Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.

Effects of water and nitrogen rate on grain-filling characteristics under high-low seedbed cultivation in winter wheat

A high-efficiency mode of high-low seedbed cultivation(HLSC)has been listed as the main agricultural technology to increase land utilization ratio and grain yield in Shandong Province,China.However,limited information is available on the optimized water and nitrogen management for yield formation,especially the grain-filling process,under HLSC mode.A three-year field experiment with four nitrogen rates and three irrigation rates of HLSC was conducted to reveal the response of grain-filling parameters,grain weight percentage of spike weight(GPS),spike moisture content(SMC),and winter wheat yield to water and nitrogen rates.The four nitrogen rates were N1(360 kg ha^(-1) pure N),N2(300 kg ha^(-1) pure N),N3(240 kg ha^(-1) pure N),and N4(180 kg ha^(-1) pure N),respectively,and the three irrigation quotas were W1(120 mm),W2(90 mm),and W3(60 mm),respectively.Results showed that the determinate growth function generally performed well in simulating the temporal dynamics of grain weight(0.989<R^(2)<0.999,where R2 is the determination coefficient).The occurrence time of maximum filling rate(T_(max))and active grain-filling period(AGP)increased with the increase in the water or nitrogen rate,whereas the average grain-filling rate(G_(mean))had a decreasing trend.The final 1,000-grain weight(FTGW)increased and then decreased with the increase in the nitrogen rates and increased with the increase in the irrigation rates.The GPS and SMC had a highly significant quadratic polynomial relationship with grain weight and days after anthesis.Nitrogen,irrigation,and year significantly affected the T_(max),AGP,G_(mean),and FTGW.Particularly,the AGP and FTGW were insignificantly different between high seedbed(HLSC-H)and low seedbed(HLSC-L)across the water and nitrogen levels.Moreover,the moderate water and nitrogen supply was more beneficial for grain yield,as well as for spike number and grain number per hectare.The principal component analysis indicated that combining 240-300 kg N ha^(-1) and 90^(-1)20 mm irrigation quota could improve grain-filling efficiency and yield for the HLSC-cultivated winter wheat.

Irrigating with cooler water does not reverse high temperature impact on grain yield and quality in hybrid rice

Rice grain yield and quality are negatively impacted by high temperature stress.Irrigation water temperature significantly affects rice growth and development,thus influencing yield and quality.The role of cooler irrigation water in counteracting high temperature induced damages in rice grain yield and quality are not explored.Hence,in the present study two rice hybrids,Liangyoupeijiu(LYPJ)and IIyou 602(IIY602)were exposed to heat stress and irrigated with water having different temperatures in a splitsplit plot experimental design.The stress was imposed starting from heading until maturity under field-based heat tents,over two consecutive years.The maximum day temperature inside the heat tents was set at 38℃.For the irrigation treatments,two different water sources were used including belowground water with cooler water temperature and pond water with relatively higher water temperature.Daytime mean temperatures in the heat tents were increased by 1.2–2.0℃ across two years,while nighttime temperature remained similar at both within and outside the heat tents.Cooler belowground water irrigation did have little effect on air temperature at the canopy level but decreased soil temperature(0.2–1.4℃)especially under control.Heat stress significantly reduced grain yield(33%to 43%),panicles m^(-2)(9%to 10%),spikelets m^(-2)(15%to 22%),grain-filling percentage(13%to 26%)and 1000-grain weight(3%to 5%).Heat stress significantly increased chalkiness and protein content and decreased grain length and amylose content.Grain yield was negatively related to air temperature at the canopy level and soil temperature.Whereas grain quality parameters like chalkiness recorded a significantly positive association with both air and soil temperatures.Irrigating with cooler belowground water reduced the negative effect of heat stress on grain yield by 8.8%in LYPJ,while the same effect was not seen in IIY602,indicating cultivar differences in their response to irrigation water temperature.Our findings reveal that irrigating with cooler belowground water would not significantly mitigate yield loss or improve grain quality under realistic field condition.The outcome of this study adds to the scientific knowledge in understanding the interaction between heat stress and irrigation as a mitigation tool.Irrigation water temperature regulation at the rhizosphere was unable to counteract heat stress damages in rice and hence a more integrated management and genetic options at canopy levels should be explored in the future.

