IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v311y2025ics0378377425001076.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimized length and application rate of chopped straw for alfalfa production in ridge-furrow rainwater-harvesting in semi-arid regions in China

Author

Listed:
  • Zhao, Xiaole
  • Wang, Qi
  • Qadeer, Abdul
  • Sun, Yuanwei
  • Azim, Rizwan
  • Awuku, Ibrahim
  • Masoumkhani, Farzaneh
  • Ma, Wen
  • Liu, Qinglin
  • Cui, Xunzhen
  • Dong, Haixia
  • Li, Xuchun
  • Liu, Bing

Abstract

Water scarcity poses a significant challenge for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) cultivation in semi-arid regions in China. The conventional use of ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting (RFRH) with plastic film mulching in these areas has led to notable environmental repercussions. This study proposed an innovative approach in which RFRH was integrated with chopped straw-soil crust instead of plastic film. Runoff observations and alfalfa production experiments were carried out using a split-plot design to investigate the impact of varying chopped straw lengths (2 cm and 10 cm) and application rates (0 (R0), 3 (R3), 6 (R6), and 9 (R9) t ha−1) on runoff coefficient, soil water storage, temperature, fodder yield, and crop water productivity (WPC). Results indicated that the average runoff coefficient for R0, R3, R6, and R9 was 0.36–0.49, 0.41–0.59, 0.50–0.68, and 0.64–0.74, respectively. Compared to R0, the increase in soil water storage for R3, R6, and R9 was 7.1–15.1, 15.0–26.5, and 20.1–44.2 mm, respectively. The reduction in temperature within the furrow profile for those treatments was 0.4–1.0°C, 0.8–1.3°C, and 1.1–2.0°C, respectively. The increase in fodder yield for those treatments ranged from 11.3 % to 34.0 %, 31.2 %-62.9 %, and 7.9 %-47.7 %, respectively, while the enhancement in WPC was 1.3–14.8, 5.1–27.9, and 2.0–20.7 kg ha−1 mm−1. Notably, the average values for runoff coefficient, soil water storage, fodder yield, and WPC under 10 cm length of chopped straw were 1.03–1.31, 1.02–1.03, 1.02–1.05, and 1.03–1.08 times greater than under 2 cm length of chopped straw. Runoff coefficient, soil water storage, fodder yield, and WPC increased as chopped straw application rate and length increased. The structural equation modelling analysis showed that the chopped straw application rate had a significant direct positive effect on fodder yield and WPC, whereas the chopped straw length had a significant indirect negative effect on those parameters. The regression equation indicated that the optimized chopped straw application rate ranged from 5.2 to 7.1 t ha−1, while the optimized chopped straw length was 10 cm. This study underscored that chopped straw-soil crust was a sustainable alternative to plastic film mulching, offering valuable insights for improving alfalfa cultivation in water-scarce environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Xiaole & Wang, Qi & Qadeer, Abdul & Sun, Yuanwei & Azim, Rizwan & Awuku, Ibrahim & Masoumkhani, Farzaneh & Ma, Wen & Liu, Qinglin & Cui, Xunzhen & Dong, Haixia & Li, Xuchun & Liu, Bing, 2025. "Optimized length and application rate of chopped straw for alfalfa production in ridge-furrow rainwater-harvesting in semi-arid regions in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:311:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425001076
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109393
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425001076
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109393?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Guangxin & Mo, Fei & Shah, Farooq & Meng, Wenhui & Liao, Yuncheng & Han, Juan, 2021. "Ridge-furrow configuration significantly improves soil water availability, crop water use efficiency, and grain yield in dryland agroecosystems of the Loess Plateau," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    2. Li, Xiao-Yan & Gong, Jia-Dong, 2002. "Effects of different ridge:furrow ratios and supplemental irrigation on crop production in ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system with mulches," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 243-254, April.
    3. Zhang, Jing & Chen, Ying Ying & Liu, Wen Hui & Guo, Zheng Gang, 2021. "Effect of alternate partial root-zone drying (PRD) on soil nitrogen availability to alfalfa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    4. N, Kishor & Khanna, Manoj & Rajanna, G.A. & Singh, Man & Singh, Anupama & Singh, Shrawan & Banerjee, Tirthankar & Patanjali, Neeraj & Rajput, Jitendra & Kiruthiga, B., 2024. "Soil water distribution and water productivity in red cabbage crop using superabsorbent polymeric hydrogels under different drip irrigation regimes," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    5. Khamidov, M. & Ishchanov, J. & Hamidov, A. & Shermatov, E. & Gafurov, Zafar, 2023. "Impact of soil surface temperature on changes in the groundwater level," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-15(21):38.
    6. Zhe Liu & Huanyuan Wang & Shiliu Cao & Zenghui Sun & Na Wang & Zhaoxin Zhang & Yi Rong, 2022. "Variation Characteristics of Particle Surface Electrochemical Properties during the Improvement of Reclaimed Soil from Hollow Village in Loess Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Liu, Beibei & Wu, Qiaoran & Wang, Feng & Zhang, Bing, 2019. "Is straw return-to-field always beneficial? Evidence from an integrated cost-benefit analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 393-402.
