Effects of gravel-sand mulch, plastic mulch and ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system combinations on water use efficiency, soil temperature and watermelon yield in a semi-arid Loess Plateau of northwestern China

In the northwestern Loess Plateau of China, low precipitation results in poor crop yields, with a great fluctuation from year to year. The adoption of gravel-sand mulching has shown improvements in the growth of crops such as watermelon. The ridge and furrow rainwater harvest system (RFRHS) has been shown as an easy and efficient way to collect rainwater. A field experiment was conducted from 2007 to 2009 at Gaolan, Lanzhou, Gansu, China, to measure the effects of RFRHS, plastic mulch and gravel-sand mulch combinations on soil temperature, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE) and watermelon yield. There were eight treatments: (1) flat gravel-sand mulched field, (2) RFRHS with a sand mulched furrow, entire plastic mulch and the ratio 1:1 of ridge and furrow, (3) RFRHS with a sand mulched furrow, entire plastic mulch and the ratio 4:3 of ridge and furrow, (4) RFRHS with a sand mulched furrow, entire plastic mulch and the ratio 5:3 of ridge and furrow, (5) RFRHS with a sand and plastic mulched furrow, bare ridge and the ratio 4:3 of ridge and furrow, (6) RFRHS with an entire plastic mulch and the ratio 4:3 of ridge and furrow, (7) conventional ridge planting with a plastic mulched ridge, and (8) flat gravel-sand mulched field plus 23 mm supplementary irrigation. Soil temperature for RFRHS with a gravel-sand plus plastic mulched furrow was slightly lower than that of flat gravel-sand mulch. The RFRHS caused a significant increase in watermelon yield and WUE. The increase in watermelon yield and WUE was greatly influenced by the ratio of ridge and furrow when RFRHS was combined with gravel-sand mulch. Watermelon yield was highest for the 1:1 ratio, and WUE was highest for the 5:3 and 1:1 ratios of ridge:furrow, and these were significantly greater than that of flat gravel-sand mulch, without or with irrigation. The use of ridge with plastic film mulch increased the beneficial effect of RFRHS on yield. The watermelon yield and WUE for non-plastic-mulched ridge were even lower than that of flat gravel-sand mulch. In summary, the findings suggest that RFRHS with gravel-sand mulched furrow plus plastic film mulch, and 1:1 ratio of ridge:furrow, would facilitate the use of limited rainfall most efficiently in improving watermelon yield, by reducing ET and increasing WUE in this semiarid region.     

Soil water dynamics and water use efficiency in spring maize (Zea mays L.) fields subjected to different water management practices on the Loess Plateau, China

Soil water supply is the main limiting factor to crop production across the Loess Plateau, China. A 2-year field experiment was conducted at the Changwu agro-ecosystem research station to evaluate various water management practices for achieving favorable grain yield (GY) with high water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize (Zea mays L.). Four practices were examined: a rain-fed (RF) system as the control; supplementary irrigation (SI); film mulching (FM); and straw mulching (SM) (in 2008 only). The soil profile water storage (W) and the crop evapotranspiration (ET) levels were studied during the maize growing season, and the GY as well as the WUE were also compared. The results showed that mean soil water storage in the top 200 cm of the profile was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the SI (380 mm in 2007, 411 mm in 2008) and SM (414 mm in 2008) compared to the FM (361 mm in 2007, 381 mm in 2008) and RF (360 mm in 2007, 384 mm in 2008) treatments. The soil water content was lower at the end of growing season than before planting in the 60-140 cm part of the profile in both the RF and FM treatments. Cumulative ET and average crop coefficiency (K_c) throughout the whole maize growing season were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the SI (ET, 501 mm in 2007, 431 mm in 2008; K_c, 1.0 in 2007, 0.9 in 2008) treatment than in the other treatments. Both FM and SI significantly improved the GY. The WUE were increased significantly (23-25%; P < 0.05) under the FM treatment. It was concluded that both SI and FM are beneficial for improving the yield of spring maize on the Loess Plateau. However, FM is preferable because of the shortage of available water in the area.     

Effects of winter wheat row spacing on evapotranpsiration, grain yield and water use efficiency

A field study was conducted from 2002 to 2007 to investigate the influence of row spacing of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on soil evaporation (E), evapotranspiration (ET), grain production and water use efficiency (WUE) in the North China Plain. The experiment had four row spacing treatments, 7.5 cm, 15 cm, 22.5 cm, and 30 cm, with plots randomly arranged in four replicates. Soil E was measured by micro-lysimeters in three seasons and ET was calculated from measurements of soil profile water depletion, irrigation, and rainfall. The results showed that E increased with row spacing. Compared with the 30-cm row spacing (average E = 112 mm), the reduction in seasonal E averaged 9 mm, 25 mm, and 26 mm for 22.5 cm, 15 cm, and 7.5 cm row spacings, respectively. Crop transpiration (T) increased as row spacing decreased. The seasonal rainfall interception and seasonal ET were relatively unchanged among the treatments. In three out of five seasons, the four different treatments showed similar grain yield, yield components and WUE. We conclude that for winter wheat production in the North China Plain, narrow row spacing reduced soil evaporation, but had minor improvements on grain production and WUE under irrigated conditions with adequate nutrient levels.     

Effect of mulching on soil and plant water status, and the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a semi-arid environment

Mulching is one of the important agronomic practices in conserving the soil moisture and modifying the soil physical environment. Wheat, the second most important cereal crop in India, is sensitive to soil moisture stress. Field experiments were conducted during winter seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 in a sandy loam soil to evaluate the soil and plant water status in wheat under synthetic (transparent and black polyethylene) and organic (rice husk) mulches with limited irrigation and compared with adequate irrigation with no mulch (conventional practices by the farmers). Though all the mulch treatments improved the soil moisture status, rice husk was found to be superior in maintaining optimum soil moisture condition for crop use. The residual soil moisture was also minimum, indicating effective utilization of moisture by the crop under RH. The plant water status, as evaluated by relative water content and leaf water potential were favourable under RH. Specific leaf weight, root length density and dry biomass were also greater in this treatment. Optimum soil and canopy thermal environment of wheat with limited fluctuations were observed under RH, even during dry periods. This produced comparable yield with less water use, enhancing the water use efficiency. Therefore, it may be concluded that under limited irrigation condition, RH mulching will be beneficial for wheat as it is able to maintain better soil and plant water status, leading to higher grain yield and enhanced water use efficiency.     

Effects of rainfall harvesting and mulching technologies on water use efficiency and crop yield in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

In semi-arid areas, crop growth is greatly limited by water. Amount of available water in soil can be increased by surface mulching and other soil management practices. Field experiments were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Gaolan, Gansu, China, to determine the influence of ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system (RFRHS), surface mulching and supplementary irrigation (SI) in various combinations on rainwater harvesting, amount of moisture in soil, water use efficiency (WUE), biomass yield of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) and seed yield of maize (Zea mays L.). In conventional fields without RFRHS, gravel-sand mulching produced higher biomass yield than plastic-mulching or straw-mulching. In plastic-mulched fields, an increasing amount of supplemental irrigation was needed to improve crop yield. There was no effect of RFRHS without plastic-covered ridge on rainwater harvesting when natural precipitation was less than 5 mm per event. This was due to little runoff of rainwater from frequent low precipitation showers, and most of the harvested rainwater gathered at the soil surface is lost to evaporation. In the RFRHS, crop yield and WUE were higher with plastic-covered ridges than bare ridges, and also higher with gravel-sand-mulched furrows than bare furrows in most cases, or straw-mulched furrows in some cases. This was most likely due to decreased evaporation with plastic or gravel-sand mulch. In the RFRHS with plastic-covered ridges and gravel-sand-mulched furrows, application of 30 mm supplemental irrigation produced the highest yield and WUE for sweet sorghum and maize in most cases. In conclusion, the findings suggested the integrated use of RFRHS, mulching and supplementary irrigation to improve rainwater availability for high sustainable crop yield. However, the high additional costs of supplemental irrigation and construction of RFRHS for rainwater harvesting need to be considered before using these practices on a commercial scale.     

生物可降解地膜对棉花产量及水分利用效率的影响

为了探求华北平原棉花可降解地膜覆盖替代普通膜覆盖的可行性,解决白色污染问题,试验设置4种处理:6 μm PE普通地膜(PE)、8 μm生物可降解地膜(M1)、6 μm生物可降解地膜(M2)及不覆盖地膜(CK),分析比较各处理对棉花出苗率、叶面积指数(LAI)、农田耗水速率、产量及水分利用效率(WUE)的影响.结果表明,与处理CK相比,覆盖地膜显著提高了棉花出苗率,但3种覆膜处理间差异不具有统计学意义;在棉花生育前期,2种生物可降解地膜处理的LAI显著低于PE处理的.3种覆膜处理之间的籽棉产量和霜前花率的差异均不具有统计学意义.3种覆膜处理间WUE的差异不具有统计学意义,但均显著高于CK的.2种生物可降解地膜处理相较于PE,对棉花的出苗率、霜前花率、籽棉产量及WUE的差异均不具有统计学意义.相较于PE,使用6 μm生物可降解膜不会造成棉花耗水量升高,而8 μm可降解膜则显著增加了棉花的耗水量.因此6 μm生物降解膜取代PE膜较好.     

Effects of conservation tillage practices on winter wheat water-use efficiency and crop yield on the Loess Plateau,China

In the semi-humid to arid loess plateau areas of North China, water is the limiting factor for rain-fed crop yields. Conservation tillage has been proposed to improve soil and water conservation in these areas. From 1999 to 2005, we conducted a field experiment on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to investigate the effects of conservation tillage on soil water conservation, crop yield, and water-use efficiency. The field experiment was conducted using reduced tillage (RT), no tillage with mulching (NT), subsoil tillage with mulching (ST), and conventional tillage (CT). NT and ST improved water conversation, with the average soil water storage in 0–200 cm soil depth over the six years increased 25.24 mm at the end of summer fallow periods, whereas RT soil water storage decreased 12 mm, compared to CT. At wheat planting times, the available soil water on NT and ST plots was significantly higher than those using CT and RT. The winter wheat yields were also significantly affected by the tillage methods. The average winter wheat yields over 6 years on NT or ST plots were significantly higher than that in CT or RT plots. CT and RT yields did not vary significantly between them. In each study year, NT and ST water-use efficiency (WUE) was higher than that of CT and RT. In the dry growing seasons of 1999–2000, 2004–2005 and the low-rainfall fallow season of 2002, the WUE of NT and ST was significantly higher than that of CT and RT, but did not vary significantly in the other years. For all years, CT and RT showed no WUE advantage. In relation to CT, the economic benefit of RT, NT, and ST increased 62, 1754, and 1467 yuan ha⁻¹, respectively, and the output/input ratio of conservation tillage was higher than that of CT. The overall results showed that NT and ST are the optimum tillage systems for increasing water storage and wheat yields, enhancing WUE and saving energy on the Loess Plateau.     

Seed yield and water use efficiency of canola (Brassica napus L.) as affected by high temperature stress and supplemental irrigation

The effects of high temperature stress and supplemental irrigation on seed yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of canola (Brassica napus L.) were studied in a field experiment conducted for 2 years. The experiment was a randomized complete block design arranged in split plot, conducted at Agricultural Research Station of Gonbad, Iran. It was arranged in two conditions, i.e. supplemental irrigation and rainfed. Two cultivars of canola (Hyola401 and RGS003) as subplots were grown at five sowing dates as main plots. The sowing dates were 9 November, 6 December, 5 January, 4 February and 6 March in 2005-2006 and 6 November, 6 December, 5 January, 4 February and 6 March in 2006-2007, to have a wide range of environmental conditions around flowering and seed filling periods, and to coincide reproductive stages of the crop with high temperature stress. Seed yield was improved due to field management practices, such as supplemental irrigation and optimum sowing date. Supplemental irrigation was an efficient practice to mitigate water stress, and to increase aboveground dry matter and seed yield. There was a strongly negative relationship between seed yield and air temperature during reproductive stages. Delay in sowing led to more rapid developmental of canola, decreased aboveground dry matter, leaf area index (LAI), harvest index (HI), WUE, and seed yield. Achieving a high aboveground dry matter was an essential prerequisite for high reproductive growth and a high seed yield. Greater seed yield and WUE at first sowing date were associated with greater LAI and aboveground dry matter, and lower temperatures during reproductive stages. The results support the view that WUE can be used as an indirect selection criterion for seed yield in genotypic selection.     

Crop yield and soil water restoration on 9-year-old alfalfa pasture in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China

The alfalfa pastureland in the semiarid Loess Plateau region of Northwest China usually has dry soil layers. A field experiment was conducted from October 2000 to October 2004 to examine soil water recovery and crop productivity on a 9-year-old alfalfa pasture. This experiment included six treatments: alfalfa pasture for 10-14 years, a conventional farming system without prior alfalfa planting, and four alfalfa-crop rotation treatments. For the rotation treatments, after 9 years of alfalfa selected crops were planted from 2001 to 2004 in the following sequence: (1) millet, spring wheat, potatoes, peas; (2) millet, corn, corn, spring wheat; (3) millet, potatoes, spring wheat, corn; (4) millet, fallow, peas, potatoes. The results showed that dry soil layers occurred in alfalfa pasture. We then plowed the alfalfa pasture and planted different crops. The soil water gradually increased during crop growth in the experimental period. The degree of soil water recovery in the four alfalfa-crop rotation treatments was derived from comparison with the soil water in the conventional system. After 4 years, the soil water recovery from the alfalfa-crop rotation systems at 0-500 cm soil depth was 90.5%, 89.8%, 92.2% and 96.7%, respectively. Soil total N content and soil respiration rate were high in the alfalfa-crop rotation systems. The yields of spring wheat in 2002, peas in 2003 and potatoes in 2004 in the alfalfa-crop rotation systems were not significantly different from yields in the conventional system. In the alfalfa-crop rotation systems, the yields of spring wheat and peas were greatly influenced by rainfall and were lowest in the dry year of 2004; the yields of corn and potatoes had a direct relationship with water use and were lowest in 2003. In summary, soil water in dry soil layers can recover, and crop yields in the alfalfa-crop systems were equal to those of the conventional system.     

Effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and dry mass

Water regulations have decreased irrigation water supplies in Nebraska and some other areas of the USA Great Plains. When available water is not enough to meet crop water requirements during the entire growing cycle, it becomes critical to know the proper irrigation timing that would maximize yields and profits. This study evaluated the effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation (150 mm) on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), yield, water use efficiency (WUE = yield/ETc), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE = yield/irrigation), and dry mass (DM) of corn (Zea mays L.) irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation in the semiarid climate of North Platte, NE. During 2005 and 2006, a total of sixteen irrigation treatments (eight each year) were evaluated, which received different percentages of the water allocation during July, August, and September. During both years, all treatments resulted in no crop stress during the vegetative period and stress during the reproductive stages, which affected ETc, DM, yield, WUE and IWUE. Among treatments, ETc varied by 7.2 and 18.8%; yield by 17 and 33%; WUE by 12 and 22%, and IWUE by 18 and 33% in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Yield and WUE both increased linearly with ETc and with ETc/ETp (ETp = seasonal ETc with no water stress), and WUE increased linearly with yield. The yield response factor (ky) averaged 1.50 over the two seasons. Irrigation timing affected the DM of the plant, grain, and cob, but not that of the stover. It also affected the percent of DM partitioned to the grain (harvest index), which increased linearly with ETc and averaged 56.2% over the two seasons, but did not affect the percent allocated to the cob or stover. Irrigation applied in July had the highest positive coefficient of determination (R²) with yield. This high positive correlation decreased considerably for irrigation applied in August, and became negative for irrigation applied in September. The best positive correlation between the soil water deficit factor (Ks) and yield occurred during weeks 12-14 from crop emergence, during the “milk” and “dough” growth stages. Yield was poorly correlated to stress during weeks 15 and 16, and the correlation became negative after week 17. Dividing the 150 mm allocation about evenly among July, August and September was a good strategy resulting in the highest yields in 2005, but not in 2006. Applying a larger proportion of the allocation in July was a good strategy during both years, and the opposite resulted when applying a large proportion of the allocation in September. The different results obtained between years indicate that flexible irrigation scheduling techniques should be adopted, rather than relying on fixed timing strategies.     

Influence of single and multiple water application timings on yield and water use efficiency in tomato (var. First power)

A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Japan International Research Center for Agriculture Science (JIRCAS), Okinawa Subtropical Station, Ishigaki, Japan with three multiple water application and two single water applications to study the effects of them on tomato yield, soil water content and water use efficiency. Multiple water application is a technique use to add the required amount of water during irrigation in multiple equal parts a day instead of one complete set (single water application) during the irrigation event. The multiple water application treatments were the day time (DT), day-night time (DNT) and night time (NT) while the single water application treatments were morning time (MT) and evening time (ET). In multiple water irrigation treatments the water was added to the soil into three equal parts. The supplied irrigation water was the same for all treatments and gradually increased with plant age to cover the crop water requirement during the growing season.The results revealed that multiple water application increased tomato yield by 5% over the highest yield of single water application. The DT treatment increased tomato yield by 5% and 15% compared to ET and MT treatments, respectively. For multiple water application, the DT was the best irrigation timing because it increases the tomato yield by 8% and 12% compared to DNT and NT, respectively. ET irrigation was better than MT irrigation for single water application. Multiple water application led to an increased in soil water content compared to single water application. By applying the same amount of water for all treatments, the DT treatment increased water use efficiency by 5-15% compared to ET and MT treatments of single water application. In conclusion, multiple water application is better than single water application and by choosing the proper irrigation timing, higher tomato yield resulting from efficient water management can be obtained.     

Effect of soil matric potential on tomato yield and water use under drip irrigation condition

Field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of soil matric potential (SMP) on tomato yield, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) under drip irrigation condition in North China Plain. The experiment included five treatments, which controlled SMP at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitter higher than −10 (S1), −20 (S2), −30 (S3), −40 (S4) and −50 kPa (S5), respectively, after tomato plant establishment. The results showed that different SMP affected irrigation amount and tomato ET. Irrigation amount decreased from 185 mm (S1) to 83.6 mm (S5) in 2004, and from 165 mm (S1) to 109 mm (S5) in 2005, respectively. The ET decreased from 270 mm (S1) to 202 mm (S5) in both years. However, it was found that SMP did not affect the tomato yield significantly, for the range of SMP investigated. Both WUE and IWUE increased as SMP decreased. The maximum WUE (253 and 217 kg/ha mm) and IWUE (620 and 406 kg/ha mm) were for S5 in 2 years, whereas the minimum WUE (178 and 155 kg/ha mm) and IWUE 261 and 259 kg/ha mm) were for S1 in 2004 and 2005. Based on the above results, therefore, it is recommended that if the tomatoes are well irrigated (SMP is higher than −20 kPa) during establishment, controlling SMP higher than −50 kPa at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitter can be used as an indicator for drip irrigation scheduling during following period of tomato growth in North China Plain.     

Postharvest residual soil nutrients and yield of spring wheat under water deficit in arid northwest China

In areas where two crops are grown per year or three crops every 2 years, the status of residual soil nutrients after the harvest of the first crop is critical to the crop to be grown immediately after, while the postharvest soil nutrient status can be influenced by irrigation applied to the test crop. This study determined the effect of various soil water treatments applied to the test crop on the status of postharvest residual soil nutrient pools in an arid environment. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown as test crop under conditions of full- (as control), high-, moderate-, and low-water conditions during jointing, booting-heading, and grain filling stages, in 2003 and 2004. Compared to the control, grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were significantly increased by subjecting the wheat crop to moderate-water conditions during various growth stages, and low-water conditions at jointing stage in both years. Soil C at harvest decreased linearly with increased grain yield of the test crop. Moderate- to high-water conditions during jointing stage resulted in 12-24% greater soil C in the top 40 cm depth in 2003, with a marginal difference in 2004. Water treatments impacted the status of residual soil nutrients in 2003; soil total N and available soil P in the top 40 cm depth were significantly higher in low- to moderate-water treatments compared to the control, while in 2004 significantly higher total N and P, available N, P and K were found only in the top 20 cm depth. Increased yield of wheat test crop with moderate-water resulted in increased postharvest residual soil nutrients, whereas the ratios of C/N, C/P, and C/K were largely influenced by years and were less related to water treatments. We conclude that the determination of postharvest soil C and nutrient elements may provide useful information in monitoring potential changes of soil nutrient status over time in the intensified cropping systems, and that the recommendation of fertilization for the crop to be grown immediately following the first crop can be established by simply analyzing the productivity of the first crop without intensive measurements of soil nutrients.     

灌水量对烤烟产量和水分利用效率的影响

灌水时期不当或灌水量过大会降低烟叶的产量,同时造成水分的浪费,探究烟草适宜的灌水量至关重要。在蒸渗仪中开展试验,研究了不同灌水量对土壤水分、烤烟的水分利用效率和产量的影响。结果表明：烤烟 K326各处理不同土层含水率变化规律比较一致,（0,10]cm 土层含水率受气温、日照等气候因素较大;（10,20]cm 土壤含水率变化较剧烈;（20,60]cm 土壤含水率在整个生育期变化比较平缓,尤其在成熟后期各处理均出现不同程度的回升趋势,结合烤烟成熟期生理活动减弱、需水量减少,说明成熟期采取较小的灌水量比较适宜。成熟期烤烟的干物质产量在一定范围内随灌水量的增大而增加,如果继续加大灌水量将出现“报酬递减”现象。结合烟叶产量、烟株长势、耗水量和水分利用效率的结果,表明2700～3000 m3／hm2可以作为烤烟K326适宜的灌水量。在烤烟生产中,应均衡协调产量、水分利用效率与耗水量之间的关系,在高产前提下,适当减少灌水量,可达到既高产又节水的协调统一。     

Yield and water use efficiency of cauliflower under varying irrigation frequencies and water application methods in Lower Gangetic Plain of India

A field study (1999-2000 to 2001-2002) was carried out to optimize the irrigation frequency and suitable water application methods for cauliflower with a view to increase curd yield (CY) and water use efficiency (WUE). Check Basin (CB), Each Furrow (EF) and Alternate Furrow (AF) methods were tested with three irrigation frequencies depending on the attainment of soil matric potential (Ψ_m) value at 0.2 m depth as: −0.03 MPa (F₁), −0.05 MPa (F₂) and −0.07 MPa (F₃). Maximum CY was recorded under F₁ and decreased by 10.4 and 31.4%, respectively under F₂ and F₃ frequencies. In contrast, WUE decreased by 9.3% from F₃ to F₁. Highest CY and WUE obtained under CB followed by EF and AF methods. Furrow application methods saved 12-24% irrigation water over CB method. Maximum soil water stress coefficient (K_s) recorded at curd development stage in comparison to other stages. Both seasonal evapotranspiration (ET_a) and yield-moisture stress index (Kys) recorded positive linear relationships with CY. Present study shows a crop response factor of 0.822 for cauliflower. In this region, cauliflower should be irrigated with check basin method at an interval of 8-10 days.     

水肥耦合对温室番茄产量、水分利用效率和品质的影响

为指导日光温室番茄高产节水优质的灌溉施肥,以番茄为研究对象,设置3种施肥方式(总施肥量相同,施肥时间不同,其中F₁:不施底肥,番茄移栽后随水追施总肥量的30%,剩余70%平分6次追肥,F₂:底肥施1/2,剩余平分6次追肥,F₃:全施底肥不追肥)和3种土壤水势的灌水下限(W₁:-30 kPa,W₂:-50 kPa,W₃:-70 kPa),研究滴灌条件下水肥耦合对番茄耗水量、产量、水分利用效率和品质的影响.结果表明:施肥方式对番茄的耗水量差异不具有统计学意义,而灌水下限对耗水量有极显著性影响,且耗水量与灌水量呈极显著的正相关关系(P<0.01);与产量最大处理F₂W₁相比,F₂W₂处理产量降低6.91%,但节水14.83%,水分利用效率提高8.51%;TTS质量分数与平均单果重呈极显著负相关,而与除糖酸比外其他影响品质指标呈显著性正相关关系;综合考虑产量、WUE及TTS质量分数,利用TOPSIS综合评价方法,确定了温室滴灌条件下番茄节水调质的最优灌溉施肥模式为:移栽前施入底肥为总肥量的50%,移栽后灌水20 mm,进入开花坐果期以后,20 cm土层的土壤水势控制在-50 kPa以上,每次灌水定额为10 mm,剩余肥料每隔1次灌水追肥1次,将剩余50%的肥料分6次追肥.研究成果为制定日光温室番茄节水高产优质的灌溉模式提供了理论依据.     

Evaluation of the influence of irrigation methods and water quality on sugar beet yield and water use efficiency

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have increased the pressure on limited existing fresh water to meet the growing needs for food production. Two immediate responses to this challenge are the efficient use of irrigation technology and the use of alternative sources of water. Drip irrigation methods may play an important role in efficient use of water but there is still limited information on their use on sugar beet crops in arid countries such as Iran. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of irrigation method and water quality on sugar beet yield, percentage of sugar content and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). The irrigation methods investigated were subsurface drip, surface drip and furrow irrigation. The two waters used were treated municipal effluent (EC = 1.52 dS m⁻¹) and fresh water (EC = 0.509 dS m⁻¹). The experiments used a split plot design and were undertaken over two consecutive growing seasons in Southern Iran. Statistical testing indicated that the irrigation method and water quality had a significant effect (at the 1% level) on sugar beet root yield, sugar yield, and IWUE. The highest root yield (79.7 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using surface drip irrigation and effluent and the lowest root yield (41.4 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using furrow irrigation and fresh water. The highest IWUE in root yield production (9 kg m⁻³) was obtained using surface drip irrigation with effluent and the lowest value (3.8 kg m⁻³) was obtained using furrow irrigation with fresh water. The highest IWUE of 1.26 kg m⁻³ for sugar was obtained using surface drip irrigation. The corresponding efficiency using effluent was 1.14 kg m⁻³. Irrigation with effluent led to an increase in the net sugar yield due to an increase in the sugar beet root yield. However, there was a slight reduction in the percentage sugar content in the plants. This study also showed that soil water and root depth monitoring can be used in irrigation scheduling to avoid water stress. Such monitoring techniques can also save considerable volumes of irrigation water and can increase yield.     

Water resources and water use efficiency in the North China Plain: Current status and agronomic management options

Serious water deficits and deteriorating environmental quality are threatening agricultural sustainability in the North China Plain (NCP). This paper addresses spatial and temporal availability of water resources in the NCP, identifies the effects of soil management, irrigation timing and amounts, and crop genetic improvement on water use efficiency (WUE), and then discusses knowledge gaps and research priorities to further improve WUE. Enhanced irrigation and soil nutrient (mainly nitrogen) management are the focal issues in the NCP for enhancing WUE, which are shown to increase WUE by 10-25% in a wheat-maize double cropping system. Crop breeding has also contributed to increased of WUE and is expected to play an important role in the future as genetic and environmental interactions are understood better. Agricultural system models and remote sensing have been used to evaluate and improve current agronomic management practices for increasing WUE at field and regional scales. The low WUE in farmer's fields compared with well-managed experimental sites indicates that more efforts are needed to transfer water-saving technologies to the farmers. We also identified several knowledge gaps for further increasing WUE in the NCP by: (1) increasing scientific understanding of the effects of agronomic management on WUE across various soil and climate conditions; (2) quantifying the interaction between soil water and nitrogen in water-limited agriculture for improving both water and nitrogen-use efficiency; (3) improving irrigation practices (timing and amounts) based on real-time monitoring of water status in soil-crop systems; and (4) maximizing regional WUE by managing water resources and allocation at regional scales.     

Evapotranspiration, seed yield and water use efficiency of drip irrigated sunflower under full and deficit irrigation conditions

Deficit irrigation occurrence while maintaining acceptable yield represents a useful trait for sunflower production wherever irrigation water is limited. A 2-year experiment (2003–2004) was conducted at Tal Amara Research Station in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon to investigate sunflower response to deficit irrigation. In the plots, irrigation was held at early flowering (stage F1), at mid flowering (stage F3.2) and at early seed formation (stage M0) until physiological maturity. Deficit-irrigated treatments were referred to as WS1, WS2 and WS3, respectively, and were compared to a well-irrigated control (C). Reference evapotranspiration (ET_rye-grass) and crop evapotranspiration (ET_crop) were measured each in a set of two drainage lysimeters of 2 m × 2 m × 1 m size cultivated with rye grass (Lolium perenne) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., cv. Arena). Crop coefficients (K_c) in the different crop growth stages were derived as the ratio (ET_crop/ET_rye-grass).

Lysimeter measured crop evapotranspiration (ET_crop) totaled 765 mm in 2003 and 882 mm in 2004 for total irrigation periods of 139 and 131 days, respectively. Daily ET_crop achieved a peak value of 13.0 mm day⁻¹ at flowering time (stage F3.2; 80–90 days after sowing) when LAI was >6.0 m² m⁻². Then ET_crop declined to 6.0 mm day⁻¹ during seed maturity phase. Average K_c values varied from 0.3 at crop establishment (sowing to four-leaf stage), to 0.9 at late crop development (four-leaf stage to terminal bud), to >1.0 at flowering stage (terminal bud to inflorescence visible), then to values <1.0 at seed maturity phase (head pale to physiological maturity). Measured K_c values were close to those reported by the FAO.

Average across years, seed yield at dry basis on the well-irrigated treatment was 5.36 t ha⁻¹. Deficit irrigation at early (WS1) and mid (WS2) flowering stages reduced seed yield by 25% and 14% (P < 0.05), respectively, in comparison with the control. However, deficit irrigation at early seed formation was found to increase slightly seed yield in WS3 treatment (5.50 t ha⁻¹). We concluded that deficit irrigation at early seed formation (stage M0) increased the fraction of assimilate allocation to the head, compensating thus the lower number of seeds per m² through increased seed weight. In this experiment, while deficit irrigation did not result in any remarkable increase in harvest index (HI), water use efficiency (WUE) was found to vary significantly (P < 0.05) among treatments, where the highest (0.83 kg m⁻³) and the lowest (0.71 kg m⁻³) values were obtained from WS3 and WS1 treatments, respectively. Finally, results indicate that irrigation limitation at early flowering (stage F1) and mid flowering (stage F3.2) should be avoided while it can be acceptable at seed formation (stage M0).     

Canopy water use efficiency of winter wheat in the North China Plain

Canopy water use efficiency (W), the ratio of crop productivity to evapotranspiration (ET), is critical in determining the production and water use for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the North China Plain, where winter wheat is a major crop and rainfall is scarce and variable. With the eddy covariance (EC) technique, we estimated canopy W of winter wheat at gross primary productivity (W_G) and net ecosystem productivity (W_N) levels from revival to maturing in three seasons of 2002/2003, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 at Yucheng Agro-ecosystem Station. Meanwhile we also measured the biomass-based water use efficiency (W_B). Our results indicate that W_G, W_N and W_B showed the similar seasonal variation. Before jointing (revival-jointing), W_G, W_N and W_B were obviously lower with the values of 2.09-3.54 g C kg⁻¹, −0.71 to 0.06 g C kg⁻¹ and 1.37-4.03 g kg⁻¹, respectively. After jointing (jointing-heading), the winter wheat began to grow vigorously, and W_G, W_N and W_B significantly increased to 5.26-6.78 g C kg⁻¹, 1.47-1.86 g C kg⁻¹ and 6.41-7.03 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The maximums of W_G, W_N and W_B occurred around the stage of heading. Thereafter, W_G, W_N and W_B began to decrease. During the observed periods, three levels of productivity: GPP, NEP and aboveground biomass (AGB) all had fairly linear relationships with ET. The slopes of GPP-ET, NEP-ET and AGB-ET were 4.67-6.12 g C kg⁻¹, 1.50-2.08 g C kg⁻¹ and 6.87-11.02 g kg⁻¹, respectively. Generally, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and daytime vapor pressure deficit (D) had negative effects on W_G, W_N and W_B except for on some cloudy days with low PAR and D. In many cases, W_G, W_N and W_B showed the similar patterns. While there were still some obvious differences between them besides in magnitude, such as their significantly different responses to PAR and D on cloudy and moist days.