Abstract:
Objectives Clinoptilolite has been widely used as a soil amendment in rice production due to its positive effects of improving soil nutrients and decreasing N losses. We carried out a located field experiment to investigate the lasting effects of clinoptilolite on nitrogen uptake and yield of rice under alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD)
Methods The located rice field experiment was conducted consecutively from 2018 to 2021, using a completely randomized block design. The treatments included no clinoptilolite addition under continuous flooding irrigation (ICFZ0), no clinoptilolite addition under AWD (IAWDZ0), and 10 t/hm2 clinoptilolite addition under AWD (IAWDZ10), clinoptilolite was applied in 2017 and was not applied later on. 0−30 cm soil samples were collected regularly during rice growing season for determination of soil inorganic nitrogen content. Rice plant and grain biomass and nitrogen content were investigated for calculation of aboveground N accumulation and N partial factor productivity (NPFP).
Results ICFZ0 and IAWDZ0 treatments were recorded similar yield, aboveground N accumulation, and NPFP. IAWDZ10 significantly increased rice aboveground N accumulation and grain yield for five consecutive years, compared to ICFZ0. The NPFP in IAWDZ10 was 9.67−13.44 kg/kg and 5.53−9.55 kg/kg higher than in ICFZ0 and IAWDZ0, the grain yield was 1.26−2.42 t/hm2 and 1.00−1.72 t/hm2 higher than in ICFZ0 and IAWDZ0, respectively. The aboveground biomass in IAWDZ10 was 20.96%−31.24%, 16.89%−30.44%, 17.87%−25.45%, and 13.43%−21.12% higher than in IAWDZ0 at periods of jointing−booting, heading−flowering, milky ripening, and maturing stage, respectively. The aboveground N accumulation in IAWDZ10 was 19.92%−47.14%, 14.90%−43.88%, 21.68%−31.37%, and 7.18%−30.27% higher than in IAWDZ0 at periods of jointing-booting, heading-flowering, milky ripening, and maturing stage, respectively. IAWDZ0 was tested similar soil inorganic N with ICFZ0 treatment, while IAWDZ10 treatment was tested 19.88%−40.96% higher inorganic N than IAWDZ0 treatment. The soil NH4+-N content in IAWDZ10 was 31.83%−48.84% and 28.35%−52.80% higher than that in ICFZ0 and IAWDZ0 from tillering to panicle fertilizer stage, respectively. There was no significant difference between IAWDZ0 and ICFZ0 treatment in soil total N content after harvest. T. Treatment IAWDZ10 significantly increased soil total N by 9.27%−11.41% after harvest, compared with ICFZ0. This indicated that clinoptilolite did not negatively affect soil nutrients over time, but had a lasting effect instead.
Conclusions Under alternate wetting and drying irrigation, applying clinoptilolite in large quantities has a lasting and stable effect on improving soil seasonal NH4+-N and total N content, thereby increasing rice aboveground N accumulation, NPFP, and yield continuously. Clinoptilolite application is recommended as a green and efficient measurement for sustainable agriculture.