Related Experiment Videos
Improving Crop Yield by Regulating Crop Growth and Nitrogen Transformation Through Water and Nitrogen Management
Ziye Zhang1, Yan Liu1, Xin Zhang1
1College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Optimal water and nitrogen management using subsurface drip irrigation in the North China Plain significantly boosted crop yields and productivity. This approach conserves water and reduces fertilizer use in winter wheat-summer maize rotations.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Soil Science
Background:
- Water scarcity and high fertilizer use in the North China Plain (NCP) threaten sustainable agriculture.
- Optimizing water and nitrogen (N) management is crucial for winter wheat-summer maize rotation systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of different water and N management strategies on crop yield and physiological traits.
- To identify optimal irrigation and N application rates for sustainable crop production in the NCP.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year field experiment (2021-2024) evaluated three irrigation levels (D1, D2, D3) and four N rates (N0, N150, N210, N270).
- Measurements included leaf area index (LAI), biomass, enzyme activities (chlorophyllase, NR, GS, GOGAT), and crop yields.
- Statistical analyses included redundancy analysis (RDA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).
Main Results:
- The D1 irrigation and N210 N application treatments significantly enhanced LAI and biomass by modulating enzyme activities.
- These optimal treatments delayed leaf senescence and promoted N assimilation, leading to higher yields.
- Compared to D3, D1 increased winter wheat and summer maize yields by 12.7% and 24.3%, respectively, and improved partial factor productivity (PFP).
Conclusions:
- The combination of D1 irrigation and N210 N application represents an optimal strategy for water conservation and N reduction.
- This management approach ensures stable high yields in drip-irrigated winter wheat-summer maize rotation systems in the NCP.
- LAI, biomass, and N-transforming enzyme activities are key drivers for optimizing crop yield in this system.
Related Concept Videos
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
02:35Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Like all living organisms, plants require organic and inorganic nutrients to survive, reproduce, grow and maintain homeostasis. To identify nutrients that are essential for plant functioning, researchers have leveraged a technique called hydroponics. In hydroponic culture systems, plants are grown—without soil—in water-based solutions containing nutrients. At least 17 nutrients have been identified as essential elements required by plants. Plants acquire these elements from the atmosphere, the...
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
01:22Bioreactor Controls-III
Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...
01:30Designing Growth Media for Bioreactors
Growth media provide essential nutrients that support cell growth and metabolism, thereby enhancing the yield of valuable products such as enzymes, antibiotics, and biomass. Designing an effective growth medium involves balancing all components to prevent nutrient limitations or toxic excesses, both of which can impair growth and reduce product yields.Composition of a Typical Growth MediumA typical growth medium contains carbon and nitrogen sources, salts, vitamins, trace elements, and...
02:57Plant Tissue Culture
Plant tissue culture is widely used in both primary and applied science. Applications range from plant development studies to functional gene studies, crop improvement, commercial micropropagation, virus elimination, and conservation of rare species.