Rice Science ›› 2022, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (1): 89-100.DOI: 10.1016/j.rsci.2021.12.008

• Research Paper • Previous Articles    

Nitrogen Deep Placement Combined with Straw Mulch Cultivation Enhances Physiological Traits, Grain Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Mechanical Pot-Seedling Transplanting Rice

Li Lin1,2, Zhang Zheng1,2, Tian Hua1,2, Umair Ashraf1,3, Yousef Alhaj Hamoud4, Al Aasmi Alaa5, Tang Xiangru1,2, Duan Meiyang1,2, Wang Zaiman6, Pan Shenggang1,2()   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
    2Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Cultivation in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
    3Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore 54770, Pakistan
    4College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
    5College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou 510642, China
    6Key Laboratory of Key Technology for South Agricultural Machine and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510642, China
  • Received:2020-11-09 Accepted:2021-02-25 Online:2022-01-28 Published:2022-01-01
  • Contact: Pan Shenggang

Abstract:

To assess the effects of straw return coupled with deep nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE) in mechanical pot-seedling transplanting (MPST) rice, the seedlings of two rice cultivars, i.e., Yuxiangyouzhan and Wufengyou 615 transplanted by MPST were applied with N fertilizer at 150 kg/hm2 and straw return at 6 t/hm2 in early seasons of 2019 and 2020. The experiment comprised of following treatments: CK (no fertilizer and no straw return), MDS (deep N fertilization and straw return), MBS (broadcasting fertilizer and straw return), MD (deep N fertilization without straw return), MB (broadcasting fertilizer without straw return). Results depicted that the MDS treatment significantly increased the rice yield by 41.69%?72.22% due to total above-ground biomass, leaf area index and photosynthesis increased by 54.70%?55.80%, 38.52%?52.17% and 17.89%?28.40%, respectively, compared to the MB treatment. In addition, the MDS treatment enhanced the total N accumulation by 37.74%?43.69%, N recovery efficiency by 141.45%?164.65%, N agronomic efficiency by 121.76%? 134.19%, nitrate reductase by 46.46%?60.86% and glutamine synthetase by 23.56%?31.02%, compared to the MB treatment. The average grain yield and NUE in both years for Yuxiangyouzhan were higher in the MDS treatment than in the MD treatment. Hence, deep N fertilization combined with straw return can be an innovative technique with improved grain yield and NUE in MPST in South China.

Key words: mechanical pot-seedling transplanting, nitrogen deep placement, nitrogen use efficiency, rice, straw return