The nitrate leached below maize root zone is available for deep-rooted wheat in winter wheat-summer maize rotation in the North China Plain.
In winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer maize (Zea mays L.) rotation system in the North China Plain, maize roots do not extend beyond 1.2 m in the vertical soil profile, but wheat roots can reach up to 2.0 m. Increases in soil nitrate content at maize harvest and significant reductions after winter wheat harvest were observed in the 1.4-2.0 m depth under field conditions. The recovery of 15N isotope (calcium nitrate) from various (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 m) soil depths showed that deep-rooting winter wheat could use soil nitrate up to the 2.0 m depth. This accounted partially, for the reduced nitrate in the 1.4-2.0 m depth of the soil after harvest of wheat in the rotation system.
Zhou
Shun-Li
SL
Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 2# West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100094, China. zhoushl@cau.edu.cn
Wu
Yong-Cheng
YC
Wang
Zhi-Min
ZM
Lu
Lai-Qing
LQ
Wang
Run-Zheng
RZ
D000327:Adsorption; D000383:Agriculture; D002681:China; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000254:growth & development
D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; D012987:Soil