ROLE OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN IMPROVING PRODUCTION WATER AND NITROGEN EFFICIENCY OF WHEAT UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 1139-1148
Author(s):  
Othman & et al.

The research work was conducted in Izra’a Research station, which affiliated to the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), during the growing seasons (2016 – 2017; 2017 – 2018), in order to evaluate the response of two durum wheat verities (Douma3 and Cham5) and two bread wheat varieties (Douma4 and Cham6) to Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a full package compared with Conventional Tillage system (CT) under rainfed condition using lentils (Variety Edleb3) in the applied crop rotation. The experiment was laid according to split-split RCBD with three replications. The average of biological yield, grain yield,  rainwater use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency was significantly higher during the first growing season, under conservation agriculture in the presence of crop rotation, in the variety Douma3 (7466 kg. ha-1, and 4162kg. ha-1, 19.006 kg ha-1 mm-1,  39.62 kg N m-2respectively). The two varieties Douma3 and Cham6 are considered more responsive to conservation agriculture system in the southern region of Syria, because they recorded the highest grain yields (2561, 2385 kg ha-1 respectively) compared with the other studied varieties (Cham5 and Douma4) (1951 and 1724 kg ha-1 respectively). They also exhibited the highest values of both rainwater and nitrogen use efficiency.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel McKay Flecher ◽  
Siul Ruiz ◽  
Tiago Dias ◽  
Katherine Williams ◽  
Chiara Petroselli ◽  
...  

<p>Half of the nitrogen applied to arable-fields is lost through several processes linked to soil moisture. Low soil moisture limits nitrogen mobility reducing nitrogen-uptake while wetter conditions can increase nitrogen leaching. Rainfall ultimately governs soil moisture and the fate of nitrogen in soil. However, the interaction between rainfall and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) remains poorly understood.</p> <p>We developed a field-scale modelling platform that describes coupled water and nitrogen transport, root growth and uptake, rainfall, the nitrogen-cycle and leaching to assess the NUE of split fertilisations with realistic rainfall patterns. The model was solved for every possible split fertilisation timing in 200+ growing seasons to determine optimal timings. Two previous field trials regarding rainfall and NUE had contrasting results: wetter years have enhanced fertiliser loss and drier years reduced plant nitrogen uptake. By choosing appropriate fertilisation timings in the model we could recreate the two contrasting trends and maintain variability in the data. However, we found by choosing other fertilisation timings we could mitigate the leaching in wetter years. Optimised timings could increase plant nitrogen uptake by up to 35% compared to the mean in dry years. Plant uptake was greatest under drier conditions due to mitigated leaching, but less likely to occur due to low nitrogen mobility. Optimal fertilisation timings varied dramatically depending on the rainfall patterns. Historic and projected rainfall patterns from 1950-2069 were used in the model. We found optimal NUE has a decrease from 2022-2040 due to increased heavy rainfall events and optimal fertilisation timings are later in the season but varied largely on a season-to-season basis.</p> <p>The results are a step towards achieving improved nitrogen efficiency in agriculture by using the ‘at the right time’ agronomic-strategy in the ‘4Rs’ of improved nitrogen fertilisation. Our results can help determine nitrogen fertilisation timings in changing climates.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANITA IERNA ◽  
GRAZIA MARIA LOMBARDO ◽  
GIOVANNI MAUROMICALE

SUMMARYLimited information is available concerning the influence of nitrogen fertilization jointly on yield response, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and grain quality of durum wheat under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. The study focused on evaluating, through a systematic study, over three seasons in southern Italy the effects of three nitrogen fertilization rates (0, 80 and 160 kg N ha−1– N0, N80and N160), on grain yield, yield components, nitrogen efficiency indices and grain quality characteristics of three durum wheat genotypes (‘Creso’, ‘Trinakria’ and ‘Line 25’) from different breeding eras to achieve a more sustainable fertilization management of the durum wheat crop. We found that nitrogen fertilization at 80 kg N ha−1was able to maximize the yield performances (2.1 t ha−1year–1) of the crop and keep NUE index at an acceptable level (16.3 kg kg−1). On the other hand, nitrogen fertilization at 160 kg N ha−1improved grain quality measured through protein (up to 14.3%) and dry gluten concentration (up to 12.8%), but had a detrimental effect on grain yield and nitrogen efficiency. Among the genotypes studied, ‘Trinakria’ showed the greatest potential to utilize nitrogen fertilization to improve grain yield and NUE (at N80) and quality (at N160), ‘Line 25’ made good use of N80both for yield and quality, whereas ‘Creso’ proved wholly unresponsive to nitrogen. The effect of N fertilization on grain yield and N use efficiency depends on rainfall distribution, giving the best results when about 80% of total rainfall occurred from sowing to heading. Overall, our data show that in seasons with regular rainfall in quantity and distribution, combining no more than 80 kg ha−1of nitrogen fertilization with genotypes characterized by a more efficient response to nitrogen, is a useful tool to improve the agronomic and quality performance of the crop, ensuring, at the same time, a more environment-friendly nitrogen fertilization.


