N-fertilizer postponing application improves dry matter translocation and increases system productivity of wheat/maize intercropping

AbstractIntercropping increases the grain yield to feed the ever-growing population in the world by cultivating two crop species on the same area of land. It has been proven that N-fertilizer postponed topdressing can boost the productivity of cereal/legume intercropping. However, whether the application of this technology to cereal/cereal intercropping can still increase grain yield is unclear. A field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2020 in the arid region of northwestern China to investigate the accumulation and distribution of dry matter and yield performance of wheat/maize intercropping in response to N-fertilizer postponed topdressing application. There were three N application treatments (referred as N1, N2, N3) for maize and the total amount were all 360 kg N ha−1. N fertilizer were applied at four time, i.e. prior to sowing, at jointing stage, at pre-tasseling stage, and at 15 days post-silking stage, respectively. The N3 treatment was traditionally used for maize production and allocations subjected to these four stages were 2:3:4:1. The N1 and N2 were postponed topdressing treatments which allocations were 2:1:4:3 and 2:2:4:2, respectively. The results showed that the postponed topdressing N fertilizer treatments boosted the maximum average crop growth rate (CGR) of wheat/maize intercropping. The N1 and N2 treatments increased the average maximum CGR by 32.9% and 16.4% during the co-growth period, respectively, and the second average maximum CGR was increased by 29.8% and 12.6% during the maize recovery growth stage, respectively, compared with the N3 treatment. The N1 treatment was superior to other treatments, since it increased the CGR of intercropped wheat by 44.7% during the co-growth period and accelerated the CGR of intercropped maize by 29.8% after the wheat had been harvested. This treatment also increased the biomass and grain yield of intercropping by 8.6% and 33.7%, respectively, compared with the current N management practice. This yield gain was primarily attributable to the higher total translocation of dry matter. The N1 treatment increased the transfer amount of intercropped wheat by 28.4% from leaf and by 51.6% from stem, as well as increased the intercropped maize by 49.0% of leaf, 36.6% of stem, and 103.6% of husk, compared to N3 treatment, respectively. Integrated the N fertilizer postponed topdressing to the wheat/maize intercropping system have a promotion effect on increasing the translocation of dry matter to grain in vegetative organs. Therefore, the harvest index of intercropped wheat and maize with N1 was 5.9% and 5.3% greater than that of N3, respectively. This demonstrated that optimizing the management of N fertilizer can increase the grain yield from wheat/maize intercropping via the promotion of accumulation and translocation of dry matter.

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N-fertilizer Postponing Application Improves Dry Matter Translocation and Increases System Productivity of Wheat/Maize Intercropping

10.21203/rs.3.rs-736514/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ke Xu ◽

Qiang Chai ◽

Falong Hu ◽

Zhilong Fan ◽

Wen Yin

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Management Practice ◽

Growth Period ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Maize Production ◽

System Productivity ◽

Average Maximum ◽

N Management ◽

Two Stages

Abstract Intercropping increases the grain yield to feed the ever-growing population in the world. It has been proven that N-fertilizer postponed topdressing can boost the productivity of cereal/legume intercropping. However, whether the application of this technology to cereal/cereal intercropping can still increase grain yield is unclear. A field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2020 in the arid region of northwestern China to investigate the accumulation and distribution of dry matter and yield performance of wheat/maize intercropping in response to N-fertilizer postponed topdressing approaches. Allocations that were subjected to topdressing at the jointing and 15 d post-silking stages using the amount of nitrogen fertilizer (N3) that is traditionally used for maize production used only 30% and 10% of the total amount nitrogen, respectively. The allocations of postponed topdressing treatments of the two N fertilizers at these two stages were 10% and 30% for N1, and 20% and 20% for N2. The results showed that the postponed topdressing N fertilizer treatments boosted the maximum average crop growth rate (CGR) of wheat/maize intercropping. The N1 and N2 treatments increased the average maximum CGR by 32.9% and 16.4% during the co-growth period, respectively, and the second average maximum CGR was increased by 29.8% and 12.6% during the maize recovery growth stage, respectively, compared with the N3 treatment. The N1 treatment was superior to other treatments, since it increased the CGR of intercropped wheat during the co-growth period and accelerated the CGR of intercropped maize after the wheat had been harvested. This treatment also increased the biomass and grain yield of intercropping by 8.6% and 33.7%, respectively, compared with the current N management practice. This yield gain was primarily attributable to the higher total translocation of dry matter. The intercropping system increased the translocation of dry matter to grain in vegetative organs, while the N fertilizer postponed topdressing promoted this effect. Therefore, the harvest index of intercropped wheat and maize with N1 was 5.9% and 5.3% greater than that of N3, respectively. This demonstrated that optimizing the management of N fertilizer can increase the grain yield from wheat/maize intercropping via the promotion of accumulation and translocation of dry matter.

