Optimizing irrigation scheduling for winter wheat in the North China Plain

In the North China Plain (NCP), more than 70% of irrigation water resources are used for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A crucial target of groundwater conservation and sustainable crop production is to develop water-saving agriculture, particularly for winter wheat. The purpose of this study was to optimize irrigation scheduling for high wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Field experiments were conducted for three growing seasons at the Wuqiao Experiment Station of China Agriculture University. Eleven, four and six irrigation treatments, consisting of frequency of irrigation (zero to four times) and timing (at raising, jointing, booting, flowering and milking stage), were employed for 1994/95, 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, respectively. Available water content (AWC), rain events, soil water use (SWU), evapotranspiration (ET) and grain yield were recorded, and water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were calculated.The results showed that after a 75-mm pre-sowing irrigation, soil water content and AWC in the root zone of a 2-m soil profile during sowing were 31.1% (or 90.7% of field capacity) and 16.1%, respectively. Rainfall events were variable and showed a limited impact on AWC. The AWC decreased significantly with the growth of wheat. At the jointing stage no water deficits occurred for all treatments, at the flowering stage water deficits were found only in the rain-fed treatment, and at harvest all treatments had moderate to severe soil water deficits. The SWU in the 2-m soil profile was negatively related to the irrigation water volume, i.e. applying 75 mm irrigation reduced SWU by 28.2 mm. Regression analyses showed that relationships between ET and grain yield or WUE could be described by quadratic functions. Grain yield and WUE reached their maximum values of 7423 kg/ha and 1.645 kg/m³ at the ET rate of 509 and 382 mm, respectively. IWUE was negatively correlated with irrigated water volume. From the above results, three irrigation schedules: (1) pre-sowing irrigation only, (2) pre-sowing irrigation + irrigation at jointing or booting stage, and (3) pre-sowing irrigation + irrigations at jointing and flowering stages were identified and recommended for practical winter wheat production in the NCP.     

宽幅精播和灌溉对冬小麦干物质积累及产量的影响

采用了宽幅精播和常规种植2种种植模式,每种种植模式设3种灌溉处理,研究了宽幅精播和灌溉对冬小麦群体动态变化、干物质积累量和产量等的影响。结果显示,灌拔节水和抽穗水后,宽幅精播的分蘖消亡速率低于常规种植。在冬小麦生育后期,宽幅精播显著提高了干物质积累量。宽幅精播的产量显著高于常规种植,增产的原因在于穗数的显著增加。研究表明,宽幅精播结合灌拔节水和抽穗水为一种值得推广的节水种植模式。     

种植模式及灌水频次对冬小麦抗倒性的影响

为了研究高效节水灌溉模式对冬小麦抗倒伏能力和产量的影响,采用2种种植模式(宽幅精播种植和常规种植),每种种植模式设3种灌溉处理(拔节期、抽穗期和灌浆期各灌溉40 mm,拔节期和抽穗期各灌溉60 mm和拔节期一次灌溉120 mm),进行了灌溉频次和宽幅精播对冬小麦生育后期茎秆主要物理性状参数、机械强度、抗倒伏指数、产量及产量构成因素等的影响研究.结果表明,灌溉总量一定情况下,抽穗期、灌浆期和蜡熟期的冬小麦重心高度随着灌溉频次的增加而降低,3次灌溉对冬小麦茎秆倒数第二节间外径影响最大;1次和2次灌溉下常规种植倒数第二节间机械强度均显著大于宽幅精播,而3次灌溉下的抗倒伏指数均大于1次和2次灌溉;冬小麦茎秆机械强度和鲜质量呈显著相关,抗倒伏指数和重心高度呈显著负相关;无论何种种植模式均为2次灌溉下的产量最高,相对于常规种植模式,在减少灌溉频次的情况下,宽幅精播种植模式可以通过提高穗数发挥增产潜力.研究表明,统筹考虑冬小麦茎秆抗倒伏能力和籽粒产量,拔节期和抽穗期各灌溉60 mm和宽幅精播相结合是一种有效的节水种植模式.     

