Abstract
Core Ideas Strategic application of N fertilizer produced a thinner and more open crop canopy. The smaller canopy delayed demand for soil moisture. The smaller canopy reduced shoot mortality and increased harvest index. Higher N uptake from sowing N application did not result in more harvest N. Strategic N application can improve yield in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) but the reliability of the response in dryland conditions is often low, leading to poor predictability of N responses. The objective of this study was to provide an understanding of how nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) could be improved by strategic N application. Experiments with seven N application timings and two N rates were conducted at two sites over two seasons to evaluate the effects of strategic N supply on N uptake, canopy development, and yield components. Delaying the application of N fertilizer initially produced a thinner, more open crop canopy, compared with application of N at sowing, as indicated by significantly lower light interception (LI) (68 vs. 80%), which was associated with reduced shoot mortality ( r = –0.71) and increased harvest index (HI) ( r = 0.71–0.96). Nitrogen applied only at sowing had higher preanthesis N uptake (96.6 kg N ha −1 vs. 78.1 kg N ha −1 ), but did not result in more grain N at harvest. A smaller canopy, resulting from lower initial N supply, was able to respond to late N application, potentially through retaining more soil water at anthesis (80 mm vs. 69 mm at 0–60‐cm depth). The results provide evidence that in rainfed wheat production systems, early season N application is an inefficient strategy to convert biomass and N into grain. Manipulating canopy development through N management can alter canopy size and water use patterns, to improve NUE and reduce risk in dry seasons.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Delayed nitrogen application lowered light interception to 68% versus 80% at sowing application.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- Delaying the application of N fertilizere0
- Outcome
- light interception (LI)e0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 68e0
- Qualifier
- 80%e0
- Comparator
- application of N at sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Delaying the application of N fertilizer initially produced a thinner, more open crop canopy, compared with application of N at sowing, as indicated by significantly lower light interception (LI) (68 vs. 80%)”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Delayed nitrogen application produced a thinner, more open wheat canopy.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Delaying the application of N fertilizere0
- Outcome
- thinner, more open crop canopye0
- Comparator
- application of N at sowinge0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Delaying the application of N fertilizer initially produced a thinner, more open crop canopy, compared with application of N at sowing”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Light interception was negatively associated with shoot mortality.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- shoot mortalitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- r = –0.71e0
- Qualifier
- associated withe0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which was associated with reduced shoot mortality ( r = –0.71) and increased harvest index (HI) ( r = 0.71–0.96).”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Light interception was associated with increased harvest index.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- harvest index (HI)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- r = 0.71–0.96e0
- Qualifier
- increasede0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increased harvest index (HI) ( r = 0.71–0.96).”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen at sowing yielded higher preanthesis nitrogen uptake, 96.6 versus 78.1 kg N per hectare.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Nitrogen applied only at sowinge0
- Outcome
- preanthesis N uptakee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 96.6 kg N ha −1e0
- Qualifier
- 78.1 kg N ha −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen applied only at sowing had higher preanthesis N uptake (96.6 kg N ha −1 vs. 78.1 kg N ha −1 )”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen at sowing did not produce more grain nitrogen at harvest.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Nitrogen applied only at sowinge0
- Outcome
- grain N at harveste0
- Direction
- did not result in moree0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen applied only at sowing had higher preanthesis N uptake (96.6 kg N ha −1 vs. 78.1 kg N ha −1 ), but did not result in more grain N at harvest.”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
A smaller canopy from lower initial nitrogen supply could respond to late nitrogen application.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- respond to late N applicatione0
- Qualifier
- lower initial N supplye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A smaller canopy, resulting from lower initial N supply, was able to respond to late N application”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The smaller canopy potentially retained more soil water at anthesis, 80 versus 69 mm.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- lower initial N supplye0
- Outcome
- soil water at anthesise0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 80 mme0
- Qualifier
- 69 mm at 0–60‐cm depthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A smaller canopy, resulting from lower initial N supply, was able to respond to late N application, potentially through retaining more soil water at anthesis (80 mm vs. 69 mm at 0–60‐cm depth).”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that early nitrogen application inefficiently converts biomass and nitrogen into grain in rainfed wheat.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- early season N applicatione0
- Outcome
- inefficient strategy to convert biomass and N into graine0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in rainfed wheat production systems, early season N application is an inefficient strategy to convert biomass and N into grain.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose nitrogen management of canopy development to improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce dry-season risk.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Manipulating canopy development through N managemente0
- Outcome
- improve NUE and reduce risk in dry seasonse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Manipulating canopy development through N management can alter canopy size and water use patterns, to improve NUE and reduce risk in dry seasons.”
t0“Wheat”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · yield · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
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