Scientists assessed the feasibility of using matrix-based slow-release urea to improve wheat productivity.

This study was conducted by WU Yuejin's team in Institute of Technical Biology and Agriculture Engineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science and was published in the journal Agronomy Journal.

In China, food security is highly dependent on wheat production as wheat is one of the most important cereal crops. Wheat has a long growing period and high demand for N. Increasing N input is an option to improve wheat productivity especially in regions with low-fertility soils.

However, over-application of N fertilizers tends to induce many diseases such as wheat scab, which is quite harmful for maintaining wheat productivity. Single basal fertilization of slow-release fertilizer is an option to improve wheat productivity.

Recently, WU’s team reported a matrix-based urea which is suitable for field wheat production.

Application of common urea (CU) led to high risk of N leaching (30% of applied N) and ammonia emission (>10% of applied N). In contrast, application of matrix-based urea (MU) significantly reduced N loss, improved soil N availability and plant N status.

Consequently, application of MU increased agronomic N efficiency by 22.1%-32.7%, wheat yield by >10%, and wheat profit by 1300 yuan/ha. Current study confirms that matrix-based urea has a broad prospect in field wheat production.

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program of China, and the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of Chinese Academy of Sciences. (十日内)

Link to the paper: Reducing N loss and increasing wheat profits with low-cost matrix-based slow-release urea

Aggregates formed with matrix materials are beneficial for reducing N loss (via ammonia emission and leaching), and thus improve soil N availability, enhance wheat N uptake, and increase wheat yield and profit. (Image by YANG Yang)

Contact:

WU Yuejin

Institute of Technical Biology and Agriculture Engineering (http://english.itb.cas.cn/)

E-mail: yjwu@ipp.ac.cn