TY - JOUR
T1 - Maize (Zea mays L.) yield response to nitrogen as influenced by spatio-temporal variations of soil-water-topography dynamics
AU - Zhu, Qing
AU - Schmidt, John P.
AU - Bryant, Ray B.
N1 - Funding Information:
The data collection of this study was supported by the USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit. The preparation of this paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 41271109 ), Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation (Grant no. BK2012502 ) and Key “135” Project of Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ( NIGLAS2012135005 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Z.
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Applying N fertilizer at rates that satisfy both economic and environmental objectives are critical for sustainable agriculture. The hypothesis of this study was that the spatial variability in maize (Zea mays L.) yield and its response to N rate were influenced by soil-water-topography dynamics. In 2008 and 2009, a study was conducted along an agricultural hillslope in the Northern Appalachian Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province in the USA with Cambisols according to FAO soil classification. Minimum, maximum, and delta yields and optimum N rate at different slope positions were determined using quadratic-plateau maize yield - N rate models. Results confirmed our hypothesis. The spatial variability of maize yield and its response to N rate was influenced by silt content, soil depth, profile curvature, slope, soil wetness and degree of soil water content temporal variation. In both dry year (2008) and wet year (2009), optimum N rates positively correlated (P<0.05) with the temporal variation of soil water content, which is an indicator of subsurface flow paths. In 2008, maize yield was little varied along this hillslope (11.7-12.0Mgha-1), while greater yield response to N rate (represented as delta yield, 5.6Mgha-1) was observed in upper convex and steep slope areas with low minimum yield (6.1Mgha-1). However, in 2009, greater maximum maize yield (13.5Mgha-1) and yield response to N rate (8.7Mgha-1) were observed in lower concave slope areas with deeper soil depth and thus greater water storage. Results from this study suggested that site-specific N applications could be improved by considering within field variability of soil, topography and hydrology.
AB - Applying N fertilizer at rates that satisfy both economic and environmental objectives are critical for sustainable agriculture. The hypothesis of this study was that the spatial variability in maize (Zea mays L.) yield and its response to N rate were influenced by soil-water-topography dynamics. In 2008 and 2009, a study was conducted along an agricultural hillslope in the Northern Appalachian Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province in the USA with Cambisols according to FAO soil classification. Minimum, maximum, and delta yields and optimum N rate at different slope positions were determined using quadratic-plateau maize yield - N rate models. Results confirmed our hypothesis. The spatial variability of maize yield and its response to N rate was influenced by silt content, soil depth, profile curvature, slope, soil wetness and degree of soil water content temporal variation. In both dry year (2008) and wet year (2009), optimum N rates positively correlated (P<0.05) with the temporal variation of soil water content, which is an indicator of subsurface flow paths. In 2008, maize yield was little varied along this hillslope (11.7-12.0Mgha-1), while greater yield response to N rate (represented as delta yield, 5.6Mgha-1) was observed in upper convex and steep slope areas with low minimum yield (6.1Mgha-1). However, in 2009, greater maximum maize yield (13.5Mgha-1) and yield response to N rate (8.7Mgha-1) were observed in lower concave slope areas with deeper soil depth and thus greater water storage. Results from this study suggested that site-specific N applications could be improved by considering within field variability of soil, topography and hydrology.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84909992938&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84909992938&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.still.2014.10.006
DO - 10.1016/j.still.2014.10.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84909992938
SN - 0167-1987
VL - 146
SP - 174
EP - 183
JO - Soil and Tillage Research
JF - Soil and Tillage Research
IS - PB
ER -