Effects of Different Tillage Systems on Soil Properties,Root Growth,Grain Yield,and Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Arid Northwest China

Studies on root development, soil physical properties, grain yield, and water-use efficiency are important for identifying suitable soil management practices for sustainable crop production. A field experiment was conducted from 2006 through 2008 in arid northwestern China to determine the effects of four tillage systems on soil properties, root development, water-use efficiency, and grain yield of winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）. The cultivar Fan 13 was grown under four tillage systems：conventional tillage （CT） without wheat stubble, no-tillage without wheat stubble mulching （NT）, no-tillage with wheat stubble standing （NTSS）, and no-tillage with wheat stubble mulching （NTS）. The soil bulk density （BD） under CT system increased gradually from sowing to harvest, but that in NT, NTSS, and NTS systems had little change. Compared to the CT system, the NTSS and NTS systems improved total soil water storage （0-150 cm） by 6.1-9.6 and 10.5- 15.3% before sowing, and by 2.2-8.9 and 13.0-15.1% after harvest, respectively. The NTSS and NTS systems also increased mean dry root weight density （DRWD） as compared to CT system. The NTS system significantly improved water-use efficiency by 17.2-17.5% and crop yield by 15.6-16.8%, and the NTSS system improved that by 7.8-9.6 and 7.0-12.8%, respectively, compared with the CT system. Our results suggested that Chinese farmers should consider adopting conservation tillage practices in arid northwestern China because of benefits to soil bulk density, water storage, root system, and winter wheat yield.

Grain yield and water use efficiency of super rice under soil water deficit and alternate wetting and drying irrigation

This study investigated if super rice could better cope with soil water deficit and if it could have better yield performance and water use efficiency （WUE） under alternate wetting and drying （AWD） irrigation than check rice. Two super rice cultivars and two elite check rice cultivars were grown in pots with three soil moisture levels, well watered （WW）, moderate water deficit （MWD） and severe water deficit （SWD）. Two cultivars, each for super rice and check rice, were grown in field with three irrigation regimes, alternate wetting and moderate drying （AWMD）, alternate wetting and severe drying （AWSD） and conventional irrigation （CI）. Compared with that under WW, grain yield was significantly decreased under MWD and SWD treatments, with less reduction for super rice than for check rice. Super rice had higher percentage of productive tillers, deeper root distribution, higher root oxidation activity, and greater aboveground biomass production at mid and late growth stages than check rice, especially under WMD and WSD. Compared with CI,AWMD increased, whereasAWSD decreased grain yield, with more increase or less decrease for super rice than for check rice. Both MWD and SWD treatments and eitherAWMD orAWSD regime significantly increased WUE compared with WW treatment or CI regime, with more increase for super rice than for check rice. The results suggest that super rice has a stronger ability to cope with soil water deficit and holds greater promising to increase both grain yield and WUE by adoption of moderate AWD irrigation.

Grain yield and water use of winter wheat as affected by water and sulfur supply in the North China Plain

Water shortage has threatened sustainable development of agriculture globally as well as in the North China Plain（NCP）.Irrigation,as the most effective way to increase food production in dry land,may not be readily available in the situation of drought.One of the alternatives is to supply plants with enough nutrients so that they can be more sustainable to the water stress.The objective of this study was to explore effects of irrigation and sulphur（S）application on water consumption,dry matter accumulation（DMA）,and grain yield of winter wheat in NCP.Three irrigation regimes including no irrigation（rainfed,I0）during the whole growth period,once irrigation only at jointing stage（90 mm,I1）,and twice respective irrigation at jointing and anthesis stages（90 mm plus 90 mm,I2）,and two levels of S application including 0S0and 60 kg ha^–1（S60）were designed in the field experiment in NCP.Results showed that increasing irrigation times significantly increased mean grain yield of wheat by 12.5–23.7%and nitrogen partial factor productivity（NPFP）by 21.2–45.0%in two wheat seasons,but markedly decreased crop water use efficiency（YWUE）.Furthermore,S supply 60 kg ha^–1 significantly increased mean grain yield,YWUE,IWUE and NPFP by 5.6,6.1,23.2,and 5.6%（across two wheat seasons）,respectively.However,we also found that role of soil moisture prior to S application was one of important greater factors on improving the absorption and utilization of storage water and nutrients of soil.Thus,water supply is still the most important factor to restrict the growth of wheat in the present case of NCP,supplying 60 kg ha^–1 S with once irrigation 90 mm at the jointing stage is a relatively appropriate recommended combination to improve grain yield and WUE of wheat when saving water resources is be considered in irrigated wheat farmlands of NCP.

