Effects of N application reduction and fertilizing distance on saving fertilizer and improving yield in maize/soybean intercropping system

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201610.031

Abstract

Abstract: To study the effect of N supplied levels and fertilization distances on saving fertilizer and improving yield in maize/soybean intercropping system, a field experiment was carried out with three N supplying levels ( RN₁: 210 kg N·hm^-2, RN₂: 270 kg N·hm^-2 and CN: 330 kg N·hm^-2) and four fertilizing distances (D₁: 0 cm, D₂: 15 cm, D₃: 30 cm and D₄: 45 cm, indicating the distance between fertilizing site and maize in narrow row). Compared with CN, the results showed that dry matter accumulation and translocation, and their contribution to grain of post-anthesis maize under RN₂ were increased by 1.4%, 23.0% and 16.0%, respectively. Meanwhile, kernel number per ear and grain yield per plant of maize were increased by 1.6% and 4.9%. For soybean, dry matter accumulation and translocation, and their contribution to grain at pre-anthesis under RN₂ were increased by 2.1%, 37.9% and 26.9%, respectively. Both of soybean grain number and yield per plant were increased by 7.3%. For the maize-soybean intercropping system, N uptake and use efficiency of RN₂ were 5.0% and 44.4% higher than those of CN. The soil N content of maize was raised by 4.1% under RN₂, but decreased by 0.8% for soybean. The saving fertilizer and improving yield effect of D₂ were the best among all the fertilizing distances. Under RN₂, contribution rate of dry matter accumulation to grain after anthesis and kernel number per ear of maize in D₂ were 57.2% and 9.4% higher than those of D₁. Compared with D₄, the contribution rate of dry matter accumulation to grain before anthesis and grain number per plant of soybean in D₂ were increased by 335.2% and 2.4%, respectively. For the maize/soybean intercropping system, N uptake and use efficiency of D₂ were 15.1% and 112.4% greater than those of D₁, and 21.4% and 66.3% higher than those of D₄. The total soil N content of maize in D₂ was 6.6% higher than that of D₁, and the index for soybean was 16.0% higher than that of D₄. Appropriate N application reduction and fertilizing distance would be beneficial to transfer dry matter to grain, improve grain number per plant, 100-grain mass and yield, promote N uptake and increase fertilizer use efficiency in the intercropping system, which could achieve the purpose of saving fertilizer and improving yield.

CHEN Ping, DU Qing, ZHOU Li, YANG Huan, DONG Qian, SONG Chun, YANG Wen-yu, YONG Tai-wen. Effects of N application reduction and fertilizing distance on saving fertilizer and improving yield in maize/soybean intercropping system[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2016, 27(10): 3247-3256.

