Abstract
Soil hydrothermal condition is one of the most important factors affecting crop growth in arid regions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mulching and tillage on moisture and temperature variations in soil under drip irrigation in the arid Hetao Irrigation District, northwest China. Four treatments were included: (1) alternating ridges (40 cm wide and 20 cm high) and furrows (40 cm wide) with plots fully mulched with plastic film (RFM); (2) alternating ridges (40 cm wide and 20 cm high) and furrows (40 cm wide) with partial film mulch (only the plant rows mulched) (RPM); (3) flat tillage with plots fully mulched with plastic film (FFM); and (4) flat tillage with partial film mulch (only the plant rows mulched) (FPM). The ridge tillage and plastic film increased soil temperature and significantly conserved soil water, and thus increased the maize yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The RFM treatment had a greater effect than the RPM, FFM, and FPM treatments on the soil moisture and water storage over 0–70 cm in depth during the entire growing period in 2014 and 2015, indicating that full transparent plastic film mulch increased soil water status and promoted deep water percolation, and ridge tillage further enhanced water redistribution to deep soils. Furthermore, RFM proportionally increased soil temperature by 0.36 °C, 1.49 °C, and 1.27 °C above the temperatures under RPM, FPM, and FFM, respectively, in 2014 and by 1.19 °C, 1.62 °C, and 0.35 °C, respectively, in 2015. During the drought year of 2014, tillage influenced temperature more than mulching; however, mulching played a more important role in preserving thermal conditions than tillage during the humid year of 2015. Consequently, RFM increased the maize yield and WUE significantly. We conclude that a combined system of full plastic film mulch and ridge tillage creates beneficial soil hydrothermal conditions under drip irrigation and thus promotes the growth and performance of field crops.
Highlights
The Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, is the largest designed irrigation area and a major grain and oil seed production region in China
Ridge tillage combined with partial film mulch lead to more evaporation than with higher water consumption andand lower
Full plastic film with drip irrigation efficiently promoted water infiltration and regulated the surface temperature resulting in favorable soil moisture conservation and evaporation inhibition
Summary
The Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, is the largest designed irrigation area and a major grain and oil seed production region in China. Climatic conditions can be harsh, including seasonal water shortages and significant diurnal temperature variations in summer [1,2,3]. Crop production in this region is further threatened by soil erosion, drought, and strong evaporation [4,5,6]. It is important to retain the limited precipitation and reduce both non-beneficial evaporation and diurnal temperature variation in shallow soil layers via measures such as conservation tillage, mulching and water-saving irrigation methods. Zhang et al [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
