Abstract:

The aims are to evaluate the phosphorous (P) utilization and influencing factors in summer maize production in North China, promote high-efficient utilization of P fertilizer, and decrease the loss and environmental pollution. The authors collected the researches on summer maize since 1980. The data of P fertilizer experiments on summer maize in North China were analyzed. The grain yield, straw yield and grain/straw ratio were obtained, and the relationship between fertilizer P rate and P content in the grain and straw of summer maize were obtained. The results showed that with the increase of P fertilizer, the apparent profit and loss of phosphorus linearly increased, and at the fertilizer P rate of 75 kg/hm ², the apparent profit and loss of phosphorus was 0. The average P fertilizer efficiency of summer maize in North China was 15%, and the increase of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and its combining application with fertilizer P helped to increase P fertilizer efficiency. Summer maize had higher utilization efficiency of diammonium phosphate than calcium superphosphate, and the combination of organic and chemical P fertilizer also significantly increased P fertilizer efficiency. Among all the maize varieties, ‘Tiantai 60’ had the highest P efficiency. In summer maize production in North China, the application of diammonium phosphate and N fertilizer of appropriate level, and the combination of organic and chemical P fertilizer can improve the utilization efficiency of P fertilizer, decrease its loss, and reduce the risk of environmental pollution.

Key words: summer maize, North China, phosphorous, utilization efficiency