A distributed measurement method for in-situ soil moisture content by using carbon-fiber heated cable

Moisture content is a fundamental physical index that quantifies soil property and is closely associatedwith the hydrological, ecological and engineering behaviors of soil. To measure in-situ soil moisturecontents, a distributed measurement system for in-situ soil moisture content （SM-DTS） is introduced.The system is based on carbon-fiber heated cable （CFHC） technology that has been developed to enhancethe measuring accuracy of in-situ soil moisture content. Using CFHC technique, a temperature characteristicvalue （Tt） can be defined from temperatureetime curves. A relationship among Tt, soil thermalimpedance coefficient and soil moisture content is then established in laboratory. The feasibility of theSM-DTS technology to provide distributed measurements of in-situ soil moisture content is verifiedthrough field tests. The research reported herein indicates that the proposed SM-DTS is capable ofmeasuring in-situ soil moisture content over long distances and large areas.

Performance evaluation of two types of heated cables for distributedtemperature sensing-based measurement of soil moisture content

Distributed temperature sensing(DTS)using heated cables has been recently developed for distributed monitoring of in-situ soil moisture content.In this method,the thermal and electrical properties of heated cables have a significant influence on the measurement accuracy of soil moisture content.In this paper,the performances of two heated cables,i.e.the carbon-fiber heated cable(CFHC)and the metalnet heated cable(MNHC),are studied in the laboratory.Their structures,uniformity in the axial direction,measurement accuracy and suitability are evaluated.The test results indicate that the MNHC has a better uniformity in the axial direction than CFHC.Both CFHC and MNHC have high measurement accuracy.The CFHC is more suitable for short-distance measurement(500 m),while the MNHC can be used for longdistance measurement(>500 m).

Influence of soil moisture content on pullout properties of Hippophae rhamnoides Linn. roots

Plant root system plays an important role in preventing soil erosion and improving slope stability.However,its performance is significantly affected by soil moisture content,and the role of soil moisture in root reinforcement is not fully understood.In this study,the influence of soil moisture on root pullout properties was studied by experiments.Vertical in-situ pullout tests under four different levels of soil matric suction(12 kPa,18 kPa,24 kPa,30 kPa)were carried out on roots of sea buckthorn plants(Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.)which were artificially cultivated for 7 months.Diameter and length of the root system of sea buckthorn were investigated.The results showed that a very significant correlation was observed between root diameter(D)and root length(L)(P<0.01),and root diameter decreased with soil depth.When soil bulk density was constant,peak pullout force(F)and friction coefficient of root-soil interface(μ)decreased with increasing gravimetric soil moisture content in power functions.Soil moisture content significantly affected root pullout resistance because the increase of soil moisture content decreased the friction coefficient between the roots and soil.Root diameter at breakage point(Db)and length of root segment left in soil(Lb)were increased with soil moisture content.In addition,peak pullout force of the roots increased in a power function with root diameter at the soil surface(D0)and in a linear function with total root length(L).The results provided an experimental basis for quantifying the effects of soil moisture content on soil reinforcement by plant roots.

Investigating spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture content in an arid mining area using an improved thermal inertia model

Mining operations can usually lead to environmental deteriorations. Underground mining activities could cause an extensive decrease in groundwater level and thus a dramatic variation in soil moisture content（SMC）. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of SMC from 2001 to 2015 at two spatial scales（i.e., the Shendong coal mining area and the Daliuta Coal Mine） were analyzed using an improved thermal inertia model with a long-term series of Landsat TM/OLI（TM=Thematic Mapper and OLI=Operational Land Imager） data. Our results show that at large spatial scale（the Shendong coal mining area）, underground mining activities had insignificant negative impacts on SMC and that at small spatial scale（the Daliuta Coal Mine）, underground mining activities had significant negative impacts on SMC. Trend analysis of SMC demonstrated that areas with decreasing trend of SMC were mainly distributed in the mined area, indicating that underground mining is a primary cause for the drying trend in the mining region in this arid environment.

