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The low use efficiency of nitrogen (N) in rice production attributes to N losses and environmental pollution. One of the ways to improve N use efficiency is by using controlled-release urea (CRU). Field experiments in consecutive three years were conducted to compare the effects of six different types of CRU fertilizers on yield and N accumulation in straw and grain of rice. The special purpose was to provide information for application of CRU in rice. For three seasons, CRU-treated plants had significantly greater grain yields than conventional urea-treated (total N as basal fertilizers, Nt) plants. The greatest grain yields were obtained from CRU-3, CRU-4, and CRU-3 treatment in 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. The N accumulation in rice straws and rice grains of the CRU-treated plots was significantly greater than that of the Nttreatment. Compared with that of the Nttreatment, CRU treatments increased the N use efficiency significantly, although there were differences among the six types of CRU fertilizers. It can be inferred that CRU performed significantly better than conventional urea. Generally, CRU-3 and CRU-6 were the best CRU fertilizers used in rice production in Jianghan Plain, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) fixation and release in soil are important factors affecting K availability to plants and the utilization efficiency of K fertilizer. Three typical soils (red soil, yellow cinnamon soil, and alluvial soil) were collected from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtse River, China, to study the K-fixation and K-release characteristics of the normal and K-exhausted soil. Results showed that K fixation of added K in K-exhausted soils were significantly (P< 0.05) greater than that of the normal soils. There were significantly (P< 0.05) negative correlations among K-fixation capacity, concentration of soil-available K, and K+saturation. Irrespective of soil K exhaustion, K fixation of added K was in the order of red soil > yellow cinnamon soil > alluvial soil, but the cumulative amount of K released from the three soils during successive extractions with 1.0 mol L−1nitric acid (HNO3) was in the opposite order. The cumulative amounts of K released with 1.0 mol L−1ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) and 1.0 mol L−1HNO3extraction increased with the increasing numbers of extractions. The K-releasing power of soil by successive extraction decreased gradually and finally became almost constant. The release of K was lower in K-exhausted soil than in normal soil. Overall, the information obtained in this study will be helpful in formulating more precise K fertilizer recommendations for certain soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land managements and agricultural practices in China changed significantly during the past 25 years. Differences in soil fertility parameters between 1981 and 2006 in Jingzhou County, China were investigated, with the changes of land management and agricultural practices. The results showed that, from 1981 to 2006, soil pH and organic matter decreased by 3.35% and 32.2%, while total nitrogen (TN), available N (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) increased by 0.4 g kg−1, 21 mg kg−1, 8 mg kg−1, and 32 mg kg−1, respectively. The above presumably resulted from more application of inorganic fertilizers (especially acid and/or physiologically-acid fertilizers), less application of organic fertilizers, little growing of green manure, and removal of crop residues and straws. Balanced application of organic and inorganic fertilizers is urgent to improve organic matter, soil pH, and soil fertility in this area [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To study the differences in growth and potassium (K)-use efficiency of two different K-use-efficiency cotton genotypes, a pot experiment was conducted in 2007. Experimental materials include two cotton genotypes (HG103 and LG122) and two K application levels (0 and 0.23 g kg-1 soil). The initial dates of various growth stages, plant heights, numbers of leaves, squares, and bolls, and the amount of litter during the whole growing season were recorded. The distribution and accumulation of dry matter and K content in various organs were measured to compare the differences in K-use efficiency. Significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two genotypes and K levels were found in initial bolling time. At the reproductive growth stage, the plant heights and leaf number of HG103 were less than those of LG122. Greater numbers of squares and bolls were recorded from HG103 than LG122 with K application. Significant differences (P < 0.05) existed in dry matter and K contents in each organ in the two genotypes and K-application levels. The seed cotton yields of HG103 were 3.24 times larger than those of LG122 with K application and 1.77 times larger than those of LG122 with the marginal K treatments. Reproductive-to-vegetative ratios (RVR) and harvest indices (HI) of LG122 were less than those of HG103 whether K was applied or not. The ratios of K in reproductive organs to vegetative organs for LG122 were 0.47 and 0.51 with K application and the marginal treatments, respectively, and for HG103 were 0.66 and 0.75 respectively. The K accumulations in root, stem, and litter of LG122 were more than those of HG103, whereas those in leaves and bolls were less than those of HG103. These results indicated that HG103 transferred more photosynthesis products and K to cotton reproductive organs than LG122. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]