Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China

Dong, Wenjun; Zhang, Yuhan; Danso, Frederick; Zhang, Jun; Tang, Ao; Liu, Youhong; Liu, Kai; Meng, Ying; Wang, Lizhi; Yang, Zhongliang; Jiao, Feng

doi:10.3390/agriculture15080892

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China

by

Wenjun Dong

^1,2,*,†

,

Yuhan Zhang

^3,†,

Frederick Danso

^4,5,†,

Jun Zhang

⁵,

Ao Tang

^1,2,

Youhong Liu

^1,2,

Kai Liu

^6,7,

Ying Meng

^1,2,

Lizhi Wang

^1,2,

Zhongliang Yang

⁸ and

Feng Jiao

³

¹

Institute of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150023, China

²

Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology in Cold Region, Harbin 150023, China

³

College of Agriculture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing 163319, China

⁴

CSIR-Oil Palm Research Institute, Kade P.O. Box 74, Ghana

⁵

Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

⁶

Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China

⁷

Northeast Branch of National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice, Harbin 150086, China

⁸

Institute of Biotechnology, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150023, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Agriculture 2025, 15(8), 892; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15080892

Submission received: 22 March 2025 / Revised: 17 April 2025 / Accepted: 17 April 2025 / Published: 20 April 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Cultivation Practices on Crop Yield and Quality)

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Abstract

Rice yield and quality decline due to excessive fertiliser use is problematic in China. To increase rice grain filling and improve rice yield and quality, a nitrogen reduction and density increase study in 2023 and 2024 was imposed on a long-term experimental field. The four treatments adopted for the study were normal nitrogen and normal density (CK), normal nitrogen and increased density (NN+ID), reduced nitrogen in panicle fertiliser and increased density (RPN+ID), and reduced nitrogen in basal fertiliser and increased density (RBN+ID). RPN+ID and RBN+ID, respectively, produced a 3.0% and 5.1% higher yield than CK in both years. The mean grain filling rate (Va) of superior grains in RBN+ID increased by 12.5%, while the mean grain filling rate (Va) of inferior grains in the RPN+ID treatment increased by 4.2% with respect to CK. RPN+ID caused 0.4%, 9.6%, and 13.3% decline in the brown rice rate, chalkiness degree, and chalkiness rate, respectively, while RBN+ID triggered 0.4%, 7.2%, and 11.0% decline in the brown rice rate, chalkiness degree, and chalkiness rate, respectively. RPN+ID stimulated 4.2% and 3.1% increases in flavour and straight-chain amylose values, respectively. Whereas a 20% reduction in basal nitrogen fertiliser and a 32% increase in density improved the yield and appearance quality of rice, a 20% reduction in nitrogen fertiliser at the panicle stage and a 32% increase in density promoted a higher steaming flavour quality. Therefore, an appropriate reduction in nitrogen fertiliser while simultaneously increasing rice density has a significant impact on rice quality, fertiliser pollution reduction, and is a theoretical basis for rice yield and quality improvement in Northeast China.

Keywords: reduced nitrogen; increased density; grain filling; grain yield; rice quality; Northeast China

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MDPI and ACS Style

Dong, W.; Zhang, Y.; Danso, F.; Zhang, J.; Tang, A.; Liu, Y.; Liu, K.; Meng, Y.; Wang, L.; Yang, Z.; et al. Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China. Agriculture 2025, 15, 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15080892

AMA Style

Dong W, Zhang Y, Danso F, Zhang J, Tang A, Liu Y, Liu K, Meng Y, Wang L, Yang Z, et al. Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China. Agriculture. 2025; 15(8):892. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15080892

Chicago/Turabian Style

Dong, Wenjun, Yuhan Zhang, Frederick Danso, Jun Zhang, Ao Tang, Youhong Liu, Kai Liu, Ying Meng, Lizhi Wang, Zhongliang Yang, and et al. 2025. "Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China" Agriculture 15, no. 8: 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15080892

APA Style

Dong, W., Zhang, Y., Danso, F., Zhang, J., Tang, A., Liu, Y., Liu, K., Meng, Y., Wang, L., Yang, Z., & Jiao, F. (2025). Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China. Agriculture, 15(8), 892. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15080892

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Nitrogen Fertiliser Reduction at Different Rice Growth Stages and Increased Density Improve Rice Yield and Quality in Northeast China

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