil by 29.11%. Addition of selenium and chitin also changed the composition of microbial community, thus affecting the relative abundance of genes and microorganisms involved with phosphorus cycle. For example, the PstSAC protein which mediates phosphorus transport in soil phosphorus cycle increased in the current study. And it may promote microbes to immobilize more phosphorus in their biomass. These findings provide a strategy to reduce the loss of phosphorus from soil and lower the risks of eutrophication of waterways, which would contribute to a sustainable and environmental friendly agriculture.

Effects of Soil Texture on Soil Leaching and Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Growth under Combined Irrigation and Drainage

To further explore the effects of different soil textures on soil leaching and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth using a combined irrigation and drainage technique and provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of saline alkali land in Xinjiang, we used a test pit experiment to test soil moisture, salinity, soil pH, permeability, cotton agronomic characteristics, cotton yield and quality, and water use efficiency in three soil textures (clay, loam, sand soil) under the combined irrigation and drainage (T1) and conventional drip irrigation (T2). We measured the soil moisture content in different soil layers of clay, loam and sandy soil under the T1 and T2 treatments. Clay and loam had better water retention than sandy soil, and the soil moisture under the combined irrigation and drainage treatment was slightly higher than that under conventional drip irrigation. Under T1, the average salt content and pH value in the 0–60 cm soil layer of clay, loam and sandy soil decreased by 14.09%, 14.21% and 12.35%, and 5.02%, 5.85% and 3.27%, respectively, compared with T2. Therefore, T2 reduced the salt content and pH value of shallow soil. Under T1 and T2, the relative permeability coefficient (K/K0) values in different soil textures at different growth stages of cotton were ranked as follows: sandy soil &gt; loam &gt; clay. Under T1, the K/K0 values for different soil textures at different growth stages of cotton were &gt;1; therefore, T1 improved soil permeability. The yield and water use efficiency of seed cotton under T1 and T2 in different soil textures were ranked as follows: loam &gt; clay &gt; sand, and there were significant differences between the different treatments. In loam, the cotton yield and water use efficiency of the combined irrigation and drainage treatment were 6.37% and 13.70% higher than those for conventional drip irrigation treatment, respectively. By combining irrigation and drainage to adjust the soil moisture, salt, pH value and soil permeability of different soil textures, the root growth environment of crops can effectively be improved, which is of great significance to improving the utilization efficiency of water and fertilizer and promoting the growth of cotton.

Nano agrochemical zinc oxide influences microbial activity, carbon, and nitrogen cycling of applied manures in the soil-plant system

The widespread use of nano-enabled agrochemicals in agriculture for remediating soil and improving nutrient use efficiency of organic and chemical fertilizers is increasing continuously with limited understanding on their potential risks. Recent studies suggested that nanoparticles (NPs) are harmful to soil organisms and their stimulated nutrient cycling in agriculture. However, their toxic effects under natural input farming systems are just at its infancy. Here, we aimed to examine the harmful effects of nano-agrochemical zinc oxide (ZnONPs) to poultry (PM) and farmyard manure (FYM) C and N cycling in soil-plant systems. These manures enhanced microbial counts, CO2 emission, N mineralization, spinach yield and N recovery than control (unfertilized). Soil applied ZnONPs increased labile Zn in microbial biomass, conferring its consumption and thereby reduced the colony-forming bacterial and fungal units. Such effects resulted in decreasing CO2 emitted from PM and FYM by 39 and 43%, respectively. Further, mineralization of organic N was reduced from FYM by 32%, and PM by 26%. This process has considerably decreased the soil mineral N content from both manure types and thereby spinach yield and plant N recoveries. In the ZnONPs amended soil, only about 23% of the applied total N from FYM and 31% from PM was ended up in plants, whereas the respective fractions in the absence of ZnONPs were 33 and 53%. Hence, toxicity of ZnONPs should be taken into account when recommending its use in agriculture for enhancing nutrient utilization efficiency of fertilizers or soil remediation purposes.

