Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Nutrition
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1470774

Estimating thresholds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rates for rice cropping systems in China

Provisionally accepted
Yingxia Liu Yingxia Liu 1,2,3Ping He Ping He 1Xinpeng Xu Xinpeng Xu 1Wencheng Ding Wencheng Ding 1*Wei Zhou Wei Zhou 1
  • 1 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 2 State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 3 Institute of Environmental Resources and Soil Fertilizer, ZheJiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Determining the fertilization rate plays a pivotal role in agronomic practices as they directly impact yield targets, soil fertility, and environmental risks. In this study, we proposed a method that utilizes allowed ranges of partial nutrient balance and yield to estimate the threshold of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizer applied to rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields in China. Based on a dataset of 6792 observations from rice fields, we determined the minimum and maximum rates of N, P and K suggested for single (mono-season rice), middle (summer-season rice rotated with winter-season upland crop), early and late (double-season rice cropping system) rice, ranging between 114146 and 220292 kg N ha 1 per season, 5674 and 112149 kg P2O5 ha 1 per season, and 170230 and 329347 kg K2O ha 1 per season, respectively. These values serve as the lower and upper fertilization thresholds, guiding yield goals and environmental protection. Furthermore, if rice straw is returned to fields, the demand for K fertilizer can theoretically decrease by 183 kg K2O ha 1 , with corresponding decreases of 50 kg N ha  1 and 26 kg P2O5 ha  1 , respectively. A recommended fertilization approach, excluding returned straw nutrients from the upper fertilization thresholds, suggested average application rates of 194 kg N ha 1 , 105 kg P2O5 ha 1 , and 157 kg K2O ha 1 , which align well with the nutrient requirements of rice. Additionally, substituting organic N for chemical N is an effective approach to conserve chemical fertilizer N, potentially reducing chemical N usage by 20%  40%. Utilizing slow-release N is also a favorable option to enhance N use efficiency and optimize N balance. This study offers valuable insights into the development of fertilization restriction indicators, aiming to achieve a delicate balance between environmental impact and agricultural productivity through the adoption of balanced fertilization rates and utilization of organic residues.

    Keywords: fertilization thresholds, method for fertilizer demand, Straw return, Organic substitution, Slow-release N

    Received: 26 Jul 2024; Accepted: 26 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, He, Xu, Ding and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wencheng Ding, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.