Synergistic Enhancement of Rice Yield and Quality by Combined Slow-Release Fertilizer and Urea Under Straw Incorporation Through Optimized Grain Filling and Starch Biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: In Northeast China's cold rice (Mollisol) regions, low temperatures slow straw decomposition, causing early microbial nitrogen (N) immobilization that competes with crop demand. Delayed N release from slow-release fertilizer (SRF) exacerbates this deficit, hindering high yield and grain quality. METHODS: A two-year (2024-2025) pool planting experiment was conducted on rice 'Jinongda 667' with a total N application rate of 150 kg ha-1. Six treatments were established: a 7:3 blend of slow-release fertilizer and urea, alongside controls of conventional urea and slow-release fertilizer alone, under both straw removal and incorporation conditions. RESULTS: This blend increased grain yield by 6.64-7.75% over conventional urea, achieving the highest yield among all treatments, whereas SRF alone under straw incorporation reduced yield by 7.57% relative to N + S. The 30% urea (45 kg N ha-1) alleviated immobilization deficit (15-30 kg N ha-1) during the tillering-to-jointing stage, promoting root growth and panicle formation, while 70% SRF sustained N supply during mid-to-late stages, delaying senescence and enhancing photosynthesis. At peak grain filling, SSS and SBE activities increased by 94.01% and 10.53-11.08%, respectively. Under straw incorporation, it reduced chalky grain rate by 4.56-35.55% and chalkiness by 1.77-41.86%, increased protein content by 0.47-6.95% and gel consistency by 43.59-52.99%, decreased amylose by 2.2-5.77%, and optimized RVA profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The 7:3 blend synchronizes N supply with crop demand through temporal complementarity with straw nutrient dynamics, offering a one-time fertilization strategy for achieving high yield and quality under straw incorporation. However, given inter-annual variation (2024-2025) in tillering and N accumulation, its performance may be sensitive to climatic fluctuations, warranting further validation under diverse conditions.