Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Grain yield of canola as affected by irrigation and nitrogen application in the Yangtze River basin of China

Author(s):

Sha Wang ¹, Fengmei Yang ¹, Fei Wang ^1*, Enli Wang ²

Recieved Date: 2013-11-04, Accepted Date: 2014-01-11

Abstract:

Canola is a major oil crop in the Yangtze River Basin of China, and its yield and oil content are significantly affected due to difference in irrigation regimes and N fertilizer rates on some agronomic traits. However, there have been some studies to quantify the impact of irrigation regimes and N fertilizer rates. While experimental data to analyse the response of canola growth are limited to a few seasons, combining these data with modelling provides an efficient means to study the optimized irrigation level and N application rate for Canola in Yangtze River Basin. The APSIM-Canola model was calibrated and tested using data from three field experimental sites in the Yangtze River Basin. The model was able to simulate onset of phenological stages with different sowing dates, and to explain 75% of the variation in biomass and yield. From the historical climate analysis, the temperature difference was increased by -0.015, 0.011, and -0.025°C per year in Nanjing, Shimen and Wuhan, respectively. For radiation and rainfall, the total radiation was reduced by 7.498 and 7.089 MJ/m² in Wuhan and Nanjing, but increased by 5.488 MJ/m² in Shimen. The total rainfall increased by 0.761 and 3.928 mm in Wuhan and Nanjing, but decreased by 4.309 mm in Shimen. Based on the APSIM, parameters were comprehensively subjected to sensitivity analysis and calibration, we analysed the yield fluctuation with no irrigation cases in three sites which were under different annual precipitation type and different nitrogen application levels. It was found that when no nitrogen was applied, yield varied sharply with the rainfall fluctuations in different years. Three areas became stable gradually when nitrogen fertilizer was applied. The influence of rainfall yielded minimum when nitrogen level was applied with 50, 150 and 200 kg/ha in Nanjing, Wuhan and Shimen, respectively. We also try to choose optimum policy which gives consideration both for yield and the use efficiency of nitrogen application and irrigation from nine scenarios. The optimal irrigation and fertilization management measures can be achieved when the irrigation quantity achieved 30% and nitrogen quantity for 180 kg/ha at Wuhan site.

Keywords:

Yield, APSIM, climate variability, irrigation regimes, nitrogen rates

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2014
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Category: Environment
Pages: 458-463

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