IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v245y2021ics0378377420321077.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Soil hydro-thermal characteristics, maize yield and water use efficiency as affected by different biodegradable film mulching patterns in a rain-fed semi-arid area of China

Author

Listed:
  • Gu, Xiaobo
  • Cai, Huanjie
  • Fang, Heng
  • Chen, Pengpeng
  • Li, Yupeng
  • Li, Yuannong

Abstract

The farming practice of fully mulched double ridge-furrow with polyethylene (PE) film has been widely used to improve productivity of many staple crops in arid and semi-arid regions of northwest China. However, the residual PE film has caused many environmental problems such as “white pollution” and land degradation. Biodegradable film might be a good substitute for PE film in agriculture production, but the evidence for the appropriate biodegradable film mulching pattern for maize is lacking. A 2-year field experiment was carried out to identify a suitable biodegradable film mulching pattern for maize at a typical rain-fed semi-arid site on the Loess Plateau. The local widely cultivated maize variety ‘Luodan 9′ was sown in five planting patterns: 1) conventional flat planting without film mulching (CK); 2) flat planting with full mulching with biodegradable film (FB); 3) ridge-furrow planting with biodegradable film mulching on ridges (RFB); 4) double ridge-furrow planting with full biodegradable film mulching (DRFB) and with full transparent PE film mulching (DRFP). The results indicated that biodegradable film mulching patterns (including FB, RFB and DRFB) significantly increased soil hydrothermal conditions, improved leaf area index, shoot and root biomass, and thus enhanced maize yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in comparison to CK (P < 0.05). Among the three biodegradable film mulching patterns, maize yield and WUE in DRFB (average across two growing seasons) were 9.7% and 11.7% significantly greater than FB, and were 9.9% and 12.2% significantly greater than RFB. In addition, maize yield and WUE in DRFB did not differ significantly from those in DRFP, except that the maize yield was 5.2% (P < 0.05) lower than DRFP in 2013 (a warm and dry season). Present field demonstration clearly indicated that DRFB could serve as a promising option to ameliorate soil hydrothermal conditions, improve maize growth and yield performance, boost WUE, and simultaneously reduce environmental risks such as “white pollution” in rain-fed semi-arid regions of northwest China.

