Effects of salinity and fertigation practice on cotton yield and N recovery

The purpose of optimal water and nutrient management is to maximize water and fertilizer use efficiency and crop production, and to minimize groundwater pollution. In this study, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of soil salinity and N fertigation strategy on plant growth, N uptake, as well as plant and soil ¹⁵N recovery. The experimental design was a 3 × 3 factorial with three soil salinity levels (2.5, 6.3, and 10.8 dS m⁻¹) and three N fertigation strategies (N applied at the beginning, end, and in the middle of an irrigation cycle). Seed cotton yield, dry matter, N uptake, and plant ¹⁵N recovery significantly increased as soil salinity level increased from 2.5 to 6.3 dS m⁻¹, but they decreased markedly at higher soil salinity of 10.8 dS m⁻¹. Soil ¹⁵N recovery was higher under soil salinity of 10.8 dS m⁻¹ than those under soil salinity of 6.3 dS m⁻¹, but was not significantly different from that under soil salinity of 2.5 dS m⁻¹. The fertigation strategy that nitrogen applied at the beginning of an irrigation cycle had the highest seed cotton yield and plant ¹⁵N recovery, but showed higher potential loss of fertilizer N from the root zone. While the fertigation strategy of applying N at the end of an irrigation cycle tended to avoid potential N loss from the root zone, it had the lowest cotton yield and nitrogen use efficiency. Total ¹⁵N recovery was not significantly affected by soil salinity, fertigation strategy, and their interaction. These results suggest that applying nitrogen at the beginning of an irrigation cycle has an advantage on promoting yield and fertilizer use efficiency, therefore, is an agronomically efficient way to provide cotton with fertilizer N under the given production conditions.     

Evaluation of humic substances fertigation through surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems on potato grown under Egyptian sandy soil conditions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of humic substances application in sandy soil under surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems on potato tubers yield quantity, quality, nutrients concentration in tubers and soil fertility after harvesting. For this purpose, field experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of the Agricultural Research Station, National Research Center, El-Nubaria district, Egypt during the winter season of 2007/2008. The used experimental design was split plot design with three replicates, main treatments were presented irrigation systems, i.e. surface and subsurface drip irrigation, while subtreatments were presented rates of humic substances additives which were 0, 60 and 120 kg ha⁻¹. Results showed that increasing humic substances application rates up to 120 kg ha⁻¹ enhanced tubers yield quantity, starch content and total soluble solids. The increase of humic substances application rates was associated with the decrease of nutrients leaching, which was reflected on increasing macro- and micronutrients concentration in potato tubers, as well as increasing concentration of these nutrients in soil after tubers harvesting. Subsurface drip irrigation system was found to be more efficient than surface drip irrigation system on improving tubers yield quantity, quality parameters and nutrients concentration content, in addition to soil fertility after harvesting.     

Drip irrigation water and salt flow model for table grapes in Coachella Valley,California

Unlike annual crops where reclamation leaching of salts can be readily conducted between cropping, leaching of salts in permanent crops that are drip irrigated pose challenges. A need exists to formulate and test a management-type of salinity model for drip irrigation of table grapes. The model reported herein predicts the distribution of salts along the vine row and between the rows during the growing season, as affected by reactivity of salts of the applied irrigation water as well as rate and duration of drip application. The calibrated model reproduced the initial field salinity profiles after repeated irrigation cycles by adjusting only the routing factor α which is the ratio of horizontal to vertical water flow. After eight cycles the profiles stabilized and the calibrated horizontal to vertical flow routing ratio was 0.6. There is remarkable agreement between measured and simulated salinity. Corresponding soil moisture profiles show the expected high water content with depth at the emitter, the decrease in surface water content with radial distance and the increase with depth, at the distal end of the wedge. Although the model is location specific it can be applied knowing soil, initial and boundary conditions, as well as irrigation application quantity and quality and as such can be applied location by location in order to assess flow and quality of deep percolation recharging the groundwater system. With this capacity the model can predict soil water quantity and quality outcomes for possible land and water management scenarios.     

