TY  - JOUR
AV  - public
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182343
IS  - 2343
PB  - MDPI
TI  - Response of the Fate of In-Season Fertilizer Nitrogen to Plastic Mulching in Rainfed Maize Croplands of the Loess Plateau
A1  - Zhang, X
A1  - Hu, B
A1  - Wang, S
A1  - Dong, W
A1  - Gopalakrishnan, S
A1  - Jin, T
A1  - Liu, E
SN  - 2223-7747
VL  - 11(18)
N2  - As plastic mulching is widely used for maize production on Loess Plateau, study of the fate of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in rain-fed croplands is of great significance. Field experiments were conducted during 2015?2016 at a typical dry-land farm on the Loess Plateau, China. The stable isotope tracer technique was applied to analyze the effects of plastic mulching on the maize crop yield, N content in the grain, and mechanism of N uptake and utilization in maize plants with plastic mulch (PM) and without plastic mulch (CK) on the Loess Plateau. Maize yield, aboveground dry matter, grain N concentration, and N uptake in aboveground biomass for PM significantly increased, in addition to fertilizer nitrogen recovery and nitrogen production efficiency. Compared to CK, PM improved the total N uptake from the soil in the aboveground biomass by 16.39 and 27.75 kg ha?1 and fertilizer nitrogen recovery by 10.89 and 22.02 kg ha?1, respectively. Furthermore, PM increased in-season fertilizer N retention in the soil by 11.9?24.8 kg ha?1, and the uncountable fertilizer N decreased by approximately 33.8 kg ha?1 on average. In conclusion, PM simultaneously improved the maize yield and N utilization, which provides a scientific basis for nitrogen management in maize croplands.
SP  - 1
Y1  - 2022/09/08/
EP  - 11
ID  - icrisat12008
KW  - Plastic mulch
KW  -  Fertilizer nitrogen recovery
KW  -  Soil nitrogen
KW  -  Nitrogen concentration in organ
JF  - Plants (TSI)
ER  -