ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Nutrition
Controlled-release fertilizers increase sunflower yield by regulating soil nitrogen, photosynthesis, and root structure in arid regions
Provisionally accepted
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background and Aims: In arid irrigated systems, nitrogen supply often mismatches crop demand. This study assessed whether controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) better synchronizes nitrogen supply with sunflower demand than traditional nitrogen fertilizer (TNF), by comparing field treatments, quantified soil–root–plant responses, and identified the CRF rate that maximizes yields and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Methods: A three-year field experiment (2019–2021) was conducted in the Hetao Irrigation District, Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, China, using sunflower cultivar SH361. Treatments compared CRF and TNF at 135, 225, and 315 kg N/ha. Measurements included soil nitrate (0–100 cm), root traits (surface area density, dry weight), root sap production and sap nitrate, relative chlorophyll values, net photosynthetic rate, plant nitrogen uptake, and yield. Results: Relative to TNF, CRF significantly improved soil–root–plant N dynamics, increasing sunflower yield by 23.83%, plant NU by 8.17%, and NUE by 14.46%. CRF225 achieved the highest NUE while maintaining a yield statistically equivalent to CRF315, indicating that additional N input beyond 225 kg/ha conferred no yield benefit. Enhanced yield under CRF was strongly associated with higher soil nitrate availability, greater root activity, and increased photosynthesis. Conclusion: CRF improved nitrogen synchrony, yield, and NUE under arid irrigation. The 225 kg N/ha CRF rate provided the most favorable yield–efficiency balance, offering a practical management strategy for sustainable production in water-limited regions. By quantitatively linking CRF to soil–root–plant nitrogen coordination, this study advances understanding of nitrogen optimization in arid irrigated systems.
Keywords: Controlled-release fertilizer, Photosynthesis, Roots development, soil nitrogen, Sunflower yield
Received: 17 Nov 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ren, Li, Liu, Chen, Qiao, Xin and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xianyue Li
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.