Changes in Soil Moisture Content and Characteristics ofWater Movement in Citrus Orchards under Different Mulching Methods

[Objectives]The paper was to explore the effects of different mulching methods on soil moisture content and water movement in citrus orchards,and to provide the theoretical basis for improving water and weed management level in orchards.[Methods]Three ground mulching treatments including spraying herbicide(CK),grass-proof cloth cover(GPC)and natural grass mowing(NGM)were set up to analyze the soil moisture content and water flux characteristics of soil profile in the soil layers of 5,20,40 and 60 cm under different mulching methods.[Results]The GPC and NGM treatments significantly increased the soil moisture content in the soil layer of 0-60 cm at the young fruit stage and fruit expansion stage,which inhibited soil water evaporation and effectively improved soil water holding capacity,thus reducing irrigation water consumption and saving water resources.During the expansion stage of citrus fruits,the soil water flux in the soil layer of 0-60 cm in NGM and CK treatments was upward,and the upward soil water flux in NGM treatment was larger,which could mobilize more upward movement of deep soil moisture for uptake by citrus roots.However,the soil water flux in the soil layer of 0-60 cm in GPC treatment was downward,and the soil moisture conditions in the upper and middle layers were already sufficient for citrus growth.[Conclusions]Both GPC and NGM treatments can increase the overall soil moisture content.In the dry season,the soil moisture content in the upper layer treated by GPC is always relatively high,while more soil water in the lower layer move to the upper layer in NGM treatment,which has met the water requirements for citrus growth.

Predicting sandy soil moisture content with hyperspectral imaging

In this study,a rapid and non-invasive technology for predicting soil moisture content(SMC)was presented based on hyperspectral imaging(HSI).Firstly,a set of HSI system was developed to collect both spectral(400-1000 nm)and spatial(1620×841 pixels)information from sandy soil samples with variable SMC levels in the laboratory.Principal component analysis(PCA)transformation,K-means clustering,and several other image processing methods were performed to obtain a region of interest(ROI)of soil sample from the original HSI data.Then,256 optimal spectral wavelengths were selected from the average reflectance of the ROI,and 28 textural features were extracted using a gray-level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM).Data dimensionality reduction was conducted on both the spectral information and textural information by using a partial least square algorithm.Six latent variables(LVs)extracted from the spectral information,four LVs extracted from the textural information and fused data were used to build regression models with a three-layer BPNN,respectively.The results showed that all of the three calibration models achieved high prediction accuracy,particularly when using spectral information with R^(2)_(C)=0.9532 and RMSEC=0.0086.However,validation models demonstrate that predicting SMC using fused data is more effective than using spectral reflectance and textural features separately,with a R^(2)_(P)=0.9350 and RMSEP=0.0141,thus proving that the HSI technique is capable of detecting SMC.

Comparing tractive performance of steel and rubber single grouser shoe under different soil moisture contents

Steel and rubber are two kinds of materials which are often used for the tracks of off-road vehicles.The objective of this study was to compare tractive performances of steel and rubber grouser shoes under different soil moisture contents.In this study,the tractive performance of single grouser shoe was predicted by soil parameters and three-dimensional shearing model.The soil used in this study was clay soil,and ten different soil moisture contents ranged from 8.58%to 54.36%were applied for investigation of soil parameters.For each soil moisture content,the penetration test,direct shearing test,density and soil moisture content measurement have been performed to obtain the required soil parameters.The experimental results showed that thrust and running resistance of steel single grouser shoe had similar trends to those of rubber single grouser shoe.The thrust of rubber single grouser shoe was always greater than that of steel single grouser shoe with the increase of soil moisture content,and as well as the running resistance.However,the traction of rubber single grouser shoe had a different trend to that of steel single grouser shoe.The traction of steel single grouser shoe was always greater than that of rubber single grouser shoe at any given moisture content except at the stage of less than 15%moisture content.From the experimental results,it can be concluded that the steel single grouser shoe performed better than rubber single grouser shoe in traction for the soil used in this study.

