Exploring options for improving maize productivity for small farmers in the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Yaguang Gao ◽  
Yingying Xing
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Characteristics ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Maize Cultivar

<p>Millions of small farmers rely on maize (Zea mays L.) produced in the Loess Plateau of China. However, little has been reported on the effects of plastic mulch and maize cultivar on crop yield in the check dam environment. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of maize cultivar and plastic mulch on photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield when grown in the check dam environment. Three maize cultivars were assessed with and without plastic mulch in 2016 and 2017 in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, China. Results showed that mulch increased grain yield by 10.5% in 2016 and 11.3% in 2017 across all cultivars. Among all cultivars, ‘Xianyu335’ had the highest grain yield under both mulch and no mulch. Grain yield was significantly correlated with soil water content in the 0-20 cm layer. Soil temperature under mulch decreased with increasing soil depth. Averaged over soil depths, mulch increased soil temperature from 0.2 to 1.9 °C over the entire growing season. Maize cultivar directly determined photosynthetic characteristics. Grain yield was more closely related to photosynthetic rate in July than in August, and was significantly associated with stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Our findings suggest that photosynthetic characteristics is an important index affecting maize grain yield for small farmers using check dams in the Loess Plateau.</p>

Effects of mulching and maize cultivars on grain yield and photosynthetic characteristics in the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 3629-3643
Author(s):  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Meitian Li ◽  
Xiaoli Niu ◽  
Wenting Jiang ◽  
Wei Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Characteristics ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Maize Cultivars

scholarly journals Soil Respiration Characteristics and Influencing Factors for Apple Orchards in Different Regions on the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4780
Author(s):  
Tingting Hou ◽  
Yanping Wang ◽  
Fuxing Guo ◽  
Qiong Jia ◽  
Xinnan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
The Loess Plateau

To explore the characteristics of the spatial and temporal variation in soil respiration (SR) in orchard ecosystems in different regions of the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province and to distinguish the controlling factors, representative orchards were studied from April to October 2019. We conducted SR measurements in five locations, including Mizhi dangta (MZ), Ansai Liuzhuang (AS), Luochuan houzitou (LC), Fuping meijiaping (FP), and Yangling Wuquan (YL). The results indicated that the SR of each orchard showed clear seasonal variation. The SR increased with the distance from the trunk at the tree scale, while gradually increasing from north to south on the regional scale (p < 0.05). The soil temperature and soil moisture were the main factors controlling the seasonal changes in SR in the orchards. On the tree scale, the fine root biomass was the main factor causing the tree-scale spatial variability. At the regional scale, SR was mainly influenced by the differences in the soil temperature, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, soil bulk density and pH. In agricultural management practices, the cumulative soil respiration was higher with irrigated treatment than with non-irrigated (NI) treatment (p < 0.05). In addition, traditional surface drip irrigation (SDI) and root injection irrigation (RII) showed great differences in soil respiration in the early and late stages of irrigation (p < 0.05), and the soil moisture was the main controlling factor. Compared with no tillage (NI), green cover (GC), deep tillage (DT), and shallow tillage (ST) increased the SR by 57%, 36% and 14%, respectively (p < 0.05). Due to the great temporal and spatial variation in the SR in our study area, we determined that the soil respiration in the orchards was affected not only by environmental factors but also by agricultural measures. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to human factors when exploring SR to ensure that orchard management can promote the economic benefits of the orchards without greatly impacting the environment.

scholarly journals Appropriate Management Scale of Farmland and Regional Differences under Different Objectives in Shaanxi Province, China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 314
Author(s):  
Qianxi Zhang ◽  
Zehui Chen ◽  
Fei Li
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Employment Rate ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Surplus Labor ◽  
The Government

