Influence of Nitrogen Fertilization on Wheat, and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometry Characteristics.

Nitrogen fertilizer is the most commonly fertilizer for increasing grain yield of wheat, but its effects on wheat carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability are not clear yet. This field experiment was conducted to evaluate the C, N and P stoichiometry characteristics of winter wheat and soil and their relationship during the anthesis and harvest stages under nitrogen fertilization (0, 180, 360 kg ha-1) in Northwest China. We found that N fertilization could increase N contents, C: P and N: P ratios and decrease P contents, C: N ratio in wheat. During anthesis, the highest N and P contents were found in the flag leaf and culm, respectively and at harvest, N and P contents were higher in the grain. N and P contents in all tissues of wheat were related, and more importantly, a significant relationship with the soil N and P contents was found, these results could help us understand the nutritional balance regulation in wheat under nitrogen fertilization. © 2015 Friends Science Publishers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]