Fertigation Strategies to Improve Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Surface Irrigation System in the North China Plain

Xiulu Sun (), Yizan Li, Marius Heinen, Henk Ritzema, Petra Hellegers and Jos van Dam
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Xiulu Sun: Institute of Farmland Irrigation, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China
Yizan Li: Soil Biology Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Marius Heinen: Soil, Water and Land Use, Wageningen Environmental Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Henk Ritzema: Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Petra Hellegers: Water Resources Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jos van Dam: Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-23

Abstract: Irrigation and fertilisation are often over-applied, which exceeds crop requirements. Surface fertigation, a technique of applying pre-dissolved fertilisers together with irrigation water, seems to be a viable way to improve the on-farm performance in the North China Plain (NCP). Thus, we conducted a field experiment based on farmers’ practices from 2017 to 2019. Moreover, we calibrated and validated SWAP-WOFOST-N, a seasonal integrated agro-hydrology and crop growth model, to assess the effects of different practices on yield, water and nitrogen use efficiency (WUE and NUE) and resource loss. Lastly, we developed various scenarios using the model to determine improved strategies. The results showed that the SWAP-WOFOST and extended Soil-N model offered satisfactory accuracy when compared with field measured data for the tested domain of the hydrological and nitrogen cycle; farmers’ current irrigation and fertilisation practices resulted in low WUE and NUE, but the practice of split top-dressing nitrogen did not show significant improvement in the surface irrigation system; WUE, NUE and nitrogen loss were closely related to irrigation practices. We further concluded that an optimised irrigation practice combined with an optimal fertigation scenario is the feasible strategy to achieve sustainable crop yield, high WUE and NUE and reduced nitrogen loss.

Keywords: surface fertigation; topdressing; field experiment; SWAP-WOFOST-N (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: 2022
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