Combined effect of biochar and nitrogen fertilizer reduction on rapeseed productivity and nitrogen use efficiency. Issue 9 (29th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tian, Xiaoqin; Li, Zhuo; Liu, Zidan; Wang, Yifan; Li, Biao; Zhang, Kangping; Xu, Qiwen; Wang, Longchang
• Is Part Of: Archives of agronomy and soil science. Volume 68:Issue 9(2022)
• Page Start: 1159
• Page End: 1174
• Publication Date: 2022-07-29
• Subjects: Rapeseed -- biochar -- yield -- residual effectiveness -- nitrogen use efficiency; Horticulture -- Periodicals; Soils -- Periodicals; 630.5
• DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2021.1872782
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0365-0340

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Biochar has the potential to effectively improve yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of upland crops in different soil types. However, it is unclear for rapeseed in purple soil under N reduction. A 2 years field experiment was conducted in southwest China, to evaluate the combined effects of nitrogen (180, 144 and 108 kg ha −1, named N100, N80 and N60, respectively) and biochar (0, 10, 20 and 40 t ha −1, named B0, B10, B20 and B40, respectively) on rapeseed growth, NUE and yield. Compared with B0, B10 significantly improved growth, NUE and yield, while nitrogen reduction had an opposite effect. The better management practices were N80 B10 and N100 B10, which increased NUE by 10.0% and 10.2%, and grain yield by 16.1% and 21.8%, respectively, compared with N100 B0 . Path analysis revealed that effective pods and root surface area, root volume had significant and direct path coefficients with variances in seed yield and NUE, respectively. Besides, positive residual effectiveness of biochar was preserved for at least 2 years. This study indicated that B10 could replace 20% nitrogen to promote rapeseed root development and yield formation, thus achieving both high yield and high NUE for at least 2 years in upland purple soil.