在半湿润的津巴布韦，季节性降雨模式和极端天气影响玉米生产力和氮的使用

IF 6.4 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY

Field Crops Research Pub Date : 2025-09-09 DOI:10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110126

Abderrahim Bouhenache , Gwenaëlle Lashermes , Hugues Clivot , Sylvie Recous , Regis Chikowo , Armwell Shumba , Hope Mazungunye , Emmanuel Matimba , Gonzague Alavoine , Olivier Delfosse , Gatien N. Falconnier , François Affholder , Marc Corbeels , Rémi Cardinael

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引用次数: 0

摘要

背景和目的季节性降雨变率的增加对撒哈拉以南非洲旱作玉米系统的可持续集约化构成了重大挑战。本研究探讨了季节性降雨模式和极端干湿事件如何影响玉米生产力和氮(N)利用，特别是在作物残茬覆盖下，这种做法被广泛推广以提高土壤水分和氮的有效性。方法在津巴布韦半湿润地区进行了两个种植季（2022-23和2023-24）的玉米田间试验。因子设计结合了三种降雨处理（环境、30% %减少降雨量和两次额外人工降雨，每次100 mm day - 1），有或没有覆盖（0 vs. 6 t DM ha - 1）和氮肥（0 vs. 80 kg N ha - 1）。测量变量包括地上生物量、植株氮素积累量、粮食产量、产量成分和收获指数。评估了降雨变率和管理措施的相对影响。结果两季降水差异较大，2022-23年接近正常，而2023-24年（El Niño年）偏干，降水分布不均匀。季节性降雨模式和极端情况解释了78% %的玉米产量变异。尽管季节总降雨量充足，但降雨分布不均显著降低了玉米产量和氮素利用。降雨减少使产量在2022-23年下降了22 %，但在2023-24年增加了20 %。强降雨，特别是施氮，使2023-24年的粮食产量翻了一番。2023 - 2024年，地膜没有缓冲作用，玉米生物量和氮吸收量减少约三分之一。结论季节性降水和极端降水是影响玉米产量和氮素利用的主要因素，远超过覆盖和氮肥的影响。这些发现突出表明，需要制定更好地考虑季节性降雨变化的种植策略，以提高撒哈拉以南非洲旱作玉米系统的恢复力和可持续性。

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Intra-seasonal rainfall patterns and extremes drive maize productivity and nitrogen use in sub-humid Zimbabwe

Background and purpose

Increasing intra-seasonal rainfall variability poses a major challenge to the sustainable intensification of rainfed maize systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates how intra-seasonal rainfall patterns and extreme dry and wet events affect maize productivity and nitrogen (N) use, particularly under crop residue mulching—a practice widely promoted to improve soil water and N availability.

Methods

A maize field experiment with manipulated rainfall conditions was conducted over two cropping seasons (2022–23 and 2023–24) in sub-humid Zimbabwe. The factorial design combined three rainfall treatments (ambient, 30 % reduced rainfall, and heavy rainfall with two additional artificial events of 100 mm day⁻¹ each), with or without mulch (0 vs. 6 t DM ha⁻¹) and N fertilization (0 vs. 80 kg N ha⁻¹). Measured variables included aboveground biomass, plant N accumulation, grain yield, yield components, and harvest indices. The relative influence of rainfall variability and management practices was assessed.

Results

The two seasons showed contrasting rainfall: 2022–23 was near-normal, while 2023–24 (an El Niño year) was drier, with uneven rainfall distribution. Intra-seasonal rainfall patterns and extremes explained 78 % of maize yield variability. Poor rainfall distribution significantly decreased maize productivity and N use, despite adequate total seasonal rainfall. Rainfall reduction decreased yield by 22 % in 2022–23 but increased it by 20 % in 2023–24. Heavy rainfall, especially with N fertilization, doubled grain yield in 2023–24. Mulching provided no buffering effect and reduced maize biomass and N uptake by about one-third in 2023–24.

Conclusions

Intra-seasonal rainfall patterns and extremes were the dominant factors affecting maize productivity and N use, far outweighing the effects of mulch and N fertilization. These findings highlight the need for cropping strategies that better account for intra-seasonal rainfall variability to improve the resilience and sustainability of rainfed maize systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

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来源期刊

Field Crops Research 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

9.60

自引率

12.10%

发文量

307

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on: √ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems, with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.