黄淮海平原播前土壤水分对冬小麦产量的影响

通过2个生长季的田间试验,研究了黄淮海平原播前土壤水分对冬小麦生长发育、籽粒产量及水分利用的影响。结果表明,在播前不灌水条件下,越冬期或返青期灌水都可以获得较高的籽粒产量和水分利用效率,表明播前土壤贮存的水分可以满足冬小麦返青以前对水分的需求。在播前储水灌溉条件下,越冬期不需要灌溉,返青期是适宜的灌水时间;在拔节期或灌浆期灌水都会降低冬小麦的产量和水分利用效率。     

In-season wheat root growth and soil water extraction in the Mediterranean environment of northern Syria

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the semi-arid eastern Mediterranean region that includes northern Syria. Knowledge of wheat root depth and the vertical distribution during the winter growing season is needed for sound scheduling of irrigation and efficient use of water. This article reports evaluation of root development for three winter-grown bread (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum (Triticum turgidum L.) wheat under four soil water regimes (rainfed and full irrigation with two intermediate levels of 33 and 66% of full irrigation). Roots were sampled by soil coring to a depth of 0.75 m at four occasions during 2005-2006 growing season. Two distinct phases of root development were identified, a rapid downward penetration from emergence to end tillering phase, followed by a substantial root mass growth along the profile from tillering to mid-stem-elongation phase. Roots were detected as deep as 0.75 m during the initial rapid penetration, yet only 29% of the total seasonal root mass was developed. This downward penetration rate averaged 7 mm d⁻¹ and produced 10.8 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ of root dry-biomass. The bulging of root mass from tillering to mid-stem-elongation coincided with vigorous shoot growth, doubling root dry-biomass at a rate of 52 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹, compared to the seasonal root growth rate of 18.3 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹. A second-degree equation described the total root dry-biomass as a function of days after emergence (r² = 0.85), whereas a simpler equation predicted it as a function of cumulative growing degree days (r² = 0.85). The final grain yield was a strong function of irrigation regimes, varying from 3.0 to 6.5 t ha⁻¹, but showed no correlation with root biomass which remained similar as soil water regimes changed. This observation must be viewed with care as it lacks statistical evidence. Results showed 90% of root mass at first irrigation (15 April) confined in the top 0.60-0.75 m soil in bread wheat. Presence of shallow restricting soil layers limited root depth of durum wheat to 0.45 m, yet total seasonal root mass and grain yield were comparable with non-restricted bread wheat. Most root growth occurred during the cool rainy season and prior to the late irrigation season. The root sampling is short of rigorous, but results complement the limited field data in literature collectively suggesting that irrigation following the rainy season may best be scheduled assuming a well developed root zone as deep as the effective soil depth within the top meter of soil.     

Yield performance of spring wheat improved by regulated deficit irrigation in an arid area

A field experiment was conducted in 2003 and 2004 growing seasons to evaluate the effects of regulated deficit irrigation on yield performance in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) in an arid area. Three regulated deficit irrigation treatments designed to subject the crops to various degrees of soil water deficit at different stages of crop development and a no-soil-water-deficit control was established. Soil moisture was measured gravimetrically in the increment of 0–20 cm every five to seven days in the given growth periods, while that in 20 increments to 40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm depth measured by neutron probe. Compared to the no-soil-water-deficit treatment, grain yield, biomass, harvest index, water use efficiency (WUE), and water supply use efficiency (WsUE) in spring wheat were all greatly improved by 16.6–25.0, 12.4–19.2, 23.5–27.3, 32.7–39.9, and 44.6–58.8% under regulated deficit irrigation, and better yield components such as thousand-grain weight, grain weight per spike, number of grain, length of spike, and fertile spikelet number were also obtained, but irrigation water was substantially decreased by 14.0–22.9%. The patterns of soil moisture were similar in the regulated deficit treatments, and the soil moisture contents were greatly decreased by regulated deficit irrigation during wheat growing seasons. Significant differences were found between the no-soil-water-deficit treatment and the regulated soil water deficit treatments in grain yield, yield components, biomass, harvest index, WUE, and WsUE, but no significant differences occurred within the regulated soil water deficit treatments. Yield performance proved that regulated deficit irrigation treatment subjected to medium soil water deficit both during the middle vegetative stage (jointing) and the late reproductive stages (filling and maturity or filling) while subjected to no-soil-water-deficit both during the late vegetative stage (booting) and the early reproductive stage (heading) (MNNM) had the highest yield increase of 25.0 and 14.0% of significant water-saving, therefore, the optimum controlled soil water deficit levels in this study should range 50–60% of field water capacity (FWC) at the middle vegetative growth period (jointing), and 65–70% of FWC at both of the late vegetative period (booting) and early reproductive period (heading) followed by 50–60% of FWC at the late reproductive periods (the end of filling or filling and maturity) in treatment MNNM, with the corresponding optimum total irrigation water of 338 mm. In addition, the relationships among grain yield, biomass, and harvest index, the relationship between grain yield and WUE, WsUE, and the relationship between harvest index and WUE, WsUE under regulated deficit irrigation were also estimated through linear or non-linear regression models, which indicate that the highest grain yield was associated with the maximum biomass, harvest index, and water supply use efficiency, but not with the highest water use efficiency, which was reached by appropriate controlling soil moisture content and water consumption. The relations also indicate that the harvest index was associated with the maximum biomass and water supply use efficiency, but not with the highest water use efficiency.     