Improved 0–1 programming model for optimal flow scheduling in irrigation canals

An improved 0–1 programming model was presented for optimal flow regulation and optimal grouping and sequencing of outlets in irrigation distributaries, under restrictions of both the rotational period and the incoming flow rate into distributaries. The problem was solved using a commercially available 0–1 programming software package. The example computations indicated that this model could effectively provide a constant flow rate into the canal during most of the rotation period, and thus reduce the frequency of headgate operation. This formulation also minimized the accidental water wastage by appropriately sizing the canal cross-section.     

Effects of irrigation water salinity and electrostatic water treatment for sugarcane production

Excess salinity in irrigation water reduces sugarcane yield and juice quality. This study was conducted to compare the effect of irrigation with water of 1.3 dS m⁻¹ vs. 3.4 dS m⁻¹ on sugarcane yield and quality, and to evaluate whether an electrostatic conditioning treatment of the water influenced the salt effects. The study was conducted in a commercial field divided into large plots ranging from 1.0 to 1.2 ha in size. Cane and sugar yields were reduced approximately 17% by the 3.4 dS m⁻¹ water compared to the 1.3 dS m⁻¹ water, but juice quality parameters were not affected. Conditioning of the irrigation water using a device called an ‘electrostatic precipitator’ which claimed to affect various water properties had no effect on cane yield, juice quality or soil salinity levels. The detrimental effect of the high salt irrigation water was somewhat less than might be expected, probably due to good late summer rainfall which may have flushed the root zone from the excessive salts.     

Effect of filter, emitter and location on clogging when using effluents

The effect on emitter clogging of four filtration systems (sand, screen, disc and a combination of screen and disc filters) and six emitter types placed in laterals 87 m long, using two different effluents with low suspended solid levels from a wastewater treatment plant, was studied for 1000 h. Four of the emitters were molded and welded into dripline wall, two of them being pressure-compensated and the other two non-pressure-compensated. The other two emitters, both pressure-compensated, were inserted into thick wall. Emitter clogging was affected mainly by emitter type, location along the lateral and the interaction between these two factors. Differences among emitters with larger clogging were only observed at the end of dripline. Two molded and welded emitters showed the worst performance: one non-pressure-compensated with the lowest passage section, and the other pressure-compensated that, after 800 h working at higher dripline flow and particle load, experienced an important decrease in flow rate. Only with the effluent that had a higher number of particles, did the filter and the interaction of filter and emitter location have a significant effect. Emitters placed after screen and sand filters showed the largest flow rates at the lateral ending, even though only sand filtration significantly reduced turbidity and suspended solids. Emitters protected by a disc filter experienced the largest flow rate reductions.     

撒施肥料一维畦灌地表水流与溶质运移模型构建与验证

模拟撒施肥料下的一维畦灌地表水流与溶质运移过程可为采用先进的畦灌液体施肥方式提供对比依据。该文基于湍流理论垂向流速线性与对数分布规律及不可压缩流体力学连续方程,构造沿畦长及任意垂向断面的非均布流速场和溶质浓度场,建立起撒施肥料下的一维畦灌地表水流与溶质运移模型,并利用典型畦灌施肥试验结果,检验该模型的模拟效果。结果表明,建立的模型不仅具有在撒施肥料状况下较好模拟地表水流运动和溶质浓度时间变化过程的能力,还具备较佳的水量和溶质质量守恒性,从而为评价撒施肥料下的畦灌施肥系统性能及与其它施肥方式下的畦灌施肥系统性能对比,提供了实用的数值模拟工具。     

MIRRIG: A decision support system for design and evaluation of microirrigation systems

The decision support system (DSS) MIRRIG has been developed to support the design of microirrigation systems and to advise farmers as a result of field evaluations. It is written in Visual Basic 6.0, runs in a Windows environment, and uses a database with information on emitters and pipes available in the market, as well as on crops, soils and the systems under design. MIRRIG is composed by design and simulation models and a multicriteria analysis model that ranks alternative design solutions based upon an integration of technical, economic and environmental criteria. User friendly windows are adopted for handling the databases and to manage the sub-models. The model allows creating and comparing a set of design alternatives relative to the pipe system and the emitters, either drip or microsprinkling emitters. For each alternative, the pipe system is sized and the irrigation system is simulated to produce performance, environmental and economic indicators. These include uniformity of water application, potential for contamination with agrochemicals due to water percolation, and installation and operation costs. Those indicators are used as attributes of the selected criteria. All alternatives are then compared and ranked through multicriteria analysis where the weights giving the relative importance of the adopted criteria are defined by the user. These procedures allow selecting the best design alternative and solving the complexities involved in the design of microirrigation systems. The model is available from the website www://ceer.isa.utl.pt/cms or by contacting cpedras@ualg.pt.     

