Abstract
In order to explore the effects of subsoiling tillage measures on the construction of soil cultivated horizon and the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat in the North China Plain, three tillage methods, including no tillage (PZ), rotary tillage (PR), and subsoiling (PS), combined with straw returning measures were implemented in the winter wheat season in Xinxiang, Henan Province from 2016 to 2018. The effects of tillage measures on the improvement of cultivated land quality and the water saving and yield increase of winter wheat were investigated. The results showed that compared with no-tillage treatment, subsoiling significantly reduced soil bulk density by 8.88% and increased soil porosity by 13.04% in 20–40 cm soil layer; significantly reduced soil compaction by 56.96% in 0–40 cm soil layer; subsoiling combined with straw returning significantly increased soil organic carbon content in plough layer of winter wheat, whereas rotary tillage decreased soil organic carbon content. Subsoiling is more conducive to soil moisture movement to the deep layer after irrigation or rainfall, and the water consumption of subsoiling is the largest in the whole growth period of winter wheat. Subsoiling could better coordinate the relationship between water consumption and yield, which increased yield by 34.48–38.10% and water use efficiency by 19.57–21.96% compared with no-tillage treatment, respectively. Therefore, subsoiling before sowing combined with straw returning was beneficial to the reasonable construction of soil cultivated horizon, and significantly improved the yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat under the climatic conditions in the North China Plain.
Highlights
The North China Plain (NCP) is an important grain production base in China which is very important to ensure national food security
Within 0–20 cm soil layer, soil bulk density decreased by 5.16% (PR, percent are differences between two values transferred into percent and that such a method is used for analyzing all measured parameters) and 7.74% (PS) in 2017, 5.33% (PR), and 6.67% (PS) in 2018 compared with PZ, respectively
The results showed that in the Xinxiang area of Henan Province, subsoiling combined with straw returning treatment could better coordinate the relationship between water consumption and yield, significantly improve the yield and water use efficiency, and realize the purpose of water saving and yield increase of winter wheat
Summary
The North China Plain (NCP) is an important grain production base in China which is very important to ensure national food security. This region accounts for 18% of the national cultivated land but produces 23% of the grains with only 6% of water resources [1]. Soil moisture and nutrients are mainly concentrated in the surface layer after rainfall, irrigation, and fertilization, so it cannot be effectively supplemented to the deep soil due to compact plow pan, which is averse to the construction of the optimal root structure of winter wheat, and caused lodging and decrease of crop stress resistance [4,5]
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