Improving winter wheat grain yield and water-/nitrogen-use efficiency by optimizing the micro-sprinkling irrigation amount and nitrogen application rate

Available irrigation resources are becoming increasingly scarce in the North China Plain (NCP),and nitrogen-use efficiency of crop production is also relatively low.Thus,it is imperative to improve the water-use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen fertilizer productivity on the NCP.Here,we conducted a two-year field experiment to explore the effects of different irrigation amounts (S60,60 mm;S90,90 mm;S120,120 mm;S150,150 mm) and nitrogen application rates (150,195 and 240 kg ha^(–1);denoted as N1,N2 and N3,respectively) under micro-sprinkling with water and nitrogen combined on the grain yield(GY),yield components,leaf area index (LAI),flag leaf chlorophyll content,dry matter accumulation (DM),WUE,and nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP).The results indicated that the GY and NPFP increased significantly with increasing irrigation amount,but there was no significant difference between S120 and S150;WUE significantly increased first but then decreased with increasing irrigation and S120 achieved the highest WUE.The increase in nitrogen was beneficial to improving the GY and WUE in S60 and S90,while the excessive nitrogen application (N3) significantly reduced the GY and WUE in S120 and S150 compared with those in the N2 treatment.The NPFP significantly decreased with increasing nitrogen rate under the same irrigation treatments.The synchronous increase in spike number (SN) and 1 000-grain weight (TWG)was the main reason for the large increase in GY by micro-sprinkling with increasing irrigation,and the differences in SN and TGW between S120 and S150 were small.Under S60 and S90,the TGW increased with increasing nitrogen application,which enhanced the GY,while N2 achieved the highest TWG in S120 and S150.At the filling stage,the LAI increased with increasing irrigation,and greater amounts of irrigation significantly increased the chlorophyll content in the flag leaf,which was instrumental in increasing DM after anthesis and increasing the TGW.Micro-sprinkling with increased amounts of irrigation or excessive nitrogen application decreased the WUE mainly due to the increase in total water consumption (ET)and the small increase or decrease in GY.Moreover,the increase in irrigation increased the total nitrogen accumulation or contents (TNC) of plants at maturity and reduced the residual nitrate-nitrogen in the soil (SNC),which was conducive to the increase in NPFP,but there was no significant difference in TNC between S120 and S150.Under the same irrigation treatments,an increase in nitrogen application significantly increased the residual SNC and decreased the NPFP.Overall,micro-sprinkling with 120 mm of irrigation and a total nitrogen application of 195 kg ha^(–1) can lead to increases in GY,WUE and NPFP on the NCP.

Moderate wetting and drying increases rice yield and reduces water use, grain arsenic level, and methane emission

To meet the major challenge of increasing rice production to feed a growing population under increasing water scarcity,many water-saving regimes have been introduced in irrigated rice,such as an aerobic rice system,non-flooded mulching cultivation,and alternate wetting and drying(AWD).These regimes could substantially enhance water use efficiency(WUE) by reducing irrigation water.However,such enhancements greatly compromise grain yield.Recent work has shown that moderate AWD,in which photosynthesis is not severely inhibited and plants can rehydrate overnight during the soil drying period,or plants are rewatered at a soil water potential of-10 to-15 k Pa,or midday leaf potential is approximately-0.60 to-0.80 MPa,or the water table is maintained at 10 to 15 cm below the soil surface,could increase not only WUE but also grain yield.Increases in grain yield WUE under moderate AWD are due mainly to reduced redundant vegetative growth;improved canopy structure and root growth;elevated hormonal levels,in particular increases in abscisic acid levels during soil drying and cytokinin levels during rewatering;and enhanced carbon remobilization from vegetative tissues to grain.Moderate AWD could also improve rice quality,including reductions in grain arsenic accumulation,and reduce methane emissions from paddies.Adoption of moderate AWD with an appropriate nitrogen application rate may exert a synergistic effect on grain yield and result in higher WUE and nitrogen use efficiency.Further research is needed to understand root–soil interaction and evaluate the long-term effects of moderate AWD on sustainable agriculture.

