To clarify the mechanisms by which cultivation measures affect wheat tiller productivity and the differential responses between varieties, a split-plot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen application rates and planting densities. The study focused on a large-spike variety, Shiluan 02-1, and a multi-spike variety, Taishan 27, analyzing stem-tiller photosynthetic performance, nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity, and grain weight per spike. The results indicated that nitrogen and density regulate population quality by modulating “source-sink” relationships, with significant varietal differences observed. Shiluan 02-1 exhibited higher sensitivity to nitrogen. Following nitrogen application, the increase in glutamine synthetase (GS) activity in its dominant grains (9.6%-30.0%) was significantly greater than that in Taishan 27(1.2%-11.6%). Conversely, Taishan 27 demonstrated more stable photosynthetic performance, maintaining higher absolute flag leaf photosynthetic rates (Pn). Its post-anthesis Pn maintenance rate was significantly higher (77.5%-83.6%) compared to Shiluan 02-1(71.5%-78.3%), indicating that the multi-spike variety can sustain a longer duration of population “source” activity. Increased planting density reduced grain weight per spike for both varieties; however, the reduction was more drastic for high-position tillers (e.g., 3N) in Shiluan 02-1, reaching up to 88.0%. Taishan 27 possessed a stronger tiller-to-spike conversion ability; although individual spike weight decreased under high density, it maintained a higher spike formation rate. In summary, Shiluan 02-1 maximizes yield under “medium-low density and high nitrogen” conditions by fully exploiting its nitrogen response potential. In contrast, Taishan 27 is better suited for “medium-high density and moderate nitrogen” conditions, utilizing its tillering advantage to ensure stable population yield. Therefore, achieving high-yield and high-efficiency wheat cultivation requires differentiated nitrogen and density management strategies tailored to the specific source-sink characteristics of each variety.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |