{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T06:11:25Z","timestamp":1790143885745,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790121600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Plant Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although both side-deep placement and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer (SRF) have been widely recognized as effective strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiency in rice, the effects of integrating side-deep slow-release nitrogen fertilization combined with urea topdressing on energy efficiency, carbon footprint (CF), and economic performance remain unclear.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this study, seven N treatments were established: no N (0N), traditional fertilization (CK), side-deep placed urea (DU), side-deep placed SRF (DSU), and DSU supplemented with 30% urea at basal, tillering, or panicle stages (DSU+U, DSU+TU, DSU+PU). We systematically evaluated the combined effects of integrating side-deep slow-release nitrogen fertilization combined with urea topdressing on rice productivity, energy input\u2013output structure, CF, and economic performance.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Compared with CK, side-deep placed SRF treatments significantly increased rice yield by 10.65%\u201323.54%. Under similar total energy inputs, side-deep placed SRF significantly enhanced energy output and net energy, with energy use efficiency (EUE), energy productivity (EP), and energy profitability (EPF) increasing by 9.62%\u201322.40%, 8.88%\u201322.86%, and 10.34%\u201324.07%, respectively, while specific energy (SE) was reduced. Although side-deep placed SRF increased indirect greenhouse gas emissions, substantial reductions in field CH\n                      <jats:sub>4<\/jats:sub>\n                      and N\n                      <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                      O emissions led to significant decreases in CF by 30.69%\u201341.33%. Meanwhile, yield gains effectively offset higher production costs, resulting in a 22.57%\u201376.78% increase in net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB). Among all treatments, DSU+PU achieved the highest yield, energy efficiency, and economic returns while maintaining the lowest CF.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, DSU+PU represents a practical cleaner-production strategy that simultaneously enhances energy use efficiency, reduces carbon footprint, and improves economic viability, providing an effective pathway toward sustainable rice production.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2026.1962913","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T05:55:39Z","timestamp":1790142939000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Side-deep slow-release nitrogen fertilization combined with panicle-stage urea topdressing improves energy efficiency, reduces carbon footprint, and enhances economic performance in rice systems"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Mingming","family":"Hu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhixin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yongheng","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kairui","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ying","family":"Xiong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chuanhai","family":"Shu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Cultivation","place":["Chengdu, 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