Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses

Hao, Ruixuan; Mu, Junyi; Xie, Xiaoting; Ha, Qiqi; Wang, Yuanyuan; Zhai, Wenbo; Wu, Peng; Ren, Aixia; Gao, Zhiqiang; Guo, Ru; Sun, Min

doi:10.3390/agriculture15202164

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Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses

by

Ruixuan Hao

,

Junyi Mu

,

Xiaoting Xie

,

Qiqi Ha

,

Yuanyuan Wang

,

Wenbo Zhai

,

Peng Wu

,

Aixia Ren

,

Zhiqiang Gao

,

Ru Guo

and

Min Sun

^*

College of Agriculture, Shanxi Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Sustainable Dryland Agriculture of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030031, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agriculture 2025, 15(20), 2164; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202164 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 28 September 2025 / Revised: 15 October 2025 / Accepted: 16 October 2025 / Published: 18 October 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Water Management)

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Abstract

Winter wheat covers approximately 2.21 × 10⁸ ha globally, making it the most widely cultivated cereal crop in the world. In recent years, integrated water and fertilizer management has significantly improved winter wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency; however, quantitative assessments of nitrogen cycling under different fertilizer forms in such high-yield systems remain limited. From 2022 to 2024, a two-year field experiment was conducted in drip-irrigated winter wheat fields in northern China. Four nitrogen fertilizer forms were applied: nitrate nitrogen fertilizer (NON), ammonium nitrogen fertilizer (NHN), amide nitrogen fertilizer (CON), and urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer (UAN), along with an unfertilized control (CK). Compared with NON, NHN, and CON, UAN reduced cumulative N₂O emissions by 10.40–15.64% and NH₃ volatilization by 2.04–9.33% (p < 0.05). It also increased the leaf area index and biomass accumulation at maturity, as well as grain yield (3.70–10.28%), nitrogen harvest index (4.58–12.88%), and nitrogen use efficiency (12.14–39.25%) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, UAN significantly decreased the net nitrogen surplus (24.18–45.70%) and nitrogen balance values (25.64–55.82%) (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that the reduction in nitrogen balance was primarily attributed to lower N₂O emissions and improved nitrogen use efficiency (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the application of urea ammonium nitrate under integrated water–fertilizer management achieved higher yield, greater efficiency, and environmentally sustainable production in drip-irrigated winter wheat systems in northern China.

Keywords: winter wheat; drip irrigation; high yield; N₂O; NH₃; nitrogen balance

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hao, R.; Mu, J.; Xie, X.; Ha, Q.; Wang, Y.; Zhai, W.; Wu, P.; Ren, A.; Gao, Z.; Guo, R.; et al. Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses. Agriculture 2025, 15, 2164. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202164

AMA Style

Hao R, Mu J, Xie X, Ha Q, Wang Y, Zhai W, Wu P, Ren A, Gao Z, Guo R, et al. Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses. Agriculture. 2025; 15(20):2164. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202164

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hao, Ruixuan, Junyi Mu, Xiaoting Xie, Qiqi Ha, Yuanyuan Wang, Wenbo Zhai, Peng Wu, Aixia Ren, Zhiqiang Gao, Ru Guo, and et al. 2025. "Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses" Agriculture 15, no. 20: 2164. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202164

APA Style

Hao, R., Mu, J., Xie, X., Ha, Q., Wang, Y., Zhai, W., Wu, P., Ren, A., Gao, Z., Guo, R., & Sun, M. (2025). Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses. Agriculture, 15(20), 2164. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15202164

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Alteration of Nitrogen Fertilizer Forms Optimizes Nitrogen Balance in Drip-Irrigated Winter Wheat Systems of Northern China by Reducing Gaseous Nitrogen Losses

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