| This article has been：Browse 15Times Download 21Times |
scan it! |
|
|
| DOI：10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2025027 |
|
| Effect of biochar application and reduced nitrogen fertilization on water use of maize-garden pea intercropping system |
|
SHAO Juan, NAN Yunyou, LI Yue, WANG Xiaoli, CHEN Han, ZHANG Huanhuan,
FAN Zhilong, CHAI Qiang, YIN Wen, HU Falong
|
|
1. State Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Lanzhou 730070, China;
2. College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
|
| Abstract: |
| 【Objective】Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer and low water use efficiency are major challenges facing maize production in irrigated areas in arid oases in Northwestern China. This paper investigates the feasibility of intercropping maize with garden pea and soil amendment with biochar to reduce nitrogen fertilizer application and improve water use efficiency, without compromising crop yield.【Method】The field experiment was conducted during 2022—2023. There were three cropping systems: maize -garden pea intercropping (M||P), maize monocropping (SM), and garden pea monocropping (SP). For each cropping system, there were two nitrogen fertilizations: conventional fertilization by applying 360 kg/hm2 of nitrogen fertilizer (N1), and reducing nitrogen fertilizer application to 250 kg/hm2 (N2). For nitrogen treatment, there was a biochar application treatment (C) and a no biochar application treatment (A). During the experiment, we measured soil water content, water consumption, water use efficiency (WUE), and crop yields.【Result】Compared with other treatments, reducing nitrogen combined with intercropping maize and biochar amendment (M||P+N2+C) can maintain soil water content in the maize zone, reduce water consumption, and improve WUE. Specifically, compared to SM+N1+A, M||P+N2+C increased soil moisture content in the garden pea and maize zones by 20.1% and 16.7%, respectively, at the harvest stage, and increased WUE by 29.3%. Compared to M||P+N1+A and SM+N1+A, M||P+N2+C increased the grain yield of maize by 6.4% and 17.6%, respectively. Our results show that biochar application effectively increased soil water retention, reduced water use, and improved both yield and WUE of maize intercropped with garden pea, after reducing nitrogen fertilization.【Conclusion】Reducing nitrogen application from 360 to 250 kg/hm2 combined with a biochar application and maize-garden pea intercropping significantly improved soil water retention, water use efficiency, and crop yield. It provides an improved agronomic practice to reduce nitrogen fertilizer and improve water use efficiency of irrigated maize production in arid oases of Southwestern China. |
| Key words: biochar; intercropping fresh peas; nitrogen reduction; water use characteristics; maize |
|
|