Analysis of AET and yield predictions under surface and buried drip irrigation systems using the Crop Model PILOTE and Hydrus-2D

Innovative irrigation solutions have to face water scarcity problems affecting the Mediterranean countries. Generally, surface (DI) or subsurface drip irrigation systems (SDI) have the ability to increase water productivity (WP). But the question about their possible utilisation for crops such as corn would merit to be analysed using an appropriate economic tool. The latter would be necessary based on the utilisation of a modelling approach to identify the optimal irrigation strategy associating a water amount with a crop yield (Yc). In this perspective, a possible utilisation of the operative 1D crop model PILOTE for simulating actual evapotranspiration (AET) and yield under a 2D soil water transfer process characterizing DI and SDI was analysed. In this study, limited to a loamy soil cultivated with corn, the pertinence of the root water uptake model used in the numerical code Hydrus-2D for AET estimations of actual evapotranspiration (AET) under water stress conditions is discussed throughout the Yc = F(AET) relationship established by PILOTE on the basis of validated simulations. The conclusions of this work are (i): with slight adaptations, PILOTE can provide reliable WP estimations associated to irrigation strategies under DI and SDI, (ii): the current Hydrus-2D version used in this study underestimates AET, compared with PILOTE, in a range varying from 7% under moderate water stress conditions to 14% under severe ones, (iii): A lateral spacing of 1.6 m for the irrigation of corn with a SDI system is an appropriate solution on a loamy soil under a Mediterranean climate.A local Yc = F(AET) relationship associated with a Hydrus-2D version taking into account the compensating root uptake process could result in an interesting tool to help identify the optimal irrigation system design under different soil conditions.     

地表滴灌条件下水热耦合迁移数值模拟与验证

土壤水热分布状况是作物优质高产的关键环境条件之一，基于土壤水、热运动基本方程，结合地表滴灌水分运动特点，建立了地表滴灌水、热运移数学模型，利用HYDRUS-2D软件对构建的数学模型进行了数值求解，并对数值模拟得到的土壤水热值与田间实测数值进行了对比验证。结果表明， 所构建的数学模型对地表滴灌条件下的土壤水分运动和土壤温度变化及分布的动态变化具有较好的模拟效果；当土壤、气象以及灌水资料等可知时，利用该数学模型可以较准确地预测地表滴灌条件下水热耦合迁移与分布规律，模型可用来适时监测和调控地表滴灌条件下作物生长所需的土壤水、热环境条件。此外，数值模拟值和实测结果都显示，地表滴灌条件下上层土壤的水分和温度值较下层土壤易受到土壤蒸发和大气温度剧烈波动的影响。     

Soil fertility and nutrient uptake by arecanut (Arecacatechu L.) as affected by level and frequency of fertigation in a laterite soil