Root carbon consumption and grain yield of spring wheat in response to phosphorus supply under two water regimes

In semiarid areas, cereal crops often alocate more biomass to root at the expense of aboveground yield. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate carbon consumption of roots and its impact on grain yield of spring wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） as affected by water and phosphorus （P） supply. A factorial design was used with six treatments namely two water regimes （at 80–75% and 50–45% ifeld capacity （FC）） and three P supply rates （P1=0, P2=44 and P3=109 μg P g–1 soil）. At shooting and lfowering stages, root respiration and carbon consumption increased with the elevate of P supply rates, regardless of water conditions, which achieved the minimum and maximum at P1 under 50–45% FC and P3 under 80–75% FC, respectively. However, total aboveground biomass and grain yield were higher at P2 under 80–75% FC; and decreased with high P application （P3）. The results indicated that rational or low P supply （80–75% of ifeld water capacity and 44 mg P kg–1 soil） should be recommended to improve grain yield by decreasing root carbon consumption in semiarid areas.

Influence of Crop Nutrition on Grain Yield,Seed Quality and Water Productivity under Two Rice Cultivation Systems

The system of rice intensification （SRI） is reported to have advantages like lower seed requirement,less pest attack,shorter crop duration,higher water use efficiency and the ability to withstand higher degree of moisture stress than traditional method of rice cultivation.With this background,SRI was compared with traditional transplanting technique at Indian Agricultural Research Institute,New Delhi,India during two wet seasons （2009-2011）.In the experiment laid out in a factorial randomized block design,two methods of rice cultivation [conventional transplanting （CT） and SRI] and two rice varieties （Pusa Basmati 1 and Pusa 44） were used under seven crop nutrition treatments,viz.T 1,120 kg/hm2 N,26.2 kg/hm2 P and 33 kg/hm2 K;T 2,20 t/hm2 farmyard manure （FYM）;T 3,10 t/hm2 FYM＋ 60 kg/hm2 N;T 4,5 t/hm2 FYM＋ 90 kg/hm2 N;T 5,5 t/hm2 FYM＋ 60 kg/hm2 N＋ 1.5 kg/hm2 blue green algae （BGA）;T 6,5 t/hm2 FYM＋ 60 kg/hm2 N＋ 1.0 t/hm2 Azolla,and T 7,N 0 P 0 K 0 （control,no NPK application） to study the effect on seed quality,yield and water use.In SRI,soil was kept at saturated moisture condition throughout vegetative phase and thin layer of water （2-3 cm） was maintained during the reproductive phase of rice,however,in CT,standing water was maintained in crop growing season.Results revealed that CT and SRI gave statistically at par grain yield but straw yield was significantly higher in CT as compared to SRI.Seed quality was superior in SRI as compared to CT.Integrated nutrient management （INM） resulted in higher plant height with longer leaves than chemical fertilizer alone in both the rice varieties.Grain yield attributes such as number of effective tillers per hill,panicle length and panicle weight of rice in both the varieties were significantly higher in INM as compared to chemical fertilizer alone.Grain yields of both the varieties were the highest in INM followed by the recommended doses of chemical fertilizer.The grain yield and its attributes of Pusa 44 were significantly higher than those of Pusa Basmati 1.The seed quality parameters like germination rate and vigor index as well as N uptake and soil organic carbon content were higher in INM than those in chemical fertilizer alone.CT rice used higher amount of water than SRI,with water saving of 37.6% to 34.5% in SRI.Significantly higher water productivity was recorded in SRI as compared to CT rice.

