Water-saving potential evaluation of water-receiving regions in Shandong province on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project of China

Taking 13 water-receiving areas on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project(ERSNWDP)in Shandong Province as the study area,and comparing it with Jiangsu Province on the ERSNWDP and the Middle Route of the South-to-North(MRSNWDP),the current water-saving potential of the water-receiving areas within the municipalities of Shandong was analyzed.Different water-saving scenarios were constructed and analyzed with key water-saving indexes in various industries.These indexes include the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water,total water consumption of industrial sectors with an added value of over 10000 RMB,average leakage rate of the urban public water supply pipe network and the penetration rate of water-saving appliances.Based on the scenarios,comprehensive water-saving potential of the 13 water-receiving area cities was calculated.The results show that the water-saving potential of the study area is at a relative high level.However,some cities still have a certain amount of water-saving potential for agriculture and industry to be elevated.Under the recommended water-saving scenario,the water-saving potential is 1.134 billion m3,accounting for 5.33%of the current total water consumption,of which 460 million m3 is in agriculture,600 million m3 in industry,is and 74.20 million m3 in urban domestic sector.Comprehensive water-saving measures for the study area were proposed from the aspects of agricultural,industrial and domestic water uses.Agricultural and industrial water saving are more significant.The major cities for agricultural water saving include Jining City,Heze City,Weifang City and Jinan City;the focus cities of industrial water saving mainly include Weihai City,Jining City and Qingdao City and etc.;the key water-saving areas for urban use mainly include Zaozhuang City,Jining City and Heze City.

Problems and Development Countermeasures of Agricultural Water-Saving Irrigation

Agriculture is the biggest water user in China,and the development of agricultural water-saving has great significance to the national economy and social development. In this paper,the present situation of water used in agriculture irrigation and water-saving potential were analyzed,and the ＂ bottleneck＂ and main problems existing in water-saving irrigation in China were discussed. From the aspects of engineering investment channels,agricultural water-saving policies and management system,reform of agricultural water price and water right transfer,improvement of farmers＇ water-saving consciousness,and promotion of rural land transfer,suggestions were proposed for the development of China＇s agricultural water-saving in future,which will provide a technical support for the sustainable use of agricultural water resources in China.

The water-saving potential of using micro-sprinkling irrigation for winter wheat production on the North China Plain

The shortage of groundwater resources is a considerable challenge for winter wheat production on the North China Plain.Water-saving technologies and procedures are thus urgently required.To determine the water-saving potential of using micro-sprinkling irrigation(MSI)for winter wheat production,field experiments were conducted from 2012 to 2015.Compared to traditional flooding irrigation(TFI),micro-sprinkling thrice with 90 mm water(MSI1)and micro-sprinkling four times with 120 mm water(MSI2)increased the water use efficiency by 22.5 and 16.2%,respectively,while reducing evapotranspiration by 17.6 and 10.8%.Regardless of the rainfall pattern,MSI(i.e.,MSI1 or MSI2)either stabilized or significantly increased the grain yield,while reducing irrigation water volumes by 20–40%,compared to TFI.Applying the same volumes of irrigation water,MSI(i.e.,MSI3,micro-sprinkling five times with 150 mm water)increased the grain yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat by 4.6 and 11.7%,respectively,compared to TFI.Because MSI could supply irrigation water more frequently in smaller amounts each time,it reduced soil layer compaction,and may have also resulted in a soil water deficit that promoted the spread of roots into the deep soil layer,which is beneficial to photosynthetic production in the critical period.In conclusion,MSI1 or MSI2 either stabilized or significantly increased grain yield while reducing irrigation water volumes by 20–40%compared to TFI,and should provide water-saving technological support in winter wheat production for smallholders on the North China Plain.

