IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v243y2021ics0378377420307654.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of rainwater harvesting system on soil moisture in rain-fed orchards on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Author

Listed:
  • Ding, Wenbin
  • Wang, Fei
  • Dong, Yunyun
  • Jin, Kai
  • Cong, Chenyu
  • Han, Jianqiao
  • Ge, Wenyan

Abstract

Rainwater is a primary water source for the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau where an improved efficiency of rainwater utilization is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. A new system, comprised of rainwater harvesting, concentrating infiltration with multi-holed pipe and mulching (RIM), was designed to sustain soil moisture at a proper level in rain-fed orchards in the hilly and gully loess region of China. This study monitored changes in soil moisture and distribution over soil profiles using four treatments: (a) RIM1 with two rainwater harvesting areas, two infiltration pipes and film mulching, (b) RIM2 with one rainwater harvesting area, one infiltration pipe and film mulching, (c) film mulching (FM) only and (d) traditional apple orchard as a control treatment (CK) as a baseline in this experiment. The results showed that mean soil moisture content (SMC) in a range of soil layer between 0 cm and 300 cm for RIM1 and RIM2 treatments increased by 43.01% and 34.78% in 2018 and 30.55% and 26.41% in 2019, respectively. Dividing the soil vertical profile into three layers, i.e., an easy-changing layer (0−60 cm), an increasing or decreasing layer (60−180 cm), and a relatively steady layer (180−300 cm), this study examined the vertical changes of soil moisture. The RIM1 and RIM2 treatments induced a large increase in the size and depth of wetted areas over the whole soil layers. The soil moisture was replenished to a horizontal distance of 1.5 m and 2.5 m apart from the trunk within the soil layer between 60 cm and 300 cm under the RIM1 treatment while only the horizontal distance of 1.5 m apart from the trunk under the RIM2 treatment. While the seasonal variation of SMC in the easy-changing soil layer (0−60 cm) corresponded to precipitation consistently, the SMC in the deep soil layers (60−300 cm) was not sensitive to precipitation. As a result, the treatments of RIM1, RIM2 and FM improved apple yield and crop water productivity compared with those under the control treatment. In particular, the RIM1 treatment performed the best among the treatments investigated in this study. The results highlighted the efficiency of the RIM system in enhancing the soil moisture, which may be useful to improve an orchard production for rain-fed orchards in the loess hilly and gully region of China.