Agricultural development is facing two problems: insufficient grain production and low profit of farmers. There is a contradiction between the government’s goal of increasing production and the farmer’s goal of increasing profit. Exploring the appropriate management scale of farmland under different objectives is of great significance to alleviate the conflict of interests between the government and farmers. In this study the Cobb-Douglas production function model was used to measure the appropriate management scale of farmland under different objectives in Shaanxi Province and analyze the regional differences. Under the two objectives, the appropriate management scale of the Loess Plateau was the largest in the three regions, followed by Qinba Mountains and Guanzhong Plain. Farmland area and quality were the main influencing factors for the appropriate management scale of farmland under the goal of maximizing the farmland yield, while the nonagricultural employment rate and farmland transfer rate were the main influencing factors under the goal of maximizing farmers’ profits. It is easy for Shaanxi Province to increase farmers’ profits, but more land needed to be transferred to increase farmland yield. These results suggest that in order to balance the goal of increasing yield and profit, the transfer of rural surplus labor should be promoted, and the nonagricultural employment rate should be improved. In Loess Plateau, restoring the ecological environment and enhancing the farmland quality. In Guanzhong Plain, avoiding urban land encroachment on farmland. In Qinba Mountains, developing farming techniques and moderately increasing the intensity of farmland exploit.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Supply Affects Grain Yield by Regulating Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Photosynthetic Capacity of Maize Plant in the Loess Plateau

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1094
Author(s):  
Kai Yue ◽  
Lingling Li ◽  
Junhong Xie ◽  
Setor Kwami Fudjoe ◽  
Renzhi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Leaf Stage ◽  
Significant Difference

Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for maize, and appropriate N fertilization can promote maize growth and yield. The effect of N fertilizer rates and timings on morphology, antioxidant enzymes, and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in the Loess Plateau of China was evaluated. The four N levels, i.e., 0 (N0), 100 (N1), 200 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg ha−1, were applied at two timings (T1, one-third N at sowing and two-thirds at the six-leaf stage of maize; T2, one-third applied at sowing, six-leaf stage, and eleven-leaf stage of maize). The results show that N2 and N3 significantly increased the plant height, stem and leaf dry weight, and leaf area index of maize compared with a non-N-fertilized control (N0). The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf chlorophyll contents were lower, while the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration was higher for non-fertilized plants compared to fertilized plants. The activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with N rate, but the difference between 200 and 300 kg ha−1 was not significant; further, the isozyme bands of POD and SOD also changed with their activities. Compared with a non-N-fertilized control, N2 and N3 significantly increased grain yield by 2.76- and 3.11-fold in 2018, 2.74- and 2.80-fold in 2019, and 2.71- and 2.89-fold in 2020, and there was no significant difference between N2 and N3. N application timing only affected yield in 2018. In conclusion, 200 kg N ha−1 application increased yield through optimizing the antioxidant enzyme system, increasing photosynthetic capacity, and promoting dry matter accumulation. Further research is necessary to evaluate the response of more cultivars under more seasons to validate the results obtained.

scholarly journals Soil carbon fractions and enzyme activities under different vegetation types on the Loess Plateau of China

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixin Zhang ◽  
Quanchao Zeng ◽  
Shaoshan An ◽  
Yanghong Dong ◽  
Frédéric Darboux
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Sucrase Activity ◽  
Carbon Fractions ◽  
Carbon Fraction

Abstract. Vegetation restoration was effective way of protecting soil erosion and water conservation on the Loess Plateau. Carbon fractions and enzyme activities were sensitive parameters for assessment of soil remediation through revegetation. Forest, forest steppe and grassland soils were collected at 0–5 cm and 5–20 cm soil layers in Yanhe watershed, Shaanxi Province. Urease, sucrase, alkaline phosphatase, soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured. The results showed that carbon fraction contents and enzyme activities in the same soil layer followed the order that forest was higher than others. Carbon fraction contents and enzyme activities appeared that the 0–5 cm was higher than 5–20 cm soil layer. In addition, correlation analysis showed that urease activity was related to SOC, MBC, EOC and DOC at 0–5 cm layer; it was correlated with SOC, MBC and EOC at 5–20 cm layer. Sucrase activity had significant positive relationship with SOC, MBC and EOC. Alkaline phosphatase activity was related to EOC and DOC at 0–5 cm layer; it was correlated with MBC and EOC at 5–20 cm layer. The CCA reflected the relationship between sucrase activity and SOC. The contributions from the various forms of carbon fractions and enzyme activities as evaluated by the canonical coefficient of CV were on the order of SOC > DOC > MBC > EOC; sucrase > urease > alkaline phosphatase. Vegetation type was an important factor influencing the variation of soil enzyme activities and carbon fractions on the Loess Plateau.

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