Postponed and reduced basal nitrogen application improves nitrogen use efficiency and plant growth of winter wheat

Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization with a high basal N ratio in wheat can result in lower N use efficiency (NUE) and has led to environmental problems in the Yangtze River Basin, China. However, wheat requires less N fertilizer at seedling growth stage, and its basal N fertilizer utilization efficiency is relatively low; therefore, reducing the N application rate at the seedling stage and postponing the N fertilization period may be effective...