Abstract
Water scarcity threatens the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in semi-arid regions, and ridge-furrow planting systems (RFPS) can be a prospective rainwater harvesting approach. In this study, we aimed to develop a promising water-saving strategy to boost maize productivity and water use efficiency (WUE). In 2017, we carried out a field experiment to study the effects of various RFPS with multiple irrigation levels on the yield-water relationship of maize (Zea mays L.). Eleven treatments were set up: RFPS with film mulching on both ridges and furrows and without water supply after seed emergence, abbreviated as QF; RFPS with film mulching on continuous ridges, abbreviated as MD, including SMD, MMD, and LMD (S, M, and L—three water supply (irrigation plus precipitation) levels of 650 mm, 500 mm, and 350 mm during the whole growing season); RFPS without film mulching, abbreviated as DD, including SDD, MDD, and LDD; conventional flat planting with no film mulching, abbreviated as GG, including SGG, MGG, and LGG; localized full irrigation (actual amount of irrigation excessively exceeding the quantity needed), abbreviated as NM. A positive linear relationship (R2 = 0.95–1), a quadratic curve, and a negative linear relationship were observed between the irrigation water level and actual crop evapotranspiration (ETc), grain yield, and WUE, respectively. The ETc of QF (292 mm) was substantially lower than that of the other treatments (p < 0.01), saving 649 mm of irrigation water and increasing the yield by 2.24% compared with those of NM. Meanwhile, the WUE and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of QF reached maximums of 6.3 and 47.36 kg m−3, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of other treatments (p < 0.001). The results showed that planting in an RFPS with film mulching on both ridges and furrows (a ridge-to-furrow ratio of 50:30, with a 38 mm irrigation level) is suitable for maize to obtain high yield and reduce irrigation water use significantly.
Highlights
In arid and semi-arid regions, the annual crop evapotranspiration (ETc ) greatly exceeds the total precipitation, and approximately 50% of the total evapotranspiration occurs through the soil surface.Farmland irrigation is obtained mainly from groundwater [1], and over-exploitation of this resource can result in water unavailability
This result was substantially higher than that observed by Istanbulluoglu et al [46], who reported ETc values for maize of 586 mm with full irrigation, indicating that ridge-furrow planting systems (RFPS) may be useful for preventing evaporation
Our study showed that c, water use efficiency (WUE), and WUE being observed among different irrigation levels [10,52]
Summary
In arid and semi-arid regions, the annual crop evapotranspiration (ETc ) greatly exceeds the total precipitation, and approximately 50% of the total evapotranspiration occurs through the soil surface.Farmland irrigation is obtained mainly from groundwater [1], and over-exploitation of this resource can result in water unavailability. The total water requirement for maize (Zea mays L.), the third. Agronomy 2018, 8, 221 most important cereal food crop globally, varies from 500 to 800 mm during the entire growing season [2]. Water scarcity can affect maize growth and reduce grains per ear and kernel weight, reducing grain yield [3,4,5,6]. The degree of yield reduction due to drought stress is dependent on drought severity and the growth stage at which it occurs, e.g., reduced irrigation frequency early in the cropping season [7,8] and drought occurring just before anthesis [9], and during silking and grain filling. Intermediate and severe drought stresses at critical growth stages reduce grain yield by 70–90%
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