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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers
Published on: March 21, 2016
Optimizing the blending ratio of urea with slow-release N fertilizer improves maize yield and N use efficiency while
Nv Zhang1,2,3, Jinjin Guo1,2,3, Qichang Ma1,2,3
1Yunnan Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources and Intelligent Control, Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
Introduction:
Blending urea (U) with slow-release N fertilizer (R) can improve the synchrony between N supply and crop demand, while mitigating N losses to the environment. However, cultivar-specific responses to varied U/R blending ratios under rainfed conditions remain poorly characterized.
Methods:
In this study, two dominant maize cultivars (ZD958 and QL14) widely planted in Northwest China were selected as experimental materials. Five fertilization treatments (U, R, and three U/R blending ratios: UR1, UR2, UR3) each at two N rates (N1: 180 kg·ha-1; N2: 240 kg·ha-1) were tested.
Results:
The results showed that UR treatments generally achieved higher grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE), while reducing cumulative NH3 volatilization and soil NO3 --N residue compared with U and R. For both ZD958 and QL14, the maximum grain yield and NUE were achieved under the UR2N1 (U/R = 3/7, 180 kg·ha-1). Compared with other treatments, UR2N1 increased NUE by 3.51-19.07% (ZD958) and 4.01-20.41% (QL14), while reducing NH3 volatilization soil NO3 --N residue. Notably, under UR2N1, QL14 showed 9.70% higher NUE than ZD958, along with 8.78% lower soil NO3 --N residue and 14.12% lower NH3 volatilization.
Conclusion:
Under rainfed conditions, the UR2N1+QL14 combination effectively balances the trade-off between grain yield and environmental impact, and is therefore recommended as an optimal fertilization-cultivar strategy for rainfed maize production in Northwest China.
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