Abstract:
Objective To address the unreasonable application of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers in spring maize production in the Yellow River Irrigation Area of Ningxia, this study investigated the effects of different nitrogen and potassium application rates on maize growth and development, physiological characteristics, water and fertilizer use efficiency, yield, and grain quality, with the aim of determining suitable nitrogen and potassium application rates for spring maize in this region.
Methods A split-plot field experiment was conducted at Pingjibao Farm of Ningxia State Farms from 2023 to 2024 using the maize cultivar Xianyu 1321. The main plots comprised four nitrogen application rates, expressed as N: N450 (450 kg/hm2), N383 (383 kg/hm2), N315 (315 kg/hm2), and N248 (248 kg/hm2). The subplots comprised four potassium application rates, expressed as K2O: K45 (45 kg/hm2), K68 (68 kg/hm2), K90 (90 kg/hm2), and K113 (113 kg/hm2). The local conventional nitrogen and potassium treatment, N450K45, was used as the control. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis, entropy-weighted TOPSIS, and the rank-sum ratio method were used for systematic evaluation.
Results Under each potassium application rate, multiple indicators of maize growth and development, physiological characteristics, water and fertilizer use efficiency, yield, and grain quality initially increased and then decreased as the nitrogen application rate decreased. Under each nitrogen application rate, these indicators showed a similar trend with increasing potassium application rate, and the N315K90 treatment performed relatively well for multiple indicators. Compared with CK, the N315K90 treatment increased dry matter accumulation and leaf area index by 27.38%-34.77% and 19.67%-43.83%, respectively, across the two experimental years. The maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and transpiration rate (Tr) increased by 10.17%−24.81%, 9.36%−10.63%, 25.34%−25.35%, 13.39%−18.03%, and 23.60%−28.74%, respectively. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), total starch content, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) activity, starch branching enzyme (SBE) activity, and grain yield increased by 17.23%−22.70%, 16.05%−27.18%, 28.00%−36.24%, 21.05%−26.90%, and 17.23%−22.70%, respectively. The comprehensive evaluation indicated that the N315K90 treatment had the best overall performance.
Conclusion Under drip irrigation conditions in the Yellow River Irrigation Area of Ningxia, reducing nitrogen application by 30% and increasing potassium application by 100% (N315K90) enhanced maize dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, photosynthetic capacity, irrigation water use efficiency, key enzyme activities involved in starch synthesis, and total starch content, thereby improving grain yield and quality. Under the present experimental conditions, N315K90 can be recommended as a suitable nitrogen and potassium application regime for spring maize production in this region.