Impact of Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Plant Height, Leaf Area Index, and Water Use Efficiency of Summer Maize in Southern Xinjiang
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Results
2.1. Parameter Calibration and Validation of the Logistic Crop Growth Model
2.1.1. Parameter Calibration
2.1.2. Model Validation
2.2. Influence of Water and Nitrogen on PH, LAI, and Yield in Summer Maize Cultivation
2.2.1. Influence of Water and Nitrogen on Key Growth Rate Parameters
2.2.2. Regression Analysis of Characteristic Parameters Incorporating Water and Nitrogen as Interactive Factors
2.3. WUE Across Various Water and Nitrogen Treatments
3. Discussion
4. Materials and Methods
4.1. Site Description
4.2. Experimental Design
4.3. Sample Collection and Measurement
4.3.1. Meteorological Data
4.3.2. PH
4.3.3. LAI
4.3.4. Water Consumption
4.3.5. Yield
4.3.6. Logistic Growth Model
4.4. Statistical Analysis
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Growth Index | Treatment | 2018 Year | 2020 Year | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Curve Parameters | R2 | Curve Parameters | R2 | ||||||
A | B | C | A | B | C | ||||
PH | W1N0 | 272.77 | 27.28 | 7.16 | 0.994 | 266.67 | 28.71 | 8.12 | 0.994 |
W1N1 | 255.57 | 42.07 | 8.27 | 0.993 | 250.68 | 50.92 | 9.14 | 0.995 | |
W1N2 | 260.89 | 28.68 | 7.01 | 0.996 | 257.92 | 36.5 | 8.29 | 0.995 | |
W2N0 | 226.99 | 23.67 | 7.01 | 0.991 | 247.98 | 37.80 | 8.15 | 0.993 | |
W2N1 | 258.12 | 33.85 | 7.47 | 0.991 | 256.83 | 38.31 | 8.74 | 0.995 | |
W2N2 | 272.56 | 36.44 | 7.75 | 0.990 | 270.47 | 69.70 | 10.04 | 0.996 | |
W2N3 | 236.91 | 32.39 | 8.02 | 0.993 | 238.71 | 56.14 | 9.46 | 0.993 | |
W3N0 | 236.72 | 22.96 | 7.12 | 0.994 | 230.02 | 59.42 | 9.29 | 0.993 | |
W3N1 | 248.18 | 45.24 | 8.89 | 0.996 | 236.34 | 34.23 | 9.27 | 0.994 | |
W3N2 | 243.70 | 25.29 | 7.04 | 0.998 | 238.36 | 50.08 | 9.24 | 0.995 | |
W3N3 | 224.52 | 20.12 | 7.02 | 0.993 | 220.41 | 38.73 | 8.63 | 0.993 | |
LAI | W1N0 | 4.57 | 193.69 | 10.11 | 0.997 | 4.57 | 318.66 | 10.44 | 0.999 |
W1N1 | 4.4 | 342.49 | 11.26 | 0.998 | 3.44 | 329.04 | 10.56 | 0.997 | |
W1N2 | 4.21 | 271.23 | 10.59 | 0.998 | 4.02 | 415.56 | 10.97 | 0.998 | |
W2N0 | 3.45 | 164.98 | 10.23 | 0.998 | 3.44 | 104.18 | 10.24 | 0.998 | |
W2N1 | 4.32 | 390.29 | 11.48 | 0.999 | 3.92 | 653.40 | 12.38 | 0.999 | |
W2N2 | 4.71 | 417.79 | 11.05 | 0.997 | 4.49 | 937.37 | 14.91 | 0.998 | |
W2N3 | 3.6 | 445.79 | 12.83 | 0.996 | 4.62 | 288.13 | 9.90 | 0.994 | |
W3N0 | 3.29 | 224.02 | 10.65 | 0.995 | 3.26 | 233.38 | 11.05 | 0.998 | |
W3N1 | 3.45 | 389.75 | 12.55 | 0.998 | 3.33 | 608.31 | 13.90 | 0.999 | |
W3N2 | 3.59 | 200.95 | 10.48 | 0.996 | 3.54 | 397.31 | 11.54 | 0.996 | |
W3N3 | 2.97 | 249.57 | 10.11 | 0.996 | 2.82 | 317.67 | 11.10 | 0.998 |
Year | Factor | PH | LAI | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
xmax | ∆x | vmax | vavg | xmax | ∆x | vmax | vavg | ||
2018 | W3N3 | 0.462 b | 0.368 ab | 488.26 ab | 325.51 ab | 0.521 b | 0.261 a | 11.55 bc | 7.70 bc |
W3N2 | 0.480 a | 0.338 bc | 528.39 a | 331.82 ab | 0.518 b | 0.234 c | 12.39 b | 8.26 b | |
W3N1 | 0.459 b | 0.350 abc | 457.21 bc | 317.85 ab | 0.529 b | 0.249 ab | 11.15 c | 7.43 bc | |
W3N0 | 0.439 cd | 0.365 ab | 397.80 d | 272.77 cd | 0.449 c | 0.258 ab | 8.82 d | 5.88 de | |
W2N3 | 0.453 bc | 0.339 bc | 482.04 ab | 334.27 ab | 0.520 b | 0.229 cd | 12.40 b | 8.27 b | |
