Remedial Application of Urea Eliminates Yield Losses in Wheat Waterlogged during Stem Elongation

Jinfeng Ding, Peng Liang, Desheng Guo, Dejun Liu, Mingxiao Yin, Min Zhu, Chunyan Li, Xinkai Zhu and Wenshan Guo
Additional contact information
Jinfeng Ding: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Peng Liang: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Desheng Guo: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Dejun Liu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Mingxiao Yin: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Min Zhu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Chunyan Li: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Xinkai Zhu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Wenshan Guo: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Waterlogging remains a critical constraint to wheat production in areas with high rainfall. Exogenous application of nitrogen (N) can effectively diminish the adverse effects of waterlogging, but varies with specific events. To provide highly efficient remedial strategies, this pot study investigated the effects of urea application following 10 days of waterlogging initialing at the stem elongation stage (Zadoks growth stage, GS33). The remedial measures included foliar spray of urea solution at a single dose (0.108 g urea per pot) at the 0th day after finishing waterlogging (FU1) and twice at the 0th and 7th day (FU2), and soil surface spray of urea solution at single and double doses when soil water content was approximately 80% of field capacity (SU1 and SU2, respectively). Waterlogging significantly reduced grain yield, total N uptake, and N partial factor productivity (by 11%, 18%, and 11%, respectively), but subsequent remedial measures improved these to variable degrees. Reduction in grain yield owing to waterlogging could be effectively alleviated and even eliminated using these remediations. Grain yield and N partial factor productivity were higher under FU2 and SU2 than FU1 and SU1. Among all treatments, plants under SU2 exhibited the highest total N uptake and top-dressing N recovery. Diminished yield losses were attributed to (1) increased kernel number per spike resulting from increased spikelet fertility and kernel number per spikelet and (2) increased photosynthetic production by delaying senescence (improved chlorophyll content and maintained green leaf area) of the top leaves. This study suggests that urea application for a brief period of time following waterlogging during the stem elongation stage has remarkable remedial effects.

Keywords: waterlogging stress; foliar spray; grain yield; nitrogen efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/1/23/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/10/1/23/ (text/html)

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:gam:jagris:v:10:y:2020:i:1:p:23-:d:310591

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().