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Agronomy
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Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize...
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Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 4698

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zheng Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.12 Zhongguancun South St., Beijing 100081, China
Interests: maize productivity; nitrogen; plant physiology; soil health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Guohua Mi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: plant nutrition physiology; root development and regulation; plant genetics; high-efficiency crop agronomy technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background & history of this topic:

Maize is one of the most widely distributed and important cereal crops in the world, the production of which consumes around 50 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizer every year. Meanwhile, low nitrogen use efficiency and high soil nitrogen surplus increase environmental risks and reduce the income of agricultural operators. Nitrogen efficiency in maize production involves fertilizer management strategy, plant growth and development, nitrogen fate in crop–soil systems, and nitrogen nutrition physiology.

Aim and scope of the Special Issue:

Aim: exploring the physiological mechanisms underlying the nitrogen efficiency of maize production, and creating high yield and high efficient technologies, which will focus on the following:

  1. Physiological mechanisms underlying nitrogen efficiency of maize production;
  2. Nitrogen fertilizer management and soil production;
  3. Nitrogen fate within crop–soil systems;
  4. Agronomic practices and technologies enhancing nitrogen efficiency.

Cutting-edge research: Nitrogen-efficient maize production depends on large and steep roots, stay-green characteristics, dry matter accumulation, and grain-filling, especially in the late growth stage. Moreover, optimal nitrogen management promotes nitrogen efficiency via regulating nitrogen fate within crop–soil systems.

What kind of papers we are soliciting: research articles, review articles, short communications, case study

Dr. Zheng Liu
Prof. Dr. Guohua Mi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • maize
  • nitrogen uptake
  • nitrogen utilization
  • nitrogen use efficiency
  • nitrogen fate
  • crop–soil system
  • crop management
  • crop model