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Growth and the distribution of phosphorus in wheat developed under various phosphorus and temperature regimes

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9860459 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 459 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

GD Batten ◽

IF Wardlaw ◽

MJ Aston

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Flag Leaf ◽

Standard Condition ◽

Growth Period ◽

Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Floral Initiation ◽

Stages Of Development ◽

P Deficiency ◽

P Supply

Experiments were designed to examine the effect of the level and duration of application of phosphorus (P) on yield in wheat and the effect of growth conditions prior to anthesis on the utilisation of P taken up during the early stages of development. In the first experiment, wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Kite) was grown in sand and supplied with a complete nutrient solution containing either 1 mM phosphate or 0.25 mM phosphate. The supply of P was maintained until grain maturity, or stopped at different stages of development (floral initiation, flag leaf emergence, anthesis). The increase in total plant dry matter over this period ranged from 8.8 to 17.6 g/plant, with the 1.0 mM P supply and from 4.1 to 9.5 g/plant with the 0.25 mM P supply. Supply of P beyond anthesis resulted in more tiller dry matter and increased the P content of the grain, but did not increase grain yield at either level. With 1 mM P to maturity, up to 21% P of the grain P could be attributed to retranslocation of P within the plant after anthesis. With 0.25 mM P to floral initiation, 58% of the grain P could be attributed to such retranslocation. In a second experiment plants (cv. Kite) were grown initially at 18/13�C with 0.25 mM P until floral initiation and thereafter with a P-free solution until maturity. Between floral initiation and anthesis plants were placed in six dayhight temperatures, extending (in 3�C steps) from 15/10�C to 30/25OC, and then returned to the standard condition of 18/13�C. Higher pre-anthesis temperatures reduced the pre-anthesis growth period and the plant height, but increased the leaf phosphorus concentration and uptake of phosphorus per plant in both the pre- and post-anthesis periods. Net CO2 exchange indicated that leaf senescence in P-deficient plants was closely associated with the export of nitrogen as well as the export of P. Grain P increased from 0.15% to 0.3% when the preanthesis temperature was increased from 15/10 to 30/25�C, although grain yield per main culm did not vary greatly. These findings highlight the importance of environmental conditions in determining the level of P deficiency in wheat, and show that grain yield is not limited by the amount of P in the grain.

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Simulated Assessment of Summer Maize Drought Loss Sensitivity in Huaibei Plain, China

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9020078 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 78 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yanqi Wei ◽

Juliang Jin ◽

Shangming Jiang ◽

Shaowei Ning ◽

Yi Cui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Yield Loss ◽

Agricultural Drought ◽

Summer Maize ◽

Jointing Stage ◽

Two Stages ◽

Yield Formation

In an agricultural drought risk system, crop drought loss sensitivity evaluation is a fundamental link for quantitative agricultural drought loss risk assessment. Summer maize growth processes under various drought patterns were simulated using the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CERES-maize, which was calibrated and validated based on pit experiments conducted in the Huaibei Plain during 2016 and 2017 seasons. Then S-shaped maize drought loss sensitivity curve was built for fitting the relationship between drought hazard index intensity at a given stage and the corresponding dry matter accumulation and grain yield loss rate, respectively. Drought stress reduced summer maize evapotranspiration, dry matter, and yield accumulation, and the reductions increased with the drought intensity at each stage. Moreover, the losses caused by drought at different stages were significantly different. When maize plants were exposed to a severe water deficit at the jointing stage, the dry matter and grain yield formation were greatly affected. Therefore, maize growth was more sensitive to drought stress at the jointing stage when the stress was serious. Furthermore, when plants encountered a relatively slight drought during the seedling or jointing stage, which represented as a lower soil water deficit intensity, the grain yield loss rates approached the maximum for the sensitivity curves of these two stages. Therefore, summer maize tolerance to water deficit at the seedling and jointing stages were weak, and yield formation was more sensitive to water deficit during these two stages when the deficit was relatively slight.

