Evaluation of mulched drip irrigation for cotton in arid Northwest China

Limited water resources and low water productivity limit the sustainable development of agriculture in northwest China. In this study, drip irrigation under plastic film was used to achieve an optimal water deficit irrigation (WDI) scheme for the cultivation of indigowoad root (Isatis tinctoria L.). Field water control experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017. Evaluation of WDI schemes was carried out by considering five indices: water consumption, yield, water use efficiency (WUE), indigo, and (R,S)-goitrin. To enhance the reliability of results, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) were adopted to calculate the combined weight of the evaluation index. Finally, an improved technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) that integrated AHP–EWM weights was used to construct a unified, comprehensive evaluation model of indigowoad root under mulched drip irrigation that would produce high yield while saving water. The evaluation results indicated that mild WD (specifically, the V1G1 treatment) was continuously exerted during the vegetative and fleshy root growth periods, which enhanced the WUE and improved the quality of indigowoad root to a certain extent without significantly reducing the yield. These results provide a scientific basis for irrigation of indigowoad in northwest China and other areas with a similar environment.

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Effects of plastic mulch on the radiative and thermal conditions and potato growth under drip irrigation in arid Northwest China

Soil and Tillage Research ◽

10.1016/j.still.2017.04.010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 172 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

You-Liang Zhang ◽

Feng-Xin Wang ◽

Clinton Cleon Shock ◽

Kai-Jing Yang ◽

Shao-Zhong Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drip Irrigation ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Northwest China ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Potato Growth ◽

Arid Northwest China

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Using Bromide Data Tracer and HYDRUS‐1D to Estimate Groundwater Recharge and Evapotranspiration under Film‐mulched Drip Irrigation in an Arid Inland Basin, Northwest China

Hydrological Processes ◽

10.1002/hyp.14290 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wenling Chen ◽

Jianjun Wang ◽

Yanfeng Liu ◽

Menggui Jin ◽

Xing Liang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Recharge ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Northwest China ◽

Hydrus 1D ◽

Mulched Drip Irrigation

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Improving Yield and Quality of Processing Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) Using Alternate Partial Root-Zone Drip Irrigation in Arid Northwest China

Water ◽

10.3390/w11071503 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1503 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Di Zhao ◽

Zhenhua Wang ◽

Jinzhu Zhang ◽

Wenhao Li ◽

Bo Zhou

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Root Zone ◽

Northwest China ◽

Yield Reduction ◽

Processing Tomato ◽

Irrigation Water Use ◽

Arid Northwest China

Processing tomato is one of the most important economic crops in Xinjiang, China, which was constrained with severe water shortage and extreme arid climate. Alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) may provide an effective way to increase irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) without yield reduction. However, limited studies concerned about applying APRI in processing tomato plantation have been done, especially combined with drip irrigation to further control the irrigation and improve iWUE. Therefore, the two-year pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of different irrigation treatments, including three APRI treatments (irrigation quota of 67.5, 51.6, and 43.7 mm, respectively), fixed partial root-zoon drip irrigation (FPRI, 67.5 mm) and conventional drip irrigation (CDI, 67.5 mm). The results indicated that APRI was an appropriate irrigation method in processing tomato plantation in arid desert area such as Xinjiang, as high irrigation quota of APRI (APRIH) significantly improved its yield without fruit quality reduction in comparison with those of CDI. However, the yield without fruit quality of FPRI significantly decreased. Even if the irrigation quota of APRI decreased to the medium level (APRIM, 51.6 mm), iWUE by increased 31.8–32.7% on the contrary, as irrigation water was saved by 23.6%; while keeping the yield and fruit quality. Therefore, APRIM is recommended for processing tomato plantation in arid northwest China, to increase plant growth, fruit quality, yield, and iWUE synergistically.

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Spatial distribution and simulation of soil moisture and salinity under mulched drip irrigation combined with tillage in an arid saline irrigation district, northwest China

Agricultural Water Management ◽

10.1016/j.agwat.2017.12.032 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 201 ◽

pp. 219-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Zhijuan Qi ◽

Hao Feng ◽

Ying Zhao ◽

Tibin Zhang ◽

Aizheng Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Soil Moisture ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Northwest China ◽

Irrigation District ◽

Saline Irrigation ◽

Mulched Drip Irrigation

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Using Bromide Data Tracer and HYDRUS-1D to Estimate Groundwater Recharge and Evapotranspiration under Film-mulched Drip Irrigation in an Arid Inland Basin, Northwest China

10.22541/au.160861883.37338487/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wenling Chen ◽

Jianjun Wang ◽

Yanfen Liu ◽

Menggui Jin ◽

Xing Liang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Recharge ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Tracer Tests ◽

Northwest China ◽

Soil Evaporation ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Groundwater Evaporation ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Hydrus 1D ◽

Mulched Drip Irrigation

Accurate estimation of groundwater recharge (GR) and evapotranspiration (ET) are essential for sustainable groundwater resources management, especially in water-limited arid and semi-arid regions. In the Manas River Basin (MRB), water shortage is the main factor restricting sustainable development of irrigated agriculture, which relies heavily on groundwater. Film-mulched drip irrigation significantly changes the pattern and dominant processes of water flow in the unsaturated zone, which increases the difficulty of estimating GR and ET. To better estimate GR and ET under film-mulched drip irrigation in the MRB, bromide tracer tests and soil lithologic investigation were conducted at twelve representative sites in the MRB. A one-dimensional variably saturated flow model (HYDRUS-1D) was calibrated at each site using groundwater evaporation data inferred from the bromide tracer tests. The results showed that average annual groundwater evaporation in uncultivated lands calculated from bromide trace tests was 25.55 mm. Good simulation accuracy was achieved between the observed and simulated evaporation. Model calculations showed that the annual GR was within 5.5 to 37.0 mm under film-mulched drip irrigation. The annual ET was within 507.0 to 747.1 mm, with soil evaporation between 35.7 to 117.0 mm and transpiration between 460.9 to 642.3 mm, respectively. The portion of the soil evaporation for the total ET was within 7% to 16% and more than 70% of the precipitation and irrigation water was used by the cotton plants. Spatial variations in soil lithology, water-table depth, and initial soil water content led to the spatial differences of GR and ET in the MRB. Our study indicated that bromide tracer tests may be used to evaluated ET in the arid and semi-arid oases. The combination of bromide tracer tests and one dimensional variably saturated model can enhance reliability for estimation of GR and ET under film-mulched drip irrigation not only in the MRB, Northwest China but also the other similar arid inland basins around the world.

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