Synthesis of bio-based MIL-100(Fe)@CNF-SA composite hydrogel and its application in slow-release N-fertilizer

With the severe shortage of water resources and the low utilization efficiency of fertilizer, slow-release fertilizer equipped with water-absorbing and water-retaining capacity has captured much attention. Herein, by integrating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) and sodium alginate (SA), a novel cellulose-based hydrogel (MIL-100(Fe)@CNF-SA) was fabricated that acted as a carrier for urea. The resultant hydrogel was not only qualified with a high surface area of 129.17 m2/g but also affluent in the hydrophilic groups. In parallel with the good water-holding capacity of 55% when the loading of the resultant hydrogel was only 0.5 g, the complete loss of the water in the treated soil was successfully slowed down by nearly 20 d compared with the soil without treatment. Urea (1.47 g/g) could be captured in the composite hydrogel, wherein the slow release of urea was achieved due to the synergism of the highly porous structure of the hydrogel and the crystals with a high specific surface area. Moreover, the positive effect of the resultant hydrogel on the growth of wheat was indexed to the germination rate, number of tillers, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of the crop, which verified their further application in irrigating farming.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Precise Application System for Liquid Starter Fertilizer while Sowing Maize

At present, liquid starter fertilizer (LSF) application technologies experience problems with low fertilizer utilization efficiency. In this study, we adopted a method of precise application of LSF near the seeds on seed bed in point form during sowing. A precise application system that can detect seed information in real time and control the solenoid valve to open automatically was developed for this method. The LSF supply system and detection control system were studied in detail. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the precise application system in terms of operation quality (qualified index of the length of the LSF, QIL; the amount of the LSF, FA; and qualified index of the distance between the seeds and the LSF, QID) at forward speeds of 4, 6, and 8 km/h and pressures of 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 MPa. The results indicated that QIL was 96.4%, the range of FA was 1.34 to 13.86 mL, and QID was 82.6%, which signifies the developed system meets the demands of precise LSF application. This method achieves the target of improving fertilizer use efficiency and provides a reference for developing fertilization devices for precisely applying LSF.

Valorization of peanut shell biochar for soil amendment

Biochar is one of the best and economical soil amendments as it helps in carbon sequestration, retains soil nutrients, increases water retention capacity of the soil, attracts more beneficial microbes and thus improves the crop yield. Peanut shell (PNB) biochar is produced by slow pyrolysis at 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C. PNB produced at these various temperatures were characterized (pH, electrical conductivity, ash and moisture content, bulk density, FTIR, SEM, XRD, SBET and elemental analyses). Pot study was carried out with soil amended with PNB obtained at various temperatures and PNB in combination with N (Nitrogen) fertilizer on sorghum crops over 30 days. It is found that Biochar increased soil water retention capacity and N fertilizer utilization efficiency by the plants. PNB, in combination with urea, had a synergistic effect that enhanced sorghum crop growth (fresh and dry weight, height of the plant, stem diameter, leaf length, leaf area). PNB showed no significant effect on seed germination. Thus, PNB, in combination with urea, can be used as an effective soil amendment technique. Highlights Biochar amendment increased the soil water holding capacity Peanut shell biochar in combination with urea has a synergistic effect Increased N fertilizer utilization efficiency by the plants when biochar and N fertilizer applied together Enhanced sorghum crop growth due to biochar amendment Application of Peanut shell biochar showed no significant effect on seed germination

Chitin combined with selenium reduced nitrogen loss in soil and improved nitrogen uptake efficiency in Guanxi pomelo orchard

