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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #381621
Research Project: Improving the Sustainability of Irrigated Farming Systems in Semi-Arid Regions

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: How can nitrogen fertilization improve performance of crops under water stress? A review of traits, mechanisms, and whole plant effects

Author
item DROBNITCH, SARAH - Colorado State University
item Donovan, Tyler
item Wenz, Joshua
item Flynn, Nora
item SCHIPANSKI, MEAGAN - Colorado State University
item Comas, Louise

Submitted to: Plant and Soil
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2024
Publication Date: 10/25/2024
Citation: Drobnitch, S.T., Donovan, T.C., Wenz, J.A., Flynn, N.E., Schipanski, M.E., Comas, L.H. 2024. How can nitrogen fertilization improve performance of crops under water stress? A review of traits, mechanisms, and whole plant effects. Plant and Soil. 511:45-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07006-w.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-07006-w

Interpretive Summary: Selection of traits to increase crop performance under water stressed conditions is critical to the future of agriculture. Many plant traits may enable crops to avoid or tolerate water stress. Importantly, there has been recurrent evidence that nitrogen fertilization can offset negative effects of WS. Here, we seek to identify and synthesize the diverse plant physiological mechanisms by which N addition may improve plant performance under water stress. We present four primary trait spaces in which N addition has the potential to reduce the negative impacts of WS: 1. Photoprotective mechanisms, 2. Root system responses, 3. Regulation of transpiration, and 4. Regulation of cell turgor/membrane stability. Finally, evidence for traits by which N reduces water stress was evaluated for three important crop species: Zea mays, Triticum aestivum, and Oryza sativa.

Technical Abstract: Selection of traits to increase crop performance under water stressed (WS) conditions is critical to the future of agriculture. Many plant traits may enable crops to avoid or tolerate WS—such as stomatal closure, reduction of specific leaf area, shifts in xylem architecture, increased reactive oxygen scavenging, increased root allocation, and shifts in osmotic potential to maintain tissue turgor. Importantly, there has been recurrent evidence that nitrogen fertilization can ameliorate negative effects of WS. Here, we seek to identify and synthesize the diverse plant physiological mechanisms by which N addition may improve plant performance under WS. We present four primary trait spaces in which N addition has the potential to offset the negative impacts of WS: 1. Photoprotective mechanisms, 2. Root system responses, 3. Regulation of transpiration, and 4. Regulation of cell turgor/membrane stability. To synthesize the diverse literature available, N application treatments for each study were standardized to ppm and normalized by soil water holding capacity, background soil N concentrations and number of fertilizer applications. Finally, evidence for traits by which N offsets WS was evaluated for three important crop species: Zea mays, Triticum aestivum, and Oryza sativa.