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Micro-sprinkler irrigation with optimal irrigation regimes maintain grain yields while increasing carbon emission efficiency and water productivity of winter wheat on the North China Plain

Author

Listed:
  • Zheng, Hao
  • Zheng, Chunlian
  • Sun, Chitao
  • Zheng, Yudong
  • Cao, Caiyun
  • Zhang, Anqi
  • Zhang, Junpeng
  • Dang, Hongkai

Abstract

Water scarcity on the North China Plain (NCP) threatens winter wheat growth and yields, necessitating water-saving irrigation. Farmland carbon emissions are significant agricultural greenhouse-gas sources, and irrigation can modify field CO2 fluxes. Optimizing irrigation regimes is thus crucial for improving grain yield, crop water productivity (CWP) and carbon emission efficiency (CEE). The joint effects of irrigation method and target wetting depth on water use, CO2 emissions, and grain yield remains insufficiently quantified. A two-season (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) field experiment was undertaken on winter wheat on the North China Plain. There were two irrigation methods: drip irrigation (D) and micro-sprinkler irrigation (MS) and three supplementary irrigation depths: 0–20 cm (W20), 0–30 cm (W30), or 0–40 cm (W40). The soil water content, evapotranspiration, soil respiration, cumulative CO2, grain yield, CWP, and CEE were measured to assess the efficiency of irrigation regimes. The results showed that relative to D, MS increased the 0–100 cm soil water content (2.0 % and 4.1 %), reduced soil respiration (3.6 % and 4.1 %) and cumulative CO2 (7.3 % and 5.0 %), and increased yield (6.5 % and 8.1 %), CWP (8.7 % and 4.6 %), and CEE (7.6 % and 11.4 %) across seasons. Increasing supplemental irrigation wetted soil layer depths generally increased soil water content, evapotranspiration, CO2 emissions, grain yield, CWP, and CEE. Grain yields peaked under MSW40. MSW30 matched MSW40 in grain yield while utilizing 59.7 % less irrigation water in 2022–2023. An entropy weight method integrating water use, grain yield, and environmental metrics recommended MS with W30 in wet years and W40 in normal years, with supplementary irrigation at the jointing and anthesis stages.

Suggested Citation

  • Zheng, Hao & Zheng, Chunlian & Sun, Chitao & Zheng, Yudong & Cao, Caiyun & Zhang, Anqi & Zhang, Junpeng & Dang, Hongkai, 2025. "Micro-sprinkler irrigation with optimal irrigation regimes maintain grain yields while increasing carbon emission efficiency and water productivity of winter wheat on the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:321:y:2025:i:c:s037837742500647x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109933
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