Changes in soil fertility status were evaluated for 10 years, from 1996 to 2006 to examine the impact of drip fertigation in a laterite soil and to determine the nutrient uptake pattern of arecanut (Areca catechu L.). Four fertigation levels (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of recommended fertilizer dose, 100:18:117 g N:P:K palm⁻¹ year⁻¹), three frequencies of fertigation (10, 20 and 30 days) and two controls (control 1: drip irrigation without fertilizer application and control 2: drip irrigation with 100% NPK soil application) were studied. The soil pH increased to 6.0 at the end of experiment in 2006 compared to the pre-experimental soil pH of 5.6 in 1996. In 0-25-cm depth interval, the soil organic carbon (SOC) increased significantly from 1.06% in 1999 to 1.84% in 2006, and in 25-50-cm depth interval, it increased from 0.68% to 1.13%. Temporal variation in available P and K content in arecanut root zone was significant due to drip fertigation. Pooled analysis of data, from 2000 to 2005, revealed significant impact of level and frequency of fertigation and their interaction on available P and K content. At 0-25-cm depth interval, increase in fertigation dose from 50% to 100% NPK did not result in significant increase of Bray’s P content, which remained at par ranging from 5.24 to 5.32 mg kg⁻¹. Fertigation every 30 days resulted in significantly higher available P (5.32 mg kg⁻¹) than fertigation every 10 days (4.49 mg kg⁻¹), while it was at par with fertigation every 20 days (5.09 mg kg⁻¹). The K availability at 0-25-cm depth interval was significantly lower at 25% NPK level (114 mg kg⁻¹) than at 75% (139 mg kg⁻¹) and 100% (137 mg kg⁻¹). With respect to fertigation frequency, the 30-day interval resulted in higher available K of 139 mg kg⁻¹ than 20-day (128 mg kg⁻¹) and 10-day intervals (120 mg kg⁻¹). Availability of P and K at 25-50-cm depth interval followed similar trend as that of 0-25-cm depth interval. The total N uptake (g palm⁻¹ year⁻¹) by leaves, nuts and husk varied between 143 in 0% NPK to 198 in 75% NPK fertigation level. Similarly, the total P uptake (g palm⁻¹ year⁻¹) ranged between 15 for the 0% NPK and 25 for the 75% NPK treatment. The total K uptake (g palm⁻¹ year⁻¹) was 62 for the 75% NPK treatment followed by 56 for the 25%, 56 for the 50%, 54 for the 100% and 46 for the 0% NPK treatments. The nutrient uptake pattern and marginal availability of soil P and K highlight the importance of drip fertigation during post-monsoon season to improve and sustain the yield of arecanut in a laterite soil.     

滴灌用自清洗网式过滤器排污压差计算方法

对滴灌用自清洗网式过滤器排污压差进行了计算,分别得出了80目和120目过滤器总压差值,并与实测值进行了对比,结果表明两者基本一致;详细分析了流量、含沙情况和过滤时间等约束条件对排污压差的影响规律,结合试验获得了清水和浑水水头损失变化曲线,在保证水头损失不发生急剧上升前提下,给出了两种目数过滤器最佳排污压差值.     

Effects of a suspended shade cloth cover on water quality of an agricultural reservoir for irrigation

Water availability and quality are two fundamental factors for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluates the effects of a water-permeable, Suspended Shade Cloth Cover (SSCC), on the quality of water stored in an on-farm Agricultural Water Reservoir (AWR). Water quality (water temperature, electrical conductivity, chlorophyll-a concentration, dissolved oxygen concentration and water turbidity) and environmental (evaporation, rainfall, wind speed and solar radiation) parameters were measured over a 2-year period in a typical AWR located in south-eastern Spain. In the first year, the AWR remained uncovered and the behaviour was quasi-isothermal. In the second year, installing a SSCC induced a thermal gradient in the water that reached a maximum temperature difference of 12 °C during summer. The lack of turbulence under the cover and the reduction in photosynthesis (95% reduction of chlorophyll-a) reduced the concentration of dissolved oxygen to 1.5 mg L⁻¹, and turbidity from 40 NTU at installation to less than 1 NTU. The positive balance between rainfall and evaporation during the second year reduced the electrical conductivity of the water by 8.2%. The improvement in water quality associated with the installation of a SSCC increases the efficiency of drip irrigation systems by reducing the water filtering requirements, the likelihood of emitter clogging, and the risk of irrigation-induced salinity.     

