Deficit irrigation drives maize root distribution and soil microbial communities with implications for soil carbon dynamics

Flynn, Nora E.; Comas, Louise H.; Stewart, Catherine E.; Fonte, Steven J.

doi:10.1002/saj2.20201

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Previous work at this eld site has shown LW to increase maize root growth at depth (Comas et al, 2013;Flynn et al, 2021). Interestingly, root biomass was reduced under high N and LW at the deepest depth, potentially because these plants under high N and LW were the smallest.…”

Section: Nitrogen Uptake and Recovery Ratiomentioning

confidence: 72%

High N availability decreases N uptake and yield under limited water availability in maize

Flynn

Comas²,

Stewart³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Water and nitrogen (N) are the most limiting factors to plant productivity globally, but we lack a critical understanding of how water availability impacts plant N requirements and ecosystem losses. Plant N requirements are particularly uncertain when water is limited because of the interactive effect of water and N on plant growth, plant N demand, and plant N uptake. We investigated impacts of N application and water availability on plant and N metrics, including above and belowground growth, water productivity, N productivity, N uptake, N recovery, and greenhouse gas emissions within a semi-arid system in northeastern Colorado, USA. High soil N availability depressed grain yield and shoot growth under limited water availability, with similar trends also under full water availability, despite no indication of physical toxicity. Under low N availability, plant N concentrations in aboveground tissues showed greater recovery of N than what was applied in the low N treatments under both full and limited water availability. This enhanced recovery underscores the need to better understand both plant soil foraging and processes governing resource availability under these conditions. Finally, limited water availability reduced N uptake across all N treatments and left 30% more soil N-NO3- deep in the soil profile at the end of the season than under full water availability. Our results show that plant N use is not linearly related to water use and emphasize the need for an integrated understanding of water and N interactions, plant foraging for these resources, and the dynamics of processes that make N available to plants.

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Section: Nitrogen Uptake and Recovery Ratiomentioning

confidence: 72%

High N availability decreases N uptake and yield under limited water availability in maize

Flynn

Comas²,

Stewart³

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…Emissions of CO 2 from our FI were also 50% of that reported from sprinkler irrigated maize systems (Adviento‐Borbe et al., 2007; Halvorson et al., 2016; Jin et al., 2017). The soils at this field site have very low soil C (<1% SOC) in the surface layer (Flynn et al., 2021), which limits our ability to infer the impacts of DI in agricultural settings with higher SOC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deficit irrigation impacts on greenhouse gas emissions under drip‐fertigated maize in the Great Plains of Colorado

et al. 2022

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Precise water and fertilizer application can increase crop water productivity and reduce agricultural contributions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Regulated deficit irrigation (DI) and drip fertigation control the amount, location, and timing of water and nutrient application. Yet, few studies have measured GHG emissions under these practices, especially for maize (Zea mays L.). The objective was to quantify N 2 O and CO 2 emission from DI and full irrigation (FI) within a drip-fertigated maize system in northeastern Colorado. During two growing seasons of measurement, treatments consisted of mild, moderate, and extreme DI and FI. Deficit irrigation was managed based on growth stage so that full evapotranspiration (ET) was met during the yield-sensitive reproductive stage, but less than full crop ET was applied during the late vegetative and maturation growth stages. In the first year, mild DI (90% ET) reduced N 2 O emissions by 50% compared with FI. In the second year, compared with FI, moderate DI (69-80% ET) reduced N 2 O emissions by 15%, and extreme DI (54-68% ET) reduced N 2 O emissions by 40%. Only extreme DI in the second year significantly reduced CO 2 emissions (by 30%) compared with FI. Mild DI reduced yield-scaled emissions in the first year, but moderate and extreme DI had similar yield-scaled emissions as FI in the second year. The surface drip fertigation resulted in total GHG emissions that were one-tenth of literature-based measurements from sprinkler-irrigated maize systems. This study illustrates the potential of DI and drip fertigation to reduce N 2 O and CO 2 emissions in irrigated cropping systems.

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“…This implied that Zhonglan No.2 could reach its best utilization year earlier than other cultivars, which would confer an advantage to Zhonglan No.2 and would be beneficial to producers. In addition, some measures are recommended to improve alfalfa productivity after the fourth year, including ploughing and scarification to improve soil microbial activity, 43 adopting deficit irrigation technology 44 to improve water use efficiency and application of phosphorus, nitrogen 45 and silicon 46 fertilizer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photosynthesis, fluorescence, and nutrition of Zhonglan No. 2, a new alfalfa cultivar

Cui

Tian

et al. 2021

J Sci Food Agric

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BACKGROUND: The years after planting play an important role in the above-ground biomass and nutritive value of alfalfa. Zhonglan No. 2 (Medicago sativa L. cv. Zhonglan No. 2) is a new breeding alfalfa cultivar characterized by high drought tolerance and high yield. To determine the optimum time for utilization of Zhonglan No. 2, we examined growth traits, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic and fluorescence parameters, and composition and nutritive values at the late vegetative and early flowering stages of the first stubble in the second, third, fourth, sixth, and eleventh years after planting. RESULTS: In general, the height and leaf area decreased with increasing number of years after planting. At the late vegetative stage, the fourth-year alfalfa exhibited higher stomatal conductance (Gs) and intercellular CO 2 concentration (Ci), and better water use efficiency, and at the early flowering stage, the fourth-year alfalfa had the highest (P < 0.05) leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and carboxylation efficiency (CE). Total digestible nutrients did not differ among years, but, in the early flowering stage, crude protein content decreased with years (P < 0.05). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and total antioxidant capacity did not differ among years after planting, suggesting aging did not impose oxidative stress on this alfalfa cultivar.CONCLUSIONS: Based on height, chlorophyll content, crude protein (CP) content, and photosynthetic and fluorescence parameters, the fourth year after planting, at the early flowering stage, was the best for using Zhonglan No. 2.

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Deficit irrigation drives maize root distribution and soil microbial communities with implications for soil carbon dynamics

Cited by 16 publications

References 58 publications

High N availability decreases N uptake and yield under limited water availability in maize

High N availability decreases N uptake and yield under limited water availability in maize

Deficit irrigation impacts on greenhouse gas emissions under drip‐fertigated maize in the Great Plains of Colorado

Photosynthesis, fluorescence, and nutrition of Zhonglan No. 2, a new alfalfa cultivar

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