IMPACT4SOIL OpenAire Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) Crossref Microsoft Academic Graph Europe PubMed Central Chemosphere Open Access 2015-05-07 Maize production plays an important role in global food security, especially in arid and poor-soil regions. Its production is also increasing in China in terms of both planting area and yield. However, maize productivity in rainfed croplands is constrained by low soil fertility and moisture insufficiency. To increase the maize yield, local farmers use NPK fertilizer. However, the fertilization regime (CF) they practice is unbalanced with too much nitrogen in proportion to both phosphorus and potassium, which has led to low fertilizer use efficiency and excessive greenhouse gases emissions. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess whether a high yielding but low greenhouse gases emission system could be developed by the combination of balanced fertilization (BF) and biochar amendment in a rainfed farmland located in the Northern region of China. Biochar was applied at rates of 0, 20, and 40 t/ha. Results show that BF and biochar increased maize yield and partial nutrient productivity and decreased nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. Under BF the maize yield was 23.7% greater than under CF. N2O emissions under BF were less than half that under CF due to a reduced N fertilizer application rate. Biochar amendment decreased N2O by more than 31% under CF, while it had no effect on N2O emissions under BF. Thus BF was effective at maintaining a high maize yield and reducing greenhouse gases emissions. If combined with biochar amendment, BF would be a good way of sustaining low carbon agriculture in rainfed areas. Greenhouse Effect 330 Rain Balanced fertilization Zea mays 01 natural sciences 630 12. Responsible consumption Soil 11. Sustainability Crop yield Fertilizers 0105 earth and related environmental sciences 2. Zero hunger Agriculture 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 15. Life on land 6. Clean water Biochar Greenhouse gases Fertility 13. Climate action Charcoal 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries Gases Rainfed agriculture Genxing Pan, Jinwei Zheng, Gang Wu, Dengxiao Zhang, Kun Cheng, Grace Wanjiru Kibue, Xuhui Zhang, Stephen Joseph, Jufeng Zheng, Lianqing Li, Xiaoyu Liu, 2016-01-01 journalpaper Maize production plays an important role in global food security, especially in arid and poor-soil regions. Its production is also increasing in China in terms of both planting area and yield. However, maize productivity in rainfed croplands is constrained by low soil fertility and moisture insufficiency. To increase the maize yield, local farmers use NPK fertilizer. However, the fertilization regime (CF) they practice is unbalanced with too much nitrogen in proportion to both phosphorus and potassium, which has led to low fertilizer use efficiency and excessive greenhouse gases emissions. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess whether a high yielding but low greenhouse gases emission system could be developed by the combination of balanced fertilization (BF) and biochar amendment in a rainfed farmland located in the Northern region of China. Biochar was applied at rates of 0, 20, and 40 t/ha. Results show that BF and biochar increased maize yield and partial nutrient productivity and decreased nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. Under BF the maize yield was 23.7% greater than under CF. N2O emissions under BF were less than half that under CF due to a reduced N fertilizer application rate. Biochar amendment decreased N2O by more than 31% under CF, while it had no effect on N2O emissions under BF. Thus BF was effective at maintaining a high maize yield and reducing greenhouse gases emissions. If combined with biochar amendment, BF would be a good way of sustaining low carbon agriculture in rainfed areas. Biochar Helps Enhance Maize Productivity And Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Balanced Fertilization In A Rainfed Low Fertility Inceptisol 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.04.088 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.04.088