Development of a pathogen transport model for Irish catchments using SWAT

SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) represents a dynamic catchment modelling application that can be applied to any river basin and used to quantify the impact of land management practices on water quality over a continuous period. The objective of this study is to apply the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to model pathogen transport, simulate management practices affecting water quality and predict pathogen loads in Irish catchments. Based on input data regarding agricultural practice, demographics and hydrological parameters for the river Fergus catchment, SWAT was run to predict concentrations of Escherichia coli. Hydrometric validation results display a very good linear relationship between observed and predicted data (Coefficient of determination R² = 0.83, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency E = 0.78) and indicate satisfactory simulation of hydrologic processes within the catchment. To date, pathogen predictions have proved variable between observed and simulated figures. Based on recommended values for the quantification of catchment modelling accuracy, predictions for E. coli can be described as acceptable and satisfactory with R² = 0.68 and E = 0.59. Extensive monitoring is required for such simulations and the current study represents partial validation. Results suggest that although the capabilities exist to simulate pathogen transport in catchments, the capacity to accurately account for all factors that can contribute to water degradation is uncertain. The sensitivity analysis identified the bacteria partition coefficient (BACTKDDB) as the most important input parameter. In addition it reveals areas where further research is required, particularly in assessing the initial concentration of E. coli in human/animal waste. The developed model provides a tool capable of protecting water sources and human health from waterborne pathogens.     

Evaluation of the DRAINMOD-N II model for predicting nitrogen losses in a loamy sand under cultivation in south-east Sweden

The DRAINMOD-N II model (version 6.0) was evaluated for a cold region in south-east Sweden. The model was field-tested using four periods between 2002 and 2004 of climate, soil, hydrology and water quality data from three experimental plots, planted to a winter wheat-sugarbeet-barley-barley crop rotation and managed using conventional and controlled drainage. DRAINMOD-N II was calibrated using data from a conventional drainage plot, while data sets from two controlled drainage plots were used for model validation. The model was statistically evaluated by comparing simulated and measured drain flows and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) losses in subsurface drains. Soil mineral nitrogen (N) content was used to evaluate simulated N dynamics. Observed and predicted NO₃-N losses in subsurface drains were in satisfactory agreement. The mean absolute error (MAE) in predicting NO₃-N drainage losses was 0.16 kg N ha⁻¹ for the calibration plot and 0.21 and 0.30 kg N ha⁻¹ for the two validation plots. For the simulation period, the modelling efficiency (E) was 0.89 for the calibration plot and 0.49 and 0.55 for the validation plots. The overall index of agreement (d) was 0.98 for the calibration plot and 0.79 and 0.80 for the validation plots. These results show that DRAINMOD-N II is applicable for predicting NO₃-N losses from drained soil under cold conditions in south-east Sweden.     

Simulation of nitrogen leaching from a fertigated crop rotation in a Mediterranean climate using the EU-Rotate_N and Hydrus-2D models

Two different modeling approaches were used to simulate the N leached during an intensively fertigated crop rotation: a recently developed crop-based simulation model (EU-Rotate_N) and a widely recognized solute transport model (Hydrus-2D). Model performance was evaluated using data from an experiment where four N fertigation levels were applied to a bell pepper-cauliflower-Swiss chard rotation in a sandy loam soil. All the input data were obtained from measurements, transfer functions or were included in the model databases. Model runs were without specific site calibration. The use of soil input parameters based on the same pedotransfer functions in both models resulted in a very similar simulation of soil water content in spite of the different nature of the approaches. Good correlations were found between the simulated water draining below 60 cm and that calculated by water balance. Accuracy of the predicted nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) contents in the 0-90 cm soil profile was acceptable with both models, with values of the mean absolute error (MAE) below the average standard deviation of the observations. The uptake of nitrate was better simulated with EU-Rotate_N where specific crop N demand algorithms are involved. In the simulations with Hydrus-2D the evapotranspiration demand was a limiting factor for N uptake, resulting in an increasing underestimation of uptake with decreasing N fertilizer rates. Simulated N leaching below a depth of 60 cm was higher with Hydrus-2D due to a higher nitrate concentration in percolated water. Comparison of the observed and predicted yield response to N applications with EU-Rotate_N demonstrated that the best fertigation strategy could be identified and the risk of nitrate leaching quantified with this model. The results showed that for a successful solving of the problem studied, Hydrus-2D probably would need a more complex calibration, and that the EU-Rotate_N model can provide acceptable predictions by adjusting basic parameters for the growing conditions. Further research with other crops and soil types will allow up-scaling the quantification of N leaching from a field level to regional and national levels, identifying best management strategies in relation to N use from an environmental and economic perspective.     

