Effect of silicon on crop yield, and nitrogen use efficiency applied under straw return treatments

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for crop growth and for improving crop yield. A two-year field experiment was carried out in China to test the effects of silicate (Si) fertilizer with straw return on N use efficiency (NUE) and yield of spring maize. Four treatments were arranged in a randomized block design: SI+ST (straw return + 45 kg ha-1 Si), SI (no straw return + 45 kg ha-1 Si), ST (straw return + no Si) and C (no straw return + no Si). The results showed that the accumulation of dry matter and grain yield under SI were 6.5% and 8.8% higher, respectively than those under the C. The N uptake under SI increased by 15.6% compared with that under the C treatment. The N uptake of SI+ST increased by 7.6% compared to SI. The SI+ST resulted in a significant increase in the AEN, REN, and PFPN compared with SI. The above results show that the use of Si fertilizer combined with straw return significantly provides better N for maize growing stages and is recommended as an alternative method to simultaneously increase crop yield and NUE while reducing the use of chemical fertilizer to the environment.