Nitrogen cycling in soil, which associated with microbes, plays an important role in plant growth. Irrational application of nitrogen fertilizer could disrupt the structure of soil microbial community, thus inhibiting the uptake of nitrogen by plants and increasing nitrogen leaching in soil. Field and pot leaching experiments with the combined application of chitin fertilizer and selenium (Se) were carried out in order to develop an approach to improve the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer utilization and reduce runoff by nitrogen loss in orchards of Guanxi pomelo in Fujian Province. Our results showed that application of chitin fertilizer combined with Se to the soil with reduced nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer (nitrogen fertilizer decreased by 25% and phosphate fertilizer decreased by 50%) could significantly increase the fruit yield, vitamin C and solid-acid ratio in the fruit. The application of chitin fertilizer and Se can not only lead to the increase of total nitrogen content in plant leaves but also the alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content in soil which enhancing soil nitrogen supplying capacity. It has been found that the adding the chitin fertilizer and Se into soil can significantly affect the structure and functional categories microbial communities and its activities. This is directly evidenced by the findings that the expression level of several groups of N metabolism and transporting related genes (i.e. amoAB and nxrA in nitrification, narG, nirK, norBC, and nosZ in denitrification, nirD, narH in dissimilatory nitrogen reduction, and ureC in ammoniation) has been drastically up-regulated. Our results indicate this strategy for reducing N and P input while maintaining and improving plant performance by supplementing with micronutrient Se and chitin fertilizer can increase the fruit yield and improve the quality of Guanxi pomelo through improving fertilizer use efficiency.

Potassium Plus Biopolymer Coating Controls Nitrogen Dynamics of Urea in Soil and Increases Wheat Production

The low nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) of commercial fertilizers is one of the main hurdles in higher crop production and reduction of fertilizer N losses to the environment. However, interactions between most the macronutrients could have synergistic outcomes that affect crop NUE. The coating of urea with macronutrients and biopolymers may control N release and synergistically impact its crop NUE. In this study, urea was coated with 3% of different polymers, combined with 5% potassium iodide (KI) (i) Gum Arabica (GA + KI), (ii) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA + KI), and (iii) gelatin (Gelatin + KI) to control its N release, leaching, and increase of wheat NUE. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the successful coating of all KI and biopolymer combinations on urea granules. All coating combinations slowed down urea release in water and reduced its leaching from the soil, but the highest reduction in both parameters was observed with the GA + KI treatment, compared to the uncoated urea. After soil application, GA + KI decreased urea leaching by 26% than the uncoated urea in lysimeter. In the field, soil mineral N remained significantly high with the GA + KI and PVA + KI treatments at the wheat tillering, booting, grain filling and maturity stages, compared to the uncoated urea. However, K content was only high (28%) with the GA + KI treatment at final harvest. Likewise, microbial biomass N was only high with GA + KI at grain filling (20%) and maturity stages (24%) than the uncoated urea. Such synchronized N availability led to high wheat grain yield (28%), N (56%) uptake, and apparent N recovery (130%) with the GA + KI treatment, compared to the uncoated fertilizer. The increment in NUE with GA + KI could be due to the synergistic effect of K on N availability; therefore, we observed higher wheat yield and N utilization efficiency with this treatment. Hence, urea coated with macronutrient (K) plus biopolymer is recommended to improve wheat yield, NUE, and for reduction of environmental N losses.

Effects of long-term phosphorus application on crop yield, phosphorus absorption, and soil phosphorus accumulation in maize-wheat rotation system.

