Present fertilization effect and fertilizer use efficiency of maize in Jilin Province

ObjectivesAbout 1110 "3414" field experiments were conducted in Jilin Province during 2005-2013, the data were collected in this paper to evaluate effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer application on maize yields, economic benefit and current fertilizer use efficiencies, aiming to clarify the present fertilization effect and fertilizer use efficiency in maize production of Jilin Province, and to provide reference for reasonable fertilizer application and allocation.

MethodsThe five treatments, N₀P₀K₀, N₀P₂K₂, N₂P₀K₂, N₂P₂K₂ and N₂P₂K₀, in the "3414" field experiments of maize were chosen. The maize yields, gross income, fertilizer profit and input-output ratio were investigated, the yield responses to N, P and K fertilizers and the nutrient agronomic efficiency (AE), partial factor productivity (PFP) and fertilizer contribution rate (FCR) were also compared.

ResultsIn the CK treatment, on average, the grain yield and gross income was 6.6 t/ha and 1.21×10³ yuan/hm², respectively. Fertilization treatments increased the maize yield and economic benefit significantly with the highest yield level of 10.1 t/hm² and fertilizer profit of 5.07×10³ yuan/hm² in the N₂P₂K₂ treatment, followed in turn by the N₂P₂K₀ treatment (8.9 t/hm² and 3.27×10³ yuan/hm²), the N₂P₀K₂ treatment (8.7 t/hm² and 2.83×10³ yuan/hm²) and the N₀P₂K₂ treatment (7.7 t/hm² and 1.39×10³ yuan/hm²). On the basis of other nutrient applied, the average yield increases resulted from N, P and K fertilizer application were 2.36 t/hm² (35.1%), 1.39 t/hm² (18.0%) and 1.18 t/hm² (14.9%), respectively, and the average fertilization profits were 3.68×10³, 2.24×10³ and 1.80×10³ yuan/hm², respectively. The averaged AEs were 14.3 kg/kg N, 20.5 kg/kg P₂O₅ and 17.2 kg/kg K₂O, respectively; The averaged PFPs of N, P and K fertilizer were 61.1, 146.4 and 142.4 kg/kg nutrient, respectively, and the corresponding fertilizer contribution were 23.4%, 14.1% and 11.9% respectively. The FCR of the N₂P₂K₂ treatments showed a significant downtrend with increasing maize yield in the CK treatment (or the corresponding nutrient omission treatment), and the relationship imitated using a logarithmic function model indicated that enhancing soil indigenous fertility could reduce the yield dependence on inorganic fertilizers.

ConclusionsThe fertilization responses and fertilizer use efficiencies of maize are relatively high in Jilin Province compared with the national average level of China, the nitrogen fertilizer contribution is still higher than those of P and K fertilizers. Thus, N management should be still strengthened for maintaining high yield and improving N efficiency. The balanced and appropriate fertilization technologies still need to be spread for the simultaneous improvement of crop yield, fertilizer use efficiency and soil fertility.