Split application of reduced nitrogen rate improves nitrogen uptake and use efficiency in sweetpotato

Splitting nitrogen (N) application is beneficial for enhancing sweetpotato growth and promoting optimum yields under reduced N rates; however, studies concerning how split N can affect sweetpotato N dynamics and utilization are limited. Field experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2016 to determine how split N application affects sweetpotato N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) under a reduced N rate. Two cultivars (Xushu 22 and Shangshu 19) were planted under four N treatments, a conventional basal application of 100 kg N ha(−1) (100:0), a basal application of 80 kg N ha(−1) (80:0), two equal split applications of 80 kg N ha(−1) (basal and 35 days after transplanting, 40:40) and a N omission treatment (N0). Data from two years revealed that sweetpotato yields decreased at a reduced 20% N rate with a basal application (80:0); however, the reduced 20% N rate with a split application (40:40) significantly increased the yield by 16.6–19.0%. Although the 80:0 treatment decreased sweetpotato N uptake, the 40:40 treatment increased the N uptake by increasing the N uptake rate and prolonging the duration of the fast N uptake phase. In comparison to the basal application, the split N application used N more efficiently, showing consistently higher levels of agronomic use efficiency, recovery efficiency, physiological efficiency and partial factor productivity. NUEs under split N improved due to increased N uptake during the middle and late growth stages and a higher N partition ratio to the storage root. The above results indicate that split N application provides better N for crop developmental stages and is recommended as an alternative approach to simultaneously increasing storage root yield and NUE under a reduced N rate in sweetpotato production in China.