An alternative water-fertilizer-saving management practice for wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain: Based on a 4-year field study

Developing an alternative water-fertilizer-saving management practice for winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system in the North China Plain (NCP) is urgent to address severe water scarcity and adverse environmental impacts. A four-year field experiment split plot design was conducted evaluate effects of supplemental drip irrigation on grain yield, use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen (NUE), (N) loss economic benefits, keeping three times (DI0, no after emergence; DI3, once at wheat jointing, seedling jointing; DI5, anthesis, seedling, jointing tasseling) main plots N fertilizer rates (N0, fertilizer; N60%, 60% local recommended rate, 272 kg ha−1 yr−1; N100%, 100% 453 yr−1) sub plots. The traditional surface regime also as control (CK) under yr−1. results showed that DI5N60% achieved highest WUE (1.93 m−3) (3.00 average, which 3.0% 25.3% higher compared CK, respectively. partial factor productivity from applied (PEPN) were observed (56.8 kg−1 56.3 kg−1, respectively) 54.0% 74.0% For system, can generally achieve similar crop yield net income but reduce CK. Therefore, considered NCP. Moreover, optimized combination amount rate corresponding simultaneously determined by using response methodology based binary quadratic regression analysis, optimal 165 mm 90 mm, 186 185 summer maize,