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Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on yield and nitrogen concentration in grain and straw of rice under semi-deepwater conditions (51–100 cm)

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600079685 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 110 (1) ◽

pp. 53-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. D. Reddy ◽

M. M. Panda ◽

B. C. Ghosh ◽

B. B. Reddy

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Level ◽

Plant Height ◽

Deep Water ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Nitrogen Concentration ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Rice Varieties ◽

N Concentration ◽

Intermediate Deep Water

SummaryUnder conditions of semi-deep water (51–100 cm) rice varieties with greater plant height produced more dry matter and grain yield as N fertilizer was increased from 0 to 20 and 40 kg/ha. The varieties which performed better in a situation of slow rise in water level to a depth of 120 cm could not survive a quick rise in water level owing to their lesser plant height and elongation ability. The loss of dry matter (dead and dried leaves) was also greater in varieties susceptible to deep water than varieties tolerant of deep water.With the increase in N fertilizer, there was increase in plant height, number of tillers, dry-matter production and grain yield. The loss of dry matter was less in crops given N fertilizer than in those not given N fertilizer. The varieties capable of producing higher grain yield in response to N fertilizer under semi-deep water did not improve their grain yield under intermediate deep water (15–50 cm). With increase in application of N fertilizer from 0 to 40 kg/ha the N concentration in grain increased. N concentration did not vary in straw under intermediate deep water, there was no definite trend in semi-deep water, and it was higher under conditions of semi-deep than intermediate deep water.

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Growth of shoots and roots, and interception of radiation by wheat and lupin crops on a shallow, duplex soil in response to time of sowing

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9960427 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 427 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

PJ Gregory ◽

J Eastham

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Root Weight ◽

Crop Species ◽

Sowing Time ◽

Plant Weight ◽

Conversion Coefficients ◽

Shoot Weight ◽

Late Sowing

Crops of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. Gungurru) and wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Kulin or Spear) sown close to the break of the season and 3-6 weeks later were grown on a duplex soil at East Beverley, WA, over 3 seasons. The overall aim of the work was to examine the influence of time of sowing on growth and water use of the crops, and this paper reports their growth and yield. Early sowing resulted in greater shoot weight of all crops (up to 2.8 t/ha for lupin and 1.7 t/ha for wheat at maturity) and grain yield of lupin, but grain yield of wheat was increased in only 1 of the 3 seasons. The principal effect of the delayed sowing was to reduce the duration of linear growth; the rate of the initial exponential phase was slightly reduced by later sowing as was the rate of growth during the linear phase in lupin (by about 1.5 g/m2day) but not in wheat. Late sowing generally reduced both the number of pod/ears per unit area and the number of grains per pod/ear. Doubling the density of sowing in one of the seasons had no effects on the shoot weight and grain yield of lupin with early or late sowing but decreased those of wheat. Downward root growth of early-sown crops averaged 5.2 mm/day for lupin and 8.7 mm/day for wheat in the 3 seasons and ceased at about 0.8 m; time of sowing had no effect on these measures. Root weight at flowering was greater in lupin than in wheat crops, and root weight of lupin was about 0.5 of total plant weight during vegetative growth compared with 0.25-0.3 in wheat. Typically, only 5-6% of the root length of both crop species was present in the clay layer at flowering irrespective of sowing time. The proportion of radiation intercepted reached a higher maximum value for early-sown crops (about 0.75 in 1991 and 0.90 in 1992) than late-sown crops (about 0.60 in 1991 and 0.8 in 1992). The conversion coefficients of radiation to dry matter were very similar (about 1.8 g/MJ) for both species, but the greater partitioning of dry matter to roots in lupin than wheat meant that conversion coefficients for shoot dry matter were greater in wheat (1.43-1.68 g/MJ) than in lupin (0.93-1.16 g/MJ). The results demonstrate that early sowing produced larger crops of both lupin and wheat; this resulted in larger lupin yields, but yield of wheat was affected by disease and drought during grain filling.

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Corn stalk integrity is improved by fungicide combinations containing carboxamide

Ciência e Agrotecnologia ◽

10.1590/1413-70542018425017318 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (5) ◽

pp. 484-490

Author(s):

Marina Freitas e Silva ◽

Wender Santos Rezende ◽

Domingos da Costa Ferreira Júnior ◽

Thays Vieira Bueno ◽

Flávia Bastos Agostinho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Breaking Strength ◽

