Study on fertilizer effects of techniques of whole-plastic-film mulching on microridges and planting in catchment furrows of arid-land soybeans

The techniques of whole-film mulching on microridges and planting in catchment furrows (WFMR) were new cultivation techniques for drought resistance and high yield for arid-land soybeans (Glycine max) in north China. Extensive extension of the techniques has important strategic significance to improve soybean yield and ensure food and oil sufficiency in China. Field plot experiments were employed to investigate fertilizer effects for the techniques of whole-plastic-film mulching on microridges and planting in catchment furrows of arid-land soybeans. The results showed that, compared with no-mulching cultivation (CK), the techniques of WFMR could increase fertilizer use rate remarkably, leading to average N, P, and K fertilizer use rates of 41.1%, 25.0%, and 23.9%, respectively, representing an increase by 7.3, 6.7, and 4.9 percentage points compared with CK. The techniques of WFMR could also increase soybean fertilizer use efficiency remarkably leading to average N, P, and K fertilizer use efficiency of 4.7, 11.9, and 6.8 kg·kg-1, respectively, an increase of 20.5%, 36.8%, and 23.6% compared with CK. The techniques of WFMR could improve the absorbing ability of soybeans to soil nutrients and increase the relative yield remarkably in nutritional deficiency zones, thus reducing the fertilization adherence of soybeans. Under the mode of WFMR, the average relative yield reached 79.1%, 47.3%, and 88.7% for N, P, and K fertilizer, respectively, being 4.6%, 4.3%, and 1.9% higher compared with CK. Under the treatment of WFMR, the average adherence degree was 20.9%, 52.7%, and 11.3%, respectively, for N, P, and K fertilizer decreased of 18.0%, 7.5%, and 14.4%, respectively, compared with CK. Therefore, it made a key breakthrough for highly efficient fertilizer use techniques in arid-land soybean.