Abstract: A field experiment was conducted on the coastal mudflat in Yancheng of northern Jiangsu Province to study the coupling effect of salt and fertilizer on European chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) under different concentration seawater irrigation and N and P fertilization application. Compared with fresh water irrigation (treatment W₁), the yield of C. intybus fleshy root and aerial parts   decreased less under 20% seawater irrigation (treatment W2), but decreased signifi
cantly under 40% seawater irrigation (treatment W₃). In the trials of N fertilization, the yield of fleshy root and aerial parts was  higher in treatment N3 (N 90 kg·hm^-2) than in treatment N₁ (N 0 kg·hm^-2); and in the trials of P fertilization, the yield was  higher in treatment P₃ (P₂O₅ 45 kg·hm^-2) than in treatment P₁ (P₂O₅ 0 kg·hm^-2). Under the same concentration seawater irrigation, C. intybus main stem grown longer and thicker with increasing N and P application. Treatments W₁N₃ and W₁P₃ were the best coupling effect for C. intybus fleshy root and aerial part yield, and treatments W₂N₃ and W₁P₂ (fresh water, P₂O₅ 22.5 kg·hm^-2) were the best coupling effect for C. intybus seed yield. Seawater, N and P, especially seawater, had significant effects on C. intybus. The best combination of the treatments for C. intybus biological yield was W₁N₃P₃, and that for C. intybus seed yield was W₂N₃P_2.

Key words: Neutral landscape model, RULE, SimMap, Landscape metrics