Abstract
Long-term and widespread use of plastic mulching has led to the accumulation of residual plastic film (RPF) in farmland soils of Xinjiang, China. However, there is no specific quantitative basis for RPF pollution or a clear understanding of the influence of residual film on crop growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of RPF on the growth of cotton, an important cash crop of Xinjiang. Based on the field conditions and previous reports, various amount of residual film was applied in 0-30 cm soil layer. The growth index including emergence rate, dry matter, and yield of cotton was examined at different growth stages under different soil residual film levels. Results demonstrated a significant effect of RPF on soil moisture distribution and movement. Plastic residues had a significant effect on cotton growth at levels above 200 kg/hm2, and the yield decreased as the RPF amount increased. Based on these findings, 200 kg/hm2 was suggested as a threshold level to determine the effects of RPF on cotton. This study provided a basis to rate RPF pollution in farmland soils and help understand the impact of pollution on crop productivity. Keywords: residual plastic film, plastic film pollution, soil pollution, pollution control, cotton, production management DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20201301.5084 Citation: Hu C, Wang X F, Wang S G, Lu B, Guo W S, Liu C J, et al. Impact of agricultural residual plastic film on the growth and yield of drip-irrigated cotton in arid region of Xinjiang, China. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(1): 160–169.
Highlights
Xinjiang Province covers an area of more than 160 million hm2 in China
Xinjiang is the largest cotton producing area in China[1], with snow on the Tianshan Mountain serves as the water source for cotton growth
This study was aimed to investigate the correlation, set a threshold value of agricultural residual plastic film (RPF) according to regional characteristics, and revise the threshold value for cotton in Xinjiang according to actual planting elements
Summary
Xinjiang Province covers an area of more than 160 million hm in China. Agricultural region of this province is around the Taklamakan desert, which is the second largest desert in the world. Oasis agriculture system in Xinjiang needs an increase in soil temperature and conservation of soil moisture. Mulching, which was firstly introduced in Xinjiang in 1980, has been widely applied in farming[6,7,8]. Plastic mulch preserves both soil heat and soil moisture[2,3], significantly increases the yield of oasis agroecosystem[4,5]. Drip irrigation belt is laid under the mulch to supply water and fertilizer
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