Effects of initial soil moisture content on soil water and nitrogen transport under muddy water film hole infiltration

Film hole irrigation has been widely adopted as an effective water-saving irrigation technology in the arid and semiarid areas of China.To investigate the effects of initial soil moisture content(θ0)on soil water and nitrogen transport characteristics under muddy water film hole infiltration,the laboratory experiments were conducted with muddy water film hole infiltration,using five initial soil moisture content treatments.The models for describing the relationships between the cumulative infiltration(I(t))and infiltration duration(t);the relationship among the horizontal and vertical migration distances of the wetting front(Fx,Fz),θ0 and t,were established.The results showed that the initial soil moisture content had a significant effect on I(t),Fx,Fz and moisture content distribution in the wetted body.The change of I(t)over t conformed to Kostiakov model.With the increase ofθ0,the infiltration coefficient(K)gradually decreased.NO-3-N was mainly distributed in the range of the wetting radius of 15 cm,while NH+4-N was mainly distributed in the range of the wetting radius of 8 cm.This study can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for film hole irrigation.

Application of swarm intelligence algorithms to the characteristic wavelength selection of soil moisture content

Swarm intelligence algorithms own superior performance in solving high-dimensional and multi-objective optimization problems.The application of the swarm intelligence algorithms to visible and near-infrared(VIS-NIR)spectral analysis of soil moisture can contribute to the optimization of the soil moisture prediction model and the development of the real-time soil moisture sensor.In this study,a high-resolution spectrometer was used to obtain spectral data of different levels of soil moisture which were manually configured.Isolation Forest algorithm(iForest)was used to eliminate outliers from the data.Based on the root mean square error of prediction RMSEP of Back Propagation Neural Network(BPNN)model results,a series of new swarm intelligence algorithms,including Manta Ray Foraging Optimization(MRFO),Slime Mould Algorithm(SMA),etc.,were used to select the characteristic wavelengths of soil moisture.The analysis results showed that MRFO owned the best performance if only from the predictive capability perspective and SMA had a better performance when considering the proportion of the selecting wavelengths and the results of the model prediction.By comparing and analyzing the modeling results of traditional intelligence algorithms Genetic Algorithm(GA)and Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO),it was found that the new swarm intelligence had a better performance in selecting the characteristic wavelengths of soil moisture.Integrating the results of all intelligence algorithms used,soil moisture sensitive wavelengths were selected as 490 nm,513 nm,543 nm,900 nm and 926 nm,which provide the basis for the design of real-time soil moisture sensor based on VIS-NIR.

Development of Steel Slag-Based Solidification/Stabilization Materials for High Moisture Content Soil

To solve the problems of high moisture content,high viscosity,and poor engineering mechanical properties of soil,this paper using with steel slag(SS)and desulfurization ash(DS)as initial raw materials,realizing the coop-erative treatment of solid waste and solidification of silt soil.The synergistic utilization of SS and DS can reduce the production cost of curing agent and promote its own consumption.According to blended cement of various SS contents and inspected compressive strength performances,the most suitable raw materials ratio was selected.The best formula for this curing agent is cement:steel slag=3:7 with 5%DS,and its 28-day compressive strength can reach 30 MPa.The experiment shows that the effect of DS and Na_(2)SO_(4) reagent with the same quality on early compressive strength improvement of cement and SS system is not much different.In this study,the mineral composition and microstructure of different gel system blocks were characterized by XRD,SEM and EDX,and a large number of webbed structures were found in the SEM test,which was not seen in previous studies.Besides,unconfined compressive strength(UCS),water resistance,and toxic characteristic leaching procedure(TCLP)were used to evaluate silt solidified soil properties.The results demonstrated that the solidified silt could meet not only the standard of general subgrade;but also has a partial stabilization effect of heavy metal ions.