水分处理对冬小麦生育期耗水分配及产量影响

【目的】探索冬小麦产量及水分利用效率对灌溉水在生育期运筹的响应过程。【方法】通过人工控水试验开展了6个生长季(2012—2018年)的测坑冬小麦灌溉试验,试验设置不同灌溉水时间和不同次灌水定额,3个处理分别为拔节90 mm(I90)、拔节45 mm+抽穗45 mm(I45*2)、拔节30 mm+抽穗30 mm+灌浆30 mm(I30*3),总灌溉额均为90 mm,重点研究了灌溉水在生育期分配对冬小麦产量和水分利用效率(WUE)的影响。【结果】6个生长季的试验数据统计分析表明,I90、I45*2和I30*3处理的平均产量分别为6 878.3、7 249.1和7 568.6 kg/hm^2;与I90处理相比,I45*2和I30*3处理的产量分别提高了4.4%和10.0%;在灌溉定额一定条件下,不同灌溉处理对生育期总耗水没有显著影响,但I45*2处理比I90处理生殖生长阶段的耗水增加了23.7%,且生育期水分利用效率提高了14.8%。【结论】有限供水条件下,小定额多次灌溉可以有效改善生育后期麦田水分状况,有利于光合产物向籽粒的转化,进一步提高冬小麦千粒质量和收获指数,最终提高了冬小麦经济产量和水分利用效率。     

垄作沟灌条件下不同灌溉制度对土壤水分及制种玉米产量的影响

为探求西北内陆干旱地区制种玉米合理的灌溉制度,在石羊河流域设置了灌水定额、灌水次数、次追肥量和追肥次数的L9(34)正交试验。结果表明,制种玉米生育期表层土壤水分变化大,随制种玉米播后天数的增加呈降低趋势。相同灌水定额条件下,随灌水次数增加深层土壤水分含量出现多次峰值。制种玉米经济产量介于2 704.14~4 877.57 kg/hm~2,水分利用效率介于0.737~1.053 kg/m~3。制种玉米产量与耗水量呈显著正相关关系(R2=0.84)。产量与穗粗、穗长、秃尖长、穗行数及行粒数各产量特征值呈显著正相关关系。垄膜沟灌条件下,制种玉米全生育期灌水6次(播后灌水定额500 m~3/hm~2,拔节期、大喇叭口期、抽穗期、灌浆前期、灌浆后期灌水定额均为400m~3/hm~2),总灌溉定额为2500 m~3/hm~2,拔节期、大喇叭口期分别追施N肥1次(追肥量150 kg/hm~2)的水肥调控措施作物产量和水分利用效率最优。     

Dry matter,harvest index,grain yield and water use efficiency as affected by water supply in winter wheat

Food production and water use are closely linked processes and, as competition for water intensifies, water must be used more efficiently in food production worldwide. A field experiment with wither wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), involving six irrigation treatments (from rain-fed to 5 irrigation applications), was maintained in the North China Plain (NCP) for 6 years. The results revealed that dry matter production, grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were each curvilinearly related to evapotranspiration (ET). Maximum dry matter at maturity was achieved by irrigating to 94% and maximum grain yield to 84% of seasonal full ET. A positive relationship was found between harvest index (HI) and dry matter mobilization efficiency (DMME) during grain filling. Moderate water deficit during grain filling increased mobilization of assimilate stored in vegetative tissues to grains, resulting in greater grain yield and WUE. Generally, high WUE corresponded with low ET, being highest at about half potential ET. At this location in NCP, highest WUE and grain yield was obtained at seasonal water consumption in the range 250–420 mm. For that, with average seasonal rainfall of 132 mm, irrigation requirements was in the range of 120–300 mm and due to the deep root system of winter wheat and high water-holding capacity of the soil profile, soil moisture depletion of 100–150 mm constituted the greater part of the ET under limited water supply. The results reveal that WUE was maximized when around 35% ET was obtained from soil moisture depletion. For that, seasonal irrigation was around 60–140 mm in an average season.     

