Use of a New Controlled-Loss-Fertilizer to Reduce Nitrogen Losses during Winter Wheat Cultivation in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Area of China

ABSTRACT

The use of a new controlled-loss-fertilizer (CLF) to reduce nitrogen loss from the Danjiangkou Reservoir of China was explored. Specifically, a three-year experiment was conducted to identify the optimum fertilizer rate for CLF used in wheat production. The treatments included four CLF levels, 20% (20% F), 35% (35% F), 50% (50% F), and 100% (100% F), of the local recommended fertilization dose (LRFD), and traditional fertilizers with the same dose as 50% F as the control (CF). Treatment 50% F with an equivalent fertilizer rate decreased nitrogen (N) runoff loss and leaching loss by 21.6% and 24.5%, while leading to a 9.8% increase in soil residual mineral N when compared to CF. Treatments 50% F and 100% F produced higher wheat yield than the other treatments. At the same fertilizer rate, the grain yield of the 50% F treatment was 5.5% higher than that of CF. Regression analysis of the yield relative to the CLF rate revealed that the optimum CLF rate was about 77% of the LRFD. Overall, the results indicate that CLF with 77% of the LRFD could be the optimum rate for minimizing nitrogen loss and increasing yield and should be considered for wheat production in the area.

KEYWORDS:

• Controlled-loss-fertilizer
• leaching
• nitrogen loss
• runoff
• wheat

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China [grant number 2012BAD08B02], [grant number 2012BAD06B01]; the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province of China [grant number 2015021108]; the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51309175]; and the project of the Research Center for Policy and Technology, Office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission of the State Council.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China [grant number 2012BAD08B02], [grant number 2012BAD06B01]; the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province of China [grant number 2015021108]; the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51309175]; and the project of the Research Center for Policy and Technology, Office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission of the State Council.