IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v230y2020ics0378377419310704.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimization of drip irrigation and fertilization regimes for high grain yield, crop water productivity and economic benefits of spring maize in Northwest China

Author

Listed:
  • Zou, Haiyang
  • Fan, Junliang
  • Zhang, Fucang
  • Xiang, Youzhen
  • Wu, Lifeng
  • Yan, Shicheng

Abstract

Spring maize is one of the major cereal crops in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China, but limited water resources and low water/fertilizer use efficiency largely restrict the sustainable development of local agriculture. A two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of water/fertilizer interaction on aboveground biomass, grain yield, crop water productivity (CWP), partial factor productivity (PFP) and economic benefits of spring maize. Particularly, the optimized combination of drip irrigation and fertilization regimes for high grain yield, CWP and economic benefits were attained by multiple regression analysis and likelihood estimation. The irrigation levels included I60 (60 % ETc, ETc is the crop evapotranspiration), I75, I90 and I105 in 2015, and I60, I80, I100 and I120 in 2016; the N-P2O5-K2O fertilization levels (kg ha−1) consisted of F60 (60-30-30), F120 (120-60-60), F180 (180-90-90) and F240 (240-120-120), corresponding to low, medium, medium high and normal high fertilization rates, respectively. Aboveground biomass, grain yield, CWP, PFP and net returns generally increased as irrigation and fertilization amount increased, except for that CWP and PFP constantly decreased with increasing irrigation and fertilizer amounts, respectively. There were significant interaction effects on these indexes in both years. The highest yields were 18.81 Mg ha-1 at I105F180 and 20.53 Mg ha-1 at I100F180, the highest CWP were 3.32 kg m-3 at I90F180 and 3.99 kg m-3 at I100F180, and the highest net returns were 17,482 CNY ha-1 at I105F180 and 20,174 CNY ha−1 at I100F180 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Maize yield, CWP and net returns reached ≥95 % of their maximum values simultaneously when irrigation amount ranged 93 %∼126 % ETc and fertilizer (N-P2O5-K2O) amount ranged 124-62-62∼228-114−114 kg ha-1. The overall benefits of maize yield, CWP and net returns were finally maximized with irrigation amount of 109 % ETc (474 mm) and medium high fertilizer (N-P2O5-K2O) amount of 184-92−92 kg ha−1. This study can provide a guideline for appropriate water and fertilizer management for sustainable spring maize production in the (semi-)arid region of Northwest China.

