Abstract
Crop water requirements are crucial for agricultural water management and redistribution. Based on meteorological and agricultural observation data, the effective precipitation (Pe), water requirements (ETc), and irrigation water requirements (Ir) in the maize growing areas of Inner Mongolia were calculated. Furthermore, climatic trends of these variables were analysed to reveal their temporal and spatial distributions. The research results are as follows: the average Pe of maize in Inner Mongolia during the entire growth period was 125.9 mm, with an increasing trend from west to east. The Pe in the middle growth period of maize was the highest and was small in the early and late growth stages. The Pe climate exhibited a negative slope with a decreasing trend. The average ETc of maize during the entire growth period was 480.6 mm. The high-value areas are mainly distributed in the Wulatzhongqi and Linhe areas. The average Ir of maize during the entire growth period was 402.9 mm, and the spatial distribution is similar to that of ETc. In each growth period, Ir showed an increasing trend. Supplemental irrigation should be added appropriately during each growth period to ensure the normal growth of maize. This study can provide an effective basis for the optimisation of irrigation and regional water conservation in the maize cultivation area of Inner Mongolia.
Highlights
Climate change brings many significant challenges, and agriculture is considered to be one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change [1,2,3,4]
Understanding spatial changes in crop water requirements in the context of climate change is conducive to crop irrigation system design and irrigation district planning. It can provide a basis for studying the spatial distribution of crop water requirements and gaining an understanding of crop water consumption laws, agricultural water saving, and food security [8,9,10]
This study aims to (1) quantitatively evaluate the spatial and temporal changes of Pe, ETc, and irrigation water requirements (Ir) in different growth periods of maize from 1959–2018; (2) establish the relationship among the three according to the spatial variation of Pe, ETc, and Ir slope; and (3) provide a scientific basis for optimising water resource allocation, effectively utilising agroclimatic resources, and regional sustainable development
Summary
Climate change brings many significant challenges, and agriculture is considered to be one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change [1,2,3,4]. With the continuous intensification of the greenhouse effect, the problem of drought has become increasingly prominent, and agricultural water resources are facing serious challenges [5,6,7]. Understanding spatial changes in crop water requirements in the context of climate change is conducive to crop irrigation system design and irrigation district planning. It can provide a basis for studying the spatial distribution of crop water requirements and gaining an understanding of crop water consumption laws, agricultural water saving, and food security [8,9,10]. The calculation of crop irrigation water requirements (Ir ) by using the
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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
