One-time root-zone N fertilization increases maize yield, NUE and reduces soil N losses in lime concretion black soil

• Published in: Scientific reports 2018-07, Vol.8 (1), p.10258-10, Article 10258
• Main Authors: Jiang, Chaoqiang, Lu, Dianjun, Zu, Chaolong, Shen, Jia, Wang, Shiji, Guo, Zhibin, Zhou, Jianmin, Wang, Huoyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 704/172; 704/172/169; Corn; Crop yield; Fertilization; Fertilizer application; Fertilizers; Grain; Growing season; Humanities and Social Sciences; Leaching; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soils; Urea
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28642-0

Excess N-fertilizer application and inappropriate fertilization methods have led to low N use efficiency (NUE) and high N leaching. A field experiment was performed in a typical lime concretion black soil area to compare N application methods: split surface broadcasting (SSB) and one-time root-zone fertilization (RZF) on grain yield, NUE, the fate of 15 N urea and soil N loss during the 2015 and 2016 maize growing seasons. Each application method was tested at N rates of 135 and 180 kg N ha −1 , and a control (CK) with no N fertilizer. The RZF treatment remarkably increased grain yield by 7.0% compared with SSB treatment under 180 kg N ha −1 , and significantly increased N derived from fertilizer by 28.5%. The residual 15 N in the 0–80 cm soil layer was 40.6–47.6% after harvest, 61.8–70.9% of which was retained in 0–20 cm. The RZF remarkably increased the 15 N recovery in maize by 28.7%, while significantly decreased the potential N losses by 30.2% compared with SSB in both seasons. In conclusion, one-time RZF of urea is recommended for obtaining high yields, increasing NUE, and minimizing N losses in maize, which deserves more attention for developing and applying in the future.