Optimizing nitrogen application for drip-irrigated winter wheat using the DSSAT-CERES-Wheat model

Zhuanyun Si, Muhammad Zain, Shuang Li, Junming Liu, Yueping Liang, Yang Gao and Aiwang Duan

Agricultural Water Management, 2021, vol. 244, issue C

Abstract: Improper application of nitrogen fertilizer for winter wheat production in the North China Plain (NCP) limits N use efficiency and increases the risk of non-point pollution. Crop simulation models may help with the assessment of N fertilizer management, to improve nitrogen use efficiency and to mitigate environmental pollution. In this study, the DSSAT-CERES-Wheat model was calibrated and validated with two-year field experiment, which coupled with five N rates (0, 120, 180, 240, and 300 kg ha−1) and three irrigation levels (40, 30, and 20 mm per irrigation) under drip irrigation. The calibrated DSSAT-CERES-Wheat model performed well in simulating the anthesis date (nRMSE=1.47%, d=0.89), maturity date (nRMSE=0.97%, d=0.92), shoot biomass (nRMSE=10.97%, d=0.92), grain yield (nRMSE=6.19%, d=0.96), and actual evapotranspiration (nRMSE=9.96%, d=0.76) of drip-irrigated winter wheat in two years. The calibrated model was subsequently used to evaluate drip-irrigated winter wheat production in response to six N rates (0, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 kg ha−1) under 40 meteorological scenarios, and the results showed that grain yields, water use efficiency, irrigation water use efficiency, and net margins increased with increasing N application rates until it reached 180 kg ha−1. Above 180 kg ha−1, negligible changes were measured in these values as the N rate increased. The nitrogen physiological efficiency and nitrogen partial factor productivity were greatly improved at a N rate of 180 kg ha−1, compared with those at a N rate of 240, 300, and 360 kg ha−1. Consequently, N rate of 180 kg ha−1 was the optimal nitrogen application rate for drip-irrigated winter wheat production. These results may provide a scientific basis for nitrogen management of drip-irrigated winter wheat in the NCP.

Keywords: DSSAT-CERES-Wheat model; Drip irrigation; Winter wheat; Nitrogen application rate; Long-term weather data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377420321399
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:244:y:2021:i:c:s0378377420321399

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106592

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural Water Management is currently edited by B.E. Clothier, W. Dierickx, J. Oster and D. Wichelns

More articles in Agricultural Water Management from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().