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6226 KiB  
Article
Optimal Nitrogen Accumulation and Remobilization Can Synergistically Improve Maize Yield and Nitrogen-Use Efficiency Under Low-Nitrogen Conditions
by Xiang Li, Lin Piao, Wenhao Duan, Yan Bai, Nanheng Zhu, Qingquan Tang, Fangming He, Hong Ren and Yan Gu
Agronomy 2025, 15(5), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15051159 - 9 May 2025
Viewed by 164
Abstract
Increasing the nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) of modern high-yield maize hybrids is essential for food security and reducing environmental risks. However, the relationship between dry matter (DM), N accumulation, and reallocation among different high-yield maize hybrids and NUE, particularly under various N [...] Read more.
Increasing the nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) of modern high-yield maize hybrids is essential for food security and reducing environmental risks. However, the relationship between dry matter (DM), N accumulation, and reallocation among different high-yield maize hybrids and NUE, particularly under various N fertilization levels, is not well understood. The field experiment was conducted in Jilin Province, Northeast China. In this study, two maize hybrids, Zhengdan958 (ZD958) and Tie 391 (T391), were grown under four N fertilizer levels: 0 (NN), 120 (LN), 240 (MN), and 360 (HN) kg ha−1. We examined the effects of N input on grain yield, NUE, DM, and N accumulation, partitioning, and reallocation of these two high-yielding maize hybrids during the 2023–2024 growing season. The results showed that N input significantly increased grain yield but reduced NUE. There was no significant difference in yield and NUE between the two maize hybrids at the HN level. However, under LN conditions, the grain yield and NUE of ZD958 were higher by 16.2% and 15.6%, respectively, compared to T391. Meanwhile, ZD958 exhibited greater per-silking and post-silking DM (5.0% and 7.9%) and N accumulation (11.6% and 32.7%), as well as a higher amount of reallocated DM (45.6%) and N (17.5%) compared to T391. Moreover, 15.5–38.1% of grain N for ZD958 and 17.2–46.7% for T391 still needed to be reallocated from vegetative organs, with a larger fraction coming from the stem rather than the leaves. The middle leaves and lower stems of the canopy tended to reallocate more N to the grain, and lower-layer stem N reallocation was significantly related to grain yield. In conclusion, higher accumulation of DM and N, along with greater N reallocation—especially from the lower-layer stem—could be regarded as important traits in maize breeding to improve the NUE of high-yield maize hybrids under insufficient N supply. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production)
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17 pages, 10116 KiB  
Article
Effects of Pig Slurry Coupled with Straw Mulching on Soil Nitrogen Dynamics and Maize Growth
by Yali Yang, Dengchao Lei, Yulan Zhang, Zhe Zhao, Hongtu Xie, Fangbo Deng, Xuelian Bao, Xudong Zhang and Hongbo He
Agronomy 2025, 15(5), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15051062 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 226
Abstract
The balanced application of organic and chemical fertilizers is essential for maintaining soil fertility and crop productivity. To optimize nitrogen (N) balance and maize yield through integrated pig slurry and straw mulching management, a split-plot field experiment was conducted in Northeast China. The [...] Read more.
The balanced application of organic and chemical fertilizers is essential for maintaining soil fertility and crop productivity. To optimize nitrogen (N) balance and maize yield through integrated pig slurry and straw mulching management, a split-plot field experiment was conducted in Northeast China. The study included two straw treatments (straw mulching, S; no straw, NS) and three substitution levels of pig slurry for chemical fertilizer (0%, 20%, and 40%; denoted as M0, M20, and M40). Parameters evaluated included N balance, maize biomass, soil available N, and the mineral N to TN ratio (mineral-N/TN), measured across 0–100 cm at key maize growth stages. Results showed that pig slurry substitution significantly increased soil DON, mineral N, and mineral-N/TN in the topsoil (0–20 cm) at the maize seeding stage and decreased mineral-N/TN at the maize milk (10–40 cm) and maturity (80–100 cm) stages. Meanwhile, straw mulching reduced NH4+-N accumulation in the 0–10 cm of topsoil at the seeding stage, decreased NO3−-N in the 0–40 cm soil layer from the jointing to maturity stages, and lowered the mineral-N/TN ratio in the topsoil, thereby mitigating the risk of N leaching. Notably, the combination of pig slurry substitution and straw mulching slightly increased DON and NO3−-N in the topsoil while significantly reducing the mineral-N/TN in the deep soil layer at the seeding and milk stages. Pig slurry substitution significantly improved maize yield, N uptake, and N use efficiency (NUE). The highest maize yield (14,628 kg ha−1) was observed in the S-M20 treatment, representing a 19% increase compared to NS-M0. N balance analysis indicated that pig slurry substitution alone increased maize yield and N uptake but depleted soil N, whereas straw mulching maintained N surplus. The findings highlight that combining pig slurry with straw mulching optimizes soil N availability and improves sustainable N management and crop productivity in agroecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production)
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15 pages, 968 KiB  
Article
Integrated Moderate Stay-Green Hybrids and Optimal Nitrogen Management Improving Maize Productivity and Grain Nitrogen Uptake
by Yuewen Zhang, Xiaoyang Zhang, Xingbang Wang, Fulin Zhao, Yangping Xu, Huaiyu Yang and Wushuai Zhang
Agronomy 2025, 15(4), 853; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040853 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Investigating the interaction effect of nitrogen (N) management strategies and stay-green types of maize hybrids is essential for enhancing N use efficiency and developing N-efficient hybrids. A field experiment was conducted with five N management treatments (Control, Opt.N*70%, Opt.N, Opt.N*130%, and Con.N) and [...] Read more.
Investigating the interaction effect of nitrogen (N) management strategies and stay-green types of maize hybrids is essential for enhancing N use efficiency and developing N-efficient hybrids. A field experiment was conducted with five N management treatments (Control, Opt.N*70%, Opt.N, Opt.N*130%, and Con.N) and two stay-green types of maize hybrids (stay-green hybrids: DH605 and ZD958; moderate-green hybrids: XY335 and XY1266) to examine their interaction effects on maize yield, aboveground biomass, and N uptake and allocation. The highest grain yields for moderate stay-green and over stay-green maize hybrids were 12.8 Mg ha−1 and 10.8 Mg ha−1, respectively. Compared to over stay-green hybrids, moderate stay-green hybrids exhibited a significantly higher aboveground biomass and N uptake. Under an optimal N (Opt.N) treatment, moderate stay-green hybrids achieved a 15.8% higher grain yield than over stay-green hybrids. Under the Opt.N*130% treatment, moderate stay-green hybrids had the highest grain N concentration, averaging 13.1 g kg−1. Nitrogen application enhanced N allocation to grains, resulting in a 3.1–7.7% increase in grain N content. Moderate stay-green hybrids with optimal N management exhibited a 1.9% higher grain N content compared to over stay-green hybrids, whereas their vegetative organs had a relatively lower N content except for the Opt.N*130% treatment. Selecting a suitable maize hybrid (e.g., moderate stay-green maturity hybrid, XY335) and optimizing N fertilizer management can enhance grain yield, grain N content, and enhance N absorption and utilization efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production)
