Effects of irrigation amount and nitrogen fertilization rate on wheat yield and soil nitrate content.

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of irrigation amount and nitrogen fertilization rate on wheat yield and soil nitrate content. With the increase of irrigation amount, the soil nitrate content in 0-200 cm layer at the same nitrogen fertilization rates had a trend of decrease-increase-decrease. Under irrigation, the soil nitrate content was significantly lower in 0-80 cm layer while significantly higher in 80-200 cm layer, compared with the control. As the irrigation amount increased, the translocation of soil nitrate nitrogen to deeper layers accelerated dramatically, with the content decreased in 0-80 cm layer, increased in 120-200 cm layer, and peaked in 120-140 cm layer. When the nitrogen fertilization rate increased from 210 kg·hm^-2 to 300 kg·hm^-2, the soil nitrate content at the same irrigation amounts increased significantly through anthesis, filling, and maturity stages. With the increase of irrigation amount, the grain yield decreased after an initial increase, being the highest when the irrigation amount in whole growth period was 60 mm. The grain yield, grain protein content, and grain protein yield all increased significantly with increasing nitrogen fertilization rate. Under the conditions of the present experiment, the treatment with nitrogen fertilization rate 210 kg N·hm^-2 and irrigation amount 60 mm (split into two times) had the highest grain yield, grain protein content, grain protein yield, and harvest index but the least NO₃^--N leaching, being the more available irrigation and nitrogen fertilization mode for wheat production in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]