Dynamics of growth and nitrogen capture in winter oilseed rape hybrid and line cultivars under contrasting N supply

Abstract

Cultivation of winter oilseed rape hybrids has been introduced as a promising solution to improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and to reduce the large N balance surpluses in this crop. To achieve a better understanding of the underlying physiological mechanisms, field experiments were conducted over two years to investigate the dynamics of growth and N capture in an oilseed rape hybrid and its parental lines under both low (0 kg ha−1) and high (180 kg ha−1) N supply. The results showed that the dynamic trajectories of crop growth and N capture could be accurately characterized by logistic equation using growing degree days as the independent variable. At both N rates, the oilseed rape hybrid outperformed the parental lines in seed yield and aboveground biomass accumulation, which was more closely associated with the longer duration (td) of the rapid growth period (RGP), than with the higher maximum growth rate (vm). N uptake was the main factor driving genotypic variation in seed yield, with an increasing importance of N utilization efficiency at high N supply. The hybrid had significantly higher N uptake than the parental lines at both low and high N supply, because of larger vm for N accumulation during the RGP, which may present a scope for genetically improving NUE in oilseed rape. High N application enhanced crop biomass production and N accumulation, as a result of prolonged td and larger vm during the RGP. The initiation of RGP for N accumulation occurred after overwinter period, which could not be accelerated by high N supply, suggesting rational distribution of N fertilizer with reduced basal dose. However, larger amounts in spring would be beneficial for a better synchronization to crop N demand with lower environmental risks.