Variations in Nitrogen Accumulation and Use Efficiency in Maize Differentiate with Nitrogen and Phosphorus Rates and Contrasting Fertilizer Placement Methodologies

Sharifullah Sharifi; Songmei Shi; Xingshui Dong; Hikmatullah Obaid; Xinhua He; Xirong Gu

doi:10.3390/plants12223870

Variations in Nitrogen Accumulation and Use Efficiency in Maize Differentiate with Nitrogen and Phosphorus Rates and Contrasting Fertilizer Placement Methodologies

Plants (Basel). 2023 Nov 16;12(22):3870. doi: 10.3390/plants12223870.

Authors

Sharifullah Sharifi^{1

2}, Songmei Shi³, Xingshui Dong¹, Hikmatullah Obaid^{1

2}, Xinhua He^{1

4

5}, Xirong Gu¹

Affiliations

¹ National Base of International S&T Collaboration on Water Environmental Monitoring and Simulation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Sciences, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
² Department of Soil Science and Irrigation Management, Faculty of Plant Sciences, Afghanistan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU), Kandahar 3801, Afghanistan.
³ School of Horticulture and Landscape, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
⁴ School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia.
⁵ Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 90616, USA.

Abstract

Balanced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) rates, coupled with rational fertilization methodology, could promote crop N accumulation, N use efficiency, and yield production, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. To test these characteristics, a two-year (2018 and 2019) pot experiment was performed by growing summer maize in a rain-proof glass greenhouse under nine combined N (112, 150, and 187 kg ha^-1, urea) and P (45, 60, and 75 kg ha^-1 calcium superphosphate) rates and three contrasting fertilizer placements. The fertilizers were placed by broadcast on the soil surface (Broadcast), a side band on a 4 cm strip of soil surface within 7 cm from the sowing line (Side band), and a deep band on a 4 cm strip below 7 cm soil depth within 7 cm from the sowing line (Deep band). Results from three maize growth stages (eight-leaf, 45 days after sowing, DAS; tasseling, 60 DAS; and harvest, 115 DAS) showed that leaf, stem, root N accumulation, and total soil N were significantly increased under Deep band than under both Side band and Broadcast at N150P60, N187P60, N150P75, and N187P75, but not at N112P45, N150P45, N187P45, N112P60, and N112P75. Significantly greater leaf, stem, and root N accumulations were also displayed at N150 and N187 than at N112 for the same P60 or P75 under the Deep band at 60 DAS and 115 DAS; while for leaf and stem, N accumulations were greater at P75 and P60 than at P45 for the same N150 under Deep band at 45 DAS, 60 DAS, and 115 DAS. Significantly greater agronomy N use efficiency, partial factor productivity, and N use efficiency were exhibited under the Deep band than under the Side band and Broadcast at N150P75 and N187P75, but at N150P60 and N187P60 for NUE only. In addition, leaf, stem, seed, and root N concentrations positively correlated with their own N accumulations or soil N concentrations at the tasseling and harvest stages. Our results demonstrate that a synchronized N150P60, N187P60, N150P75, or N187P75 fertilization rate with Deep band placement can improve soil N availability and root N uptake, and thereby, increase aboveground N accumulation, N use efficiency, and yield production of maize, which is particularly practical for small-holder farmers globally.

Keywords: Zea mays; broadcast; deep band; nitrogen accumulation; nitrogen use efficiency; side band.

Grants and funding

2017GBJ009160/Chinese Scholarship Council, and Key Laboratory of Eco-environments