【Objective】 Moderate nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate and operation can effectively improve rice yield and N use efficiency. Clarifying the effects of N rate fertilizer rate and operation on rice yield and its components can provide theoretical guidance for high yield and high efficiency for rice. 【Methods】 Based on 119 published articles on N fertilizer management in rice fields, a meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the effects of N management on rice yield and its components under different total N rates, basal fertilizer+tillering fertilizer, topdressing for panicle initiation, planting areas and soil properties, and explored the appropriate measures to improve yield components to get high yield in major Chinese rice production areas. 【Results】 Compared with no N fertilizer application, N fertilizer application can significantly increase the actual yield (+42.2%) and theoretical yield (+43.1%), effective panicle number and grain number per panicle increased by 33.2% and 13.5%, respectively, while the seed setting rate and 1000-grain weight decreased by 4.2% and 1.6%, respectively. There were significant differences in rice yield and its components under different N rates and N operations. The actual and theoretical yield of rice increased significantly at the N rate of 150－200 kg/hm2, while the effective panicle number and grain number per panicle increased most at the N rate of 250－300 kg/hm2. In addition, with the increase of N rates, the seed setting rate and 1000-grain weight decreased significantly. When the ratio of basal fertilizer+tillering fertilizer to the total nitrogen application was 30%－50% and the N ratio of panicle fertilizer was 10%－30%, the rice yield peaked, while increasing the ratio of basal fertilizer+tillering fertilizer (≤70%) can significantly increase effective panicle number, but reduce grain number per panicle and seed setting rate. And, increasing the ratio of topdressing for panicle initiation (≤30%) can increase grain number per panicle and seed setting rate. For different rice growing regions, there were significant differences for rice yield and its components. The main performance is that the yield increase in the single-season rice from Northeast China is the largest, followed by the single-season and double-season rice in the Yangtze River basin, and the single-season and double-season rice region in South China and the single-season rice in the Yunnan-Guizhou and Sichuan-Hunan Plateau are the smallest. All rice regions achieved high yield by increasing the number of effective panicles and grain number per panicle. The increase of actual and theoretical yield of rice was less affected by SOM(soil organic matter), and the difference between the increase of each SOM level was not more than 4.39% and 2.26%, while the changes of soil TN(total nitrogen), AN(available nitrogen), AP(available phosphorus), AK(available potassium) contents had a greater impact, but there was no significant difference between subgroups. 【Conclusion】 The recommended N rate should not exceed 250 kg/hm2, and the recommended ratio of base fertilizer +tillering fertilizer should not exceed 70% of the total N rate. When the ratio of panicle fertilizer is 10%－30%, it is more beneficial to increase rice yield. Under the condition of ensuring the effective panicles and grain number per panicle of rice, improving the seed setting rate is the key to increase yield in all the rice planting regions in China, which needs comprehensive management measures such as chemical regulation, cultivation density and excellent varieties.
