Effect Of Partial Root-zone Irrigation On Growth And Water-and Nutrient-Use Of Sticky Maize Under The Integrated Management Of Water And Fertilizer

In order to investigate an efficient mode of water and fertilizer supply, two field experents and a pot experiment were conducted to study the effects of partial root-zone irrigation on growth, physiological characteristics, yield, water-and nutrient-use of sticky maize under the integrated management of water and fertilizer. Field experiment1included conventional fertilization,100%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer,90%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer,80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer,70%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer and60%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer. Field experiment2had three irrigation methods, i.e. conventional drip irrigation (CDI), alternate drip irrigation (ADI) and fixed drip irrigation (FDI), and three fertilization treatments, i.e. conventional fertilization (F1),100%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer (F2) and80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer (F3). Pot experiment had three irrigation methods, i.e. conventional irrigation (CI), alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) and fixed partial root-zone irrigation (FPRI), and three fertilization treatments, i.e.100%conventional fertilization (F1),100%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer (F2) and80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer (F3). Main results are outlined as follows:1. Field experiment1shows that compared to conventional fertilization,80% fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer can increased the contents of reducing sugar and starch in seed. However fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer had no significant effect on plant height, leaf area and fresh bract yield of sticky maize.2. Field experiment2shows that compared to CDI, ADI increased fresh bract yield of sticky maize by15.8%and reducing sugar content under80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer, but decreased shoot and total dry masses significantly. However, ADI did not affect plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and NPK uptake significantly. Compared to conventional fertilization,80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer increased leaf area, seed quality and NPK uptake, and fresh bract yield of sticky maize by17.3%under ADI, but did not increase dry mass accumulation.3. Pot experiment indicates that compared to CI, APRI decreased plant height, total dry mass, water consumption, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance. Water consumption was significantly decreased under80%integrated management of water and fertilizer at APRI, thus water use efficiency on the basis of total dry mass (WUEt) and water use efficiency on the basis of dry seed yield (WUES) were increased. APRI also increased NP uptake, seed quality and invertase urease catalase activity of soil in wet area. Compared to100%conventional fertilization,80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer increased total dry mass and dry seed yield under APRI, thus WUES and WUEu were increased.Therefore,80%fertilization with integrated management of water and fertilizer is an efficient mode of water and fertilizer supply for sticky maize under ADI or APRI in this study.