Reduced irrigation combined with nitrification inhibitor enhances grain yield and water-nitrogen use efficiency of winter wheat by improving the physiological characteristics

IF 4.8 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Pub Date : 2025-07-23 DOI:10.1016/j.jafr.2025.102212

Xiaolu Cui , Tiantian Hu , Junsheng Lu , Shuaihong Chen , Lu Zhao , Aoqi Li , Jun Zhang , Jie Liu

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Abstract

Nitrogen fertilizer synergists (NFS) have been shown to effectively reduce nitrogen loss and mitigate environmental pollution in intensive agricultural systems. However, limited research has explored the physiological mechanisms by which NFS increase wheat yield. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted in a semi-arid region to examine the effects of NFS types and irrigation levels on the physiological growth traits, yield, and their potential relationships in winter wheat. The experiment included two irrigation levels: W1 (60 mm) and W2 (90 mm in 2021–2022; 105 mm in 2022–2023) and four NFS types: urease inhibitor (UI), nitrification inhibitor (NI), dual-effect inhibitor (DI), no NFS (U). A zero-nitrogen (N0) treatment was set for each irrigation level. Results showed that the average leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content (Chl) under the W1 treatment increased by 7.64 % and 6.13 %, respectively, compared to W2. Grain yield, water productivity (WP), and agronomic nitrogen efficiency (AE_N) under W1 increased by 5.30 %, 25.79 %, and 2.01 %, respectively. Compared to the U treatment, the NI increased LAI, Chl, photosynthetic rate (Pn), and transpiration rate (Tr) at anthesis by 22.83 %, 26.06 %, 45.00 %, and 49.22 %, respectively. It also enhanced dry matter translocation and post-anthesis assimilate accumulation (PoDM) by 32.04 % and 10.27 %, respectively. The W1NI treatment achieved the highest yield, WP, and AE_N, exceeding the U treatment by 15.2 %, 15.6 %, and 33.6 %, respectively. Random forest modeling indicated that physiological traits at anthesis were the most critical factors influencing yield formation. The PLS-PM results further confirmed that PoDM had the strongest direct effect on yield, while Chl had the greatest indirect contribution. In conclusion, NI demonstrated the most effective improvement in leaf physiological traits, thereby enhancing wheat yield and water-nitrogen use efficiency under deficit irrigation conditions. This study provides a theoretical basis for high-yield, efficient winter wheat cultivation in semi-arid regions.

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少灌配施硝化抑制剂通过改善冬小麦生理特性，提高籽粒产量和水氮利用效率

氮肥增效剂在集约化农业系统中具有减少氮肥流失和减轻环境污染的作用。然而，对NFS提高小麦产量的生理机制的研究有限。因此，在半干旱区进行了为期两年的田间试验，研究了NFS类型和灌溉水平对冬小麦生理生长性状、产量的影响及其潜在关系。试验包括两个灌溉水平：W1 （60 mm）和W2 （90 mm）在2021-2022年；105毫米（2022-2023年）和四种NFS类型：脲酶抑制剂（UI），硝化抑制剂（NI），双效抑制剂（DI），无NFS (U)。每个灌溉水平设置一个零氮（N0）处理。结果表明，与W2相比，W1处理的平均叶面积指数（LAI）和叶绿素含量（Chl）分别提高了7.64%和6.13%；W1处理下籽粒产量、水分生产力（WP）和农艺氮效率（AEN）分别提高5.30%、25.79%和2.01%。与U处理相比，NI处理使LAI、Chl、光合速率（Pn）和蒸腾速率（Tr）分别提高22.83%、26.06%、45.00%和49.22%。干物质转运和花后同化物积累（PoDM）分别提高32.04%和10.27%。W1NI处理的产量、WP和AEN最高，分别比U处理高出15.2%、15.6%和33.6%。随机森林模型表明，花期生理性状是影响产量形成的最关键因素。PLS-PM结果进一步证实了PoDM对产量的直接影响最大，而Chl对产量的间接影响最大。综上所述，氮肥对亏缺灌溉条件下小麦叶片生理性状的改善最为有效，从而提高了小麦产量和水氮利用效率。本研究为半干旱区冬小麦高产高效栽培提供了理论依据。

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