Phosphorus efficiency in long-term (15 years) wheat–maize cropping systems with various soil and climate conditions

Long-term (over 15 years) winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) crop rotation experiments were conducted to investigate phosphorus (P) fertilizer utilization efficiency, including the physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency and the mass (the input–output) balance, at five sites across different soil types and climate zones in China. The five treatments used were control, N, NP, NK and NPK, representing various combinations of N, P and K fertilizer applications. Phosphorus fertilization increased average crop yield over 15 years and the increases were greater with wheat (206%) than maize (85%) across all five sites. The wheat yield also significantly increased over time for the NPK treatments at two sites (Xinjiang and Shanxi), but decreased at one site (Hunan). The P content in wheat was less than 3.00 g kg−1 (and 2.10 g kg−1 for maize) for the N and NK treatments with higher values for the Control, NP and NPK treatments. To produce 1 t of grain, crops require 4.2 kg P for wheat and 3.1 kg P for maize. The P physiological use efficiency was 214 kg grain kg−1 P for wheat and 240 kg grain kg−1 P for maize with over 62% of the P from P fertilizer. Applying P fertilizer at 60–80 kg P ha−1 year−1 could maintain 3–4 t ha−1 yields for wheat and 5–6 t ha−1 yields for maize for the five study sites across China. The P recovery efficiency and fertilizer use efficiency averaged 47% and 29%, respectively. For every 100 kg P ha−1 year−1 P surplus (amount of fertilizer applied in excess of crop removal), Olsen-P in soil was increased by 3.4 mg P kg−1. Our study suggests that in order to achieve higher crop yields, the long-term P input–output balance, soil P supplying capacity and yield targets should be considered when making P fertilizer recommendations and developing strategies for intensively managed wheat–maize cropping systems.