Characteristics of water consumption from different root zones of maize under localized supplies of water and nitrogen fertilizer

The characteristics of water consumption from different root zones of maize under localized supplies of water and nitrogen fertilizer were studied on maize growing in split-root containers. Maize was irrigated in both halves of the pot (CW) or water was alternatively supplied to two halves of the pot (alternative partial rootzone irrigation treatment, AW). Urea was applied to both halves of the pot (CN) or was continually fertilized to the one-half of the pot and the other half kept no N fertilizer (fixed partial rootzone fertilization treatment, FN), or alternatively applied to two halves of the pot (alternative partial rootzone fertilization treatment, AN), all with four levels of fertilization, i.e. zero, low, medium and high. The results were as follows: for both CW and AW, while the level of nitrogen fertilizer rose, water consumption from different root zones simultaneously decreased for CN treatment, but for root zones without fertilization in FN or fertilized at later time for AN, water consumption almost had no change, and for root zones with fertilization in FN or fertilized at early time for AN, water consumption decreased evidently, causing that the difference between two root zones increased. The difference between two root zones was not statistically significant under low level of fertilization but significant under high level. Moreover, the difference was larger for FN. In addition, compared with CW, AW reduced the water consumption difference between two root zones under localized supply of N fertilizer.