Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(10):632-643 | DOI: 10.17221/320/2024-PSE

Enhanced maize yield and nitrogen efficiency with low molecular weight fulvic acid: insights into chlorophyll a/b ratio and nitrogen metabolising enzyme activityOriginal Paper

Fugui Li1, Shujie Zhang1, Longhang Chai1,3, Zhiqiang Guo1, Peipei Li1, Yanlai Han1,2, Yi Wang ORCID...1,2
1 College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, P.R. China
2 Co-Construction State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, P.R. China
3 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, P.R. China

This study investigates the impact of various molecular weights (MWs) of fulvic acid (FA) on maize growth, grain yield, and nutrient uptake under different nitrogen levels (NLs). A 2 × 3 balanced design was employed, with high (0.2 g N/kg) and low (0.05 g N/kg) NLs, and three FA MW ranges (W1 ≤ 3 000 D, 3 000 < W2 ≤ 10 000 D, W3 > 10 000 D) were applied at 25 mg/kg in soil. Significant interactions between NLs and FA MWs were observed in chlorophyll a/b ratio, nitrate reductase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities, nitrogen content, and nitrogen uptake efficiency. Overall, under different NLs, FA application reduced chlorophyll a/b ratio, increased nitrogen metabolism enzyme activities, promoted maize growth, and thereby improved grain yield and nitrogen fertiliser uptake efficiency. Additionally, the promotion effect of low MW FA on these indicators outweighed that of high MW FA, yet the latter exhibited a more pronounced effect on increasing grain nitrogen concentration. Structural equation model analysis revealed direct effects of chlorophyll content, nitrogen accumulation, nitrogen uptake efficiency, NLs and FA MWs on maize grain yield, with FA MWs negatively impacting yield.

Keywords: low nitrogen stress; nitrogen utilisation; plant growth; Zea mays L.

Received: June 12, 2024; Revised: July 28, 2024; Accepted: August 5, 2024; Prepublished online: September 7, 2024; Published: September 23, 2024  Show citation

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Li F, Zhang S, Chai L, Guo Z, Li P, Han Y, Wang Y. Enhanced maize yield and nitrogen efficiency with low molecular weight fulvic acid: insights into chlorophyll a/b ratio and nitrogen metabolising enzyme activity. Plant Soil Environ. 2024;70(10):632-643. doi: 10.17221/320/2024-PSE.
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