Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 168-175 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/tgmb 168 Case Study Open Access Comparative Application of Fertilizer-Water Coupling Management in High-Yield Camellia Cultivation across Different Soil Types Zonghui Liu 1, Jiayao Zhou 2, Xiazhen Huang 1 1 Tropical Medicinal Plant Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China 2 Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: xiazhen.huang@hitar.com Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 2025, Vol.15, No.4 doi: 10.5376/tgmb.2025.15.0020 Received: 18 Jul., 2025 Accepted: 21 Aug., 2025 Published: 30 Aug., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Liu et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Liu Z.H., Zhou J.Y., and Huang X.Z., 2025, Comparative application of fertilizer-water coupling management in high-yield Camellia cultivation across different soil types, Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 15(4): 168-175 (doi: 10.5376/tgmb.2025.15.0020) Abstract This study mainly focuses on how Camellia oleifera can increase its yield and oil yield through scientific management of fertilizer and water. It summarizes the achievements in the combined use of water and fertilizer in recent years, with a particular emphasis on how nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium interact with water. It also compares water and fertilizer management methods under different regions, soil conditions, and climatic conditions to see which strategy is the most effective under which conditions. It also summarizes the effective methods currently available in terms of fertilization timing, irrigation frequency and refined operation, and analyzes whether this management approach can be helpful for resource conservation, environmental protection and achieving efficient and green production. This study aims to provide references for Camellia oleifera cultivation in various regions and help achieve sustainable development. Keywords Camellia oleifera; Fertilizer-water coupling management; High-yield cultivation; Resource use efficiency; Regional adaptability 1 Introduction Camellia oleifera is an important oil tree species in China. Its output and the quality of the oil directly affect economic income and ecological protection (Luan et al., 2020; Quan et al., 2022; Yao et al., 2024). But nowadays, many Camellia oleifera forests have low yields and poor oil quality. The main problems lie in poor soil fertility and inadequate management. To increase the yield and quality of Camellia oleifera, it is necessary to improve the planting methods, especially to conduct meticulous management according to different soil conditions (Chen et al., 2023). The fertilizer-water coupling technology is to manage fertilization and watering in combination. This method can improve soil conditions, enable Camellia oleifera to grow better, and also enhance the utilization efficiency of nutrients (Xing et al., 2024). Components such as soil moisture, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and iron can all affect the absorption of nutrients and the quality of the fruit of Camellia oleifera. If water and fertilizer are properly combined, not only can the roots, leaves and fruits of Camellia oleifera better transfer nutrients, but also the yield and oil yield can be increased (Chen et al., 2023; Luo et al., 2024). Nowadays, intelligent management systems have been adopted in some places, which not only improve the utilization rate of water and fertilizer, but also reduce environmental pressure and make agriculture greener. This study compared the effects of the combination of fertilizer and water on the growth, nutrient absorption, yield and quality of Camellia oleifera under different soil types, identified which factors played a key role, and analyzed how they affected Camellia oleifera. This study aims to provide a reference for high-yield cultivation of Camellia oleifera and also offer technical guidance to growers. 2 Principles of Fertilizer-Water Coupling (FWC) in Camellia Cultivation 2.1 Concept and agronomic rationale of fertilizer-water coupling Fertilizer-water coupling (FWC for short) refers to the practice of using water and fertilizer together during the growth of crops. The timing and proportion are adjusted as needed to help plants grow better and have higher
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==