Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer
Agricultural production in Northwest China is widely constrained by residual plastic film pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and low productivity. Integrating biodegradable film with controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer offers a promising approach to optimize crop management, enhance y...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2022 |
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| author | Wenjing Chang Haiyan Li Yaya Duan Yi Ling Jiandong Lu Minhua Yin Yanlin Ma Yanxia Kang Yayu Wang Guangping Qi Jianjun Wang |
| author_facet | Wenjing Chang Haiyan Li Yaya Duan Yi Ling Jiandong Lu Minhua Yin Yanlin Ma Yanxia Kang Yayu Wang Guangping Qi Jianjun Wang |
| author_sort | Wenjing Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agricultural production in Northwest China is widely constrained by residual plastic film pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and low productivity. Integrating biodegradable film with controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer offers a promising approach to optimize crop management, enhance yield, and improve environmental outcomes. In this study, three planting patterns (conventional flat planting, FP; ridge mulching with biodegradable film, BM; and ridge mulching with conventional plastic film, PM), two nitrogen fertilizer types (urea, U, and controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer, C), and four nitrogen application rates (0, 80, 160, and 240 kg·hm<sup>−2</sup>) were applied to systematically investigate their effects on alfalfa yield and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from grasslands. The results showed that BM and PM increased alfalfa yield by 23.49% and 18.65%, respectively, compared to FP, while C increased yield by 8.46% compared to urea. The highest yield (24.84 t·hm<sup>−2</sup>) was recorded under the BMC2 treatment, which was 97.11% higher than that of FPN0. N<sub>2</sub>O emission flux and cumulative emissions increased with nitrogen application rate. Compared with U, C reduced cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) by 23.89% and 25.84%, respectively. Compared to PM, BM reduced cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and GHGI by 11.58% and 20.15%, respectively. Principal component analysis indicated that the combination of ridge mulching with biodegradable film and 160 kg·hm<sup>−2</sup> of C was optimal for simultaneously increasing alfalfa yield and reducing N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, making it a suitable planting–fertilization strategy for the Yellow River irrigation district in Gansu and similar ecological regions. |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-ffc7856e756148d2b5d36fc3dcb3e8ba2025-08-20T02:36:28ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011413202210.3390/plants14132022Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen FertilizerWenjing Chang0Haiyan Li1Yaya Duan2Yi Ling3Jiandong Lu4Minhua Yin5Yanlin Ma6Yanxia Kang7Yayu Wang8Guangping Qi9Jianjun Wang10College of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydrpower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaAgricultural production in Northwest China is widely constrained by residual plastic film pollution, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and low productivity. Integrating biodegradable film with controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer offers a promising approach to optimize crop management, enhance yield, and improve environmental outcomes. In this study, three planting patterns (conventional flat planting, FP; ridge mulching with biodegradable film, BM; and ridge mulching with conventional plastic film, PM), two nitrogen fertilizer types (urea, U, and controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer, C), and four nitrogen application rates (0, 80, 160, and 240 kg·hm<sup>−2</sup>) were applied to systematically investigate their effects on alfalfa yield and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from grasslands. The results showed that BM and PM increased alfalfa yield by 23.49% and 18.65%, respectively, compared to FP, while C increased yield by 8.46% compared to urea. The highest yield (24.84 t·hm<sup>−2</sup>) was recorded under the BMC2 treatment, which was 97.11% higher than that of FPN0. N<sub>2</sub>O emission flux and cumulative emissions increased with nitrogen application rate. Compared with U, C reduced cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) by 23.89% and 25.84%, respectively. Compared to PM, BM reduced cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and GHGI by 11.58% and 20.15%, respectively. Principal component analysis indicated that the combination of ridge mulching with biodegradable film and 160 kg·hm<sup>−2</sup> of C was optimal for simultaneously increasing alfalfa yield and reducing N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, making it a suitable planting–fertilization strategy for the Yellow River irrigation district in Gansu and similar ecological regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2022controlled-release nitrogen fertilizerbiodegradable mulchN<sub>2</sub>O emissionplanting patternnitrogen managementyield |
| spellingShingle | Wenjing Chang Haiyan Li Yaya Duan Yi Ling Jiandong Lu Minhua Yin Yanlin Ma Yanxia Kang Yayu Wang Guangping Qi Jianjun Wang Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer Plants controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer biodegradable mulch N<sub>2</sub>O emission planting pattern nitrogen management yield |
| title | Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer |
| title_full | Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer |
| title_fullStr | Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer |
| title_short | Yield Increase and Emission Reduction Effects of Alfalfa in the Yellow River Irrigation District of Gansu Province: The Coupling Mechanism of Biodegradable Mulch and Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer |
| title_sort | yield increase and emission reduction effects of alfalfa in the yellow river irrigation district of gansu province the coupling mechanism of biodegradable mulch and controlled release nitrogen fertilizer |
| topic | controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer biodegradable mulch N<sub>2</sub>O emission planting pattern nitrogen management yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2022 |
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