References

[1] Zhang F-S (张福锁), Wang J-Q (王激清), Zhang W-F (张卫峰), et al. Nutrient use efficiencies of major cereal crops in China and measures for improvement. Acta Pedologica Sinica (土壤学报), 2008, 45(5): 915-924 (in Chinese)
[2] Guo JH, Liu XJ, Zhang Y, et al. Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands. Science, 2010, 327: 1008-1010
[3] Constantin J, Mary B, Laurent F, et al. Effects of catch crops, no till and reduced nitrogen fertilization on nitrogen leaching and balance in three long-term experiments. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2010, 135: 268-278
[4] Ruan WB, Ren T, Chen Q, et al. Effects of conventio-nal and reduced N inputs on nematode communities and plant yield under intensive vegetable production. Applied Soil Ecology, 2013, 66: 48-55
[5] Qin AZ, Huang GB, Chai Q, et al. Grain yield and soil respiratory response to intercropping systems on arid land. Field Crops Research, 2013, 144: 1-10
[6] Yang F, Huang S, Gao RC, et al. Growth of soybean seedlings in relay strip intercropping systems in relation to light quantity and red:far-red ratio. Field Crops Research, 2014, 155: 245-253
[7] Yang F (杨峰), Lou Y (娄莹), Liao D-P (廖敦平), et al. Effects of row spacing on crop biomass, root morphology and yield in maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system. Acta Agronomica Sinica (作物学报), 2015, 41(4): 642-650 (in Chinese)
[8] Yong T-W (雍太文), Dong Q (董茜), Liu W-Y (刘文钰), et al. Effect of N application methods on nitrogenase, photosynthesis and yield of soybean under maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system. Soybean Science (大豆科学), 2013, 32(16): 791-796 (in Chinese)
[9] Zhao D (赵冬), Yan T-M (颜廷梅), Qiao J (乔俊), et al. Change of different nitrogen forms in surface water of rice field and reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application in rice season. Ecology and Environmental Sciences (生态环境学报), 2011, 20(4): 743-749 (in Chinese)
[10] Zou X-J (邹晓锦), Zhang X (张鑫), An J-W (安景文). Effect of reducing and postponing of N application on yield, plant N uptake, utilization and N balance in maize. Soil and Fertilizer Sciences in China (中国土壤与肥料), 2011(6): 25-29 (in Chinese)
[11] Li Y-Y (李玉英), Hu H-S (胡汉升), Cheng X (程序), et al. Effects of interspecific interactions and nitrogen fertilization rates on above- and below-growth in faba bean/maize intercropping system. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2011, 31(6): 1617-1630 (in Chinese)
[12] Yu C-B (余常兵), Sun J-H (孙建好), Li L (李隆). Effect of interspecific interaction on crop growth and nutrition accumulation. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science (植物营养与肥料), 2009, 15(1): 1-8 (in Chinese)
[13] Zhan X-M (战秀梅), Li T-T (李亭亭), Han X-R (韩晓日), et al. Effects of nitrogen fertilization me-thods on yield, profit and nitrogen absorption and utilization of spring maize. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science (植物营养与肥料学报), 2011, 17(4): 861-868 (in Chinese)
[14] Zhang H-B (张含彬), Wu X-Y (伍晓燕), Yang W-Y (杨文钰). Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on the accumulation and distribution of dry matter in relay-plant soybean. Soybean Science (大豆科学), 2006, 25(4): 404-408 (in Chinese)
[15] Liu W-Y (刘文钰), Yong T-W (雍太文), Liu X-M (刘小明), et al. Effect of reduced N application on nodule N fixation, N uptake and utilization of soybean in maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system. Soybean Science (大豆科学), 2014, 33(5): 705-712 (in Chinese)
[16] Liu X-M (刘小明), Yong T-W (雍太文), Su B-Y (苏本营), et al. Effect of reduced N application on crop yield in maize-soybean intercropping system. Acta Agronomica Sinica (作物学报), 2014, 40(9): 1629-1638 (in Chinese)
[17] Liu X-M (刘小明), Yong T-W (雍太文), Liu W-Y (刘文钰), et al. Effect of reduced N application on soil N residue and N loss in maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2014, 25(8): 2267-2274 (in Chinese)
[18] Fehr WR, Caviness CE. Stages of Soybean Development, Special Report. Ames: Lowa State University, 1977, 80: 11
[19] Bao S-D (鲍士旦). Analysis Methods for Soil and Agrochemistry. Beijing: China Agriculture Press, 2000: 265-268 (in Chinese)
[20] Papakosta DK, Gagianas AA. Nitrogen and dry matter accumulation, remobilization and losses for mediterranean wheat during grain filling. Agronomy Journal, 1991, 83: 864-870
[21] Li D-F (李东方), Li S-Q (李世清), Li Z-Y (李紫燕), et al. Response of various cultivars of winter wheat in assimilative matter and N translocation before anthesis to N fertilizer. Journal of Triticeae Crops (麦类作物学报), 2006, 26(5): 106-112 (in Chinese)
[22] Jaynes DB, Swan JB. Solute movement in uncropped ridge-tilled soil under natural rainfall. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1999, 63: 264-269
[23] Szumigalski AR, Van Acker RC. Nitrogen yield and land use efficiency in annual sole crops and intercrops. Agronomy Journal, 2006, 98: 1030-1040
[24] Zhang GG, Yang ZB, Dong ST. Interspecific competitiveness affects the total biomass yield in an alfalfa and corn intercropping system. Field Crops Research, 2011, 124: 66-73
[25] Yong T-W (雍太文), Yang W-Y (杨文钰), Xiang D-B (向达兵), et al. Production and N nutrient perfor-mance of wheat-maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system and evaluation of interspecies competition. Acta Prataculturae Sinica (草业学报), 2012, 21(1): 50-58 (in Chinese)
[26] Yong T-W (雍太文), Xiang D-B (向达兵), Zhang J (张静), et al. Analysis of the nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency and N fertilizer residual effect in the wheat-maize-soybean and wheat-maize-sweet potato relay strip intercropping. Acta Prataculturae Sinica (草业学报), 2011, 20(6): 34-44 (in Chinese)
[27] Trenton FS, Joseph GL. Corn grain yield response to crop rotation and nitrogen over 35 years. Agronomy Journal, 2008, 100: 643-650
[28] Yong T-W (雍太文), Yang W-Y (杨文钰), Xiang D-B (向达兵), et al. Effect of wheat/maize/soybean and wheat/maize/sweet potato relay strip intercropping on soil nitrogen content and nitrogen transfer. Acta Agronomica Sinica (作物学报), 2012, 38(1): 148-158 (in Chinese)
[29] Yong TW, Liu XM, Yang F, et al. Characteristics of nitrogen uptake, use and transfer in a wheat-maize-soybean relay intercropping system. Plant Production Science, 2015, 18: 388-397
[30] Wang X-N (王西娜), Wang C-H (王朝辉), Li S-X (李生秀). The effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate on summer maize yield and soil water-nitrogen dynamics. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2007, 27(1): 197-204 (in Chinese)
[31] Ma D-Y (马冬云), Guo T-C (郭天财), Wang C-Y (王晨阳). Effects of nitrogen application rates on accumulation, translocation, and partitioning of photosynthate in winter wheat at grain filling stage. Acta Agronomica Sinica (作物学报), 2008, 34(6): 1027-1033 (in Chinese)
[32] Dordas CA, Sioulas C. Dry matter and nitrogen accumulation, partitioning, and retranslocation in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) as affected by nitrogen fertilization. Field Crops Research, 2009, 110: 35-43
[33] Zhang Y-S (张银锁), Yu Z-R (宇振荣), Driessen PM. Experimental study of assimilate production, partitioning and translocation among plant organs in summer maize (Zea mays) under various environmental and management conditions. Acta Agronomica Sinica (作物学报), 2002, 28(1): 104-109 (in Chinese)
[34] Yan Y-H (闫艳红), Yang W-Y (杨文钰), Zhang X-Q (张新全), et al. Effects of different nitrogen levels on photosynthetic characteristics, dry matter accumulation and yield of relay strip intercropping Glycine max after blooming. Acta Prataculturae Sinica (草业学报), 2011, 20(3): 233-238 (in Chinese)