Introducing smart and sustainable tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation is a major need to support agriculture’s productivity potential. We assessed the effects of the processed gypsum seed dressing SOP® COCUS MAIZE+ (SCM), combined with a gradient of N fertilization rates (i.e. 0 %, 70 % equal to 160 kg N ha^-1, and 100 % equal to 230 kg N ha^-1) in maize (Zea mays L.), on: (i) grain yield, (ii) root length density (RLD) and diameter class length (DCL), (iii) biodiversity of soil bacteria and fungi, and (iv) Greenhouse Gases (GHGs, i.e. N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄) emission. Grain yield increased with SCM by 1 Mg ha^-1 (+8 %). The same occurred for overall RLD (+12 %) and DCL of very fine, fine, and medium root classes. At anthesis, soil microbial biodiversity was not affected by treatments, suggesting earlier plant-rhizosphere interactions. Soil GHGs showed that (i) the main driver of N losses as N₂O is the N-fertilization level, and (ii) decreasing N-fertilization in maize from 100 % to 70 % decreased N₂O emissions by 509 mg N-N₂O m^-2 y^-1. Since maize grain yield under SCM with 70 % N-fertilization was similar to that under Control with 100 % N-fertilization, we concluded that under our experimental conditions SCM may be used for reducing N input (-30 %) and N₂O emissions (-23 %), while contemporarily maintaining maize yield. Hence, SCM can be considered an available tool to improve agriculture’s alignment to the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and to comply with Europe’s Farm to Fork strategy for reducing N-fertilizer inputs.

中文翻译：

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使用市售拌种机减少玉米的氮肥利用率而不会造成产量损失

引入智能和可持续的工具来适应和缓解气候变化是支持农业生产力潜力的主要需求。我们评估了经过处理的石膏拌种SOP®COCUS MAIZE +（SCM）的效果，并结合了氮肥施用量的梯度（即0％，70％等于160 kg N ha ^-1和100％等于230 kg N ha ^-1）在玉米（Zea mays L.）上：（i）谷物产量，（ii）根长密度（RLD）和直径等级长度（DCL），（iii）土壤细菌和真菌的生物多样性，以及（ iv）温室气体（GHG，即N ₂ O，CO ₂和CH ₄）的排放。SCM使谷物产量增加了1 Mg ha ^-1（+8％）。对于非常精细，精细和中等根类别的总体RLD（+12％）和DCL，也发生了同样的情况。在花期，土壤微生物的多样性不受处理的影响，表明较早的植物-根际相互作用。土壤GHGs表明：（i）N损失的主要驱动力是N ₂ O是氮肥水平，并且（ii）玉米氮肥含量从100％降低到70％可使N ₂ O排放量减少509 mg NN ₂ O m ^-2 y ^-1。由于施氮量为70％的SCM的玉米产量与施氮量为100％的对照的玉米产量相似，我们得出结论，在我们的实验条件下，SCM可用于减少氮输入（-30％）和氮₂O排放量（-23％），同时保持玉米产量。因此，可以将SCM视为改善农业与联合国可持续发展目标（UN SDGs）的一致性，并遵守欧洲从农场到餐桌减少N肥料投入的战略的可用工具。