Untangling the influence of soil moisture on root pullout property of alfafa plant

Root pullout property of plants was of key importance to the soil reinforcement and the improvement of slope stability. To investigate the influence of soil moisture on root pullout resistance and failure modes in soil reinforcement process, we conducted pullout tests on alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.) roots at five levels(40, 30, 20, 10 and 6 kPa) of soil matric suction, corresponding to respectively 7.84%, 9.66%, 13.02%, 19.35% and 27.06% gravimetric soil moisture contents. Results showed that the maximal root pullout force of M. sativa decreased in a power function with increasing soil moisture content from 7.84% to 27.06%. Root slippage rate increased and breakage rate decreased with increasing soil moisture content. At 9.66% soil moisture content, root slippage rate and breakage rate was 56.41% and 43.58%, respectively. The threshold value of soil moisture content was about 9.00% for alfalfa roots in the loess soil. The maximal pullout force of M. sativa increased with root diameter in a power function. The threshold value of root diameter was 1.15 mm, because root slipping force was greater than root breaking force when diameter >1.15 mm, while diameter ≤1.15 mm, root slipping force tended to be less than root breaking force. No significant difference in pullout forces was observed between slipping roots and breaking roots when they had similar diameters. More easily obtained root tensile force(strength) is suggested to be used in root reinforcement models under the condition that the effect of root diameter is excluded as the pullout force of breaking roots measured in pullout tests is similar to the root tensile force obtained by tensile tests.

Optimization of Organic Mulches Thickness Improves Soil Moisture Retention under Controlled Conditions

Organic mulch can improve the moisture,chemical composition,dust,and dust suppression of soil,and beautify the environment.In view of the rapid evaporation rate and serious loss of soil water in tropical areas,this paper explored the effect of organic mulch materials with different thickness on the increase of soil water retention rate and the improvement of soil water loss caused by evaporation.Rubberwood sawdust(RWS),rubberwood bark(RWB),coconut fiber(CF),and Mulch(MC)were selected as the mulching materials.Field experiment and laboratory experiment were performed,and soil-moisture content and temperature were continuously monitored.However,from the daily measurement of water content at constant conditions(29℃±0.2℃,74%±1%air RH)in the laboratory experiment,the results of variance analysis(ANOVA)showed that there was no significant difference between the soil-water content of covered samples and bare soil(P>0.05).In the field experiments,the analysis of variance indicated significant differences in the soil-moisture content owing to the effect of the covering material(P<0.01).Mulching increased the soil-moisture content with smaller fluctuations in the deep soil compared with bare soil.The most stable soil-moisture content were achieved by RWS,RWB,CF,and MC,with thicknesses of 5,3,7,and 5 cm,respectively,compared with bare soil,and the average water contents of the 0-40 cm soil layer was 0.58%,0.01%,0.82%,and 0.93%,respectively.Vertically,the intensity of the change in soil moisture decreased gradually with increasing depth,and was more stable than that of bare soil and other treatments.Among them,the difference in water content between the adjacent gradient soil layers(the soil layers are graded every 10 cm in depth)M_(3-7)(0.011±0.004)was the smallest.It can be concluded that CF mulching materials with a thickness of 7 cm would be preferable when selecting mulching materials for controlling soil moisture in tropical cities.

Seasonal Dynamics of the Soil Moisture in Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley of Yunnan

[ Objective] The research aimed to study seasonal dynamics of the soil moisture in Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley of Yunnan. [ Method] We investigated soil moisture in rainy season in Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley. By combining completed research about soil moisture in dry season, data in rainy and dry seasons were contrasted to study seasonal dynamics of the soil moisture in the zone. [ Resultl Soil moisture in rainy season increased with the depth of soil, but would decrease within 1.0 m below the root layer. The soil moisture of grassland was higher than that of the woodland, while soil moisture of the savanna was higher than that of the woodland but lower than that of the grassland. In addition, compared with soil mois- ture in dry season, it is clear that to avoid forming permanent soil desiccation, based on soil and hydrology conditions in Yuanmou, it is better to plant grass not tree in Yuanmou when we do something about ecological restoration. [ Condusion] The research had certain guidance significance for planting agricultural and economic crops and carrying out ecological restoration in Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley.