The Potential Contribution of Subsurface Drip Irrigation to Water-Saving Agriculture in the Western USA

Water shortages within the western USA are resulting in the adoption of water-saving agricultural practices within this region. Among the many possible methods for saving water in agriculture, the adoption of subsurface drip irrigation （SDI） provides a potential solution to the problem of low water use efficiency. Other advantages of SDI include reduced NO3 leaching compared to surface irrigation, higher yields, a dry soil surface for improved weed control, better crop health, and harvest flexibility for many specialty crops. The use of SDI also allows the virtual elimination of crop water stress, the ability to apply water and nutrients to the most active part of the root zone, protection of drip lines from damage due to cultivation and tillage, and the ability to irrigate with wastewater while preventing human contact. Yet, SDI is used only on a minority of cropland in the arid western USA. Reasons for the limited adoption of SDI include the high initial capital investment required, the need for intensive management, and the urbanization that is rapidly consuming farmland in parts of the western USA. The contributions of SDI to increasing yield, quality, and water use efficiency have been demonstrated. The two major barriers to SDI sustainability in arid regions are economics （i.e., paying for the SDI system）, including the high cost of installation; and salt accumulation, which requires periodic leaching, specialized tillage methods, or transplanting of seedlings rather than direct-seeding. We will review advances in irrigation management with SDI.

Cotton's Water Demand and Water-Saving Benefits under Drip Irrigation with Plastic Film Mulch

The primary purpose of this research was to give suitable irrigation program according to the growth period and water requirement.A cotton field experiment with mulched drip irrigation was conducted at the National Field Observation and Research Station for Oasis Farmland Ecosystem in Aksu of Xinjiang in 2008.Water balance method was adopted to study the water requirement and water consumption law of cotton under mulched drip irrigation in Tarim Irrigated Area.Statistical analysis of experimental data of irrigation indicates that the relationship between yield of cotton and irrigation presents a quadratic parabola.We fit the model of cotton water production on the basis of field experimental data of cotton.And the analysis on water saving benefit of cotton under mulched drip irrigation was done.Results indicate that water requirements for the irrigated cotton are 543 mm in Tarim Irrigated Area.The water requirements of seedling stage is 252 mm,budding stage is 186 mm,bolling stage is 316 mm and wadding stage is 139 mm.the irrigation amount determines the spatial distribution of soil moisture and water consumption during cotton life cycle.However,water consumption at different growth stages was inconsistent with irrigation.Quantitatively,the water consumed by cotton decreases upon the increase of irrigation amount.From the perspective of water saving,the maximal water use efficiency can reach 3 091 m3/ha.But the highest cotton yield needs 3464 m3/ha irrigation water.In summary,compared to the conventional drip irrigation,a number of benefits in water saving and yield increase were observed when using plastic mulch.At the same amount of irrigation,the cotton yield with plastic mulch was 30.2% higher than conventional approaches,and the efficiency of water utilization increased by30.2%.While at the same yield level,29.3% water was saved by using plastic mulch,and the efficiency increased by 41.5%.

Development Potentials and Benefit Analysis of Efficient Water-saving Irrigation in Lixin County

On the basis of analyzing water resources,crop planning structure,and irrigation mode in Lixin County,potentials and benefits of developing efficient water-saving irrigation in the county were explored to provide references for its future water-saving irrigation.

Application Research of Water-saving and Drought-resistant Landscape Plants:A Case Study of Inner Mongolia Drought-resistant Mongolian Grasses

Construction of "water-saving landscape architecture" is a crucial content of building "conservation-minded society'',an important approach of ensuring the sustainable development of landscaping industry.It targets at exploring a reasonable means of using the nature,so as to improve ecological conditions and environment,save resources and energies,and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.Landscape plant is a significant component of landscape architecture,it is a key section to choose proper drought-resistant plant species for the landscape construction.

Long-Term No-Tillage Direct Seeding Mode for Water-Saving and Drought-Resistance Rice Production in Rice-Rapeseed Rotation System

To study the effects of long-term no-tillage direct seeding mode on rice yield and the soil physiochemical property in a rice-rapeseed rotation system, a comparative experiment with a water-saving and drought-resistance rice （WDR） variety and a double low rapeseed variety as materials was conducted under no-tillage direct seeding （NTDS） mode and conventional tillage direct seeding （CTDS） mode for four years, using the CTDS mode as the control. Compared with the CTDS mode, the actual rice yield of WDR decreased by 8.10% at the first year, whereas the plant height, spikelet number per panicle, spikelet fertility, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, actual yield, and harvest index increased with no-tillage years, which led to the actual yield increase by 6.49% at the fourth year. Correlation analysis showed that the panicle length was significantly related to the actual yield of WDR. Compared with the CTDS mode in terms of the soil properties, the pH value of the NTDS mode decreased every year, whereas the contents of soil organic matter and total N of the NTDS mode increased. In the 0-5 cm layer of the NTDS mode, the soil bulk decreased, whereas the contents of soil organic matter, total N, and available N increased. In the 5-20 cm layer of the NTDS mode, the available N and K decreased, whereas the soil bulk, contents of soil organic matter, and total N increased. In summary, the NTDS mode increased the rice yield, and could improve the paddy soil fertility of the top layer.