Suggested Citation

  • Zou, Haiyang & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Xiang, Youzhen & Wu, Lifeng & Yan, Shicheng, 2020. "Optimization of drip irrigation and fertilization regimes for high grain yield, crop water productivity and economic benefits of spring maize in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:230:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419310704
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105986
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377419310704
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.105986?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. El-Hendawy, Salah E. & Schmidhalter, Urs, 2010. "Optimal coupling combinations between irrigation frequency and rate for drip-irrigated maize grown on sandy soil," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 439-448, March.
    2. Marra, Michele & Pannell, David J. & Abadi Ghadim, Amir, 2003. "The economics of risk, uncertainty and learning in the adoption of new agricultural technologies: where are we on the learning curve?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 75(2-3), pages 215-234.
    3. Payero, J.O. & Tarkalson, D.D. & Irmak, S. & Davison, D. & Petersen, J.L., 2009. "Effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and dry mass," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(10), pages 1387-1397, October.
    4. Popova, Zornitsa & Pereira, Luis S., 2011. "Modelling for maize irrigation scheduling using long term experimental data from Plovdiv region, Bulgaria," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(4), pages 675-683, February.
    5. Gheysari, Mahdi & Mirlatifi, Seyed Majid & Homaee, Mehdi & Asadi, Mohammad Esmaeil & Hoogenboom, Gerrit, 2009. "Nitrate leaching in a silage maize field under different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer rates," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(6), pages 946-954, June.
    6. 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.
    7. Kampas, Athanasios & Petsakos, Athanasios & Rozakis, Stelios, 2012. "Price induced irrigation water saving: Unraveling conflicts and synergies between European agricultural and water policies for a Greek Water District," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 28-38.
    8. Kresović, Branka & Tapanarova, Angelina & Tomić, Zorica & Životić, Ljubomir & Vujović, Dragan & Sredojević, Zorica & Gajić, Boško, 2016. "Grain yield and water use efficiency of maize as influenced by different irrigation regimes through sprinkler irrigation under temperate climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 34-43.
    9. Ierna, Anita & Pandino, Gaetano & Lombardo, Sara & Mauromicale, Giovanni, 2011. "Tuber yield, water and fertilizer productivity in early potato as affected by a combination of irrigation and fertilization," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 35-41.
    10. Domínguez, A. & de Juan, J.A. & Tarjuelo, J.M. & Martínez, R.S. & Martínez-Romero, A., 2012. "Determination of optimal regulated deficit irrigation strategies for maize in a semi-arid environment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 67-77.
    11. Rodrigues, Gonçalo C. & Paredes, Paula & Gonçalves, José M. & Alves, Isabel & Pereira, Luis S., 2013. "Comparing sprinkler and drip irrigation systems for full and deficit irrigated maize using multicriteria analysis and simulation modelling: Ranking for water saving vs. farm economic returns," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 85-96.
    12. Zhou, Lifeng & Feng, Hao & Zhao, Ying & Qi, Zhijuan & Zhang, Tibin & He, Jianqiang & Dyck, Miles, 2017. "Drip irrigation lateral spacing and mulching affects the wetting pattern, shoot-root regulation, and yield of maize in a sand-layered soil," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 114-123.
    13. Zwart, Sander J. & Bastiaanssen, Wim G. M., 2004. "Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 115-133, September.
    14. Oweis, T.Y. & Farahani, H.J. & Hachum, A.Y., 2011. "Evapotranspiration and water use of full and deficit irrigated cotton in the Mediterranean environment in northern Syria," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(8), pages 1239-1248, May.
    15. Jia, Xucun & Shao, Lijie & Liu, Peng & Zhao, Bingqiang & Gu, Limin & Dong, Shuting & Bing, So Hwat & Zhang, Jiwang & Zhao, Bin, 2014. "Effect of different nitrogen and irrigation treatments on yield and nitrate leaching of summer maize (Zea mays L.) under lysimeter conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 92-103.
    16. Yan, Shicheng & Wu, You & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Qiang, Shengcai & Zheng, Jing & Xiang, Youzhen & Guo, Jinjin & Zou, Haiyang, 2019. "Effects of water and fertilizer management on grain filling characteristics, grain weight and productivity of drip-fertigated winter wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 983-995.
    17. Groot, Jeroen C.J. & Oomen, Gerard J.M. & Rossing, Walter A.H., 2012. "Multi-objective optimization and design of farming systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 63-77.
    18. Fan, Tinglu & Wang, Shuying & Xiaoming, Tang & Luo, Junjie & Stewart, Bob A. & Gao, Yufeng, 2005. "Grain yield and water use in a long-term fertilization trial in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 36-52, July.
    19. Payero, José O. & Tarkalson, David D. & Irmak, Suat & Davison, Don & Petersen, James L., 2008. "Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(8), pages 895-908, August.
    20. M.B. Sihlongonyane & M.B. Masuku & A. Belete, 2014. "Economic Efficiency of Maize Production in Swaziland: The Case of Hhohho, Manzini and Shiselweni Regions," Research in Applied Economics, Macrothink Institute, vol. 6(3), pages 179-195, September.
    21. Zheng, Jing & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Yan, Shicheng & Xiang, Youzhen, 2018. "Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemflow and interception loss by maize canopy on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 25-36.
    22. Nathaniel D. Mueller & James S. Gerber & Matt Johnston & Deepak K. Ray & Navin Ramankutty & Jonathan A. Foley, 2012. "Closing yield gaps through nutrient and water management," Nature, Nature, vol. 490(7419), pages 254-257, October.
    23. Shilong Piao & Philippe Ciais & Yao Huang & Zehao Shen & Shushi Peng & Junsheng Li & Liping Zhou & Hongyan Liu & Yuecun Ma & Yihui Ding & Pierre Friedlingstein & Chunzhen Liu & Kun Tan & Yongqiang Yu , 2010. "The impacts of climate change on water resources and agriculture in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7311), pages 43-51, September.