Suggested Citation

  • Ding, Wenbin & Wang, Fei & Dong, Yunyun & Jin, Kai & Cong, Chenyu & Han, Jianqiao & Ge, Wenyan, 2021. "Effects of rainwater harvesting system on soil moisture in rain-fed orchards on the Chinese Loess Plateau," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:243:y:2021:i:c:s0378377420307654
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106496
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377420307654
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106496?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. Wang, Hong & Wang, Chenbing & Zhao, Xiumei & Wang, Falin, 2015. "Mulching increases water-use efficiency of peach production on the rainfed semiarid Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 20-28.
    2. Xu, Zihan & Wei, Hejie & Fan, Weiguo & Wang, Xuechao & Huang, Bingling & Lu, Nachuan & Ren, Jiahui & Dong, Xiaobin, 2018. "Energy modeling simulation of changes in ecosystem services before and after the implementation of a Grain-for-Green program on the Loess Plateau—A case study of the Zhifanggou valley in Ansai County,," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(PA), pages 32-43.
    3. Gong, Daozhi & Kang, Shaozhong & Zhang, Lu & Du, Taisheng & Yao, Limin, 2006. "A two-dimensional model of root water uptake for single apple trees and its verification with sap flow and soil water content measurements," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(1-2), pages 119-129, May.
    4. Song, Xiaolin & Gao, Xiaodong & Zhao, Xining & Wu, Pute & Dyck, Miles, 2017. "Spatial distribution of soil moisture and fine roots in rain-fed apple orchards employing a Rainwater Collection and Infiltration (RWCI) system on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 170-177.
    5. He, Gang & Wang, Zhaohui & Li, Fucui & Dai, Jian & Li, Qiang & Xue, Cheng & Cao, Hanbing & Wang, Sen & Malhi, Sukhdev S., 2016. "Soil water storage and winter wheat productivity affected by soil surface management and precipitation in dryland of the Loess Plateau, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Sokalska, D.I. & Haman, D.Z. & Szewczuk, A. & Sobota, J. & Deren, D., 2009. "Spatial root distribution of mature apple trees under drip irrigation system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(6), pages 917-924, June.
    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. Tadayon, Mohammad Saeed & Hosseini, Seyed Mashaallah, 2022. "Shade net and mulching measures for improving soil and plant water status of fig trees under rainfed conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    2. Yang, Yi & Li, Bingbing & Shi, Peijun & Li, Zhi, 2023. "Assessing spatiotemporally varied ecohydrological effects of apple orchards based on regional-scale estimation of tree distribution and ages," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    3. Zhang, Binbin & Su, Shunshun & Duan, Chenxiao & Feng, Hao & Chau, Henry Wai & He, Jianqiang & Li, Yi & Hill, Robert Lee & Wu, Shufang & Zou, Yufeng, 2022. "Effects of partial organic fertilizer replacement combined with rainwater collection system on soil water, nitrate-nitrogen and apple yield of rainfed apple orchard in the Loess Plateau of China: A 3-," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    4. Liu, Ziqi & Li, Kaiping & Xiong, Kangning & Li, Yuan & Wang, Jin & Sun, Jian & Cai, Lulu, 2021. "Effects of Zanthoxylum bungeanum planting on soil hydraulic properties and soil moisture in a karst area," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    5. Zhu, Pingzong & Zhang, Guanghui & Wang, Hongxiao & Zhang, Baojun & Liu, Yingna, 2021. "Soil moisture variations in response to precipitation properties and plant communities on steep gully slope on the Loess Plateau," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(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. Song, Xiaolin & Gao, Xiaodong & Zhao, Xining & Wu, Pute & Dyck, Miles, 2017. "Spatial distribution of soil moisture and fine roots in rain-fed apple orchards employing a Rainwater Collection and Infiltration (RWCI) system on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 170-177.
    2. Liao, Yang & Cao, Hong-Xia & Liu, Xing & Li, Huang-Tao & Hu, Qing-Yang & Xue, Wen-Kai, 2021. "By increasing infiltration and reducing evaporation, mulching can improve the soil water environment and apple yield of orchards in semiarid areas," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    3. Guo, Fu-Xing & Wang, Yan-Ping & Hou, Ting-Ting & Zhang, Lin-Sen & Mu, Yan & Wu, Fu-yong, 2021. "Variation of soil moisture and fine roots distribution adopts rainwater collection, infiltration promoting and soil anti-seepage system (RCIP-SA) in hilly apple orchard on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    4. Y. Wang & S. Travers & M.G. Bertelsen & K. Thorup-Kristensen & K.K. Petersen & F. Liu, 2014. "Effect of root pruning and irrigation regimes on pear tree: growth, yield and yield components," Horticultural Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 41(1), pages 34-43.
    5. Giuliani, Nicola & Aguzzoni, Agnese & Penna, Daniele & Tagliavini, Massimo, 2023. "Estimating uptake and internal transport dynamics of irrigation water in apple trees using deuterium-enriched water," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    6. Yajing Shao & Xuefeng Yuan & Chaoqun Ma & Ruifang Ma & Zhaoxia Ren, 2020. "Quantifying the Spatial Association between Land Use Change and Ecosystem Services Value: A Case Study in Xi’an, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Yang, Yanmin & Yang, Yonghui & Han, Shumin & Li, Huilong & Wang, Lu & Ma, Qingtao & Ma, Lexin & Wang, Linna & Hou, Zhenjun & Chen, Li & Liu, De Li, 2023. "Comparison of water-saving potential of fallow and crop change with high water-use winter-wheat – summer-maize rotation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    8. González-García, Alberto & Palomo, Ignacio & González, José A. & López, César A. & Montes, Carlos, 2020. "Quantifying spatial supply-demand mismatches in ecosystem services provides insights for land-use planning," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    9. Hu, Yajin & Ma, Penghui & Zhang, Binbin & Hill, Robert L. & Wu, Shufang & Dong, Qin’ge & Chen, Guangjie, 2019. "Exploring optimal soil mulching for the wheat-maize cropping system in sub-humid drought-prone regions in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 59-71.
    10. Al-Qthanin, Rahmah N. & AbdAlghafar, Ibrahim M. & Mahmoud, Doaa S. & Fikry, Ahmed M. & AlEnezi, Norah A. & Elesawi, Ibrahim Eid & AbuQamar, Synan F. & Gad, Mohamed M. & El-Tarabily, Khaled A., 2024. "Impact of rice straw mulching on water consumption and productivity of orange trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck]," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    11. Yang, Wenjie & Li, Yanhang & Jia, Bingli & Liu, Lei & Yuan, Aijing & Liu, Jinshan & Qiu, Weihong, 2024. "Optimized fertilization based on fallow season precipitation and the Nutrient Expert system for dryland wheat reduced environmental risks and increased economic benefits," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    12. Ganot, Yonatan & Dahlke, Helen E., 2021. "A model for estimating Ag-MAR flooding duration based on crop tolerance, root depth, and soil texture data," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    13. Chen, Dianyu & Wang, Youke & Liu, Shouyang & Wei, Xinguang & Wang, Xing, 2014. "Response of relative sap flow to meteorological factors under different soil moisture conditions in rainfed jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) plantations in semiarid Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 23-33.
    14. Hou, Chenli & Tian, Delong & Xu, Bing & Ren, Jie & Hao, Lei & Chen, Ning & Li, Xianyue, 2021. "Use of the stable oxygen isotope method to evaluate the difference in water consumption and utilization strategy between alfalfa and maize fields in an arid shallow groundwater area," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    15. Wu, Zhilong & Dai, Xuhuan & Li, Bo & Hou, Ying, 2021. "Livelihood consequences of the Grain for Green Programme across regional and household scales: A case study in the Loess Plateau," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    16. Yan, Qiuyan & Dong, Fei & Yang, Feng & Lu, Jinxiu & Li, Feng & Zhang, Jiancheng & Dong, Jinlong & Li, Junhui, 2019. "Improved yield and water storage of the wheat-maize rotation system due to double-blank row mulching during the wheat stage," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 903-912.
    17. Yaotao Xu & Peng Li & Jinjin Pan & Yi Zhang & Xiaohu Dang & Xiaoshu Cao & Junfang Cui & Zhi Yang, 2022. "Eco-Environmental Effects and Spatial Heterogeneity of “Production-Ecology-Living” Land Use Transformation: A Case Study for Ningxia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    18. Lai, Xingfa & Yang, Xianlong & Wang, Zikui & Shen, Yuying & Ma, Longshuai, 2022. "Productivity and water use in forage-winter wheat cropping systems across variable precipitation gradients on the Loess Plateau of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    19. Wang, Xue-Chao & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Dong, Xiaobin & Fan, Weiguo & Xu, Zihan & Wang, Yutao & Varbanov, Petar Sabev, 2019. "Air pollution terrain nexus: A review considering energy generation and consumption," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 71-85.
    20. Qianru Yu & Chen-Chieh Feng & NuanYin Xu & Luo Guo & Dan Wang, 2019. "Quantifying the Impact of Grain for Green Program on Ecosystem Service Management: A Case Study of Exibei Region, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-17, June.

    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:243:y:2021:i:c:s0378377420307654. 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.