Cellulose Content ◽

Corn Stalk ◽

Maize Production ◽

Vegetative Organs ◽

Green Area ◽

Matter Production ◽

Chemical Groups

ABSTRACT Conservation of vegetative organs, as leaves and stalks, is essential to achieve high maize production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of leaf area maintenance due to fungicides spraying on stalk integrity, its chemical composition and grain yield. The experiment was conducted in Uberlândia - MG, during the second season of 2016. The experiment design was a randomized complete block with six replications and six treatments, representing combinations of fungicides belonging to carboxamide, strobilurin, triazole, and dithiocarbamate chemical groups, and the check treatment (without fungicides). The assessed traits were leaf green area, wet and dry stalk density, stalk breaking strength and height, stalk lignin and cellulose percentage, stalk dry matter, stalk lignin and cellulose content per hectare and grain yield. Treatments containing fungicides, especially the ones containing carboxamide, resulted in higher leaf green area and stalk density. Application of fungicides also increased stalk breaking strength and height; however, no effect was observed on stalk lignin and cellulose percentage. Grain yield, stalk dry matter production, and stalk lignin and cellulose contents per hectare were enhanced by fungicide application, with higher improvements in plants treated with carboxamide. Application of fungicides, mainly when combined with carboxamides, promotes higher maintenance of leaf green area, which leads to improved stalk integrity, higher grain yield, and higher straw production.

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Grain yield, nutrient balance and economics of T. Aman rice cultivation as influenced by nutrients management

Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.3329/bjar.v40i1.23752 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 17-34

Author(s):

MAH S Jahan ◽

MAR Sarkar ◽

NCD Barma ◽

MNA Mondal ◽

MNS Ferdousi

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Nutrient Management ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Management Practice ◽

Nutrient Balance ◽

Research Centre ◽

Average Maximum ◽

Negative Balance ◽

Crop Residue Incorporation

A field experiment was conducted at Regional Wheat Research Centre of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh during 2007 and 2008. The objectives were to find out the optimum nutrient management practice for grain yield, nutrient balance and economics of T. Aman rice. Twelve nutrient management treatments (with and without CRI) were tested in RCBD with 3 replications. Treatments were T1=HYG (0-80-16- 44-12-2-0), T2=MYG (0-56-12-32-8-1.5-0), T3=IPNS (5000-65-13-32-9-2-0), T4=STB (0-68-15-37-11-2-0), T5=FP (0-39-7-12-0-0-0), T6=CON (0-0-0-0-0-0- 0), T7=HYG+CRI(Crop residue incorporation), T8=MYG+CRI, T9=IPNS+CRI, T10=STB+CRI, T11=FP+CRI, T12=CON+CRI kg ha-1 CDNPKSZnB for T. Aman rice. On an average, maximum grain yield of T. Aman rice was obtained from STB+CRI (5.24 t ha-1) followed by IPNS+CRI (5.13 t ha-1), STB (5.12 t ha-1), IPNS (5.03 t ha-1), HYG+CRI (4.50t ha-1) and HYG (4.41 t ha-1). Numerically but not statistically higher yield and yield contributing parameters were noticed in CRI plots than without CRI. Except N and K remaining nutrient balance like P S Zn and B were found positive in case of HYG, MYG, IPNS and STB along with or without CRI nutrient managements while FP and CON (Control) showed negative balance. The maximum BCR was observed in STB (3.25) followed by STB+CRI (3.14) and IPNS (2.98) and similar trend was observed in MBCR.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(1): 17-34, March 2015

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Effects of Gibberellin (GA4+7) in Grain Filling, Hormonal Behavior, and Antioxidants in High-Density Maize (Zea mays L.)

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9080978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 978

Author(s):

Wenwen Cui ◽

Quanhao Song ◽

Bingyun Zuo ◽

Qingfang Han ◽

Zhikuan Jia

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Plant Density ◽

Growth Period ◽

Grain Filling ◽

Filling Rate ◽

Maize Production ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Grain Filling Rate ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Regulatory Effects

Dense plant cultivation is an efficient approach to improve maize production by maximizing the utilization of energy and nutrients. However, dense plant populations may aggravate the abortion rate of young grains, resulting in fewer kernels per ear. The rate and duration of grain-filling play decisive roles in maize grain yield. Therefore, to increase plant density, enhancing the grain-filling rate, extending the growth period of individual maize plants and regulating crop senescence would be the first priority. In this study, we examined the regulatory effects of GA4+7 under two application methods: shanks and silks were moistened by cotton full with GA4+7 solution at concentrations of 0, 10, 60, and 120 mg L−1. The results showed that GA4+7 improved the grain-filling rate by increasing the content of auxin, gibberellin, zeatin, and abscisic acid in grains compared to control plants. In addition, the auxin, gibberellin, and zeatin contents in the grains were positively and significantly correlated with the maximum grain weight and the maximum and mean grain-filling rates. Moreover, GA4+7 increased the activities of superoxide dismutases, catalases, and peroxidases and reduced the malondialdehyde content in leaves compared with untreated plants. At the concentration of 60 mg L−1, GA4+7 showed the greatest effect on shank and silk applications (Sh-60 and Si-60) followed by 10 mg L−1 (Sh-10) for shank treatment and 120 mg L−1 (Si-120) for silk treatment. Our results suggest that a concentration of 60 mg L−1 GA4+7 for shank and silk application may be efficiently used for changing the level of hormones in grains and antioxidant enzymes in ear leaves, which may be useful for enhancing grain-filling rate and delaying leaf senescence, resulting in an increase in maize grain yield.