基于CAD的滴灌系统水力自动计算模型

针对滴灌CAD系统中水力计算与管网布置的耦合问题,研究了管网图形识别及有效性判定,并基于AutoCAD二次开发思想,应用步进法水力学解析原理,建立了滴灌系统计算机辅助设计水力计算模型,有效地将管网图形与水力计算耦合,使水力计算结果及时反馈到管网图形中,为实际工程管网水力性能的优化提供了技术手段.通过算例对该模型进行了验证,结果表明,应用该模型计算出的流量和水头偏差率均在允许范围内,管网识别及水力计算过程可在10min内完成.     

Effects of deficit irrigation on the yield and yield components of drip irrigated cotton in a mediterranean environment

A field study on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., cv.) was carried out from 2005 to 2008 in the Çukurova Region, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Treatments were designated as I₁₀₀ full irrigation; DI₇₀, DI₅₀ and DI₀₀ which received 70, 50, and 0% of the irrigation water amount applied in the I₁₀₀ treatment. The irrigation water amount to be applied to the plots was calculated using cumulative pan evaporation that occurred during the irrigation intervals. The effect of water deficit or water stress on crop yield and some plant growth parameters such as yield response, water use efficiencies, dry matter yield (DM), leaf area index (LAI) as well as on lint quality components was evaluated. The average seasonal evapotranspiration ranged from 287 ± 15 (DI₀₀) to 584 ± 80 mm (I₁₀₀). Deficit irrigation significantly affected crop yield and all yield components considered in this study. The average seed cotton yield varied from 1369 ± 197 (DI₀₀) to 3397 ± 508 kg ha⁻¹ (I₁₀₀). The average water use efficiency (WUE_ET) ranged from 6.0 ± 1.6 (I₁₀₀) to 4.8 ± 0.9 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₀₀), while average irrigation water use efficiency (WUE_I) was between 9.4 ± 3.0 (I₁₀₀) and 14.4 ± 4.8 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Deficit irrigation increased the harvest index (HI) values from 0.26 ± 0.054 (I₁₀₀) to 0.32 ± 0.052 kg kg⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Yield response factor (Ky) was determined to be 0.98 based on four-year average. Leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter yields (DM) increased with increasing water use. This study demonstrated that the full irrigated treatment (I₁₀₀) should be used for semiarid conditions with no water shortage. However, DI₇₀ treatment needs to be considered as a viable alternative for the development of reduced irrigation strategies in semiarid regions where irrigation water supplies are limited.     

Effect of modern irrigation methods on growth and energy production of sweet sorghum (var. Keller) on a dry year in Central Greece

The subject of this project is to estimate the growth and productivity of sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)] var. Keller, under two different irrigation methods – the conventional surface drip method (two treatments) and the subsurface drip method – in a dry year in Central Greece, as an energy crop for the production of bio-ethanol. A field experiment was carried out on the experimental farm of the University of Thessaly during 2005, comprising of a completely randomized block design with four treatments in four blocks, including control (non-irrigated). In the treatments of surface drip method the evapotranspiration needs were satisfied by using full (100% ETm) and supplement (80% ETm) irrigation doses, while in the treatments of subsurface drip method only supplement irrigation water was used (80% ETm) with the aim of more efficient water conservation. Irrigation was fully automated, and application depths were determined, using a class A open evaporation pan for matching the evapotranspiration needs. The growth of the crop was measured by means of plant height and leaf area index, which were determined periodically throughout the growing period. Fresh and dry biomass productions were measured over six harvests covering the entire growth and production process of cultivation. The results of the first year demonstrated a clear superiority of the subsurface drip method on plant heights, leaf area index and total fresh and dry biomass production compared with the surface drip method for equal values of irrigation water. Maximum yield was attained by mid-September, before crop maturation, something which should be taken into consideration when choosing the best harvesting time of the crop. After late September, large negative growth rates were recorded, resulting in an appreciable drop in the final fresh and dry matter yield.     

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.