Impact factors of soil wind erosion in the center of Taklimakan Desert

The development and progress of soil wind erosion are influenced by the factors of climate, terrain, soil and vegetation, etc. This paper, taking Tazhong region, a town in the centre of the Taklimakan Desert, as an example and using comparative and quantitative methods, discussed the effects of climate, surface roughness （including vegetation cover） and surface soil properties on soil wind erosion. The results showed that the climate factor index C of annual wind erosion is 28.3, while the maximum of C is 13.9 in summer and it is only 0.7 in winter. The value of C has a very good exponential relationship with the wind speed. In Tazhong region, the surface roughness height is relatively small with a mean of 6.32 x 10 Sm, which is in favor of soil wind erosion. The wind erosion is further enhanced by its sandy soil types, soil particle size, lacking of vegetation and low soil moisture content. The present situation of soil wind erosion is the result of concurrent effects of climate, vegetation and surface soil properties.

Effects of mulch and planting methods on Medicago ruthenica seed yield and soil physical-chemical properties

Medicago ruthenica (L.) Trautv., a wild grass species, is commonly grown as a forage crop in arid and semi-arid areas of China. Herein, we explored mulch patterns and planting methods for optimizing M. ruthenica seed production in the loess plateau of the Gansu Province, China from 2017 to 2019. The experiments comprised of six treatments including (1) flat ground without mulch (F0, control);(2) flat ground with a transparent white 0.008 mm thick plastic film mulch (FP);(3) flat ground with 4500 kg/hm2 straw mulch (FS);(4) furrow with 10 cm ridges (R0);(5) furrow with plastic film mulch (RP);and (6) furrow with straw mulch (RS). Results showed that the harvested seed yield of M. ruthenica was the highest under RP treatment, followed by FP and FS treatments. Soil moisture content from mid-May to mid-August in 2017 was the highest under RP and FP treatments, followed by RS and FS treatments. In 2018, soil moisture content was the highest under RS and FS treatments. In 2017 and 2018, soil temperature was the highest under FP and RP treatments, followed by F0 and R0 treatments. Total and available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents were the highest under RS and FS treatments, followed by RP and FP treatments. Comprehensive analysis result showed that surface mulch improved soil microenvironment and increased seed yield of M. ruthenica. Straw mulch also effectively recycled excess crop straw, thereby encouraging the sustainable development of agriculture in this area. In conclusion, FS treatment was considered the best mode for M. ruthenica seed production in this area.

Soil substrate as a cascade of capillary barriers for conserving water in a desert environment:lessons learned from arid nature

Interaction between soil pedogenesis, subsurface water dynamics, climate, vegetation and human ingenuity in a desert environment has been found to result in a unique ecohydrological system with an essentially three dimensional sedimentation structure in the bed of a recharge dam in Oman. A 3-D array of silt blocks sand- wiched by dry sand-filled horizontal and vertical fractures was studied in pot experiments as a model of a natural prototype. Pots are filled with a homogenous sand-silt mixture （control） or artificially structured （smart design, SD） soil substrates. Rhodes grass and ivy （Ipomea, Convolvulaceae） were grown in the pots during the hottest season in Oman. Soil moisture content （SMC） was measured at different depths over a period of 20 days without irrigation. SD preserved the SMC of the root zone for both ivy and grass （SMC of around 25%-30% compared to 〈10% for control, 3 days after the last irrigation）. Even after 20 days, SMC was around 18% in the SD and 7% in the control. This, similar to the case of a natural prototype, is attributed to the higher upward capillary movement of water in control pots and intensive evaporation. The capillary barrier of sand sheaths causes discontinuity in moisture mi- gration from the micro-pores in the silt blocks to sand pores. The blocks serve as capillarity-locked water buffers, which are depleted at a slow rate by transpiration rather than evaporation from the soil surface. This creates a unique ecosystem with a dramatic difference in vegetation between SD-pots and control pots. Consequently, the Noy-Meir edaphic factor, conceptualizing the ecological impact of 1-D vertical heterogeneity of desert soils, should be generalized to incorporate 3-D soil heterogeneity patterns. This agro-engineering control of the soil substrate and soil moisture distribution and dynamics （SMDaD） can be widely used by desert farmers as a cheap technique, with significant savings of irrigation water.