Analysis on the Water-saving Irrigation Technique Based on the Perspective of Food Safety

The paper analyzed the important role of water saving in protecting the food safety,introduced the present development of agricultural water-saving technique,pointed out the potential risks of water resources,and proposed the future development of water-saving irrigation.

RESEARCH & PRACTICE OF WATER-SAVING AGRICULTURE

China is one of the world’s major agricultural countries. About 80% of its annual water consumption is used for fanning undertakings. On the other hand, China is a country deficient in water resources and in particular, the water shortage is embarrassingly serious in the north. So the current development of water-saving agriculture (WSA) is a way of easing the strain between the supply and demand of water. This article expounds the WSA’s status in the development of the national economy, its research and implementation, and suggests an institutional system of WSA to be established in this country.

Architecture Water-saving Design and Building Technique of Sponge Yard

The reclaimed water that we can use in daily life accounts for as much as 35 %,but we do not give it enough concern.The authors focus on the design methods and approaches of green buildings,which refer to water saving and environmental protection.In this paper,the authors illustrate the generating channels of reclaimed water in architecture design:rainwater collection integration design,sewage zero discharge of reclaimed water reused by biological technology,and sponge yard,thereby protecting environment.

Study on the Suitable Water-Saving Irrigation Technology for Mining Areas in the Northwestern Arid Desert Regions in China

Water is the key factor to ensure plant survival in the process of ecological restoration in the coal base of China northwest deserts. On the premise of meeting the mine production and living water demands, we should take measures such as dirt wastewater treatment and water-saving irrigation to increase income and reduce expenditure and allocate limited water re-sources rationally, to provide mining area ecological restoration maximum usable water resources. The mining dump has large slope and thin soil layer and it is easy to produce surface runoff. So it is particularly important to study the irrigation technology needed to satisfy vegetation restoration, on the premise of guaranteeing not to produce surface runoff and the slope stability. In this paper, through field plot test, the suitable irrigation method for mine slope, slope surface soil moisture migration characteristics and slope stability analysis were studied. Results show that three slope ir-rigation technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages. On the whole, the effect of drip irrigation is the best, micro spray irrigation is the second, infiltrating irrigation is not ideal. The permeability of mine soil slope is very strong, the infiltration rate of the slope direction is the high-est, inverse slope infiltration rate is lowest. In the process of irrigation, with the increase of soil moisture content, slope safety factor is the decreased obviously, the whole slope surface soil moisture content is 14% for the slope stability safety threshold.

A Review on Water-Saving Agriculture in Europe

This paper aims to analyze the research on the current situation of water-saving agriculture development in Europe. Water-saving agriculture in Europe started early, governments and farmers in various countries have a strong awareness of water-saving in agriculture and have achieved certain results. Due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of up-to-date field research, the complexity of various agricultural disciplines and categories, and the lack of information sharing, the current cognition of recent progress in the development of water-saving agriculture in Europe is not comprehensive enough. This paper selects four representative European countries: Spain, Germany, Italy, and Denmark as the research objects. Based on the existing research of Chinese and Western scholars, this paper analyzes and studies the current situation of water-saving agriculture in Europe. It has far-reaching significance for other countries in the world to have further development in water-saving agriculture and to protect water resources.