Suggested Citation

  • Gu, Xiaobo & Cai, Huanjie & Fang, Heng & Chen, Pengpeng & Li, Yupeng & Li, Yuannong, 2021. "Soil hydro-thermal characteristics, maize yield and water use efficiency as affected by different biodegradable film mulching patterns in a rain-fed semi-arid area of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:245:y:2021:i:c:s0378377420321077
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106560
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377420321077
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106560?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lin, Wen & Liu, Wenzhao & Zhou, Shanshan & Liu, Chunfen, 2019. "Influence of plastic film mulch on maize water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Bu, Ling-duo & Liu, Jian-liang & Zhu, Lin & Luo, Sha-sha & Chen, Xin-ping & Li, Shi-qing & Lee Hill, Robert & Zhao, Ying, 2013. "The effects of mulching on maize growth, yield and water use in a semi-arid region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 71-78.
    3. Deng, Xi-Ping & Shan, Lun & Zhang, Heping & Turner, Neil C., 2006. "Improving agricultural water use efficiency in arid and semiarid areas of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 80(1-3), pages 23-40, February.
    4. Du, Taisheng & Kang, Shaozhong & Sun, Jingsheng & Zhang, Xiying & Zhang, Jianhua, 2010. "An improved water use efficiency of cereals under temporal and spatial deficit irrigation in north China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 66-74, January.
    5. Liu, Yi & Li, Shiqing & Chen, Fang & Yang, Shenjiao & Chen, Xinping, 2010. "Soil water dynamics and water use efficiency in spring maize (Zea mays L.) fields subjected to different water management practices on the Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(5), pages 769-775, May.
    6. Qin, Shuhao & Zhang, Junlian & Dai, Hailin & Wang, Di & Li, Deming, 2014. "Effect of ridge–furrow and plastic-mulching planting patterns on yield formation and water movement of potato in a semi-arid area," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 87-94.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chuanjuan Wang & Jiandong Wang & Yanqun Zhang & Shanshan Qin & Yuanyuan Zhang & Chaoqun Liu, 2022. "Effects of Different Mulching Materials on the Grain Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Maize in the North China Plain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Li, Wenlong & Gu, Xiaobo & Du, Yadan & Zheng, Xiaobo & Lu, Shiyu & Cheng, Zhikai & Cai, Wenjing & Chang, Tian, 2023. "Optimizing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization regimes to improve maize productivity under double ridge-furrow planting with full film mulching," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    3. Cai, Wenjing & Gu, Xiaobo & Du, Yadan & Chang, Tian & Lu, Shiyu & Zheng, Xiaobo & Bai, Dongping & Song, Hui & Sun, Shikun & Cai, Huanjie, 2022. "Effects of mulching on water saving, yield increase and emission reduction for maize in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    4. Liyuan Bo & Xiaomin Mao & Yali Wang, 2022. "Assessing the Applicability of Biodegradable Film Mulching in Northwest China Based on Comprehensive Benefits Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-23, August.
    5. Sun, Jun & Niu, Wenquan & Du, Yadan & Zhang, Qian & Li, Guochun & Ma, Li & Zhu, Jinjin & Mu, Fei & Sun, Dan & Gan, Haicheng & Siddique, Kadambot H.M. & Ali, Sajjad, 2023. "Combined tillage: A management strategy to improve rainfed maize tolerance to extreme events in northwestern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    6. Liang, Yonghui & Wen, Yue & Meng, Yu & Li, Haiqiang & Song, Libing & Zhang, Jinzhu & Ma, Zhanli & Han, Yue & Wang, Zhenhua, 2024. "Effects of biodegradable film types and drip irrigation amounts on maize growth and field carbon sequestration in arid northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    7. Alexander Esaulko & Vladimir Sitnikov & Elena Pismennaya & Olga Vlasova & Evgeniy Golosnoi & Alena Ozheredova & Anna Ivolga & Vasilii Erokhin, 2022. "Productivity of Winter Wheat Cultivated by Direct Seeding: Measuring the Effect of Hydrothermal Coefficient in the Arid Zone of Central Fore-Caucasus," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Yang, Chong & Feng, Shouli & Yu, Jingyin & Tao, Xiaoyuan & Gao, Xuhua & Xu, Shengchun, 2024. "Effects of PLA/PBAT-based biodegradable film mulch on water and nitrogen dynamics in soil-potato system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Duan, Chenxiao & Chen, Guangjie & Hu, Yajin & Wu, Shufang & Feng, Hao & Dong, Qin’ge, 2021. "Alternating wide ridges and narrow furrows with film mulching improves soil hydrothermal conditions and maize water use efficiency in dry sub-humid regions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    2. He, Zhihao & Gong, Kaiyuan & Zhang, Zhiliang & Dong, Wenbiao & Feng, Hao & Yu, Qiang & He, Jianqiang, 2022. "What is the past, present, and future of scientific research on the Yellow River Basin? —A bibliometric analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    3. Hu, Yajin & Ma, Penghui & Duan, Chenxiao & Wu, Shufang & Feng, Hao & Zou, Yufeng, 2020. "Black plastic film combined with straw mulching delays senescence and increases summer maize yield in northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    4. Zhang, Xudong & Li, Zhimin & Siddique, Kadambot H.M. & Shayakhmetova, Altyn & Jia, Zhikuan & Han, Qingfang, 2020. "Increasing maize production and preventing water deficits in semi-arid areas: A study matching fertilization with regional precipitation under mulch planting," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    5. Ding, Dianyuan & Zhao, Ying & Feng, Hao & Hill, Robert Lee & Chu, Xiaosheng & Zhang, Tibin & He, Jianqiang, 2018. "Soil water utilization with plastic mulching for a winter wheat-summer maize rotation system on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 246-257.
