Xu et al. (2026) Moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw increases maize yield and water productivity by improving soil water-nitrogen coordination

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-22
• Authors: Jingwen Xu, Hao Feng, Qin’ge Dong
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110702

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, College of Soil and Water Conservation Sciences and Engineering (Institute of Soil and Water Conservation), Northwest A&F University
• The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education

Short Summary

This study evaluates the effects of moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw on maize yield and water productivity in newly reclaimed farmland. Results show that combining organic fertilizer and crushed straw (FS1) increases soil water content and nitrate nitrogen content by 3.38–6.61% and 2.13–10.48%, respectively, compared to chemical fertilizer only.

Objective

• Investigate the impact of moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw on soil water-nitrogen coordination and maize productivity in newly reclaimed farmland.
• Identify the optimal strategy for maximizing overall benefits of spring maize production based on a comprehensive evaluation model.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiment conducted at the Shiyaogou River Valley Experimental Field, Ansai Station, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources (36°48″N, 109°20″E).
• Temporal Scale: Two-year field experiment conducted during the spring maize growing seasons in 2019 and 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Coupling coordination degree model (D) for analyzing synchrony between soil water content and nitrate nitrogen; structural equation modeling for elucidating mechanisms linking soil water-nitrogen coordination with crop growth and maize yield.
• Data sources: Field measurements, including soil water content, soil nitrate nitrogen, plant height, leaf area index, aboveground biomass, maize yield, and economic benefits.

Main Results

• Moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw (FS1) increases soil water content and nitrate nitrogen content by 3.38–6.61% and 2.13–10.48%, respectively.
• FS1 achieves the highest soil water-nitrogen coordination among all treatments, increasing leaf area index and aboveground biomass, and producing 2.68–82.32% higher maize yield than other treatments.
• FS1 shows superior water productivity of 23.05 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ and economic benefits of 6347.99 CNY ha⁻¹.

Contributions

• This study provides a viable approach for improving soil water-nitrogen coordination and maize productivity in newly reclaimed farmland on the Loess Plateau of China.
• The results highlight the importance of moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw for optimizing management practices and supporting sustainable agricultural production.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51709221) and the Shaanxi Province Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2020NY-061).

Citation

@article{Xu2026Moderate,
  author = {Xu, Jingwen and Feng, Hao and Dong, Qin’ge},
  title = {Moderate substitution with organic fertilizer and crushed straw increases maize yield and water productivity by improving soil water-nitrogen coordination},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110702},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110702}
}