Optimizing water-saving irrigation schemes for rice(Oryza sativa L.)using DSSAT-CERES-Rice model

Rice is one of the major crops in China,and enhancing the rice yield and water use efficiency is critical to ensuring food security in China.Determining how to optimize a scientific and efficient irrigation and drainage scheme by combining existing technology is currently a hot topic.Crop growth models can be used to assess actual or proposed water management regimes intended to increase water use efficiency and mitigate water shortages.In this study,a CERES-Rice model was calibrated and validated using a two-year field experiment.Four irrigation and drainage treatments were designed for the experiment:alternate wetting and drying(AWD),controlled drainage(CD),controlled irrigation and drainage for a low water level(CID1),and controlled irrigation and drainage for a high water level(CID2).According to the indicators normalized root mean square error(NRMSE)and index of agreement(d),the calibrated CERES-Rice model accurately predicted grain yield(NRMSE=6.67%,d=0.77),,shoot biomass(NRMSE=3.37%,d=0.77),actual evapotranspiration(ETa)(NRMSE=3.83%,d=0.74),irrigation volume(NRMSE=15.56%,d=0.94),and leaf area index(NRMSE=9.69%,d=0.98)over 2 a.The calibrated model was subsequently used to evaluate rice production in response to the four treatments(AWD,CD,CID1,and CID2)under 60 meteorological scenarios which were divided into wet years(22 a),normal years(16 a),and dry years(22 a).Results showed that the yield of AWD was the largest among four treatments in different hydrological years.Relative to that of AWD,the yield of CD,CID1,and CID2 were respectively reduced by 5.7%,2.6%,8.7%in wet years,9.2%,2.3%,8.6% in normal years,and 9.2%,3.8%,3.9% in dry years.However,rainwater use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency were the greatest for CID2 in different hydrological years.The entropy-weighting TOPSIS model was used to optimize the four water-saving irrigation schemes in terms of water-saving,labor-saving and high-yield,based on the simulation results of the CERES-Rice model in the past 60 a.These results showed that CID1 and AWD were optimal in the wet years,CID1 and CID2 were optimal in the normal and dry years.These results may provide a strong scientific basis for the optimization of water-saving irrigation technology for rice.

Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation,Space Efficiency and Agricultural Development——Study Based on Spatial Stochastic Frontier Model

Xinjiang's agriculture is a typical irrigated agriculture for its agriculture water consumption accounts for 96%of the total water use.As a typical resource-deficient area,the key to Xinjiang's agricultural development is saving water.This paper takes the high-efficient water-saving irrigation technology of 41 regions along the Tarim River from 2002 to 2013 as the research object,adopts spatial stochastic frontier model to measure the space efficiency of high-efficient water-saving irrigation technology,and analyzes the effect of water-saving irrigation technology on agricultural development.Results show that the water-saving irrigation technology has a spatial effect,if neglecting it,the error of missing variables will occur,and the average loss will be 6.98 percentage points.The spatial correlation effect promotes the improvement of the efficiency of water-saving irrigation technology.The spatial heterogeneity leads to the spatial imbalance of the efficiency of water-saving irrigation technology.The promotion of agricultural water-saving irrigation technology can increase production and the efficiency of agricultural development.Due to the technical heterogeneity of different types of water-saving irrigation technology,the contribution to the development of agriculture is also different.The study finds that water-saving irrigation technology of drip irrigation in the Tarim River contributes more to agricultural development.

Water-Saving and High-Yielding Irrigation for Lowland Rice by Controlling Limiting Values of Soil Water Potential

The present study investigated whether an irrigation system could be established to save water and increase grain yield to enhance water productivity by proper water management at the field level in irrigated lowland rice （Oryza sativa L.）. Using two field-grown rice cultivars, two irrigation systems; conventional irrigation and water-saving irrigation, were conducted. In the water-saving irrigation system, limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages were proposed as irrigation indices. Compared with conventional irrigation where drainage was in mid-season and flooded at other times, the water-saving irrigation increased grain yield by 7.4% to 11.3%, reduced irrigation water by 24.5% to 29.2%, and increased water productivity （grain yield per cubic meter of irrigation water） by 43.1% to 50.3%. The water-saving irrigation significantly increased harvest index, improved milling and appearance qualities, elevated zeatin-I-zeaUn riboside concentrations in root bleedings and enhanced activities of sucrose synthase, adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase and starch branching enzyme in grains. Our results indicate that water-saving irrigation by controlling limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages can enhance physiological activities of roots and grains, reduce water input, and increase grain yield.