W2N2 | 0.464 ab | 0.330 c | 528.09 a | 352.06 a | 0.501 c | 0.219 de | 14.19 a | 9.46 a | |
W2N1 | 0.434 cd | 0.328 cd | 475.00 abc | 316.67 b | 0.481 d | 0.205 f | 11.55 bc | 7.70 bc | |
W2N0 | 0.446 bcd | 0.375 a | 421.36 cd | 277.04 cd | 0.499 c | 0.247 b | 8.76 d | 5.84 de | |
W1N2 | 0.449 bc | 0.310 d | 451.58 bcd | 311.17 b | 0.475 d | 0.210 ef | 10.82 c | 7.22 c | |
W1N1 | 0.434 cd | 0.354 abc | 428.91 bcd | 302.19 bc | 0.541 a | 0.251 ab | 9.41 d | 6.27 d | |
W1N0 | 0.428 d | 0.375 a | 394.03 d | 262.69 d | 0.529 b | 0.261 a | 7.51 e | 5.00 e | |
2020 | W3N3 | 0.413 cde | 0.324 a | 541.34 bc | 360.89 bc | 0.552 a | 0.252 ab | 11.93 bc | 7.95 bc |
W3N2 | 0.430 abc | 0.288 bc | 572.80 ab | 381.87 ab | 0.549 a | 0.249 abc | 11.85 bc | 7.90 bc | |
W3N1 | 0.434 ab | 0.318 a | 534.54 bc | 356.36 bc | 0.550 a | 0.240 bcd | 11.02 cd | 7.35 cd | |
W3N0 | 0.436 a | 0.323 a | 505.26 cd | 336.84 cd | 0.454 e | 0.257 a | 8.81 ef | 5.87 f | |
W2N3 | 0.399 e | 0.288 bc | 586.86 ab | 391.24 ab | 0.524 b | 0.213 e | 12.13 bc | 8.09 bc | |
W2N2 | 0.423 abcd | 0.262 c | 608.88 a | 405.92 a | 0.459de | 0.177 f | 13.90 a | 8.55 b | |
W2N1 | 0.426 abcd | 0.278 bc | 564.55 ab | 376.37 ab | 0.468 d | 0.204 e | 12.82 b | 9.93 a | |
W2N0 | 0.437 a | 0.303 ab | 499.72 cd | 333.15 cd | 0.481 c | 0.238 cd | 9.01 e | 6.00 ef | |
W1N2 | 0.409 de | 0.284 bc | 547.72 bc | 365.15 bc | 0.461 de | 0.189 f | 11.57 c | 7.71 bcd | |
W1N1 | 0.399 e | 0.285 bc | 550.61 bc | 367.07 bc | 0.519 b | 0.228 d | 10.21 d | 6.81 de | |
W1N0 | 0.424 abcd | 0.305 ab | 475.53 d | 317.02 d | 0.519 b | 0.237 cd | 7.83 f | 5.22 f | |
MANOVA | Irrigation | ** | * | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** |
Nitrogen | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | |
Year | ** | ** | ** | ** | NS | NS | NS | NS | |
Irrigation × Nitrogen | ** | ** | * | * | ** | ** | * | * | |
Nitrogen × Year | NS | NS | NS | NS | ** | ** | NS | NS | |
Irrigation × Year | NS | NS | NS | NS | * | * | NS | NS | |
Irrigation × Nitrogen × Year | NS | * | NS | NS | ** | ** | NS | NS |
Growth Index | Year | z | Fitted Equation | R2 |
---|---|---|---|---|
PH | 2018 | vmax | z = −220.98 − 0.0598x2 − 0.000781y2 + 0.000679xy + 12.105x + 0.460y | 0.910 |
vavg | z = −174.321 − 0.0399x2 − 0.000521y2 + 0.00453xy + 8.270x + 0.307y | 0.910 | ||
∆x | z = 0.456 + 0.00000425x2 + 0.000000417y2 + 0.00000356xy − 0.00127x − 0.000614y | 0.880 | ||
2020 | vmax | z = −270.690 − 0.0729x2 − 0.000732y2 − 0.00177xy + 15.113x + 0.663y | 0.900 | |
vavg | z = −180.461 − 0.0486x2 − 0.000488y2 − 0.00118xy + 10.076x + 0.442y | 0.900 | ||
∆x | z = 0.751 + 0.0000503x2 + 0.000000448y2 − 0.00000000606xy − 0.00956x − 0.000225y | 0.890 | ||
LAI | 2018 | vmax | z = −30.997 − 0.00363x2 − 0.0000338y2 − 0.0000160xy + 0.765x + 0.0243y | 0.975 |
vavg | z = −20.665 − 0.00242x2 − 0.0000226y2 − 0.0000106xy + 0.510x + 0.0162y | 0.975 | ||
∆x | z = 0.727 + 0.0000463x2 + 0.000000406y2 + 0.00000227xy − 0.00947x − 0.000451y | 0.910 | ||
2020 | vmax | z = −30.094 − 0.00378x2 − 0.0000406y2 + 0.0000176xy + 0.775x + 0.0230y | 0.988 | |
vavg | z = −24.838 − 0.00303x2 − 0.0000310y2 + 0.0000262xy + 0.617x + 0.0151y | 0.988 | ||
∆x | z = 0.781 + 0.0000584x2 + 0.000000367y2 + 0.00000259xy − 0.0114x − 0.000483y | 0.920 |
Treatment | Yield (kg/ha) | Water Consumption (mm) | WUE (kg/m3) |
---|---|---|---|
W1N0 | 7365.72 h | 384.6 e | 1.92 f |
W1N1 | 10,092.68 e | 402.68 de | 2.51 bc |