Effects of different water supply regimes on water use and yield performance of spring wheat in a simulated semi-arid environment

This research explores the limited irrigation strategies based on root-to-shoot communication that exists in spring wheat, and examines the effects of root-sourced signals on water use and yield performance of three genotypes of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) under three different irrigation regimes. Four treatments, CT (well-watered management), DIu (supplying water to the upper layer to maintain soil moisture in the entire pot at 50–60% of field water capacity (FWC)), and DId (supplying water to the lower layer to maintain soil moisture in the entire pot at 50–60% FWC), were employed. The treatment DIu was used to simulate frequent post-sowing irrigation with small amount of water in each time, and DId was used to simulate pre-sowing irrigation with the same amount of water. Plants were grown in cylinder pots outdoors. A non-hydraulic root signal was induced from seedling to tillering stage in the treatment DId. But after the jointing stage, the signal resulted in a reduction in root biomass and root length in the upper layer and an increase in root biomass and root length in the middle layer as compared with the treatment DIu. The water use efficiencies of the three genotypes were the highest in the treatment DId and the lowest in the treatment DIu for the genotypes A and C. This suggests that under the conditions of the same amount of water supply frequent post-sowing irrigation to the upper soil layer had lower water use efficiency and grain yield, whereas pre-sowing irrigation to the lower soil layer tended to have higher grain yield and higher water use efficiency.     

Responses of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) evapotranspiration and yield to sprinkler irrigation regimes

The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the main productive regions for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) in China. However, water-saving irrigation technologies (WSITs), such as sprinkler irrigation technology and improved surface irrigation technology, and water management practices, such as irrigation scheduling have been adopted to improve field-level water use efficiency especially in winter wheat growing season, due to the water scarcity and continuous increase of water in industry and domestic life in the NCP. As one of the WSITs, sprinkler irrigation has been increasingly used in the NCP during the past 20 years. In this paper, a three-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the responses of volumetric soil water content (SWC), winter wheat yield, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) to sprinkler irrigation regimes based on the evaporation from an uncovered, 20-cm diameter pan located 0-5 cm above the crop canopy in order to develop an appropriate sprinkler irrigation scheduling for winter wheat in the NCP. Results indicated that the temporal variations in SWC for irrigation treatments in the 0-60-cm soil layer were considerably larger than what occurred at deeper depths, whereas temporal variations in SWC for non-irrigation treatments were large throughout the 0-120-cm soil layer. Crop leaf area index, dry biomass, 1000-grains weight and yield were negatively affected by water stress for those treatments with irrigation depth less than 0.50E, where E is the net evaporation (which includes rainfall) from the 20-cm diameter pan. While irrigation with a depth over 1.0E also had negative effect on 1000-grains weight and yield. The seasonal ET of winter wheat was in a range of 206-499 mm during the three years experiments. Relatively high yield, WUE and IWUE were found for the irrigation depth of 0.63E. Therefore, for winter wheat in the NCP the recommended amount of irrigation to apply for each event is the total 0.63E that occurred after the previous irrigation provided total E is in a range of 30-40 mm.     

不同灌水处理对冬小麦生长及水分利用效率的影响

1998～ 1 999年在山东省桓台县进行了冬小麦节水灌溉试验。通过对冬小麦生长动态观测表明 :减少灌水量可以促进冬小麦发育。起身拔节水对冬小麦株高有显著影响。叶面积指数、冠层干物重、根系总量随着灌水量的增加而增加。各处理冬小麦根系总量的 80 %以上分布在 0～ 2 0 cm土层内。随着灌水次数的增加 ,灌水量的增多 ,灌溉水的利用效率逐渐减小。全生育期浇越冬水、起身拔节水、开花水的处理经济产量最高 ,达到 771 6.7kg/hm2 ,水分利用效率最大 ,达到 1 5 .92 kg/(hm2· mm) ,单位水资源量的边际效率也最大 ,达43 .1 2 kg/mm,单次灌水的最大平均产量为 85 1 .65 kg/hm2。     