An improved ET control method to determine the water-saving potential for farmland in Baiyangdian Watershed, China

Resource-based water-saving potential has been recognized as the reduction of evapotranspiration and water loss of inefficient irrigation systems. In this paper, an improved evapotranspiration control model is applied to calculate resource-based water-saving potential, considering the influences of effective rainfall （uncontrolled evapotranspiration） and irrigated water （controlled evapotranspiration）. Farmland in Baiyangdian Watershed, a highly productive area in northern China, is analyzed to determine the water-saving potential of irrigation processes. The water-saving potential was zero, 163.90 × 10^6m3, and 318.24 × 10^6m3 in wet, normal, and dry years, respectively, and was greater in years with less rainfall. Under the combined effect of rainfall, crop water consumption, and crop water requirements, the water-saving potential showed obvious temporal and spatial variations. July and August comprised almost 98.6% of the annual potential. In the northeast and southwest corner of the study area, potential approached zero. The potential was 1.53 times greater in the north-central than in the south-central area. The model can furnish the appropriate timing and region to water managers for implementing water-saving strategies.

Split nitrogen fertilizer application improved grain yield in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) via modulating antioxidant capacity and ^(13)C photosynthate mobilization under water-saving irrigation conditions

A water-saving cultivation technique of supplementary irrigation based on soil moisture levels has been adopted for winter wheat production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China,due to the enhanced water-use efficiency.However,appropriate split nitrogen management may further improve crop growth and grain yield.Here,we conducted a 2-year field experiment to determine if split nitrogen management might improve wheat productivity by enhancing ^(13)C photosynthate mobilization and the antioxidant defense system under water-saving conditions.Split nitrogen management involved a constant total nitrogen rate(240 kg ha^(−1))split in four different proportions between sowing and jointing stage,i.e.,10:0(N1),7:3(N2),5:5(N3),and 3:7(N4).The N3 treatment significantly enhanced“soil-plant analysis development”values,superoxide dismutase antioxidant activity,soluble protein content,sucrose content,and sucrose phosphate synthetase activity,although it reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde(MDA).The N3 treatment ultimately increased the amount of dry matter assimilation after anthesis significantly.In addition,the ^(13)C isotope tracer experiment revealed that the N3 treatment promoted the assimilation of carbohydrates after anthesis and their partitioning to the developing grains.Compared to the unequal ratio treatments(N1,N2,and N4),the equal ratio treatment(N3)increased grain yield by 5.70–16.72%via increasing 1000-grain weight and number of grains per spike in both growing seasons.Therefore,we recommend the use of a 5:5 basal-topdressing split nitrogen fertilizer application under water-saving irrigation conditions to promote antioxidant enzyme activity and the remobilization of photosynthate after anthesis for improving wheat grain yield.

Optimization of inter-seasonal nitrogen allocation increases yield and resource-use efficiency in a water-limited wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain

Winter wheat–summer maize cropping system in the North China Plain often experiences droughtinduced yield reduction in the wheat season and rainwater and nitrogen(N)fertilizer losses in the maize season.This study aimed to identify an optimal interseasonal water-and N-management strategy to alleviate these losses.Four ratios of allocation of 360 kg N ha^(-1)between the wheat and maize seasons under one-time presowing root-zone irrigation(W0)and additional jointing and anthesis irrigation(W2)in wheat and one irrigation after maize sowing were set as follows:N1(120:240),N2(180:180),N3(240:120)and N4(300:60).The results showed that under W0,the N3 treatment produced the highest annual yield,crop water productivity(WPC),and nitrogen partial factor productivity(PFPN).Increased N allocation in wheat under W0 improved wheat yield without affecting maize yield,as surplus nitrate after wheat harvest was retained in the topsoil layers and available for the subsequent maize.Under W2,annual yield was largest in the N2 treatment.The risk of nitrate leaching increased in W2 when N application rate in wheat exceeded that of the N2 treatment,especially in the wet year.Compared to W2N2,the W0N3 maintained 95.2%grain yield over two years.The WPCwas higher in the W0 treatment than in the W2 treatment.Therefore,following limited total N rate,an appropriate fertilizer N transfer from maize to wheat season had the potential of a“triple win”for high annual yield,WPCand PFPN in a water-limited wheat–maize cropping system.