W1N2 | 11,108.54 cd | 415.75 cde | 2.67 b |
W2N0 | 8681.14 g | 416.95 cde | 2.08 ef |
W2N1 | 10,583.63 de | 431.64 cd | 2.45 bcd |
W2N2 | 13,191.73 a | 433.73 cd | 3.04 a |
W2N3 | 12,047.86 b | 440.79 bc | 2.73 ab |
W3N0 | 9339.00 f | 472.68 ab | 1.97 ef |
W3N1 | 10,357.67 e | 478.42 a | 2.17 cdef |
W3N2 | 11,514.67 bc | 498.64 a | 2.31 cde |
W3N3 | 10,663.22 de | 506.03 a | 2.11 def |
Soil Layer (cm) | Ratio of Soil Particle Size (%) | Bulk Density | Field Water Holding Capacity (%) | Organic Matter (g/kg) | Available Nitrogen (mg/kg) | Available Phosphorus (mg/kg) | Quick-Acting Potassium (mg/kg) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
>0.05 mm | 0.05–0.002 mm | <0.002 mm | (g/cm3) | ||||||
0–20 | 43.59 | 52.93 | 3.49 | 1.50 | 22.90 | 8.97 | 36.64 | 13.98 | 115.62 |
21–40 | 42.21 | 53.76 | 4.04 | 1.50 | 20.78 | 6.28 | 29.61 | 6.62 | 105.74 |
41–60 | 33.42 | 61.94 | 4.64 | 1.45 | 24.99 | 4.71 | 21.45 | 5.72 | 101.81 |
Treatment | Irrigation Level (mm) | Amount of Irrigation (mm) | Bottom Fertilizer (kg/ha) | Topdressing Fertilizer (kg/ha) | Total Nitrogen Fertilizer | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2020 | Elongation | Tassel Emergence | Silking | |||||
W1 | N0 | 80% ETc | 489.60 | 497.70 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
NI | 80% ETc | 489.60 | 497.70 | 67.5 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 20.1 | 168.0 | |
N2 | 80% ETc | 489.60 | 497.70 | 67.5 | 95.6 | 95.6 | 47.8 | 306.5 | |
W2 | N0 | 100% ETc | 578.25 | 584.35 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
NI | 100% ETc | 578.25 | 584.35 | 67.5 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 20.1 | 168.0 | |
N2 | 100% ETc | 578.25 | 584.35 | 67.5 | 95.6 | 95.6 | 47.8 | 306.5 | |
N3 | 100% ETc | 578.25 | 584.35 | 67.5 | 150.8 | 150.8 | 75.4 | 444.5 | |
W3 | N0 | 120% ETc | 666.90 | 675.60 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
NI | 120% ETc | 666.90 | 675.60 | 67.5 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 20.1 | 168.0 | |
N2 | 120% ETc | 666.90 | 675.60 | 67.5 | 95.6 | 95.6 | 47.8 | 306.5 | |
N3 | 120% ETc | 666.90 | 675.60 | 67.5 | 150.8 | 150.8 | 75.4 | 444.5 |
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Zhu, T.; Liu, F.; Wang, G.; Guo, H.; Ma, L. Impact of Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Plant Height, Leaf Area Index, and Water Use Efficiency of Summer Maize in Southern Xinjiang. Plants 2025, 14, 956. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060956
Zhu T, Liu F, Wang G, Guo H, Ma L. Impact of Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Plant Height, Leaf Area Index, and Water Use Efficiency of Summer Maize in Southern Xinjiang. Plants. 2025; 14(6):956. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060956
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhu, Tao, Feng Liu, Guangning Wang, Han Guo, and Liang Ma. 2025. "Impact of Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Plant Height, Leaf Area Index, and Water Use Efficiency of Summer Maize in Southern Xinjiang" Plants 14, no. 6: 956. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060956
APA StyleZhu, T., Liu, F., Wang, G., Guo, H., & Ma, L. (2025). Impact of Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Application on Plant Height, Leaf Area Index, and Water Use Efficiency of Summer Maize in Southern Xinjiang. Plants, 14(6), 956. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060956