Evapotranspiration, Grain Yield, and Water Productivity of Spring Oat (Avena sativa L.) under Semiarid Climate

Spring oat (Avena sativa) is produced for grain, hay, and green manure and can be integrated into a cropping system as a cover crop. Twenty-eight oat genotypes (G1, G2, G3, …., G28), selected for their adaptability to the Southwestern United States, were evaluated for their yield performance under sprinkler irrigation during four growing seasons (2005-2008) at the Agricultural Science Center at Farmington, New Mexico State University. The genotypes were arranged in randomized complete blocs design with four replications. Irrigation scheduling was based on evapotranspiration and the depletion criterion of 40% to 45% total available water (TAW) was practiced to prevent the plants from experiencing any water stress. Crop evapotranspiration estimated by the FAO crop coefficient and reference evapotranspiration approach was low about 2 mm/day during crop initial stage and increased with plant growth and reached the maximum during crop mid-season or reproductive stage. It decreased during crop late season. Daily crop evapotranspiration varied from 0.5 to 12.6 mm in 2008 and the seasonal Spring oat evapotranspiration varied from 535.8 to 591 mm. Averaged across the four growing seasons, oat evapotranspiration was 570.4 mm. The results showed that Spring oat plant height varied significantly with genotypes and ranged from 59.1 to 100.8 cm. Oat grain yield significantly varied with years and genotypes. Grain yield varied from 3386 to 6498 kg/ha and average yield was 4245, 4265, 5477, and 4025 kg/ha during the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. The best performing genotypes were G1, G2, G7, G19, G20, G21 and G23 with average yield greater than 4800 kg/ha while G3, G13, G17 and G27 showed the lowest yield among the genotypes. Oat crop water use efficiency (CWUE) varied with genotype and years and ranged from 0.53 to 1.07 kg/m3 and averaged 0.65, 0.78, 0.91 and 0.70 kg/m3 in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. The highest CWUE was achieved by G19 and the lowest CWUE was obtained by G13. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) which represents the quantity of yield produced per cubic meter of water, varied from 0.57 to 1.20 kg/m3 while evapotranspiration water use efficiency (ETWUE) varied with genotype and year and ranged from 0.57 to 1.21 kg/m3 with the overall IWUE mean of 0.83 kg/m3 and ETWUE mean of 0.81 kg/m3.

Effect of Irrigation System, Tillage System, and Seeding Rates on Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>L.) Growth, Grain Yield and Its Water Consumption and Efficiency

A field trial was conducted at a private farm in AL-Hashimiya district Babylon Governorate—the republic of Iraq during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 growing seasons. This study was conducted using two irrigation methods, sprinkler and surface irrigation, for each of them had three Tillage methods (zero-tillage, medium-tillage, deep-tillage) and each tillage system had four seeding rate of wheat yield (120, 180, 240, 300) kg∙ha-1. Results indicated that the consumptive water use was 557.5 and 535.9 mm for surface irrigation and 460.9 and 442.6 mm for sprinkler irrigation in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 growing seasons. Sprinkler irrigation significantly increased the flag leaf area with no significant effect on plant height. However, the minimum tillage and seeding rate (240 kg∙ha-1) significantly increased the plant height and flag leaf area in both growing seasons. For the grain yield, the sprinkler irrigation, minimum tillage, and seeding rate (240 kg∙ha-1) also increased the plant height and flag leaf area by 13%, 10, % 11%, 11%, 12%, and 14% in both growing seasons, respectively, through an increased number of spikes/m2, the number of grain spike-1, and 1000-grain weight in both growing seasons, respectively. Interestingly the grain yield was increased by 33% and 32% in both growing seasons under the effects of these three factors altogether, respectively. It can be concluded that these factors act synergistically, resulting in a significant improvement in the wheat grain-yield of, less consumptive water use, and high water use efficiency.

Planting density affected biomass and grain yield of maize for seed production in an arid region of Northwest China

Field experiments were conducted from 2012 to 2015 in an arid region of Northwest China to investigate the effects of planting density on plant growth, yield, and water use efficiency（WUE） of maize for seed production. Five planting densities of 6.75, 8.25, 9.75, 11.25 and 12.75 plants/m^2 were conducted in 2012, and a planting density of 14.25 plants/m^2 was added from 2013 to 2015. Through comparison with the Aqua Crop yield model, a modified model was developed to estimate the biomass accumulation and yield under different planting densities using adjustment coefficient for normalized biomass water productivity and harvest index. It was found that the modified yield model had a better performance and could generate results with higher determination coefficient and lower error. The results indicated that higher planting density increased the leaf area index and biomass accumulation, but decreased the biomass accumulation per plant. The total yield increased rapidly as planting density increased to 11.25 plants/m^2, but only a slight increase was observed when the density was greater than 11.25 plants/m^2. The WUE also reached the maximum when planting density was 11.25 plants/m^2, which was the recommended planting density of maize for seed production in Northwest China.

