Effects of partial root-zone irrigation on the nitrogen absorption and utilization of maize

Tiantian Hu, Shaozhong Kang, Fusheng Li and Jianhua Zhang

Agricultural Water Management, 2009, vol. 96, issue 2, 208-214

Abstract: To investigate the dynamic change of plant nitrogen (N) absorption and accumulation from different root zones under the partial root-zone irrigation (PRI), maize plants were raised in split-root containers and irrigated on both halves of the container (conventional irrigation, CI), on one side only (fixed partial root-zone irrigation, FPRI), or alternatively on one of two sides (alternate partial root-zone irrigation, APRI). And the isotope-labeled 15N-(NH4)2SO4 was applied to one half of the container with (14NH4)2SO4 to the other half so that N inflow rates can be tracked. Results showed that APRI treatment increased root N absorption in the irrigated zone significantly when compared to that of CI treatment. The re-irrigated half resumed high N inflow rate within 5 days after irrigation in APRI, suggesting that APRI had significant compensatory effect on N uptake. The amount of N absorption from two root zones of APRI was equal after two rounds of alternative irrigation (20 days). The recovery rate, residual and loss percentages of fertilizer-N applied to two zones were similar. As for FPRI treatment, the N accumulation in plant was mainly from the irrigated root zone. The recovery rate and loss percentage of fertilizer-N applied to the irrigated zone was higher and the residual percentage of fertilizer-N in soil was lower if compared to those of the non-irrigated zone. The recovery rate of fertilizer-N in APRI treatment was higher than that of the non-irrigated zone but lower than that of the irrigated zone in FPRI treatment. In total, both FPRI and APRI treatments increased N and water use efficiencies but only consumed about 70% of the irrigated water when compared to CI treatment.

Keywords: Maize; (Zea; mays; L.); 15N-Fertilizer; N; use; efficiency; Alternate; partial; root-zone; irrigation; Water; use; efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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