Response of Maize Productivity and Resource Use Efficiency to Combined Application of Controlled‐Release Urea and Normal Urea under Plastic Film Mulching in Semiarid Farmland

Abstract

Controlled‐release urea is considered to enhance crop yields while reducing labor costs from fertilizer dressing, but the impacts can range widely depending on water availability in soil. Therefore, we conducted a 3‐yr field study to evaluate the potential role of controlled‐release urea in improving productivity and resource use efficiency of maize in semiarid areas in China. Treatments were established as two mulching modes (plastic film mulching [FM] and no mulching [NM]) and three nitrogen application modes (no nitrogen fertilizer [CK], a 1:2 ratio of controlled‐release urea to common urea [CRU], and common urea only [U]). Higher temperature and soil water content under FM treatments significantly accelerated maize growth and development, as indicated in terms of a larger leaf area index before silking, greater biomass accumulation, and greater grain yield. More robust plants with controlled‐release urea under mulching can better absorb and utilize deep soil water to increase water use efficiency (WUE). Mean shoot biomass, grain yield, and WUE during the three experimental years were 35.3, 19.0, and 12.4% higher in mulching with CRU treatments than in NM with controlled‐release urea treatments, respectively. Significant interactions existed for yield and WUE among surface mulching (SM), nitrogen fertilizer (NF), and sampling year (Y) in the three experimental years, except for SM × NF for WUE. These results demonstrate that a mixture of controlled‐release urea and U at an appropriate ratio under SM can provide a better water/temperature/nitrogen conditions for maize growth to realize relatively high yield with labor and time savings in semiarid farmland. Core Ideas Film mulching benefits topsoil temperature, soil moisture, and utilization of deeper soil water. Combining controlled‐release urea (CRU) and urea increased yield and resource use. Combing CRU and urea under plastic film increased yield and WUE. One‐time application of CRU + urea at an appropriate ratio will satisfy spring maize in dryland farming systems.

Blending controlled-release urea and urea under ridge-furrow with plastic film mulching improves yield while mitigating carbon footprint in rainfed potato

“…In our study, the RMU, RMC, and RMCU increased soil water content (Fig. S2), hence effectively maintaining the high yield of potato (Table 4), which is consistent with the report by Tang et al 32 . The key to a trade-off between yield, profit, and the environment in crop production is to achieve synchronization between N supply and crop demand to avoid N excess or deficiency.…”

Contribution of small‐scale farmers to global food security: a meta‐analysis

“…Most of the initial experiments have shown that smaller farmlands contribute to higher agricultural production as they are more productive. Small‐scale farmers know how to use their limited resources to increase production 51‐53 . Furthermore, farmers who are small‐scale in financial capital show a significantly negative influence (mean effect: −1552.68 kg ha −1 , P ≤ 0.05) on agricultural productivity.…”

“…Small-scale farmers know how to use their limited resources to increase production. [51][52][53] Furthermore, farmers who are small-scale in financial capital show a significantly negative influence (mean effect: −1552.68 kg ha −1 , P ≤ 0.05) on agricultural productivity.…”

Optimized Nitrogen Application Increases Soil Water Extraction by Changing in-Season Maize Root Morphology and Distribution in Rainfed Farmland

“…Although the price of urea is low, the cost of topdressing is high, and the high cost but labor saving feature of the NC treatment might be a tradeoff in terms of practical production [54,55]. Our previous study showed that the NC treatment obtained higher net return than the NU treatment [56,57]. Therefore, the NC treatment might be a better N application type, which increased root distribution in the deep soil layer and improved the use of deep soil water in the arid and semi-arid climate of the Loess Plateau.…”