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14 pages, 1958 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nutrient Deficiency on Crop Yield and Soil Nutrients Under Winter Wheat–Summer Maize Rotation System in the North China Plain
by Zheng Sun, Rulan Yang, Jie Wang, Peng Zhou, Yu Gong, Fei Gao and Chuangyun Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2690; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112690 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1853
Abstract
The wheat–maize rotation system in the North China Plain (NCP) has a large amount of crop straw. However, improper crop straw management and blind fertilization lead to nutrient imbalance and accelerated nutrient loss from the soil, ultimately leading to nutrient deficiency affecting the [...] Read more.
The wheat–maize rotation system in the North China Plain (NCP) has a large amount of crop straw. However, improper crop straw management and blind fertilization lead to nutrient imbalance and accelerated nutrient loss from the soil, ultimately leading to nutrient deficiency affecting the wheat–maize rotation system. In order to explore the effects of nutrient deficiency on the yield and nutrient use efficiency of wheat and maize, the experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design consisting of five treatments with three replicates for each treatment: (1) a potassium fertilizer deficiency and appropriate nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer treatment (NP); (2) a phosphate fertilizer deficiency and appropriate nitrogen and potassium fertilizer treatment (NK); (3) a nitrogen fertilizer deficiency and appropriate phosphate and potassium fertilizer treatment (PK); (4) an adequate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer treatment (NPK); and (5) a no-fertilizer treatment (CK). The results showed that, compared with CK, the yields of wheat and maize treated with NPK were increased by 21.5% and 27.5%, respectively, and the accumulation of the dry matter of the wheat and maize was increased by 42.5% and 57.3%. In all the deficiency treatments, the NK treatment performed better in terms of yield compared to the NP and PK treatments, while the NP treatment demonstrated a greater increase in dry matter accumulation. The NPK treatment significantly improved the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen harvest index (NHI) of the wheat and maize, which resulted in higher nitrogen accumulation in the NPK treatment, and the NP treatment was the best among the other nutrient deficiency treatments. The inorganic nitrogen content showed a similar trend. In conclusion, nutrient deficiency can severely restrict crop growth. Nitrogen deficiency can significantly reduce crop yields. Phosphorus deficiency had a greater impact than potassium deficiency in terms of nutrient absorption and accumulation. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizer application should be emphasized in crop rotation systems, with moderate increases in phosphorus fertilizer application. This practice can effectively improve the nutrient deficiency under the wheat and maize rotation system in the NCP and complete a rational fertilization system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production)
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15 pages, 2685 KiB  
Article
Microbiology Combined with the Root Metabolome Reveals the Responses of Root Microorganisms to Maize Cultivars under Different Forms of Nitrogen Supply
by Guan Tian, Wei Ren, Junping Xu, Xiaoyang Liu, Jiaxing Liang, Guohua Mi, Xiaoping Gong and Fanjun Chen
Agronomy 2024, 14(8), 1828; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14081828 - 19 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1173
Abstract
Plant–microbe interactions are key to nutrient-use efficiency. Root microbes are influenced by rhizosphere soil and plant cultivars. The impact of cultivar-by-nitrogen (N) interactions on the maize-root microbiome remains unclear, yet it is crucial for understanding N use efficiency in maize. This study evaluated [...] Read more.
Plant–microbe interactions are key to nutrient-use efficiency. Root microbes are influenced by rhizosphere soil and plant cultivars. The impact of cultivar-by-nitrogen (N) interactions on the maize-root microbiome remains unclear, yet it is crucial for understanding N use efficiency in maize. This study evaluated the effects of maize cultivars and N forms, along with their interactions, on the diversity and composition of root bacteria and fungi. Additionally, we examined correlations between soil microbes and root metabolites. The maize cultivar Zhengdan 958 (ZD958) showed a positive response to the mixture of nitrate and ammonium N, resulting in increased in biomass, grain yield, shoot N content, grain N content, and root area. In contrast, the cultivar Denghai605 (DH605) did not exhibit a similar response. The diversity and composition of root bacteria and fungi differed between ZD958 and DH605. The N form primarily affected the community structure of rhizospheric fungi in ZD958 and rhizospheric bacteria in DH605, rather than endophytic microbes. A mixed N supply increased the relative abundance of Basidiomycota, which was positively correlated with ZD958 yield. For DH605, a mixed N treatment enhanced nitrification functions involving Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, while it reduced the effects of ammonium N supply. The dominant rhizospheric microbes in DH605 showed a stronger response to changes in root metabolites compared to those in ZD958. A mixed N supply increased the content of palmitoleic acid in ZD958 root exudates, facilitating the recruitment of beneficial rhizospheric microbes, which promotes maize growth. In DH605, a mixed N supply decreased the concentration of sphinganine, which is significantly correlated with Acidobacteria (negatively), Proteobacteria (negatively), Bacteroidetes (positively), and TM7 (positively). Our findings suggest that different maize cultivars respond differently to N forms, causing distinct rhizospheric microbial effects, and that root metabolites send metabolic signals to regulate and recruit key bacterial and fungal communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Mechanisms and Technologies for Enhancing Nitrogen Efficiency in Maize Production)
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