Alternate freezing and thawing enhanced the sediment and nutrient runoff loss in the restored soil of the alpine mining area

This study highlights the influence of freezing-thawing processes on soil erosion in an alpine mine restoration area. Accordingly, a series of simulation experiments were conducted to investigate runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses, and potential influencing factors under freeze-thaw(FT) conditions. Three FT treatments(i.e., 0, 3, and 5 FT cycles), and two soil moisture contents(SMCs;i.e., 10% and 20% SMC on a gravimetric basis) were assessed. The runoff, sediment yield, ammonia nitrogen(AN), nitrate nitrogen(NN), total phosphorus(TP), and dissolved phosphorus(DP) losses from runoff were characterized under different rainfall durations. The fitting results indicated that the runoff rate and sediment rate, AN, NN, TP, and DP concentrations in runoff could be described by exponential functions. FT action increased the total runoff volume and sediment yield by 14.6%–26.0% and 8.8%–35.2%, respectively. The runoff rate and sediment rate increased rapidly with the increment of FT cycles before stabilizing. At 20% SMC, the total runoff volume and sediment yield were significantly higher than those at 10% SMC. The loss curves of AN and NN concentrations varied due to differences in their chemical properties. FT action and high SMC promoted AN and NN losses, whereas the FT cycles had little effect. FT action increased TP and DP losses by 60.2%–220.1% and 48.4%–129.8%, respectively, compared to cases with no FT action;the highest TP and DP losses were recorded at 20% SMC. This study provides a deep understanding of freezing-thawing mechanisms in the soils of alpine mine restoration areas and the influencing factors of these mechanisms on soil erosion, thereby supporting the development of erosion prevention and control measures in alpine mine restoration areas.

Kinetic and thermodynamic effects of moisture content and temperature on the ammonia volatilization of soil fertilized with urea

The traditional qualitative analysis of the individual factors on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters cannot sufficiently reveal the mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization in soil.This study aimed to determine the effects of temperature,moisture content,and their interaction on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters,which revealed the key control mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization,modified the traditional Arrhenius model,and established a quantitative prediction model of cumulative NH_(3)-N loss(CNL).Laboratory culture experiments were conducted under different temperatures(T)(15℃,20℃,25℃and 35℃)and moisture contents(θ)(60%,80%,and 100%field capacities).Soil ammonia volatilization was also measured every 2 d.Results showed that the effects of individual factors and their interaction on the values of reaction rate(K_(N)),Activation free energy(ΔG),and activation entropy(ΔS)followed the descending order of T>θ>T·θ,whereas those of activation enthalpy(ΔH)and activation degree(lgN)followed the descending order ofθ>T>T·θ.The interaction showed significant effect on K_(N)value and insignificant effect on all the thermodynamic parameters.The effects of water and temperature were mainly observed during the preparatory stage and the most critical transition state stage of the chemical reaction,respectively.Given thatΔH>0,ΔG>0,andΔS>0,ammonia volatilization is found to be an endothermic reaction controlled by enthalpy.The new K_(N)(T)-2 model with the determination coefficient(R^(2))of 0.999 was more accurate than the traditional Arrhenius model with the R^(2)of 0.936.The new NH_(3)(T,θ)model with the mean absolute percentage error(MAPE)of 4.17%was more accurate than the traditional NH_(3)(T)model with the MAPE of 7.11%.These results supplemented the control mechanism underlying ammonia volatilization in soil fertilized with urea and improved the prediction accuracy of CNL.