In this study, we examined the effects of four phosphorus treatments on crop yields, and analyzed crop phosphorus uptake and phosphorus utilization efficiency, as well as changes in soil phosphorus deficit in maize-wheat rotation system, based on a 7-year field experiment in Baoding City, Hebei Province. The results showed that long-term phosphorus application significantly increased the yield and phosphorus uptake of maize and wheat. The yield and phosphorus uptake of maize and wheat showed a parabolic trend that first increased and then decreased with the increases of phosphorus application. The utilization efficiency of phosphorus fertilizer in the corn season was higher than that in the wheat season under various phosphorus application treatments. The cumulative utilization efficiency of phosphorus fertilizer in the wheat season showed a downward trend. The decline rate showed that optimized phosphorus application > 70% optimized phosphorus application >130% optimized phosphorus application. The cumulative utilization efficiency of phosphorus fertili-zer in the corn season showed an upward trend. For the rising rate, the optimized phosphorus application > 70% optimized phosphorus application > 130% optimized phosphorus application. Both the apparent phosphorus surplus and the accumulated phosphorus surplus of the soil without phosphorus application were under phosphorus deficiency. Under the treatment of phosphorus application, soil phosphorus showed a status of phosphorus surplus. The higher the phosphorus application rate, the longer the accumulation period, the higher the soil phosphorus surplus. Under the straw returning condition, phosphorus application rate for wheat of 105-150 kg·hm-2 and the phosphorus application rate for maize of 63-90 kg·hm-2 in Hebei fluvo-aquic soil could ensure the high crop yield, keep the phosphorus utilization efficiency at a high level, and reduce soil phosphorus accumulation and environmental risks.

Reduced application and different combined applications of loss-control urea on summer maize yield and fertilizer efficiency improvement

<p id="C3">Loss-control urea with nanometer mineral loss control agent added during production period could reduce the loss of nitrogen (N) through adsorption. Figuring out the application rate of loss-control urea and the appropriate rate with conventional urea could provide evidences for summer maize one-time fertilization, N fertilizer reduction, and use efficiency improvement. Under different yield level soil conditions, field experiment was arranged to investigate the effects of different N fertilizer managements on summer maize yield, aboveground biomass, nutrient accumulation, photosynthetic characteristic, and N utilization efficiency. Treatments of conventional urea (N at 210 kg hm^-2), loss-control urea (full dose with N at 210 kg hm^-2, 10% reduction with N at 189 kg hm^-2, and 20% reduction with N at 168 kg hm^-2), and different combined proportions of loss-control urea and conventional urea (at 7:3, 5:5, and 3:7) were carried out. The results revealed that N fertilizer application could significantly increase the yield of summer maize and the full-dose loss-control urea treatments increased the yield by 22.96%-27.55%, compared with that under conventional urea application at high- and middle-yield soil conditions. The application of loss-control urea at 10% and 20% reduction sustained the summer maize yield at high- and middle-yield soil condition with improved grains per ear, compared with full-dose loss-control urea application. The N fertilizer utilization efficiency under loss-control urea at 20% reduction treatment at high-yield soil condition reached 41.60%. N accumulation was comparable with full-dose loss-control urea application under proportions of loss-control urea and conventional urea at 7:3 application. Meanwhile, this treatment could sustain the yield and straw biomass at high- and middle-yield level soil and significantly increased the yield and straw biomass at low-yield field. In conclusion, one-time application of loss-control urea with N at 210 kg hm^-2 could significantly improve the yield of summer maize and N efficiency of the fertilizer utilization. The application of loss-control urea with 20% reduction could sustain the summer maize yield with significantly improved N utilization efficiency at high- and middle-yield soil conditions, which was the suitable N fertilizer application for high- and middle-yield field. Loss-control urea and conventional urea at 7:3 application was suitable for N fertilizer application for low-yield field.

Application of Bag-Controlled Release Fertilizer Facilitated New Root Formation, Delayed Leaf, and Root Senescence in Peach Trees and Improved Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency.