    24. Payero, Jose O. & Melvin, Steven R. & Irmak, Suat & Tarkalson, David, 2006. "Yield response of corn to deficit irrigation in a semiarid climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(1-2), pages 101-112, July.
    25. Khan, Shahbaz & Hanjra, Munir A. & Mu, Jianxin, 2009. "Water management and crop production for food security in China: A review," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 349-360, March.
    26. Farre, Imma & Faci, Jose Maria, 2006. "Comparative response of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) to deficit irrigation in a Mediterranean environment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(1-2), pages 135-143, May.
    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. Gheysari, Mahdi & Pirnajmedin, Fatemeh & Movahedrad, Hamid & Majidi, Mohammad Mahdi & Zareian, Mohammad Javad, 2021. "Crop yield and irrigation water productivity of silage maize under two water stress strategies in semi-arid environment: Two different pot and field experiments," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    2. Rodrigues, Gonçalo C. & Paredes, Paula & Gonçalves, José M. & Alves, Isabel & Pereira, Luis S., 2013. "Comparing sprinkler and drip irrigation systems for full and deficit irrigated maize using multicriteria analysis and simulation modelling: Ranking for water saving vs. farm economic returns," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 85-96.
    3. Wang, Feng & Xie, Ruizhi & Ming, Bo & Wang, Keru & Hou, Peng & Chen, Jianglu & Liu, Guangzhou & Zhang, Guoqiang & Xue, Jun & Li, Shaokun, 2021. "Dry matter accumulation after silking and kernel weight are the key factors for increasing maize yield and water use efficiency," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    4. Gheysari, Mahdi & Sadeghi, Sayed-Hossein & Loescher, Henry W. & Amiri, Samia & Zareian, Mohammad Javad & Majidi, Mohammad M. & Asgarinia, Parvaneh & Payero, Jose O., 2017. "Comparison of deficit irrigation management strategies on root, plant growth and biomass productivity of silage maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 126-138.
    5. Kresović, Branka & Tapanarova, Angelina & Tomić, Zorica & Životić, Ljubomir & Vujović, Dragan & Sredojević, Zorica & Gajić, Boško, 2016. "Grain yield and water use efficiency of maize as influenced by different irrigation regimes through sprinkler irrigation under temperate climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 34-43.
    6. Paredes, P. & Rodrigues, G.C. & Alves, I. & Pereira, L.S., 2014. "Partitioning evapotranspiration, yield prediction and economic returns of maize under various irrigation management strategies," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 27-39.
    7. Mbava, N. & Mutema, M. & Zengeni, R. & Shimelis, H. & Chaplot, V., 2020. "Factors affecting crop water use efficiency: A worldwide meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    8. Allakonon, M. Gloriose B. & Zakari, Sissou & Tovihoudji, Pierre G. & Fatondji, A. Sènami & Akponikpè, P.B. Irénikatché, 2022. "Grain yield, actual evapotranspiration and water productivity responses of maize crop to deficit irrigation: A global meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    9. Zheng, Huifang & Shao, Ruixin & Xue, Yanfang & Ying, Hao & Yin, Yulong & Cui, Zhenling & Yang, QingHua, 2020. "Water productivity of irrigated maize production systems in Northern China: A meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    10. Comas, Louise H. & Trout, Thomas J. & DeJonge, Kendall C. & Zhang, Huihui & Gleason, Sean M., 2019. "Water productivity under strategic growth stage-based deficit irrigation in maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 433-440.
    11. Tarkalson, David D. & King, Bradley A. & Bjorneberg, Dave L., 2022. "Maize grain yield and crop water productivity functions in the arid Northwest U.S," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    12. Kukal, M.S. & Irmak, S., 2020. "Impact of irrigation on interannual variability in United States agricultural productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    13. Zhao, Rongqin & Liu, Ying & Tian, Mengmeng & Ding, Minglei & Cao, Lianhai & Zhang, Zhanping & Chuai, Xiaowei & Xiao, Liangang & Yao, Lunguang, 2018. "Impacts of water and land resources exploitation on agricultural carbon emissions: The water-land-energy-carbon nexus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 480-492.
    14. Yan, Fulai & Zhang, Fucang & Fan, Xingke & Fan, Junliang & Wang, Ying & Zou, Haiyang & Wang, Haidong & Li, Guodong, 2021. "Determining irrigation amount and fertilization rate to simultaneously optimize grain yield, grain nitrogen accumulation and economic benefit of drip-fertigated spring maize in northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    15. Guoqiang Zhang & Bo Ming & Dongping Shen & Ruizhi Xie & Peng Hou & Jun Xue & Keru Wang & Shaokun Li, 2021. "Optimizing Grain Yield and Water Use Efficiency Based on the Relationship between Leaf Area Index and Evapotranspiration," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, April.
    16. Kukal, M.S. & Irmak, S., 2020. "Characterization of water use and productivity dynamics across four C3 and C4 row crops under optimal growth conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    17. 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.
    18. Junhong Xie & Linlin Wang & Lingling Li & Sumera Anwar & Zhuzhu Luo & Effah Zechariah & Setor Kwami Fudjoe, 2021. "Yield, Economic Benefit, Soil Water Balance, and Water Use Efficiency of Intercropped Maize/Potato in Responses to Mulching Practices on the Semiarid Loess Plateau," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, November.
    19. Mohammed, Ali T. & Irmak, Suat, 2022. "Maize response to irrigation and nitrogen under center pivot, subsurface drip and furrow irrigation: Water productivity, basal evapotranspiration and yield response factors," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    20. Xiao, Chao & Zou, Haiyang & Fan, Junliang & Zhang, Fucang & Li, Yi & Sun, Shikun & Pulatov, Alim, 2021. "Optimizing irrigation amount and fertilization rate of drip-fertigated spring maize in northwest China based on multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 257(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:230:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419310704. 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.