Effects of soil mechanical properties on the height and tractive performance of rubber grouser at different moisture contents

Rubber tracked vehicles are commonly used on agricultural machinery that perform agricultural operations such as rice harvesting in soft paddy fields with low bearing capacity.Research was carried out to assess the influence of soil moisture content and mechanical properties on the tractive performance of a rubber grouser with three heights(45 mm,55 mm,60 mm).The direct shear test and penetration test were used in this study,which was based on a semi-empirical approach of determining tractive parameters.Direct shear tests were used to measure soil shear strength parameters such as cohesion,adhesion,internal and exterior friction angles.The results of the penetration test were used to determine tractive parameters such as soil thrust,running resistance,and traction,for the penetration test,a device was designed and developed.The experimental results revealed that soil cohesion and adhesion increased linearly with increasing soil moisture content,however adhesion dropped after 30.7%.Similarly,the soil thrust initially increased till 21.5%then decreased.Furthermore,running resistance had a decreasing trend over soil moisture content whereas maximum traction achieved for 45 mm grouser height at 21.5%moisture content.It was concluded that a rubber grouser with 45 mm height had better traction rather than 55 mm and 60 mm,it can be suitably used for designing a track system for a crawler vehicle(e.g.,harvester)leading to its greater adoption among the farmers.

Different Deficit Irrigation Lower Limits and Irrigation Quotas Affect the Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat by Regulating Photosynthetic Characteristics

To determine suitable thresholds for deficit irrigation of winter wheat in the well-irrigated area of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain,we investigated the effects of different deficit irrigation lower limits and quotas on the photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield of winter wheat.Four irrigation lower limits were set for initiating irrigation(i.e.,light drought(LD,50%,55%,60%and 50%of field holding capacity(FC)at the seedling-regreening,jointing,heading and filling-ripening stages,respectively),medium drought(MD,40%,50%,55%and 45%of FC at the same stages,respectively),adequate moisture(CK1,60%,65%,70%and 60%of FC at the same stages,respectively),heavy drought(CK2,35%,40%,45%and 40%of FC at the same stages,respectively))and five irrigation quota per event(30,60,90,120 and 180 mm)were set for each lower limit.We found that the increase of drought stress is conducive to normal photosynthesis of winter wheat leaves which is supported by the following findings.First,photosynthetic rate(Pn)of LD60 treatment was higher than that of LD30,LD90,LD120,LD180,MD30,MD60,MD90,MD120 and MD180.Then,Under the 90 mm irrigation quota treatment,the yield of winter wheat basically increased with the increase of irrigation’s lower limit.Moreover,With the increase in irrigation quota,the yield of winter wheat increased,and the water use efficiency(WUE)of winter wheat increased at first and then decreased.In addition,compared with the LD30,MD30,MD60,MD90,MD120,and MD180,the yield of winter wheat in LD60 treatment increased by about 3.23%(3-year average),32.3%,19.9%,11.7%,10.1%,and 14.6%.At the same time,the WUE with LD60 treatment of winter wheat was significantly higher than LD90,LD120,LD180,MD30,MD60,MD90,MD120,MD180 treatments.There was a positive correlation between soil volumetric water content and Pn and between yield and Pn.The key period for yield formation in winter wheat is 180 days after sowing.In conclusion,to achieve the dual goals of stable winter wheat yield and efficient utilization of water resources in this region,the suitable threshold for initiating deficit irrigation of winter wheat is the LD60 treatment.This conclusion provides data support for water-saving and stable yield of winter wheat in this area.