{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Phosphorus (P) has low mobility in soil, so crop P acquisition depends on both P availability and its spatial accessibility to roots. We hypothesized that moderate P reduction under split fertigation could maintain maize productivity by improving the coordination between available P and root distribution.\n\nMethods: A two-year field experiment was conducted in irrigated spring maize in Inner Mongolia, China. Split monoammonium phosphate fertigation was applied at 105 (CP1), 127.5 (CP2), and 150 kg P ₂ O ₅ ha ⁻¹ (CP3), together with a no-P treatment (CP0) and conventional basal diammonium phosphate application at 150 kg P ₂ O ₅ ha ⁻¹ (CK). Root length density and Olsen P were measured in paired soil blocks within the 0–40 cm soil profile at silking, together with plant P accumulation, biomass, grain yield, and P-use efficiency.\n\nResults: CP2 increased Olsen P availability and root proliferation in the middle and deeper soil layers and showed closer spatial correspondence between root length density and Olsen P at 20–40 cm. These changes were associated with greater post-silking P accumulation and biomass. Reducing P input by 15% maintained grain yield at the level of CP3 and increased yield by 4.07% relative to CK, while apparent P recovery efficiency and P agronomic efficiency increased by 77.36% and 54.62%, respectively. Further reducing P input to 105 kg P ₂ O ₅ ha⁻¹ decreased P accumulation, biomass, and yield, whereas 150 kg P ₂ O ₅ ha ⁻¹ provided no additional yield benefit.\n\nDiscussion: Under the conditions of this study, moderate P reduction under split fertigation maintained maize yield while reducing fertilizer input and enhancing P-use efficiency, and this response was associated with closer spatial correspondence between root distribution and soil available P.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "College of Agronomy, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University",
    "Maize Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Changle Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shuping Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Daling Ma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Liqing Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaofang Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Julin Gao"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bbq1j0ydzjzc2.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13710221",
  "id": "bbq1j0ydzjzc2",
  "issns": [
    "1664-462X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1102|Crop Yield and Soil Fertility"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221625817",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13710221",
  "pmid": "42947972",
  "published": "2026-10-13",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bbq1j0ydzjzc2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:25Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42947972",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42947972"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:14Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13710221",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1999323"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1102|Crop Yield and Soil Fertility",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Moderate phosphorus reduction under split drip fertigation maintains maize yield and coincides with closer root–available phosphorus spatial correspondence",
  "title_text": "Moderate phosphorus reduction under split drip fertigation maintains maize yield and coincides with closer root–available phosphorus spatial correspondence",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:21:14Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bbq1j0ydzjzc2",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Plant Science",
  "versions": []
}