Volume 1 (2025) 

The regulatory effects of tillage practices and nitrogen application patterns on wheat yield and water use efficiency

Yanghai Gao, Shoushan Ma

Volume 1 (2025), Article ID: eip1v0110e  

Published: 2025-01-10 (Received:  2024-10-07; Revised: 2024-12-06; Accepted:  2024-12-19) 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15533261 

Citation

Gao Y, Ma S. The regulatory effects of tillage practices and nitrogen application patterns on wheat yield and water use efficiency. Engineering Innovation and Practice, 2025, 1, eip1v0110e. 

Abstract

This study systematically analyzed the effects of different tillage practices (rotary tillage and plowing) and nitrogen application patterns (basal application and delayed application) on wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by comparing their impacts on wheat growth, photosynthetic physiology, dry matter accumulation, and root distribution. The results showed that the combination of plowing and delayed nitrogen application significantly increased wheat yield and WUE, as reflected in enhanced root growth, photosynthetic capacity, and dry matter accumulation. Plowing improved soil structure and promoted deeper root growth, while delayed nitrogen application effectively improved soil moisture distribution and optimized nitrogen availability, reducing ineffective water evaporation. This combination of plowing and delayed nitrogen application notably delayed flag leaf senescence and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, thereby improving WUE. The study recommends combining plowing and delayed nitrogen application in wheat cultivation to achieve a synergistic increase in yield and WUE.

Keywords

wheat yield, water use efficiency, tillage practices, nitrogen application, root growth

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