2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Shi-Qing Li ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Xiao-Li Chen

The effects of elevated atmospheric NH<sub>3</sub> on growth and yield parameters of two winter wheat varieties, the high water and fertilizer-demanding variety Xiaoyan 6 (XY6) and the drought-resistant variety Changhan 58 (CH58), grown with two levels of N fertilization, were studied in Open-Top Chambers. The results showed that in combination with the high N treatment increasing the atmospheric NH<sub>3</sub> concentration to 1000 nl/l from the ambient level of 10 nl/l NH<sub>3</sub> significantly (<I>P</I> < 0.05) reduced the biomass and the root/shoot ratios of the plants, especially in XY6 plants, mainly because it negatively influenced root biomass production at anthesis and mature stages. In addition, the grain yield of XY6 was by 1.51% higher, while that of CH58 was 13.2% lower, following exposure to the elevated atmospheric NH<sub>3</sub> concentration rather than the ambient concentration in combination with the high N treatment. In contrast, in combination with the low N treatment, elevated atmospheric NH<sub>3</sub> had significantly and non-significantly positive effects on the grain yield of XY6 and CH58 plants, respectively. The Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and related parameters were all lower in plants of both varieties exposed to the high atmospheric NH3 concentration together with either the high or low N treatment.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 941
Author(s):  
Roxana Vidican ◽  
Anamaria Mălinaș ◽  
Ioan Rotar ◽  
Rozalia Kadar ◽  
Valeria Deac ◽  
...  

Nitrogen fertilization is indispensable in increasing wheat crop productivity but, in order to achieve maximum profitable production and minimum negative environmental impact, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) should be considered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in a long-term wheat–maize–soybean rotation system with the final purpose of increasing the overall performance of the wheat cropping system. Research was undertaken at the Agricultural Research Development Station Turda (ARDS Turda), located in Western Transylvania Plain, Romania. The experimental field was carried out at a fixed place during seven wheat vegetation seasons. The plant material consisted of a wheat variety created by the ARDS Turda (Andrada), one variety of maize (Turda 332) and one variety of soybean (Felix). The experiment covered two planting patterns: wheat after maize and wheat after soybean and five levels of nitrogen fertilization (control-unfertilized, fertilization with 0—control plot, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg N ha−1 y−1). The following indices were assessed: NUE (nitrogen use efficiency), N uptake and PFP (partial factor productivity). The results of the present study suggest that reduced N-fertilization doses could improve N uptake and utilization for both planting patterns.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giao N. Nguyen ◽  
Joe Panozzo ◽  
German Spangenberg ◽  
Surya Kant

Nitrogen (N) is a key mineral element required for crop growth, yield and quality. Nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) in crop plants is low despite significant research efforts. Excessive use of N fertiliser results in significant economic cost and contributes to environmental pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to develop crop varieties with improved NUE, and this requires efficient phenotyping approaches to screen genotypes under defined N conditions. To address this, 15 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties, grown under three N levels, were phenotyped for NUE-related traits under field conditions. Significant genotypic differences were observed in varieties having low to high responsiveness to N applications. The results suggest that basal low N can be used to screen wheat varieties that are less responsive to N, whereas N supply from 80 to 160 kg N ha–1 could be used to screen high N-responsive varieties. Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) measured by using Crop Circle, and SPAD units measured by SPAD meter at heading stage, were well correlated with shoot dry biomass, grain yield, and shoot and grain N concentration, and could potentially be used as tools to phenotype different wheat varieties under varying N treatments. The data also demonstrated that NDVI and SPAD could be used to differentiate wheat varieties phenotypically for NUE-related traits. The prospect of utilising efficient, non-destructive phenotyping to study NUE in crops is also discussed.


Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Santillano-Cázares ◽  
Fidel Núñez-Ramírez ◽  
Cristina Ruíz-Alvarado ◽  
María Cárdenas-Castañeda ◽  
Iván Ortiz-Monasterio

Sustainable crop production systems can be attained by using inputs efficiently and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) parameters are indirect measurements of sustainability of production systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected nitrogen (N) management treatments on wheat yields, grain and straw N concentration, and NUE parameters, under conservation agriculture (CA). The present study was conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in northwest, Mexico. Seventeen treatments were tested which included urea sources, timing, and methods of fertilizer application. Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare groups of treatments and correlation and regression analyses were used to look at the relationships between wheat yields and NUE parameters. Contrasts run to compare wheat yields or agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) performed similarly. Sources of urea or timing of fertilizer application had a significant effect on yields or AEN (p > 0.050). However, methods of application resulted in a highly significant (p < 0.0001) difference on wheat yields and agronomic efficiency of N. NUE parameters recorded in this study were average but the productivity associated to NUE levels was high. Results in this study indicate that wheat grew under non-critically limiting N supply levels, suggesting that N mineralization and reduced N losses from the soil under CA contributed to this favorable nutritional condition, thus minimizing the importance of N management practices under stable, mature CA systems.


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