It is very important to promote root growth and delay root and leaf senescence, to improve nitrogen absorption and utilization efficiency, and to improve the storage nutrition level of the tree, so as to improve the fruit quality and yield of peach. In this experiment, we compared and analyzed the effects of traditional fertilization and bag-controlled release fertilizer (BCRF) on the growth of shoots and roots, senescence of leaves and roots, and fruit yield and quality. Moreover, the impacts of BCRF on ammonia volatilization, nitrogen utilization rate, fine root turnover, and plant storage nutrients were also investigated. Compared with conventional fertilizer use, the application of BCRF significantly promoted the shoot growth of young peach trees. Additionally, BCRF delayed leaf senescence and increased root activity in autumn. This increased the storage nutrients of the peach tree. Compared with traditional fertilizer, ammonia volatilization reduced to 54.36% under BCRF application situation. BCRF also promoted the occurrence of fine roots and decreased the annual turnover rate. A 15N tracer test showed that, compared with traditional fertilizer, BCRF nitrogen utilization efficiency increased by 37.73% in peach trees under BCRF treatment significantly. The results from 3 consecutive years showed that the application of BCRF increased the yield of individual plants by 21.35% on average compared to the yield from plants receiving equal amounts of fertilizer applied by spreading (FSA). Thus, BCRF can promote the occurrence of fine roots and decrease the root annual turnover rate in peach trees, and it also improves the utilization efficiency of fertilizer, reduces ammonia volatilization, delays leaf senescence, and enhances storage nutrition, fruit yield, and fruit quality in peach trees.

Application of Different Fruit Peels Powder as an Organic Fertilisers for the Effective Growth of Water Spinach (&lt;i&gt;Ipomoea aquatica&lt;/i&gt;)

Macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are usually found in fertilisers which is essential to plant growth and development. The study reports on the utilization of different fruit peels as an organic fertiliser for the effective growth of water spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica). Each fruit peels of pineapple, banana and mango were collected separately from local fruit vendors. The fruit peels were cleaned, dried, and then grinded into powder individually. The chemical composition of fruit peels powder was analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and CHNOS analyser which NPK concentration was determined. Among three analysed fruit peels, results demonstrated that banana peels powder showed the highest concentration of K and N, which consists of 26557.86 mg/L and 1.61%, respectively. Besides that, electrical conductivitymeasurement and water absorption capacity of fruit peels powder was studied. Plants were grown under vary amount of fruit peels powder treatments (mango, banana, and pineapple peels application), as well as control treatments (no fertiliser application). Plant height and number of leaves per plantwere analysed to investigate the effect of fruit peels powder treatment on plant growth. The application of 3 g pineapple peels powder gave the better performances in all water spinach growth parameters with mean maximum plant height of 20.83±3.01cm, number of leaves per plant of 9 was recorded. Hence, it can be concluded that 3 g pineapple peels powder can efficiently improve the utilization efficiency of fertilizers in agricultural production.

English

The present study investigated the effects of irrigation and phosphorus fertilizer on dry matter accumulation and phosphorus use efficiency in sugar beet for two growing seasons during 2016 and 2017, using H003 cultivar. The experiment was comprised of four treatments including NP0K-rainfed (C1), NPK-rainfed (C2), NP0K-irrigation (C3), and NPK-irrigation (C4) using 105 kg P ha-1 compared with 0 kg P ha-1. The results showed that during the whole growth period of crop, chlorophyll contents was in the order of C4 &gt; C3 &gt; C2 &gt; C1. The sugar contents were higher in irrigation treatments than rain-fed. At harvest, 105 kg P ha-1 under NPK-irrigation treatment had the highest sugar yield up to 11.59 and 10.64 t∙hm-2 in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The percent increase in yield was 20.19–27.07%, 15.79–21.62% and 14.57–14.93% than C1, C2 and C3 treatments, respectively. In C4 treatment, the dry matter accumulation in roots and leaves were 25.36 and 27.48 t∙hm-2, 9.22 and 10.67 t∙hm-2 in 2016 and 2017 respectively, with 0.39% and 5.53, 11.61 and 25.02% higher than in C2 treatment. The phosphorus accumulation in roots of C4 treatment at harvesting was 9.46 and 9.97 t∙hm-2 while phosphorus accumulation in leaves of same treatment was 3.58 and 3.80 t∙hm-2 in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In irrigation treatments, the utilization efficiency of phosphate fertilizer was 16.97 and 17.33% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, with 25.52 and 29.02% higher than corresponding rainfed treatment, indicating that irrigation could significantly improve the utilization efficiency of P fertilizer. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers

Research on the Utilization Efficiency of Nitrogen by Winter Wheat under Different Water and Fertilizer Regulation and Cultivation Modes

Since 2016 China liberalized its third-child policy, which resulted in an increase of millions of people every year and therefore China must ensure annual output increases. The utilization efficiency of water and fertilizer is one of the most important keys to mitigating the food crisis. Artificial intelligence technology will be the development of Chinese agriculture. However, the physical and chemical properties of soil, the selection of seeds, the characteristics of different crops, the proportion of water and fertilizer regulation, and the different tillage methods all affect the grain output and the sustainable development of tillage mode. The purpose of this paper is to find the direct relationship between tillage mode and water and fertilizer regulation, and summarize some rules. To provide data and theoretical support for the implementation of China’s modern agriculture. Therefore, winter wheat (wheat breed: Ji wheat 22) as the study crop was targeted, two irrigation methods: traditional irrigation (A) and water-saving irrigation (B) were selected, three fertilization factors: no fertilization (CK), traditional fertilization (FC) and optimized fertilization (FO) were chosen. Water and nitrogen fertilizer were used as control variables. This paper analyzes the environmental benefits of winter wheat irrigation and fertilization and provides a theoretical basis for rotation system efficiency and the sustainable production of winter wheat in a plain area. The results suggested that the water-saving irrigation mode had significantly better nitrate absorption efficiency of soil. The water-saving model is more conducive to improving the nitrogen absorption efficiency by the soil.

Current status of fertilizer application and utilization efficiency of winter wheat in Anhui Province, China

Winter wheat is an important crop in Anhui Province. Rational use of fertilizers is crucial for the achievement of successful yield. It is urgently needed to reveal the status of fertilizer application and existing problems in winter wheat planting in Anhui for better fertilization. We conducted a survey on 1591 farmers in the main winter wheat producing areas of Anhui Province. The contents of survey included fertilizer type, fertilizer dosage, fertilization method, planting area and yield level. Based on the survey results, we analyzed the current fertilization status of winter wheat growing areas in Anhui Province. Referred to the average wheat yield and fertilizer usage in Anhui, the relationship between wheat yield and fertilizers, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (K2O), was evaluated by Cate-Nelson method (cross-over method) to explore the ways to increase yield and fertilizer utilization efficiency of winter wheat. The results showed that the average yield of winter wheat in Anhui Province was 5185 kg·hm-2, and the average application rates of N, P2O and K2O fertilizers were 206, 80 and 78 kg·hm-2, respectively. Compared with wheat following rice, the N, P2O and K2O fertilization rates of dry stubble wheat was higher by 14, 16 and 3 kg·hm-2, respectively. Overall, the average amount of chemical fertilizer in winter wheat cultivation in Anhui Province was rational, but there were still some problems in fertilization methods, nutrient management and fertilizer types. The results of Cate-Nelson method showed that 23.8%, 21.2% and 25.7% (for N, P2O5 and K2O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat were below the average level that achieved high yield, reaching highest partial productivity of N, P2O5 and K2O fertilizers. There were 26.3%, 19.3% and 22.5% (for N, P2O5 and K2O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat were below the average use level which did not achieve high yield. There were 26.2%, 29.6% and 25.0% (for N, P2O5 and K2O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat realized high yield, but the fertilization rate was high and the partial productivity of N, P2O and K2O fertilizers was relatively low. Our results suggest that the yield and efficiency of winter wheat in Anhui Pro-vince should be improved. The percentage of mechanical fertilization in winter wheat was 62.7% for base fertilizer and 10.0% for topdressing fertilizer, respectively. Though nitrogen fertilizer was applied at different stages, the proportion of base fertilizer that accounted for 69.0% of the total should be decreased appropriately. It's a problem that farmers preferred to use chemical fertilizers but not organic substitution.