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Effects of different mulching technologies on evapotranspiration and summer maize growth

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  • Li, Siyi
  • Li, Yi
  • Lin, Haixia
  • Feng, Hao
  • Dyck, Miles

Abstract

Different mulching techniques, i.e., plastic film, gravel-sand and straw, have been applied in China for many decades, but have not been compared systematically for effects on soil water storage, evapotranspiration, crop growth, yields and water use efficiency (WUE) various crop growth stages. A Two-year summer maize growth experiment was conducted in containers under a rain-shelter to analyze the effects of plastic film, gravel-sand and straw surface mulches on soil water dynamics and crop growth processes. A lysimeter was designed for each container to dynamically measure soil-plant water dynamics. Eight treatments were designed including a control (no mulching – CK), black plastic-film-mulch (BPF0), transparent plastic-film-mulches(TRPF0), 1-mm-straw below black plastic film (BPF1), 1-mm-straw below transparent film (TRPF1), and 69kg/m2 gravel-sand-mulch (SAND), two straw mulch treatments with chopped-straw-length of 1mm (ST1) and 100mm (ST100). The results revealed that, all 7 mulching treatments decreased soil water evaporation during early crop growth stages, which saved water and accelerated maize growth in the middle and later stages. For the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons, average soil water storage during the jointing stage increased 32%, 39%, 48%, 57%, 61%, 62% and 66%, yield increased 13%, 18%, 23%, 28%, 29%, 34% and 29%, and WUE increased 1.4, 2.1, 3.0, 3.2, 3.5, 4.1, and 3.6kghm−2mm−1 compared with the CK treatment, for the ST100, SAND, ST1, TRPF0, TRPF1, BPF0 and BPF1 treatments, respectively. In general, yield and WUE increases were greatest in the BPF0 treatment, followed by TRPF1, BPF1, TRPF0, ST1, SAND and ST100. Yield and WUE increases in the ST100 and SAND treatments were small. This research revealed that plastic mulch had the largest yield and WUE increase, of which, black plastic film was better than transparent plastic film. The yield and WUE increase of gravel-sand-mulching was larger than 100-mm-in-length-straw-mulching but less than 1-mm-in-length-straw-mulching.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Siyi & Li, Yi & Lin, Haixia & Feng, Hao & Dyck, Miles, 2018. "Effects of different mulching technologies on evapotranspiration and summer maize growth," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 201(C), pages 309-318.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:201:y:2018:i:c:p:309-318
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2017.10.025
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Wang, Donglin & Feng, Hao & Li, Yi & Zhang, Tibin & Dyck, Miles & Wu, Feng, 2019. "Energy input-output, water use efficiency and economics of winter wheat under gravel mulching in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 354-366.
    6. Li, Yue & Chen, Hao & Feng, Hao & Dong, Qin’ge & Wu, Wenjie & Zou, Yufeng & Chau, Henry Wai & Siddique, Kadambot H.M., 2020. "Influence of straw incorporation on soil water utilization and summer maize productivity: A five-year field study on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    7. Gao, Haihe & Yan, Changrong & Liu, Qin & Li, Zhen & Yang, Xiao & Qi, Ruimin, 2019. "Exploring optimal soil mulching to enhance yield and water use efficiency in maize cropping in China: A meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    8. Zheng, Jing & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Zhuang, Qianlai, 2021. "Evapotranspiration partitioning and water productivity of rainfed maize under contrasting mulching conditions in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    9. Wang, Huan & Fan, Jun & Fu, Wei & Du, Mengge & Zhou, Gu & Zhou, Mingxing & Hao, Mingde & Shao, Ming'an, 2022. "Good harvests of winter wheat from stored soil water and improved temperature during fallow period by plastic film mulching," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    10. Chu, Xiaosheng & Flerchinger, Gerald N. & Ma, Liwang & Fang, Quanxiao & Malone, Robert W. & Yu, Qiang & He, Jianqiang & Wang, Naijiang & Feng, Hao & Zou, Yufeng, 2022. "Development of RZ-SHAW for simulating plastic mulch effects on soil water, soil temperature, and surface energy balance in a maize field," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).

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