Response of Soil Temperature, Moisture, and Spring Maize (Zea mays L.) Root/Shoot Growth to Different Mulching Materials in Semi-Arid Areas of Northwest China

Haidong Lu,Jiquan Xue,Yafang Fu,Zhenqing Xia,Jie Chu,Qi Wang

doi:10.3390/agronomy10040453

Haidong Lu, Jiquan Xue + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040453

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Abstract

Adaptive highly efficient mulching technologies for use on dryland agricultural ecosystems are crucial to improving crop productivity and water-use efficiency (WUE) under climate change. Little information is available on the effect of using different types of mulch on soil water thermal conditions, or on root/shoot trait, leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), yield, and WUE of spring maize. Hence, in this study, white transparent plastic film (WF), black plastic film (BF), and maize straw (MS) was used, and the results were compared with a non-mulched control (CK). The results showed that the mean soil temperature throughout the whole growth period of maize at the 5–15 cm depth under WF and BF was higher than under MS and CK, but under BF, it was 0.6 °C lower than WF. Compared with CK, the average soil water storage (0–200 cm) over the whole growth period of maize was significantly increased under WF, BF, and MS. WF and BF increased the soil water and temperature during the early growth stages of maize and significantly increased root/shoot biomass, root volume, LAI, LAD, and yield compared with MS. Higher soil temperatures under WF obviously reduced the duration of maize reproductive growth and accelerated root and leaf senescence, leading to small root/shoot biomass accumulation post-tasseling and to losses in yield compared with BF

Highlights

In China, dryland farming is practiced on about one third of the arable land, 56% of which is situated in the northwest [1]
Among the different mulches evaluated, the soil temperature was significantly higher under white transparent polyethylene film mulch (WF), followed by black polyethylene film (BF), non-mulched control (CK), and maize straw mulch (MS)
This result might be due to the fact that in the early growth stages, when maize plants were smaller and their water demands were relatively low, the loss of water from the soil was mainly via evaporation, and in this situation, the plastic film mulches black plastic film (BF) and white transparent plastic film (WF) would be expected to be better than MS because they would be more efficient at suppressing evaporation, and film mulch-treated soil had significantly higher soil water storage compared with MS

Summary

Introduction

In China, dryland farming is practiced on about one third of the arable land, 56% of which is situated in the northwest [1]. Mulching technologies that improve crop water-use efficiency (WUE) play an important role in sustainable crop production and local food security [3,4,5]. As one of the most effective mulching measures, the technique of plastic film mulching for maize production is used extensively in semi-arid areas of northwest China [6,7]. The effect of plastic film mulching on soil temperature and water is generally regarded as the most important means by which the use of mulch affects crop yield, and studies have confirmed that plastic film mulching decreases the amount of water loss caused by evaporation [3], enhances soil water infiltration [4], improves crop yields [8], increases WUE [9], and significantly increases topsoil temperature. Global warming has led to an increase in total thermal time [10,11], and Agronomy 2020, 10, 453; doi:10.3390/agronomy10040453 www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy

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