Optimizing Phosphorus Fertilization for Enhanced Yield and Nutrient Efficiency of Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) on Saline–Alkali Soils in the Yellow River Delta, China

Changjian Ma, Peng Song, Chang Liu, Lining Liu, Xuejun Wang, Zeqiang Sun (), Yang Xiao (), Xinhao Gao and Yan Li
Additional contact information
Changjian Ma: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Peng Song: China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center, Beijing 100054, China
Chang Liu: College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Lining Liu: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Xuejun Wang: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Zeqiang Sun: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Yang Xiao: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Xinhao Gao: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Yan Li: State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: As the global food crisis worsens, enhancing crop yields on saline–alkali soils has become a critical measure for ensuring global food security. Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), one of the world’s most important staple crops, is particularly sensitive to phosphorus availability, making appropriate phosphorus fertilization a key and manageable strategy to optimize yield. Although many studies have explored phosphorus fertilization strategies, most have focused on non-saline soils or generalized conditions, leaving a critical gap in understanding how phosphorus application affects wheat yield, soil nutrient dynamics, and nutrient uptake efficiency under saline–alkali stress. Therefore, further investigation is required to establish phosphorus management practices specifically adapted to saline–alkali environments for sustainable wheat production. To address this gap, the experiment was designed with varying phosphorus fertilizer application rates based on P 2 O 5 content (0, 60 kg/hm 2 , 120 kg/hm 2 , 180 kg/hm 2 , and 240 kg/hm 2 ), considering only the externally applied phosphorus without accounting for the inherent phosphorus content of the soil. The results indicated that as the phosphorus application rate increased, the wheat yield first increased and then decreased. The highest yield (6355 kg·hm −2 ) was achieved when the phosphorus application rate reached 120 kg/hm 2 , with an increase of 47.2–63.5% compared to the control (no fertilizer). Similarly, biomass, thousand-grain weight, and the absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in both straw and grains exhibited the same increasing-then-decreasing trend. Mechanistic analysis revealed that phosphorus fertilization enhanced soil alkali–hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium, thereby promoting nutrient uptake and ultimately improving grain yield. The innovations of this study lie in its focus on phosphorus management specifically under saline–alkali soil conditions, its integration of soil nutrient changes and plant physiological responses, and its identification of the optimal phosphorus application threshold for balancing yield improvement and nutrient efficiency. These findings provide a scientific basis for refining phosphorus fertilization strategies to sustainably boost wheat productivity in saline–alkali environments.

Keywords: biomass yield; irrigated wheat system; nutrient uptake efficiency; phosphorus fertilization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1241/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1241/ (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:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:6:p:1241-:d:1675096

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

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