Effects of straw mulching on soil temperature, evaporation and yield of winter wheat: field experiments on the North China Plain

SUMMARYTo explore effective ways to decrease soil CO2 emission and increase winter wheat grain yield in the North China Plain, a field experiment was conducted using two planting systems (wide-precision planting and conventional-cultivation planting) and two straw mulching rates (0 and 0.6 kg m−2) to study carbon emission, carbon cumulative emission flux, grain yield and yield carbon utilization efficiency. In the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 winter wheat growing seasons, CO2 emission rate and cumulative CO2-C fluxes following straw mulching treatment were significantly lower than those following non-mulching treatments, whereas the yield carbon utilization efficiency was significant higher following straw mulching treatment. Straw mulching significantly reduced winter wheat grain yield, which was mainly due to the significant decrease in spike numbers and 1000-kernel weight. However, wide-precision planting system significantly increased winter wheat grain yields by increasing spike numbers under straw mulching conditions. Therefore, wide-precision planting system could compensate for the reduction in winter wheat grain yield under carbon sequestration conditions in the North China Plain.

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Crop Water Production Functions for Winter Wheat with Drip Fertigation in the North China Plain

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10060876 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 876

Author(s):

Xiaojun Shen ◽

Guangshuai Wang ◽

Ketema Tilahun Zeleke ◽

Zhuanyun Si ◽

Jinsai Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

North China Plain ◽

North China ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Nitrogen Levels ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

The North ◽

The North China Plain ◽

Irrigation Levels ◽

Drip Fertigation

During four consecutive growing seasons (2014–2018), field experiments were conducted in the North China to determine winter wheat production function. The field experiments were carried out using winter wheat subjected to four N levels (N120, N180, N240, and N300) and three irrigation levels (If, I0.8f, and I0.6f). The main aims were to characterize winter wheat productivity, drought response factor Ky, and the winter wheat grain yield production functions in relation to water supply under the different N fertilizer levels. The amount of water supply (rain + irrigation) were 326–434, 333–441, 384–492, and 332–440 mm in 2014–2015, 2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2017–2018 growing seasons, respectively. Similarly, the values of ETa (including the contribution from soil water storage) were 413–466, 384–468, 401–466, and 417–467 mm in 2014–2015, 2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2017–2018, respectively. ETa increased as the amount of irrigation increased. The average values of If, I0.8f, and I0.6f over the four growing seasons were 459–465, 432–446, and 404–413 mm, respectively. For the same amount of irrigation, there was only small difference in ETa among different nitrogen levels; for the three irrigation levels, the values of ETa in N120, N180, N240, and N300 ranged from 384 to 466, 384 to 466, 385 to 467, and 407 to 468 mm, respectively. Water productivity values ranged from 1.69 to 2.50 kg m−3 for (rain + irrigation) and 1.45 to 2.05 kg·m−3 for ETa. The Ky linearly decreased with the increase in nitrogen amount, and the values of r were greater than 0.92. The values of Ky for winter wheat in N120, N180, N240, and N300 were 1.54, 1.41, 1.28, and 1.25, respectively. The mean value of Ky for winter wheat over the three irrigation levels and the four nitrogen levels was 1.37 (r = 0.95). In summary, to gain higher grain yield and WUE, optimal combination of N fertilizer of 180–240 kg·ha−1 and irrigation quota of 36–45 mm per irrigation should be applied for winter wheat with drip fertigation in the North China Plain.

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