Effect of nitrogen application on production performance and nitrogen fertilizer contribution of forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping

doi:10.11686/cyxb2024210

Abstract

Abstract:

This research investigated the effect of nitrogen application on the forage yield and nutrient utilization of forage sorghum （Sorghum bicolor） variety “Hulk” and lablab （Dolichos lablab） variety “High Value” under different cropping patterns. A split-plot experiment was conducted at the Grass Science Teaching and Research Base of Ningxia University in 2021-2022， with two planting patterns （sole forage sorghum （SS）， forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping （SL） as main plot treatments， and four nitrogen （N） application rates （N₀， 0 kg·ha^-1； N₉₀， 90 kg·ha^-1； N₁₈₀， 180 kg·ha^-1； and N₂₇₀， 270 kg·ha^-1） as the sub-plot treatments， to measure the related indexes of yield， nutrient quality and nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency. It was found that forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping combined with N fertilization promoted the growth of forage and improved the productivity of pastures. The dry matter yield and crude protein yield of forage were highest in the sorghum/lablab mixed cropping treatment with N application of 180 kg·ha^-1， and were 28352 kg·ha^-1 and 2481 kg·ha^-1， respectively. These values were higher than corresponding values of sole forage sorghum by 14.8% and 25.9%. Mixed cropping combined with N fertilization improved the nutritional quality of forage. At the N application of 180 kg·ha^-1 in the mixed cropping system， stalk sugar content and relative feeding value increased by 10.3% and 18.9%， respectively， compared with that of sole forage sorghum in the N₀ treatment. N application also significantly increased N fertilizer response， which was highest at 270 kg·ha^-1 for sole forage sorghum and at 180 kg·ha^-1 for the mixed cropping treatment. In addition， both N fertilizer agronomic use efficiency and N partial factor productivity of the mixed cropping treatment patterns across N fertilizer application rates differed from those of the sole forage sorghum plots， and reached their maximum at a N application rate of 90 kg·ha^-1. In conclusion， forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping combined with nitrogen application at 180 kg·ha^-1 pattern is a suitable planting pattern and nitrogen application level for increasing forage yield， improving forage nutritional quality and improving nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency in the arid region of Ningxia.

Key words: mixed cropping, nitrogen fertilizer, production performance, nutritional quality, nitrogen fertilizer utilization

Bin WANG, Jia-mei SHI, Teng-fei WANG, Yi-yin ZHANG, Jiang-ping MA, Jia-wang LI, Xiao-bing WANG, Jian-qiang DENG, Jian LAN. Effect of nitrogen application on production performance and nitrogen fertilizer contribution of forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2025, 34(4): 53-63.

Figures/Tables 10

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因素Factor	DM	CPY	TCD	CP	NDF	ADF	RFV	NEL	TDN	CN	NAE	NPFP
年份Year	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
种植模式Planting pattern	***	***	NS	***	***	***	***	***	***	**	***	***
氮水平Nitrogen level	***	***	**	**	*	NS	*	NS	NS	*	**	***
年份×种植模式Year×planting pattern	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	**	NS	**	**	NS	NS	NS
年份×氮水平Year×nitrogen level	NS	NS	NS	NS	*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
种植模式×氮水平Planting pattern×nitrogen level	*	**	NS	NS	**	NS	**	NS	NS	NS	*	***
年份×种植模式×氮水平Year×planting pattern×nitrogen level	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

因素Factor	DM	CPY	TCD	CP	NDF	ADF	RFV	NEL	TDN	CN	NAE	NPFP
年份Year	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
种植模式Planting pattern	***	***	NS	***	***	***	***	***	***	**	***	***
氮水平Nitrogen level	***	***	**	**	*	NS	*	NS	NS	*	**	***
年份×种植模式Year×planting pattern	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	**	NS	**	**	NS	NS	NS
年份×氮水平Year×nitrogen level	NS	NS	NS	NS	*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
种植模式×氮水平Planting pattern×nitrogen level	*	**	NS	NS	**	NS	**	NS	NS	NS	*	***
年份×种植模式×氮水平Year×planting pattern×nitrogen level	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

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