Alternate row mulching optimizes soil temperature and water conditions and improves wheat yield in dryland farming

Straw mulching allows for effective water storage in dryland wheat production. Finding a suitable straw mulching model that facilitates wheat growth was the objective of this study. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of two straw mulching patterns （FM, full coverage within all the rows; HM, half coverage within alternate rows） and two mulching rates （4.5 and 9.0 t ha^-1） on soil moisture, soil temperature, grain yield, and water use efficiency （WUE） of winter wheat in northern China, with no mulching （M0） as the control. Results showed that mulching increased the soil water storage in all growth stages under high mulching rates, with a stronger effect in later growth stages. Water storage under the HM model was greater in later stages than under the FM model. Soil water content of HM groups was higher than that of FM groups, especially in surface soil layers. Evapotranspiration decreased in mulched groups and was higher under high mulching rates. Aboveground biomass during each growth stage under the HM model was higher than that under M0 and FM models with the same mulched rate, leading to a relatively higher grain yield under the HM model. Mulching increased WUE, a trend that was more obvious under HM9.0 treatment. Warming effect of soil temperature under the HM pattern persisted longer than under the FM model with the same mulching rates. Accumulated soil temperature under mulched treatments increased, and the period of negative soil temperature decreased by 9-12 days under FM and by 10-20 days under HM. Thus, the HM pattern with 9.0 t ha^-1 mulching rate is beneficial for both soil temperature and water content management and can contribute to high yields and high WUE for wheat production in China.

Effects of Phosphorus Application in Different Soil Layers on Root Growth, Yield, and Water-Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat Grown Under Semi-Arid Conditions

Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of phosphorus（P） application at different soil layers on root growth, grain yield, and water-use efficiency（WUE） of winter wheat grown on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China and to explore the relationship between root distribution and grain yield. The experiment consisted of four P treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and two cultivars： one drought-sensitive（Xiaoyan 22, XY22） and one drought-tolerant（Changhan 58, CH58）. The four P treatments were no P（control, CK）, surface P（SP）, deep P（DP）, and deep-band P application（DBP）. CH58 produced larger and deeper root systems, and had higher grain yields and WUE, under the deep P treatments（DP and DBP） than under SP, clearly showing that deep P placement had beneficial effects on the drought-tolerant cultivar. In contrast, the grain yield and root growth of XY22 did not differ between DP or DBP and SP treatments. Further, root dry weight（RW） and root length（RL） in deep soil layer（30-100 cm） were closely positively correlated with grain yield and WUE of CH58（but not XY22）, highlighting the connections between a well-developed subsoil root system and both high grain yield and WUE for the drought-tolerant cultivar. WUE correlated strongly with grain yield for both cultivars（r=0.94, P〈0.001）. In conclusion, deep application of P fertilizer is a practical and feasible means of increasing grain yield and WUE of rainfed winter wheat in semi-arid regions, by promoting deep root development of drought-tolerant cultivars.

Increasing rainfed wheat yield by optimizing agronomic practices to consume more subsoil water in the Loess Plateau

Erratic rainfall and misalignment between the rainy season and the growing season of winter wheat greatly limit rainfed winter wheat yield in the Loess Plateau of China. To increase the grain yield of winter wheat in this region, the effects of different agronomic practices, including adjusting planting pattern(NR, narrow row spacing), increasing seeding rate(high seeding rate, HS), decreasing basal nitrogen rate and increasing top-dressed nitrogen rate(DBN), and replacing an old cultivar with a new cultivar(NC) on wheat yield were investigated for two consecutive years. The results showed that the current grain yield of rainfed winter wheat in the Loess Plateau could be increased to 5879–7093 kg ha^(-1) by HS, DBN and NC practices relative to the practice of high-yielding farmers(PF). The increased yield due to HS, DBN and NC was attributed to the higher number of spikes ha^(-1), 1000-grain weight, and kernels spike^(-1). Before the flowering stage, HS increased soil water consumption(SWC) in 1–3 m subsoil due to the higher plant population compared with that of PF, whereas DBN decreased SWC in the 0–2 m soil layer compared with that of PF. After the flowering stage, HS, DBN, and NC increased SWC by 8–16 mm in 2–3 m subsoil compared to PF. The water use efficiency(WUE) was increased under DBN and NC in comparison with PF.However, the WUE did not increase under HS as it had the highest evapotranspiration among the five treatments. Increasing the use of subsoil water during the late growth stage by optimizing agronomic practices or applying new cultivars with expansive roots should be the primary approach to increase rainfed winter wheat yield in this region.