Optimizing the yield of winter wheat by regulating water consumption during vegetative and reproductive stages under limited water supply

To ensure sustainable agricultural water use in water shortage regions, practices of deficit irrigation should be adopted. This study investigated the performance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under limited water supply from 2005 to 2011, a six-season field test on the North China Plain. The test was comprised of four treatments: rain-fed, single irrigation applied at sowing to obtain a good level of soil moisture at the start of crop growth (I1s), single irrigation applied during recovery to jointing (I1r), and full irrigation supplied as three irrigations (control, I3). The results showed that grain yield was significantly correlated with rainfall before heading and with evapotranspiration (ET) after heading (P < 0.01) under rain-fed conditions. The average contribution of soil water stored before sowing to seasonal ET was 90, 103, and 145 mm for rain-fed, I1s, and I1r, respectively, during the six seasons. A smaller root length density (RLD), which restricted utilization of deep soil water by the crop, was one of the reasons for the lower yield with rain-fed and I1s treatments compared with the I1r treatment in dry seasons. The results also showed that the limited irrigation applied from recovery to jointing stage (Treatment I1r) significantly promoted vegetative growth and more efficient soil water use during the reproductive (post-heading) stage, resulting in a 21.6 % yield increase compared with that of the I1s treatment. And although the average yield of the I1r treatment was 14 % lower than that of the full irrigation treatment, seasonal irrigation was reduced by 120–140 mm. With smaller penalties in yield and a larger reduction in applied irrigation, I1r could be considered a feasible irrigation practice that could be used in the NCP for conservation of groundwater resources.     

Impact of drip and level-basin irrigation on growth and yield of winter wheat in the North China Plain

A field experiment was conducted for 3 consecutive years (2007–2009) to study the effects of two different irrigation methods, that is, level-basin irrigation (BI) and drip irrigation (DI), and different treatment levels on crop growth, yield, and WUE of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the North China Plain (NCP). The results indicate that irrigation methods and treatment levels had significant effects on crop growth and yield of winter wheat. Irrigation amounts significantly influenced plant heights, LAI, and winter wheat grain yields (P < 0.05 level) for both irrigation methods. Further, the DI method significantly improved yield and WUE compared with the BI method (P < 0.05 level) under conditions of deficit irrigation. Without irrigation system investment consideration, crop water productivity was highest when DI was used and irrigations were scheduled when soil water was depleted to 60 and 50 % of field capacity.     

限量单次补灌对套作冬小麦产量的影响

在作物生长的不同时期分别对各处理进行了35 mm限量单次滴灌,测定了土壤水分、籽粒产量及产量构成要素千粒重、穗粒重、株高等,并计算了水分利用效率和土壤水势。结果表明,小麦灌浆期限量单次滴灌对套作冬小麦增产效果最好,水分利用效率亦是如此。套作小麦灌水处理大多数产量构成要素及其它经济性状表现出明显差异。回归分析发现,WUE与籽粒产量间的关系可用幂函数来描述:WUE=-12.262+0.276Ye1/2(R2=0.912**,p<0.05)。土壤水势是降雨量和补灌量的函数。灌水后的第2个测定生育期所有套作小麦2个土层土壤水势均高于未灌水处理,且30~60 cm土层土壤水势比0~30 cm土层下降更为剧烈。     

Water use efficiency and associated traits in winter wheat cultivars in the North China Plain

Selecting more water efficient cultivars is an important way to reduce water use in a water-scarce region. The objectives of this study were to measure the grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to understand the genetic gains in yield and WUE and their associated physiological and agronomic traits in Hebei province, North China Plain (NCP). Two groups of winter wheat cultivars were tested. Group 1 included 16 winter wheat cultivars that were released between 1998 and 2002 and were tested during the 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 seasons under two water regimes. Group 2 included 10 cultivars released between 1970 and 2000, and were tested during the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 seasons under three water regimes. Results showed that WUE increased substantially from 1.0-1.2 kg m⁻³ for cultivars from the early 1970s to 1.4-1.5 kg m⁻³ for recently released cultivars. There was also a variation in yield and WUE of about 20% among Group 1 cultivars. Most of the cultivars in both groups had similar responses to water supply. WUE was greater for less irrigated treatments and maximum grain production was achieved with moderate water deficit. The genetic gains in grain yield were associated with increasing in biomass, harvest index and kernel numbers per spike for cultivars released in different years. Among the Group 1 cultivars, the ones with higher yield generally had higher WUE. No significant correlations were found between WUE and physiological traits such as ash content, chlorophyll content, or relative water content among the cultivars released recently. However, a significant relationship was found between stomatal conductance or ash contents and WUE or grain yield among the Group 2 cultivars. Relationships were apparent between WUE and date of anthesis and harvest index (P < 0.05) in Group 1. Earlier flowering cultivars tended to have higher grain yield. In Group 2, flowering date was advancing by about 4 days over the 30 years of crop breeding. The positive relationship between grain yield and WUE for all the cultivars indicated that using a higher yielding cultivar has the potential to improve WUE and thereby to save water.     

