Effects of different patterns of maize-straw application on soil microorganisms, enzyme activities, and grain yield

Mechanical pot-seedling transplanting (PST) is an efficient transplanting method and deep nitrogen fertilization has the advantage of increasing nitrogen use efficiency. However, little information is available about the effect of PST when coupled with mechanized deep nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and antioxidant enzyme activities in rice. A two-year field experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of PST coupled with deep N fertilization in both early seasons (March–July) of 2018 and 2019. All seedlings were transplanted by PST and three treatments were designed as follows. There was a mechanized deep placement of all fertilizer (MAF), broadcasting fertilizer (BF), no fertilizer (N0). MAF significantly increased grain yield by 52.7%. Total nitrogen accumulation (TNA) was enhanced by 27.7%, nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP) was enhanced by 51.4%. nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE) by 123.7%, and nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE) was enhanced by 104.3%, compared with BF treatment. Moreover, MAF significantly improved peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and notably reduced the malonic dialdehyde (MDA) content for both rice cultivars, compared to BF. Hence, the result shows that mechanical pot-seedling transplanting coupled with nitrogen deep placement is an efficient method with the increase of grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in rice cultivation in South China.

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The Stimulatory Effects of Nanochitin Whisker on Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism and on the Enhancement of Grain Yield and Crude Protein of Winter Wheat

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules24091752 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 1752 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yingying Cheng ◽

Yi Wang ◽

Yanlai Han ◽

Dongya Li ◽

Zhongkui Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Enzyme Activities ◽

Crude Protein ◽

Protein Concentration ◽

Sucrose Phosphate Synthase ◽

Metabolic Enzyme ◽

Growth Stages ◽

N Accumulation ◽

Flag Leaves

Nanochitin whisker (NC) with a cationic nature could enhance plant photosynthesis, grain yield, and quality of wheat, but have not been systematically studied. This study was designed to investigate the stimulatory effects of NC on dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) accumulation and translocation, and on the metabolism of carbon (C) and N in later growth stages of winter wheat to reveal the enhancement mechanism of grain yield and crude protein concentration. Different parts of NC-treated plants from pot grown experiments were collected at the pre- and post-anthesis stages. The accumulation, translocation, and contributions of DM and N from pre-anthesis vegetation organs to grains, as well as key metabolic enzyme activities, including sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), were examined. The results showed that, at an application rate of 6 mg·kg−1 of NC in the soil, the accumulation of DM and N were significantly enhanced by 16.2% and 38.8% in pre-anthesis, and by 15.4% and 30.0% in post-anthesis, respectively. Translocation of N and DM in the post-anthesis periods were enhanced by 38.4% and 50.9%, respectively. NC could also stimulate enzyme activities, and increased 39.8% and 57.1% in flag leaves, and by 36.0% and 58.8% in spikes, respectively, at anthesis. SPS and PEPC increased by 28.2% and 45.1% in flag leaves, and by 42.2% and 56.5% in spikes, respectively, at 15 days after anthesis. The results indicated that the NC promoted N metabolism more than C metabolism, and resulted in the enhancement of grain yield by 27.56% and of crude protein concentration in grain by 13.26%, respectively.

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THE RATIO OF CO2–C EMISSION TO GRAIN YIELD IN SUMMER MAIZE CULTIVATED UNDER DIFFERENT SOIL TILLAGE AND STRAW APPLICATION CONDITIONS

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479716000119 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 118-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

HUI FANG HAN ◽

TANG YUAN NING ◽

ZENG JIA LI ◽

HONG MING CAO

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

North China Plain ◽

North China ◽

Emission Rate ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Summer Maize ◽

The North ◽

The North China Plain ◽

Straw Application

SUMMARYThe relationship between climate, crop growth and crop yield is complicated. This study aimed to determine the ratio of CO2–C emission to grain yield, the field treatments were initiated in 2003, but the measurements for this analysis were collected during the summer maize-growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 in the North China Plain. The experiment showed that conventional tillage with straw application significantly increased grain yield and the ratio of CO2–C emission to grain yield of summer maize. The mean soil CO2–C emission rate with no tillage was significantly lower than that when conventional tillage was used; however, straw application significantly increased the soil CO2–C emission rate, irrespective of whether tillage was performed or not. This was mainly because straw application changed the soil total porosity and organic carbon content. In conclusion, the results of this study support the hypothesis that the ratio of CO2–C emission to grain yield in the North China Plain can be increased by straw application, whereas no tillage decreases this ratio.

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