Paper · 2026 · Food and Energy Security

Nitrogen Uptake Dynamics and Yield Response of Maize to Planting Density and Nitrogen Application Rate Under Surface Drip Fertigation

Liqian Wu; Zhenhua Yan; Shang Gao; et al.

8
claims
16
verbatim quotes
0
citations
3
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

ABSTRACT Surface drip fertigation can accurately regulate nitrogen application, increase the suitable planting density and reduce the nitrogen input. However, there are few studies on the interaction between planting density and nitrogen fertilizer under drip fertigation. Compared with the local planting density and traditional irrigation and fertilization methods (CK), a two‐year field experiment was conducted using surface drip fertigation with two planting densities (60,000 plants ha −1 and 90,000 plants ha −1 ) and three nitrogen rates (180, 240 and 300 kg ha −1 ). We analyzed nitrogen uptake dynamics and evaluated the effects of density and nitrogen on material accumulation and yield. The results showed that the nitrogen daily accumulation in traditional irrigation and fertilization methods showed a single peak curve, and the nitrogen absorption of surface drip fertigation showed two peaks from the 12th leaf stage to the silking stage (V12‐R1) and from the milk stage to the dough stage (R3–R5). Optimized planting density (90,000 plants ha −1 ) and nitrogen application (240 kg ha −1 ) significantly enhanced population level performance, increasing leaf area duration (25.98%–71.58%), dry matter accumulation (11.19%–175.05%) and nitrogen accumulation (10.29%–131.56%) across growth stages compared to CK. Importantly, this approach maintained the individual plant biomass and the grain development, ultimately boosting the total nitrogen uptake (36.42%) and yield (48.49%) of the population. Our findings highlight the potential of dense planting and surface drip fertigation to optimize the nutrient use efficiency (balancing nutrient supply and population demand), enhance yield, and provide an efficient strategy for high‐yield and high‐efficiency maize planting.

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The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 8

Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Traditional irrigation produced one nitrogen accumulation peak.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
nitrogen daily accumulatione0
Value
single peake0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“nitrogen daily accumulation in traditional irrigation and fertilization methods showed a single peak curve”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 727–833 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Surface drip fertigation produced two nitrogen absorption peaks.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
nitrogen absorptione0
Value
two peakse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“nitrogen absorption of surface drip fertigation showed two peaks from the 12th leaf stage to the silking stage (V12‐R1) and from the milk stage to the dough stage (R3–R5)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 843–1013 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized density and nitrogen increased leaf area duration 25.98%–71.58% versus CK.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Treatment
planting density (90,000 plants ha −1 ) and nitrogen application (240 kg ha −1 )e0
Outcome
leaf area duratione0
Direction
increasinge0
Value
25.98%–71.58%e0
Comparator
CKe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Optimized planting density (90,000 plants ha −1 ) and nitrogen application (240 kg ha −1 ) significantly enhanced population level performance, increasing leaf area duration (25.98%–71.58%), dry matter accumulation (11.19%–175.05%) and nitrogen accumulation (10.29%–131.56%) across growth stages compared to CK”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1015–1325 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized density and nitrogen increased dry matter accumulation 11.19%–175.05%.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
dry matter accumulatione0
Direction
increasinge0
Value
11.19%–175.05%e0
Comparator
CKe0

Not reportedTreatment

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“increasing leaf area duration (25.98%–71.58%), dry matter accumulation (11.19%–175.05%) and nitrogen accumulation (10.29%–131.56%) across growth stages compared to CK”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1159–1325 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized density and nitrogen increased nitrogen accumulation 10.29%–131.56%.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Treatment
planting density (90,000 plants ha −1 ) and nitrogen application (240 kg ha −1 )e0
Outcome
nitrogen accumulatione0
Direction
increasinge0
Value
10.29%–131.56%e0
Comparator
CKe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Optimized planting density (90,000 plants ha −1 ) and nitrogen application (240 kg ha −1 ) significantly enhanced population level performance, increasing leaf area duration (25.98%–71.58%), dry matter accumulation (11.19%–175.05%) and nitrogen accumulation (10.29%–131.56%) across growth stages compared to CK”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1015–1325 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized approach maintained individual plant biomass and grain development.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
individual plant biomass and the grain developmente0
Direction
maintainede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“this approach maintained the individual plant biomass and the grain development”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1340–1419 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized approach increased total population nitrogen uptake by 36.42%.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
total nitrogen uptakee0
Direction
boostinge0
Value
36.42%e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“boosting the total nitrogen uptake (36.42%) and yield (48.49%) of the population”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1432–1512 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Optimized approach increased population yield by 48.49%.

Taxon
MaizeZea mayst0
Outcome
yielde0
Direction
boostinge0
Value
48.49%e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Zea mays
Zea mays · TaxonAkwugo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“boosting the total nitrogen uptake (36.42%) and yield (48.49%) of the population”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1432–1512 · show in text ↑
t0

“Maize”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 47–52 · show in text ↑

density · nutrient: content · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results

44 papers: 34 positive, 10 negative or no effect

33 papers in the same direction as this paper · 10 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. no effect
  3. negative

40 papers more in this group

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density · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results

197 papers: 119 positive, 78 negative or no effect

118 papers in the same direction as this paper · 76 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative

  1. negative
  2. negative
  3. negative

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nitrogen · nutrient: content · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results

489 papers: 403 positive, 86 negative or no effect

402 papers in the same direction as this paper · 83 in the opposite direction · 3 reporting no difference from an alternative

  1. positive
  2. no effect
  3. negative

485 papers more in this group

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nitrogen · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results

748 papers: 619 positive, 129 negative or no effect

618 papers in the same direction as this paper · 115 in the opposite direction · 14 reporting no difference from an alternative

  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. no effect

744 papers more in this group

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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.