[Current status of fertilizer application and utilization efficiency of winter wheat in Anhui Province, China]

Winter wheat is an important crop in Anhui Province. Rational use of fertilizers is crucial for the achievement of successful yield. It is urgently needed to reveal the status of fertilizer application and existing problems in winter wheat planting in Anhui for better fertilization. We conducted a survey on 1591 farmers in the main winter wheat producing areas of Anhui Province. The contents of survey included fertilizer type, fertilizer dosage, fertilization method, planting area and yield level. Based on the survey results, we analyzed the current fertilization status of winter wheat growing areas in Anhui Province. Referred to the average wheat yield and fertilizer usage in Anhui, the relationship between wheat yield and fertilizers, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P₂O₅) and potassium (K₂O), was evaluated by Cate-Nelson method (cross-over method) to explore the ways to increase yield and fertilizer utilization efficiency of winter wheat. The results showed that the average yield of winter wheat in Anhui Province was 5185 kg·hm^-2, and the average application rates of N, P₂O and K₂O fertilizers were 206, 80 and 78 kg·hm^-2, respectively. Compared with wheat following rice, the N, P₂O and K₂O fertilization rates of dry stubble wheat was higher by 14, 16 and 3 kg·hm^-2, respectively. Overall, the average amount of chemical fertilizer in winter wheat cultivation in Anhui Province was rational, but there were still some problems in fertilization methods, nutrient management and fertilizer types. The results of Cate-Nelson method showed that 23.8%, 21.2% and 25.7% (for N, P₂O₅ and K₂O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat were below the average level that achieved high yield, reaching highest partial productivity of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O fertilizers. There were 26.3%, 19.3% and 22.5% (for N, P₂O₅ and K₂O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat were below the average use level which did not achieve high yield. There were 26.2%, 29.6% and 25.0% (for N, P₂O₅ and K₂O fertilizers respectively) of winter wheat realized high yield, but the fertilization rate was high and the partial productivity of N, P₂O and K₂O fertilizers was relatively low. Our results suggest that the yield and efficiency of winter wheat in Anhui Pro-vince should be improved. The percentage of mechanical fertilization in winter wheat was 62.7% for base fertilizer and 10.0% for topdressing fertilizer, respectively. Though nitrogen fertilizer was applied at different stages, the proportion of base fertilizer that accounted for 69.0% of the total should be decreased appropriately. It's a problem that farmers preferred to use chemical fertilizers but not organic substitution.