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Improving wheat grain yield via promotion of water and nitrogen utilization in arid areas

Authors :
Yan Tan
Qiang Chai
Guang Li
Cai Zhao
Aizhong Yu
Zhilong Fan
Wen Yin
Falong Hu
Hong Fan
Qiaomei Wang
Yao Guo
Xuemei Tian
Source :
Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Nature Portfolio, 2021.

Abstract

Abstract Crop yield is limited by water and nitrogen (N) availability. However, in Hexi Corridor of northwestern China, water scarcity and excessive fertilizer N in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production causes serious conflicts between water and N supply and crop demand. A field experiment was conducted from 2016 to 2018 to evaluate whether reducing of irrigation and fertilizer N will reduce grain yield of wheat. There were two irrigation quotas (192 and 240 mm) and three fertilizer N rates (135, 180, and 225 kg N ha−1). The results showed that reducing irrigation to 192 mm and N rate to 180 kg N ha−1 reduced water uptake, water uptake efficiency, and N uptake of spring wheat as compared to local practice (i.e., 240 mm irrigation and 225 kg N ha−1 fertilizer). Whereas, it improved water and N utilization efficiency, and water and N productivity. Consequently, the irrigation and N rate reduced treatment achieved the same quantity of grain yield as local practice. The path analysis showed that interaction effect between irrigation and N fertilization may attributable to the improvement of grain yield with lower irrigation and N rate. The enhanced water and N utilization allows us to conclude that irrigation quota at 192 mm coupled with fertilizer N rate at 180 kg N ha−1 can be used as an efficient practice for wheat production in arid irrigation areas.

Subjects

Subjects :
Medicine
Science

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20452322
Volume :
11
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Scientific Reports
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.9bcb1b2c8fc8457ca0154be9896dee81
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92894-6