Effect of Glycolipids Application Combined with Nitrogen Fertilizer Reduction on Maize Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Yield

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 1222
• Main Authors: Meng, Xianghai, Dong, Qingshan, Wang, Baicheng, Ni, Zheng, Zhang, Xingzhe, Liu, Chunguang, Yu, Wenquan, Liu, Jie, Shi, Xinrui, Xu, Dehai, Duan, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Agricultural production; Agricultural research; Biological fertilization; Corn; Crop yield; Crop yields; Economic benefits; Efficiency; Environmental aspects; Fertilization; Fertilizer use reduction; Fertilizers; Glycolipids; maize yield; Membrane lipids; Metabolites; Microorganisms; net economic benefits; Nitrogen; nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency; Nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen in the body; nitrogen reduction; Phosphorus; Physiological aspects; Plant lipids; Potassium; Soil fertility; China; glycolipids; maize yield; nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency; net economic benefits; nitrogen reduction
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants13091222

Microbial-driven N turnover is important in regulating N fertilizer use efficiency through the secretion of metabolites like glycolipids. Currently, our understanding of the potential of glycolipids to partially reduce N fertilizer use and the effects of glycolipids on crop yield and N use efficiency is still limited. Here, a three-year in situ field experiment was conducted with seven treatments: no fertilization (CK); chemical N, phosphorus and potassium (NPK); NPK plus glycolipids (N+PKT); and PK plus glycolipids with 10% (0.9 N+PKT), 20% (0.8 N+PKT), 30% (0.7 N+PKT), and 100% (PKT) N reduction. Compared with NPK, glycolipids with 0-20% N reduction did not significantly reduce maize yields, and also increased N uptake by 6.26-11.07%, but no significant changes in grain or straw N uptake. The N resorption efficiency under 0.9 N+PKT was significantly greater than that under NPK, while the apparent utilization rates of N fertilizer and partial factor productivity of N under 0.9 N+PKT were significantly greater than those under NPK. Although 0.9 N+PKT led to additional labor and input costs, compared with NPK, it had a greater net economic benefit. Our study demonstrates the potential for using glycolipids in agroecosystem management and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies.