Availability and technology of using urea-ammonium fertilizer to realize nitrogen reduction and simplified fertilization in wheat production of North China Plain
[Objectives]Ammonium-urea fertilizer(AUF)is produced for the utilization of allied alkali industry by-products.We conducted field trials in the main winter wheat production regions of North China to explore the availability and technology of UAF in nitrogen reduction and simplified fertilization in these regions.[Methods]From 2021 to 2023,field trials were conducted over two years at five locations:Shunyi in Beijing,Luannan and Quzhou in Hebei,Jinan in Shandong,and Yuzhou in Henan.Field experiments contained six treatments,including urea at conventional rate(U),urea with 30%less N input(70%U),AUF with 30%less N input(70%AU),70%AU with N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide(70%AU+NBPT),70%AU with 3,4-dimethyl-pyrazole phosphate(70%AU+DMPP),and 70%U combined with optimal topdressing time(70%U+Opt).At harvesting period,wheat yield and yield components,partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer(PFPN)and nitrogen uptake efficiency by wheat(NUE),and soil inorganic nitrogen concentrations were investigated.[Results]Compared to U treatment,nitrogen reduction treatments(70%U and 70%AU)decreased wheat yields in one experimental site in 2022,and three sites in 2023;70%AU+NBPT and 70%AU+DMPP treatments decreased yield in two sites in both 2022 and 2023,respectively;and 70%U+Opt treatment did not cause yield decrease over the two years.Compared to the U treatment,the majority of all the other treatments at the five sites increased PFPN and NUE over the two years,with PFPN increment from 19%to 77%in 2022 and 23%to 67%in 2023,and the NUE increment from 25%to 77%in 2022 and 21%to 71%in 2023.After wheat harvest,70%AU+NBPT and 70%AU+DMPP treatments were tested higher soil NH4+-N content and lower NO3--N content than U treatment in five sites in 2022 and four sites in 2023,the gap in NH4+-N content was 19%-69%in 2022 and 30%-90%in 2023,and the gap in NO3--N content was 19%-59%in 2022 and 34%-60%in 2023.[Conclusions]Under 30%of nitrogen reduction condition,the topdressing of ammonium-urea fertilizer or combination of NBPT or DMPP can maintain wheat yield and increase fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency.