Nitrogen fertilizer application for improving the biomass, quality, and nitrogen fixation of alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) at different growth stages in a saline‒alkali soil.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has received little attention due to the ability of this plant to fix N. However, N deficiency stress is often observed in marginal lands of China, especially in saline-alkali soils. Thus, this study aimed to assess the response of alfalfa yield, quality, N fixation, and soil N concentration to N fertilizer application at different stages in saline-alkali soil of Inner Mongolia. A 2-year (2020 and 2021) field experiment with five N fertilizer application rates, namely, 0 (N0), 20 (N20), 60 (N60), 120 (N120) and 180 (N180) kg N ha^-1, was conducted in Inner Mongolia.

Results

The results showed that N fertilizer application of 180 kg ha^-1 significantly increased th

SUBMITTER: Wan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11742254 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature