No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat

Meeting the challenge of achieving high yields with less water utilization has raised concerns regarding developing water-saving agricultural practices. Conservation tillage and N fertilization are promising and widely used to improve water use efficiency; however, the mechanisms underlying still ne...

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Main Authors: Falong Hu, Qiang Chai, Yan Tan, Cai Zhao, Aizhong Yu, Zhilong Fan, Wen Yin, Hong Fan, Wei He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-07-01
Series:Farming System
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911923000217
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author Falong Hu
Qiang Chai
Yan Tan
Cai Zhao
Aizhong Yu
Zhilong Fan
Wen Yin
Hong Fan
Wei He
author_facet Falong Hu
Qiang Chai
Yan Tan
Cai Zhao
Aizhong Yu
Zhilong Fan
Wen Yin
Hong Fan
Wei He
author_sort Falong Hu
collection DOAJ
description Meeting the challenge of achieving high yields with less water utilization has raised concerns regarding developing water-saving agricultural practices. Conservation tillage and N fertilization are promising and widely used to improve water use efficiency; however, the mechanisms underlying still need to be addressed. Field experiments were conducted at the Hexi Corridor of northwestern China from 2019 to 2020, where tillage practices, i.e., conventional tillage (CT) and no-till with plastic film mulching (NTP), and N fertilizer rates (135 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N135], 180 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N180], and 225 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N225]) were applied. The results showed that NTP led to a soil water change (i.e., water consumption from the soil) increased by 101.7% during the concurrent growth period in a specific soil layer at 0–30 ​cm compared to CT. It also lowered the total soil evaporation (22.3%) and improved the total transpiration (13.4%). Consequently, no significant difference in evapotranspiration between the NTP and CT groups was observed. N135 decreased the soil water change by 9.0% and 15.2%, and improved the total soil evaporation by 3.4% and 8.4%, respectively, compared with N180 and N225. Tillage practices and N fertilization had an interactive effect on water productivity. Under CT, the grain yield and water use efficiency based on evapotranspiration (WUEET) of N180 were reduced by 9.4% and 7.6%, respectively, compared to those of N225. In contrast, under NTP, no significant difference was found. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that the tillage practices improved WUEET by reducing soil evaporation and improving transpiration. However, N fertilization improved WUEET uniquely by improving transpiration. Consequently, we concluded that no-till combined with 180 ​kg ​N ha−1 could be used as an effective measure to achieve higher water productivity of spring wheat in arid areas.
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id doaj-art-0e19d09a12224dcdb5538d7a8c98123c
institution Kabale University
issn 2949-9119
language English
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Farming System
spelling doaj-art-0e19d09a12224dcdb5538d7a8c98123c2024-11-22T07:40:45ZengElsevierFarming System2949-91192023-07-0112100021No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheatFalong Hu0Qiang Chai1Yan Tan2Cai Zhao3Aizhong Yu4Zhilong Fan5Wen Yin6Hong Fan7Wei He8State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China; Corresponding author.State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaMeeting the challenge of achieving high yields with less water utilization has raised concerns regarding developing water-saving agricultural practices. Conservation tillage and N fertilization are promising and widely used to improve water use efficiency; however, the mechanisms underlying still need to be addressed. Field experiments were conducted at the Hexi Corridor of northwestern China from 2019 to 2020, where tillage practices, i.e., conventional tillage (CT) and no-till with plastic film mulching (NTP), and N fertilizer rates (135 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N135], 180 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N180], and 225 ​kg ​N ha−1 [N225]) were applied. The results showed that NTP led to a soil water change (i.e., water consumption from the soil) increased by 101.7% during the concurrent growth period in a specific soil layer at 0–30 ​cm compared to CT. It also lowered the total soil evaporation (22.3%) and improved the total transpiration (13.4%). Consequently, no significant difference in evapotranspiration between the NTP and CT groups was observed. N135 decreased the soil water change by 9.0% and 15.2%, and improved the total soil evaporation by 3.4% and 8.4%, respectively, compared with N180 and N225. Tillage practices and N fertilization had an interactive effect on water productivity. Under CT, the grain yield and water use efficiency based on evapotranspiration (WUEET) of N180 were reduced by 9.4% and 7.6%, respectively, compared to those of N225. In contrast, under NTP, no significant difference was found. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that the tillage practices improved WUEET by reducing soil evaporation and improving transpiration. However, N fertilization improved WUEET uniquely by improving transpiration. Consequently, we concluded that no-till combined with 180 ​kg ​N ha−1 could be used as an effective measure to achieve higher water productivity of spring wheat in arid areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911923000217No-tillN fertilizer rateWheatSoil waterProductivity
spellingShingle Falong Hu
Qiang Chai
Yan Tan
Cai Zhao
Aizhong Yu
Zhilong Fan
Wen Yin
Hong Fan
Wei He
No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
Farming System
No-till
N fertilizer rate
Wheat
Soil water
Productivity
title No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
title_full No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
title_fullStr No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
title_full_unstemmed No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
title_short No-till with plastic film mulching combined with N fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
title_sort no till with plastic film mulching combined with n fertilizer reduction improves water productivity of spring wheat
topic No-till
N fertilizer rate
Wheat
Soil water
Productivity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911923000217
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