Quantifying grain yield, protein, nutrient uptake and utilization of winter wheat under various drip fertigation regimes

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential elements for crop growth. The absorption, accumulation process and distribution of these nutrients affect not only the growth and grain yield, but also the grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Various fertilization and irrigation practices can influence wheat growth as well as the absorption and utilization of nutrient elements. A four-season (2014–2018) experiment was conducted on drip-fertigated winter wheat on the Loess Plateau of China with three irrigation levels and three fertilization rates. Irrigation rates included normal irrigation (W1), mild deficit irrigation (W2) and more severe deficit irrigation (W3), while fertilization rates (N-P2O5-K2O) included F1 (175–117–150 kg ha−1), F2 (125–84–108 kg ha−1) and F3 (75–50–65 kg ha−1). The results showed that NPK uptake in aboveground biomass decreased as the water stress increased, but there was no significant difference between W1 and W2. When sufficient water and fertilizer were applied, the stem, leaf and rachis + glume obtained higher proportion of NP, while grain nitrogen and phosphorus harvest index (NHI and PHI) decreased. When the supply of water and fertilizer was insufficient, NHI and PHI increased, and the proportion of vegetative organs was relatively low. The average NPK requirement for 100 kg grain (GNR, GPR and GKR) varied 1.93–3.03, 0.37–0.41 and 2.26–2.93 kg over the four seasons. GNR and GKR increased with increasing irrigation and fertilization regimes. With the increase of irrigation amount, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) first increased and then decreased slightly, and the maximum IWUE occurred under W2. Yield and IWUE increased with the increase of fertilization rate, but there was no significant difference between F1 and F2. F2 obtained higher partial factor productivity than F1. F1 and F2 had no significant difference in protein content and protein yield, but they obtained significantly higher values than F3. Therefore, W2F2 was an efficient water and fertilizer management practice for drip-fertigated winter wheat, which promoted nutrients transfer to grains without significantly reducing grain yield and protein.