Abstract
Controlled drainage (CD) can reduce outflow and improve soil productivity, whereas its impacts on soil nitrogen (N), moisture contents, and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield at reduced N rates remain largely unknown. To address the question, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of N fertilizer rates (280, 252, 224, and 196 kg N ha−1, designated N1, N0.9, N0.8, and N0.7, respectively) on soil moisture, nitrate N (NO3−–N), and ammonium N (NH4+–N) contents and yield of cotton under CD and free drainage (FD). Compared to FD, CD increased the soil moisture, NO3−–N, and NH4+–N contents in the 0–40 cm soil depths, leading to greater plant N uptake at each N rate. The decreased total N loss through runoff due to CD accounting for the enhanced soil N contents. Moreover, CD had greater soil NO3−–N content at the reduced N treatments, contributing to the enhanced plant N accumulation, number of bolls, and lint percentage, and thus obtains a relatively high cotton yield. Remarkably, cotton yield reduced significantly with the decrease in N rates under FD, but it was comparable between N1 and N0.9 or N0.8 under CD. These suggested that CD helps to maintain high soil N and moisture contents in the 0–40 cm soil depths at 10–20% reductions in N fertilizer rate and thus without compromising cotton yield. The results also provide scientific basis for drainage water management mediates cotton yield at reduced N fertilizer rates.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the reviewers who participated in the review, as well as MJEditor (www.mjeditor.com) for providing English editing services during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors are also thankful to Ms. Yin Xu and Mr. Cheng Zhen, for providing their assistance in field investigation and nitrogen content measurements.
Funding
This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China (U21A2039) and Key laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of P. R. China (1610132016005).
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D.L.Q. was involved in the design of the work, acquisition and analysis of data, and writing of this paper. J.Q.Z. revised it critically for important intellectual content.
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Highlights
Effects of controlled irrigation (CD) and nitrogen (N) rates on soil water, N contents, and cotton yield were investigated.
CD resulted in the greater soil NO3−–N content in the 0–40 cm soil depths at the reduced N rates.
Relatively high soil N and water contents contributed to the enhanced cotton N uptake under CD.
CD stabilized cotton yield at a reduced 10–20% of N fertilizers.
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Qi, D., Zhu, J. Controlled Drainage Mediates Cotton Yield at Reduced Nitrogen Rates by Improving Soil Nitrogen and Water Contents. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 3655–3665 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01285-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01285-5