Yield and water use responses of winter wheat to irrigation and nitrogen application in the North China Plain

With increasing water shortage resources and extravagant nitrogen application, there is an urgent need to optimize irrigation regimes and nitrogen management for winter wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） in the North China Plain（NCP）. A 4-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of three irrigation levels（W1, irrigation once at jointing stage; W2, irrigation once at jointing and once at heading stage; W3, irrigation once at jointing, once at heading, and once at filling stage; 60 mm each irrigation） and four N fertilizer rates（N0, 0; N1, 100 kg N ha-（-1）; N2, 200 kg N ha-（-1）; N3, 300 kg N ha-（-1）） on wheat yield, water use efficiency, fertilizer agronomic efficiency, and economic benefits. The results showed that wheat yield under W2 condition was similar to that under W3, and greater than that under W1 at the same nitrogen level. Yield with the N1 treatment was higher than that with the N0 treatment, but not significantly different from that obtained with the N2 and N3 treatments. The W2 N1 treatment resulted in the highest water use and fertilizer agronomic efficiencies. Compared with local traditional practice（W3 N3）, the net income and output-input ratio of W2 N1 were greater by 12.3 and 19.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that two irrigation events of 60 mm each coupled with application of 100 kg N ha-（–1） is sufficient to provide a high wheat yield during drought growing seasons in the NCP.

Effects of Multi-Stage Continuous Drought on Photosynthetic Characteristics, Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat

A drought event can cause entire crops to fail or yield loss.In order to study the effects of continuous drought on photosynthetic characteristics,yield,and water use efficiency(WUE)of winter wheat(Triticum aestivum L.),the winter wheat variety“Aikang 58”was selected as test material with controlling the water of the pot-planted winter wheat under a mobile rainout shelter.Based on foot planting and safe wintering,winter wheat was evaluated under different drought conditions,including light,moderate and severe drought at the jointing(B),heading(C),and filling(G)stages.The soil water content was controlled in a range of 60%to 70%,50%to 60%,and 40%to 50%of the field capacity,respectively.In the experiment,there were 9 single-stage droughts,3 three-stage droughts,and 1 test control(totaling 13 trials).The results are as follows:Under a single-stage drought,the change of net photosynthetic rate(Pn)and stomatal conductance(Gs)have similar trends,and they both decrease significantly with the severity of the drought.Under three-stage continuous droughts,the change curve of Gs shows a constant downward trend;the change curve of Pn showed a“valley shape,”and the minimum value of Pn appeared at the heading stage.All droughts will reduce the yield of winter wheat.Under the three-stage continuous drought conditions,except for light drought,moderate drought and severe drought will cause significant yield reduction,mainly due to lack of water at the jointing and heading stages.Continuous drought will reduce the WUE,and the difference will reach a significant level under moderate and severe drought.The present results suggested that when water resources are scarce,it is a better irrigation model to save water and achieve high grain yield by applying appropriate water stress(60%–70%FC)during the critical growth period of winter wheat.

The supporting capability of Water and land resources for sustainable increase of yield in North China Plain

The potential of yield increase in the North China Plain is about 30 billion kg by ameliorating the low yield and medium low yield farmlands and 4 billion kg by reclaiming unused land. Water shortage will be the main limitation to the further increase of grain crop yield. The amount of water shortage is 8 200 million m3 at present, and will be 17 720 million m3 in 2 000. Yield increase can not be realized by using more water in the future. Other factors such as decrease of the area of cultivated land and the grain crop growing area, deterioration of environment and destruction of resources will also affect the development of grain production. Some suggestions have been proposed in the paper for attaining sustainable increase of yield in the plain.

Mapping QTLs for Yield Stability in Durum Wheat Grown under Different Water Regimes

Among the most important Mediterranean annual crops, durum wheat is widely grown in drought-prone areas. Therefore, improving water-use effi ciency (WUE) of durum wheat represents a major breeding goal. IDu-