Nitrogen (N) combined with crop residue retention offers an effective way to achieve soil sustainability. To achieve better results, crop residue is generally incorporated into the soil. However, there is limited research on residue management and N application impact on the vertical distribution of the crop canopy and N allocation. This study used a long-term field experiment that commenced in 2011 as a research platform to uncover the relevant mechanisms of optimized combination of crop residue management and N input increased yield and grain nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Sampling was conducted in 2021 and 2022 on the maize hybrid Fumin 985 to analyze the canopy distribution and N allocation under two crop residue management strategies and five N application rates. The two residue management treatments were no tillage with straw mulch (SM) and plow tillage with straw mulch (SP). The five nitrogen application rates were 0 kg N ha⁻¹ (N0), 90 kg N ha⁻¹ (N90), 150 kg N ha⁻¹ (N150), 210 kg N ha⁻¹ (N210) and 270 kg N ha⁻¹ (N270). The study results indicated that SP achieved the same or better maize yield as SM but with lower nitrogen input. SP yield was 17.54% greater than SM with less than 150 kg N ha⁻¹. SP significantly improved the proportion of grain dry weight and led to an increase of 12.43% in 1000-grain weight compared to SM. Furthermore, SP maintained a higher leaf area index (LAI) and total radiation interception rate (RIR) during the grain-filling stage with the same N application rate as SM, increasing post–tasselling dry matter accumulation. Additionally, SP reduced soil bulk density and moisture content before sowing, increasing soil temperature. SP increased the grain's relative N content, which improved nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) and NUE. Finally, SP demonstrated a synergistic enhancement in yield and NUE under lower N application rates than SM. In summary, the combination of SP with 150 kg N ha⁻¹ quantified it as an effective method to achieve greater yield and improved efficiency in maize production compared to SM. These findings are instrumental in formulating appropriate residue management and determining optimal nitrogen fertilizer application rates, thus providing a viable pathway for sustainable agriculture. However, it is essential to consider field specific conditions and farming context in determining optimal crop residue management and N application rates.

氮 (N) 与作物残茬保留相结合，提供了实现土壤可持续性的有效方法。为了获得更好的效果，通常将农作物残留物掺入土壤中。然而，残留管理和施氮对作物冠层垂直分布和氮分配影响的研究有限。本研究以2011年开始的长期田间试验为研究平台，揭示作物残茬管理与氮输入优化组合提高产量和籽粒氮素利用效率（NUE）的相关机制。2021年和2022年对玉米杂交种富民985进行了采样，分析了两种作物残茬管理策略和五种施氮量下的冠层分布和氮素分配。两种残渣管理处理分别为秸秆覆盖免耕（SM）和秸秆覆盖犁耕（SP）。五种施氮量分别为0 kg N ha ⁻¹ (N0)、90 kg N ha ⁻¹ (N90)、150 kg N ha ⁻¹ (N150)、210 kg N ha ⁻¹ (N210) 和270 kg N ha ⁻¹ (N270)。研究结果表明，SP 获得了与 SM 相同或更高的玉米产量，但氮输入量较低。^{SP产量比SM高出17.54%，N ha -1}低于150 kg 。SP显着提高了籽粒干重比例，千粒重比SM增加了12.43%。此外，在与SM相同的施氮量下，SP在灌浆期保持较高的叶面积指数（LAI）和总辐射拦截率（RIR），增加抽雄后干物质积累。此外，SP 降低了播种前土壤容重和水分含量，提高了土壤温度。SP 增加了籽粒的相对氮含量，从而提高了氮吸收效率（NUpE）和 NUE。最后，在施氮量低于 SM 的情况下，SP 表现出产量和 NUE 的协同提高。总之，与SM相比，SP与150 kg N ha ^-1的组合将其量化为提高玉米产量和提高玉米生产效率的有效方法。这些发现有助于制定适当的残留物管理和确定最佳氮肥施用量，从而为可持续农业提供可行的途径。然而，在确定最佳作物残留管理和施氮量时，必须考虑田间具体条件和耕作环境。