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Modeling Spring Maize Grain Filling under Film Mulching and Nitrogen Application in a Cold and Arid Environment
Summary
Researchers modeled maize grain-filling under different plastic mulch film and nitrogen fertilizer treatments, finding that degradable plastic film performed similarly to conventional plastic mulch. The comparison of degradable versus conventional agricultural plastic films is relevant to microplastic contamination of soils, as conventional mulch films are a major source of agricultural microplastics.
The grain-filling process is a key stage in ensuring a high yield of maize. Nitrogen is one of the nutrient elements most essential for maize, especially in cold and arid areas. To evaluate the effects of plastic-film mulching and nitrogen application on the maize grain-filling process, the impact of different plastic-film mulching (degradable plastic film, J; common plastic-film mulching, P) and nitrogen fertilizer levels (0 kg·ha−1, N0; 160 kg·ha−1, N1; 320 kg·ha−1, N2; 480 kg·ha−1, N3) on maize grain-filling characteristic parameters and final 100-kernel weight were tested in 2021 and 2022. The results showed that the interaction between film mulching and nitrogen application significantly (p < 0.05) affected the filling characteristic parameters and final 100-kernel weight of maize. The final 100-kernel weight was highest at the N2 nitrogen application level, which was 7.69–38.13% higher under degradable plastic-film mulching and 3.17–38.06% higher under common plastic-film mulching than at other levels. The nitrogen application level significantly (p < 0.05) increased grain-filling duration and rate. The duration time in reaching the maximum grain-filling rate under the N2 nitrogen application level was around 1.1967–5.7835 d under degradable plastic-film mulching and 2.8688–8.1704 d under the common plastic-film mulching, with the maximum and average grain-filling rate increased by 0.0595–0.2063 g·d−1 and 0.0447–0.1423 g·d−1 under degradable film mulching and 0.1418–0.3058 g·d−1 and 0.1082–0.2125 g·d−1 under common film mulching, respectively. The nitrogen application levels of N2 and N3 under two plastic-film mulching methods prolonged the duration of the rapid and slow increase period of grain filling and increased the grain-filling rate and the average rate. The average grain-filling rate at the N2 level increased by 0.0469–0.1759 g·d−1 and 0.0090–0.0454 g·d−1 under degradable film mulching and 0.1113–0.2581 g·d−1 and 0.0203–0.0648 g·d−1 under common film mulching, respectively. Therefore, common plastic film mainly prolonged the duration of the gradual increase period of grain filling and increased the grain-filling rate; meanwhile, the effect of degraded plastic film on the grain-filling rate increase and prolonging of the grain-filling duration was gradually highlighted during the rapid and the slow period of increase. In addition, the 320 kg·ha−1 of nitrogen application level under both common plastic-film mulching and degradable-film mulching was more conducive to prolonging the grain-filling duration of maize, which increased the grain-filling rate and 100-kernel weight, laying a foundation for a high yield of maize.
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