Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation
Coordinating the spatial distribution of crop roots with soil nutrients, along with selecting appropriate types of fertilizers, is an effective strategy to enhance root nutrient absorption and increase crop yield. In Xinjiang’s current surface drip irrigation practices for rice (<i>Oryza sativ...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Yuman Cui Weidong Ma Changnan Yang Ruxiao Bai Tianze Xia Changzhou Wei Xinjiang Zhang Guangwei Zhou |
| author_facet | Yuman Cui Weidong Ma Changnan Yang Ruxiao Bai Tianze Xia Changzhou Wei Xinjiang Zhang Guangwei Zhou |
| author_sort | Yuman Cui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coordinating the spatial distribution of crop roots with soil nutrients, along with selecting appropriate types of fertilizers, is an effective strategy to enhance root nutrient absorption and increase crop yield. In Xinjiang’s current surface drip irrigation practices for rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), premature leaf senescence and N deficiency are common issues, resulting in decreased yields. This study investigated whether different N forms under subsurface drip irrigation can modulate rice root morphological strategies to delay senescence in later growth stages, enhancing rice N uptake and yield formation. A field experiment compared the effects of different drip irrigation positions (surface drip irrigation at the surface, DI0; subsurface drip irrigation at 10 cm depth, DI10) and N forms (urea N, UN; ammonium N, AN) in four combination treatments (DI0-UN, DI0-AN, DI10-UN, DI10-AN) on rice root morphology, aboveground growth, and yield formation. During the grain-filling stage, the total root length (RL) and root number (RN) in the DI10-AN treatment were higher than in other treatments. Root vitality increased by 23.24–133.72% during the later filling stages, while the root decline rate decreased by 1.16–32.80%. The root configuration parameters β in the DI10-AN treatment were superior to those in other treatments, indicating that roots tend to distribute deeper in the soil. The DI10-AN treatment reduced Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity, thereby alleviating water and N stress on the leaves in later growth stages and maintaining higher photosynthetic parameter values. The DI10-AN treatment significantly increased N absorption (14.37–52.88%) and yield (13.32–46.31%). Correlation analysis showed that RL, RN, and root activity (Ra) were significantly positively correlated with transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular CO<sub>2</sub> concentration (Ci), N uptake (NUP), one thousand-kernel weight (TKW), seed setting rate (SR), Efficient panicle (EP), and yield (r > 0.90). This study presents a new rice drip fertigation technique that combines subsurface irrigation with ammonium to enhance root growth and increase crop productivity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b08663abc47949e3a341fe1e31b00e0c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b08663abc47949e3a341fe1e31b00e0c2025-08-20T03:43:26ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-03-0114689110.3390/plants14060891Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield FormationYuman Cui0Weidong Ma1Changnan Yang2Ruxiao Bai3Tianze Xia4Changzhou Wei5Xinjiang Zhang6Guangwei Zhou7Department of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, North 4th Street No. 221, Shihezi 832003, ChinaDepartment of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, North 4th Street No. 221, Shihezi 832003, ChinaDepartment of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, North 4th Street No. 221, Shihezi 832003, ChinaXinjiang Production & Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Water and Fertilizer, Shihezi 832000, ChinaTandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USADepartment of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, North 4th Street No. 221, Shihezi 832003, ChinaDepartment of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, North 4th Street No. 221, Shihezi 832003, ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, ChinaCoordinating the spatial distribution of crop roots with soil nutrients, along with selecting appropriate types of fertilizers, is an effective strategy to enhance root nutrient absorption and increase crop yield. In Xinjiang’s current surface drip irrigation practices for rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), premature leaf senescence and N deficiency are common issues, resulting in decreased yields. This study investigated whether different N forms under subsurface drip irrigation can modulate rice root morphological strategies to delay senescence in later growth stages, enhancing rice N uptake and yield formation. A field experiment compared the effects of different drip irrigation positions (surface drip irrigation at the surface, DI0; subsurface drip irrigation at 10 cm depth, DI10) and N forms (urea N, UN; ammonium N, AN) in four combination treatments (DI0-UN, DI0-AN, DI10-UN, DI10-AN) on rice root morphology, aboveground growth, and yield formation. During the grain-filling stage, the total root length (RL) and root number (RN) in the DI10-AN treatment were higher than in other treatments. Root vitality increased by 23.24–133.72% during the later filling stages, while the root decline rate decreased by 1.16–32.80%. The root configuration parameters β in the DI10-AN treatment were superior to those in other treatments, indicating that roots tend to distribute deeper in the soil. The DI10-AN treatment reduced Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity, thereby alleviating water and N stress on the leaves in later growth stages and maintaining higher photosynthetic parameter values. The DI10-AN treatment significantly increased N absorption (14.37–52.88%) and yield (13.32–46.31%). Correlation analysis showed that RL, RN, and root activity (Ra) were significantly positively correlated with transpiration rate (Tr), intercellular CO<sub>2</sub> concentration (Ci), N uptake (NUP), one thousand-kernel weight (TKW), seed setting rate (SR), Efficient panicle (EP), and yield (r > 0.90). This study presents a new rice drip fertigation technique that combines subsurface irrigation with ammonium to enhance root growth and increase crop productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/6/891root spatial distributionroot activityriceN uptakeyield |
| spellingShingle | Yuman Cui Weidong Ma Changnan Yang Ruxiao Bai Tianze Xia Changzhou Wei Xinjiang Zhang Guangwei Zhou Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation Plants root spatial distribution root activity rice N uptake yield |
| title | Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation |
| title_full | Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation |
| title_fullStr | Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation |
| title_short | Subsurface Drip Irrigation Combined with Ammonium Enhances Root Growth in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.), Leading to Improved N Uptake and Higher Yield Formation |
| title_sort | subsurface drip irrigation combined with ammonium enhances root growth in rice i oryza sativa i l leading to improved n uptake and higher yield formation |
| topic | root spatial distribution root activity rice N uptake yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/6/891 |
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