    6. Ali, Shahzad & Ma, Xiangcheng & Jia, Qianmin & Ahmad, Irshad & Ahmad, Shakeel & Sha, Zhang & Yun, Bai & Muhammad, Adil & Ren, Xiaolong & shah, Shahen & Akbar, Habib & Cai, Tie & Zhang, Jiahua & Jia, Z, 2019. "Supplemental irrigation strategy for improving grain filling, economic return, and production in winter wheat under the ridge and furrow rainwater harvesting system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    7. Kashif AKHTAR & Weiyu WANG & Ahmad KHAN & Guangxin REN & Muhammad Zahir AFRIDI & Yongzhong FENG & Gaihe YANG, 2018. "Wheat straw mulching with fertilizer nitrogen: An approach for improving soil water storage and maize crop productivity," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(7), pages 330-337.
    8. Yang, Jian & Mao, Xiaomin & Wang, Kai & Yang, Weicai, 2018. "The coupled impact of plastic film mulching and deficit irrigation on soil water/heat transfer and water use efficiency of spring wheat in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 232-245.
    9. Duan, Chenxiao & Chen, Jifei & Li, Jiabei & Su, Shunshun & Lei, Qi & Feng, Hao & Wu, Shufang & Zhang, Tibin & Siddique, Kadambot H.M. & Zou, Yufeng, 2022. "Biomaterial amendments combined with ridge–furrow mulching improve soil hydrothermal characteristics and wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) growth in the Qaidam Basin of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    10. Dong, Qin’ge & Yang, Yuchen & Yu, Kun & Feng, Hao, 2018. "Effects of straw mulching and plastic film mulching on improving soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions, crop yield and water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 133-143.
    11. Feng, Yu & Gong, Daozhi & Mei, Xurong & Hao, Weiping & Tang, Dahua & Cui, Ningbo, 2017. "Energy balance and partitioning in partial plastic mulched and non-mulched maize fields on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 193-206.
    12. Zheng, Jing & Fan, Junliang & Zhou, Minghua & Zhang, Fucang & Liao, Zhenqi & Lai, Zhenlin & Yan, Shicheng & Guo, Jinjin & Li, Zhijun & Xiang, Youzhen, 2022. "Ridge-furrow plastic film mulching enhances grain yield and yield stability of rainfed maize by improving resources capture and use efficiency in a semi-humid drought-prone region," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    13. Ali, Shahzad & Jan, Amanullah & Zhang, Peng & Khan, Muhammad Numan & Cai, Tei & Wei, Ting & Ren, Xiaolong & Jia, Qianmin & Han, Qingfang & Jia, Zhikuan, 2016. "Effects of ridge-covering mulches on soil water storage and maize production under simulated rainfall in semiarid regions of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 1-11.
    14. Zhang, Guangxin & Dai, Rongcheng & Ma, Wenzhuo & Fan, Hengzhi & Meng, Wenhui & Han, Juan & Liao, Yuncheng, 2022. "Optimizing the ridge–furrow ratio and nitrogen application rate can increase the grain yield and water use efficiency of rain-fed spring maize in the Loess Plateau region of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    15. Liu, Xiaoli & Wang, Yandong & Zhang, Yuehe & Ren, Xiaolong & Chen, Xiaoli, 2022. "Can rainwater harvesting replace conventional irrigation for winter wheat production in dry semi-humid areas in China?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    16. Zhang, Yuanhong & Wang, Rui & Wang, Shulan & Ning, Fang & Wang, Hao & Wen, Pengfei & Li, Ao & Dong, Zhaoyang & Xu, Zonggui & Zhang, Yujiao & Li, Jun, 2019. "Effect of planting density on deep soil water and maize yield on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Dong, Baodi & Liu, Mengyu & Jiang, Jingwei & Shi, Changhai & Wang, Xiaoming & Qiao, Yunzhou & Liu, Yueyan & Zhao, Zhihai & li, Dongxiao & Si, Fuyan, 2014. "Growth, grain yield, and water use efficiency of rain-fed spring hybrid millet (Setaria italica) in plastic-mulched and unmulched fields," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 93-101.
    18. Wu, Yang & Jia, Zhikuan & Ren, Xiaolong & Zhang, Yan & Chen, Xin & Bing, Haoyang & Zhang, Peng, 2015. "Effects of ridge and furrow rainwater harvesting system combined with irrigation on improving water use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) in semi-humid area of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 1-9.
    19. Lin, Wen & Liu, Wenzhao, 2016. "Establishment and application of spring maize yield to evapotranspiration boundary function in the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 345-349.
    20. Thidar, Myint & Gong, Daozhi & Mei, Xurong & Gao, Lili & Li, Haoru & Hao, Weiping & Gu, Fengxue, 2020. "Mulching improved soil water, root distribution and yield of maize in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:245:y:2021:i:c:s0378377420321077. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.