SOIL WATER STORAGE, LEAF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND GRAIN YIELD OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT SOIL AMENDMENTS

Abstract

Water scarcity and soil fertility are two critical factors limiting maize production over most semi-arid regions of the world. Photosynthesis as a sensitive physiological parameter of plant metabolism and development reflect plant response to changes in environmental factors. It is unclear whether soil amendments can sustainably address these issues. A three-year study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil amendments on soil water storage, photosynthetic activities and grain yield of dual-purpose maize in the Western Loess Plateau of China. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replicates per treatment. The treatments were: no–amendment (NA), swine manure (SM), maize stover (MS), and swine manure in combination with chemical fertilizer (SC). Results showed that, compared to NA, SC significantly increased soil water storage within the 0–110 cm depth at flowering, milking and maturity stages. Swine manure in combination with chemical fertilizer (SC) increased stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthetic rate (PN) and transpiration rate (E) by 46%, 48% and 51%, respectively, which translated into increased crop biomass and grain yield (≈74%) and water use efficiency (≈68%) compared to NA. We conclude that for increased soil water storage and maize grain yield in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, swine manure in combination with chemical fertilizer could be considered