Effects of Plastic Mulching and Straw Incorporation on Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in a Cold Region

Abstract

For the synergistic improvement of soil fertility and rice yields in a cold region, we investigated the effects of plastic mulching with different straw incorporation rates on the rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency in a rice growing area of a cold region. The field experiment was conducted using the Jijing 88 rice cultivar, and set up four straw incorporated treatment: 20% (S1), 40% (S2), 60% (S3) and 100% (S4) under two conditions: mulching (M) and without mulching (NM). The results showed that under the same straw incorporation rates: (1) Plastic mulching increased the total soil nitrogen and organic matter contents while improving the grain yield; the yield increases were 2.8-14.9% in 2016 and 1.4-12.3% in 2017. (2) The mulched treatment improved the net photosynthetic rate, the maximum tiller number, the crop growth rate of the later growth stages, and the shoot dry weight. (3) The recovery efficiency, agronomic efficiency, and partial factor productivity of the nitrogen applications were all higher under the mulched treatment than under the non-mulched treatment. In a comparison of the different straw incorporation treatments, above three indicators consistently increased before they decreased, and significantly higher levels were reached under the 40% straw incorporation treatment with mulching than under the other treatments.

Irrigation and Fertilization Scheduling for Peanut Cultivation under Mulched Drip Irrigation in a Desert–Oasis Area

“…This study showed a significant increase in nitrogen accumulation in both peanut plants and pods with an increase in the nitrogen application rate. Some studies have suggested that when the nitrogen application rate is 225 kg·ha −1 , the nitrogen-use efficiency decreases with an increase in the nitrogen application rate [ 35 ]. The optimal nitrogen application rate was 110 kg·ha −1 in this experiment, and this might be due to different crops.…”

Long-Term Straw Incorporation under Controlled Irrigation Improves Soil Quality of Paddy Field and Rice Yield in Northeast China

“…Rice holds immense significance as a staple food for nearly 50% of the global population [1,2]. However, the productivity of rice cultivation has encountered stagnation in many rice-growing regions [3], largely due to the influence of climatic conditions, field management practices [4], and soil quality [5]. Among these factors, soil quality is shaped not only by soil genesis but also by various factors associated with soil utilization and management [6], including straw incorporation and irrigation regimes [7,8].…”