Effect of a Ridge-Furrow Mulching System and Limited Supplementary Irrigation on N2O Emission Characteristics and Grain Yield of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Fields under Dryland Conditions

Abstract

Knowledge of the characteristics of N2O emissions and the influential mechanism is of great significance to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in semi-arid areas. In the present study, a three-year water-control study was conducted; three simulated rainfall amounts (heavy, normal, and light rainfall = 275, 200, and 125 mm, respectively), two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) planting modes (RF (ridge–furrow mulching system) and TF (traditional flat planting)) and four supplementary irrigation amounts (150, 75, 37.5, and 0 mm) were set up. The effects of different cultivation methods and irrigation amounts on soil N2O emissions, the soil water content, available nitrogen content, and denitrifying enzyme activity were investigated to clarify the N2O emission mechanism in winter wheat fields (Triticum aestivum L.). The results obtained after three years showed that compared with TF, the N2O emissions under RF decreased by 21.62–30.72% (p < 0.001), whereas the soil water content increased by 6.26–8.82%, the available nitrogen content decreased by 1.71–16.24%, and the denitrifying enzyme activities increased by 0.2–24.16% under heavy rainfall conditions. Under conditions with normal and light rainfall, the N2O emission fluxes under RF increased by 3.66–12.46% and 6.08–15.57% (p > 0.05), while the soil water contents increased by 6.13–11.49% and 8.05–13.88%, the soil available nitrogen contents decreased by 11.0–21.42% and 19.93–34.44%, and the denitrifying enzyme activities increased by 0.01–24.08% and 0.03–20.79% compared with TF. Principal component analysis showed that the main factors related to N2O emissions under RF were the soil moisture content and available nitrogen content; these factors combined explained 94.37% the variation of the N2O emissions. However, the main factors under TF were the soil moisture content and denitrifying enzyme activity; these factors combined explained 85.81%. In the heavy and normal rainfall years, compared with TF, using RF and 75 mm irrigation achieved the goal of reducing water usage as well as decreasing the N2O emissions (or N2O increase was not significant). In light rainfall years, RF with 150 mm irrigation obtained significant reductions in water usage compared with TF but it also increased the N2O emission flux. Under different rainfall years, the yield of RF increased by 2.89–50.44% compared with the TF system, and the increase in wheat grain yield increased with decreasing rainfall.