    8. Wang, Wanning & Wang, Weishu & Wang, Pu & Wang, Xianghao & Wang, Liwen & Wang, Chaozi & Zhang, Chenglong & Huo, Zailin, 2023. "Impact of straw return on soil temperature and water during the freeze-thaw period," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    9. Zhang, Chun & Dong, Zhaoyun & Guo, Qin & Hu, Zhilin & Li, Juan & Wei, Ting & Ding, Ruixia & Cai, Tie & Ren, Xiaolong & Han, Qingfang & Zhang, Peng & Jia, Zhikuan, 2022. "Ridge–furrow rainwater harvesting combined with supplementary irrigation: Water-saving and yield-maintaining mode for winter wheat in a semiarid region based on 8-year in-situ experiment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    10. Zekâi Şen, 2021. "Reservoirs for Water Supply Under Climate Change Impact—A Review," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(11), pages 3827-3843, September.
    11. Li, Ruolin & Wang, Xiaojie & Liu, Jiarong & Wang, Shichen & Wei, Zhijun & Ma, Jing & Song, Kaifu & Zhu, Zhenke & Ge, Tida & Zhang, Guangbin & Xu, Hua & Yan, Xiaoyuan, 2024. "Mitigating methane emissions and carbon footprint in rice-wheat rotation system by straw centralized returning under rainfed conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    12. Zhao, Xiaole & Mak-Mensah, Erastus & Zhao, Wucheng & Wang, Qi & Zhou, Xujiao & Zhang, Dengkui & Zhu, Jinhui & Qi, Wenjia & Liu, Qinglin & Li, Xiaoling & Li, Xuchun & Liu, Bing, 2024. "Optimized ridge-furrow technology with biochar amendment for alfalfa yield enhancement and soil erosion reduction based on a structural equation model on sloping land," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. 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).
    2. Cui, Lingling & Lu, Jilian & Ding, Shihao & Song, Xiaosa & Chen, Pengliang & Feng, Baili & Tian, Lixin, 2025. "Optimizing the ratios of ridge-furrow mulching patterns and urea types improve the resource use efficiency and yield of broomcorn millet on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    3. 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).
    4. Jinhua Xie & Gangqiao Yang & Ge Wang & Shuoyan He, 2024. "How does social capital affect farmers’ environment-friendly technology adoption behavior? A case study in Hubei Province, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 18361-18384, July.
    5. Ahmad Abu Arra & Eyüp Şişman, 2024. "Innovative Drought Classification Matrix and Acceptable Time Period for Temporal Drought Evaluation," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 38(8), pages 2811-2833, June.
    6. Xu Duan & Di Xiao & Yu Zou & Qi Dong & Wanjun Ye & Liyun Tang, 2023. "Permeability Characteristics and Mechanism of Silicone-Hydrophobic-Powder-Modified Compacted Loess," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    7. Li-fang Wang & Juan Chen & Zhou-ping Shangguan, 2015. "Yield Responses of Wheat to Mulching Practices in Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-15, May.
    8. 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.
    9. Gong, Daozhi & Mei, Xurong & Hao, Weiping & Wang, Hanbo & Caylor, Kelly K., 2017. "Comparison of ET partitioning and crop coefficients between partial plastic mulched and non-mulched maize fields," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 23-34.
    10. Haikang Li & Jing Geng & Zhenyu Liu & Honggui Ao & Zhenjiang Wang & Quanting Xue, 2025. "Mulching Improves the Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Millet in Northern China: A Meta-Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    11. Silvia Di Francesco & Stefano Casadei & Ilaria Di Mella & Francesca Giannone, 2022. "The Role of Small Reservoirs in a Water Scarcity Scenario: a Computational Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(3), pages 875-889, February.
    12. Zhang, Tibin & Zou, Yufeng & Kisekka, Isaya & Biswas, Asim & Cai, Huanjie, 2021. "Comparison of different irrigation methods to synergistically improve maize’s yield, water productivity and economic benefits in an arid irrigation area," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    13. Moghbel, Farzam & Fazel, Forough & Aguilar, Jonathan & Mosaedi, Abolfazl & Lollato, Romulo P., 2024. "Long-term investigation of the irrigation intervals and supplementary irrigation strategies effects on winter wheat in the U.S. Central High Plains based on a combination of crop modeling and field st," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    14. Lian, Yanhao & Ali, Shahzad & Zhang, Xudong & Wang, Tianlu & Liu, Qi & Jia, Qianmin & Jia, Zhikuan & Han, Qingfang, 2016. "Nutrient and tillage strategies to increase grain yield and water use efficiency in semi-arid areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 137-147.
    15. 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).
    16. Chen, Keyuan & Ali, Shahzad & Chen, Yanyun & Manzoor, & Sohail, Amir & Jan, Amanullah & Inamullah, & Fahad, Shah, 2018. "Effect of ridge-covering mulching materials on hormonal changes, antioxidative enzyme activities and production of maize in semi-arid regions of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 281-291.
    17. 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).
    18. Jutao Zeng & Jie Lyu, 2023. "Simultaneous Decisions to Undertake Off-Farm Work and Straw Return: The Role of Cognitive Ability," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, August.
    19. Liao, Zhenqi & Zeng, Hualiang & Fan, Junliang & Lai, Zhenlin & Zhang, Chen & Zhang, Fucang & Wang, Haidong & Cheng, Minghui & Guo, Jinjin & Li, Zhijun & Wu, Peng, 2022. "Effects of plant density, nitrogen rate and supplemental irrigation on photosynthesis, root growth, seed yield and water-nitrogen use efficiency of soybean under ridge-furrow plastic mulching," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    20. 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.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:311:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425001076. 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.