喷灌水肥与种植密度互作对水氮利用效率和冬小麦产量的影响

为研究豫北地区喷灌水肥一体化条件下不同种植密度和施氮频次对土壤水分、硝态氮含量及冬小麦产量的影响,开展田间试验.试验设置了2个种植密度(D1:187 kg/hm²、D2:262 kg/hm²)和3个施氮频次(F1:返青后追肥1次、F2:返青后追肥2次、F3:返青后追肥3次).试验结果表明:种植密度和施氮频次均显著影响冬小麦籽粒产量, 且两者间存在明显的互作效应.种植密度增大,冬小麦生育期0~100 cm土层土壤贮水量显著提高.主要生育期的根系生长层土壤含水量显著增加,其中孕穗期在100 cm土层深度的含水量D2较D1分别提高29.42%,3.10%和32.04%,灌浆期在80 cm土层深度的含水量D2较D1分别提高29.69%,27.52%和25.71%.当种植密度为262 kg/hm²,施氮频次为1次时,冬小麦产量较高,深层土层的土壤硝态氮当季残留较少.综合分析表明,该种植密度和施氮频次为当地冬小麦生育期的最优措施.     

华北冬小麦拔节期和灌浆期水分胁迫的WUE效应研究

选用2个华北冬小麦代表品种石家庄8号和YM20,采用盆栽试验,研究了拔节期和灌浆期水分胁迫对冬小麦产量和水分利用率的影响。结果表明,华北冬小麦WUE对拔节期和灌浆期的水分亏缺均很敏感,胁迫程度越大其对产量和WUE的负效应越大;轻度亏缺复水后WUE恢复较快,重度时则恢复慢而有限;拔节期水分胁迫主要减少粒数,灌浆期则主要降低粒质量;田间持水率为60%的轻度胁迫对产量和WUE影响最小,拔节期的适宜胁迫历时为5d,灌浆期可为10d。     

不同灌水定额对冬小麦耗水规律及产量的影响

对比分析了不同灌水定额下冬小麦生长、产量及耗水特性。结果表明,冬小麦拔节至抽穗阶段,灌水定额较小时对株高增长不利。播种—拔节期和灌浆—成熟期阶段耗水量较大,但日耗水量较小;拔节—抽穗期和抽穗—灌浆期阶段耗水量较小,但日耗水量较大;不同灌水定额对穗粒数和穗长的影响较小,灌水定额越大,千粒质量和产量越高,但亩穗数和水分利用效率越低。综合考虑,灌水定额以900m3/hm2为宜。     

Salt distribution and the growth of cotton under different drip irrigation regimes in a saline area

A 3-year experiment was conducted in an extremely dry and saline wasteland to investigate the effects of the drip irrigation on salt distributions and the growth of cotton under different irrigation regimes in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The experiment included five treatments in which the soil matric potential (SMP) at 20 cm depth was controlled at −5, −10, −15, −20, and −25 kPa after cotton was established. The results indicated that a favorable low salinity zone existed in the root zone throughout the growing season when the SMP threshold was controlled below −25 kPa. When the SMP value decreased, the electrical conductivity of the saturation paste extract (EC_e) in the root zone after the growing season decreased as well. After the 3-year experiment, the seed-cotton yield had reached 84% of the average yield level for non-saline soil in the study region and the emergence rate was 78.1% when the SMP target value was controlled below −5 kPa. The average pH of the soil decreased slightly after 3 years of cultivation. The highest irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) values were recorded when the SMP was around −20 kPa. After years of reclamation and utilization, the saline soil gradually changed to a moderately saline soil. The SMP of −5 kPa at a depth of 20 cm immediately under a drip emitter can be used as an indicator for cotton drip irrigation scheduling in saline areas in Xinjiang, Northwest China.