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Crop response to organic fertilization with supplementary mineral nitrogen

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832014000300023 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 912-922 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nathalia Riveros Ciancio ◽

Carlos Alberto Ceretta ◽

Cledimar Rogério Lourenzi ◽

Paulo Ademar Avelar Ferreira ◽

Gustavo Trentin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Common Bean ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Residual Effect ◽

Animal Manure ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Nitrogen Accumulation ◽

Pig Slurry ◽

Dry Matter Yield ◽

Application Rates

Animal manure is applied to the soil as a nutrient source, especially of nitrogen, to plants. However, manure application rates can be reduced with the use of N fertilizer in topdressing. The aim of this study was to evaluate crop responses to different application rates of animal manure sources, used alone and supplemented with mineral N topdressing, in a no-tillage system. The study was carried out from 2005 to 2008 on a Hapludalf soil. The treatments consisted of rates of 10, 20 and 30 m³ ha-1 of pig slurry (PS), and of 1 and 2 t ha-1 of turkey manure (TM), applied alone and supplemented with topdressed N fertilizer (TNF), as well as two controls, mineral fertilization (NPK) and one control without fertilizer application. Grain yield in common bean and maize, and dry matter yield and nutrient accumulation in common bean, maize and black oat crops were evaluated. Nitrogen application in topdressing in maize and common bean, especially when PS was used at rates of 20 and 30 m³ ha-1, and TM, at 2 t ha-1, proved effective in increasing the crop grain yields, showing the viability of the combined use of organic and industrialized mineral sources. Nitrogen accumulation in maize and common bean tissues was the indicator most strongly related to grain yield, in contrast with the apparent nutrient recovery, which was not related to the N, P and K quantities applied in the organic sources. No clear residual effect of N topdressing of maize and common bean was observed on the dry matter yield of black oat grown in succession to the main crops with PS and TM applications.

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Micro-Dosing of Lime, Phosphorus and Nitrogen Fertilizers Effect on Maize Performance on an Acid Soil in Kenya

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v4n2p21 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

P. O. Kisinyo ◽

P. A. Opala ◽

V. Palapala ◽

S. O. Gudu ◽

C. O. Othieno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Acid Soil ◽

Acid Soils ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽

Maize Production ◽

P Fertilizer ◽

Fertilizer Recovery ◽

Experimental Treatments

High cost of inorganic fertilizers and lime has precluded their use by smallholder farmers to remedy the problem of soil acidity and infertility in Kenya. To address the problem, we tested a precision technique referred to as micro-dosing, which involves application of small, affordable quantities of inorganic inputs on an acid soil in Busia County, Kenya. Experimental treatments were N-fertilizer (0 and 37.5 kg N ha-1), P-fertilizer (0 and 13 kg P ha-1) and lime (0, 0.77 and 1.55 tons lime ha-1). 37.5 kg N and 13 kg P ha-1 are 50% of the recommended fertilizer rates for maize production in Kenya while 0.77 and 1.55 tons lime ha-1 are 25 and 50% of the actual requirement. Soil chemical changes, maize grain yield and nutrient recovery were determined. Lime and P-fertilizer significantly affected only the top-soil pH, Ca, Mg and available P, while the effects of N-fertilizer were evident on both top- and sub-soil N likely due to its faster mobility than P and lime. Grain P-fertilizer recovery efficiencies were 14 and 16-27% due to 13 kg P and 13 kg P + 0.77-1.55 tons lime ha-1, respectively. N-fertilizer recovery efficiencies were 37 and 42-45% due to 37.5 kg N and 37.5 kg N + 0.77-1.55 tons lime ha-1, respectively. Fertilizers applied to supply 37.5 kg N, 13 kg P and 0.77-1.55 tons lime ha-1 increased grain yield above the control by 134, 39 and 12-22%, respectively, therefore micro-dosing of these inputs can increase maize production on Kenyan acid soils.

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