Response of yield,quality,water and nitrogen use efficiency of tomato to different levels of water and nitrogen under drip irrigation in Northwestern China

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of applying different amounts of water and nitrogen on yield, fruit quality, water use efficiency （WUE）, irrigation water use efficiency （IWUE） and nitrogen use efficiency （NUE） of drip-irrigated greenhouse tomatoes in northwestern China. The plants were irrigated every seven days at various proportions of 20-cm pan evaporation （Ep）. The experiment consisted of three irrigation levels （11, 50% Ep; 12, 75% Ep; and 13, 100% Ep） and three N application levels （N1, 150 kg N ha^-1; N2, 250 kg N ha^-1;and N3, 350 kg N ha^-1）. Tomato yield increased with the amount of applied irrigation water in 12 and then decreased in 13. WUE and IWUE were the highest in Ii. WUE was 16.5% lower in 12 than that in I1, but yield was 26.6% higher in 12 than that in I1. Tomato yield, WUE, and IWUE were significantly higher in N2 than that in N1 and N3. NUIE decreased with increasing N levels but NUE increased with increase the amount of water applied. Increasing both water and N levels increased the foliar net photosynthetic rate. I1 and 12 treatments significantly increased the contents of total soluble solids （TSS）, vitamin C （VC）, lycopene, soluble sugars （SS）, and organic acids （OA） and the sugar：acid ratio in the fruit and decreased the nitrate content. TSS, VC, lycopene, and SS contents were the highest in N2. The harvest index （HI） was the highest in 12N2. 12N2 provided the optimal combination of tomato yield, fruit quality, and WUE. The irrigation and fertilisation regime of 75% Ep and 250 kg N ha^-1 was the best strategy of water and N management for the production of drip-irrigated greenhouse tomato.

Ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting with supplemental irrigation to improve seed yield and water use efficiency of winter oilseed rape(Brassica napus L.)

Ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting （RFRH） planting pattern can lessen the effect of water deficits throughout all crop growth stages, but water shortage would remain unavoidable during some stages of crop growth in arid and semiarid areas. Supplemental irrigation would still be needed to achieve a higher production. Field experiments were conducted for two growing seasons （2012-2013 and 2013-2014）to determine an appropriate amount of supplemental irrigation to be applied to winter oilseed rape at the stem-elongation stage with RFRH planting pattern. Four treatments, including supplemental irrigation amount of 0 （I1）, 60 mm （I2） and 120 mm （I3） with RFRH planting pattern and a control （CK） irrigated with 120 mm with flat planting pattern, were set up to evaluate the effects of supplemental irrigation on aboveground dry matter （ADM）, nitrogen nutrition index （NNI）, radiation use efficiency （RUE）, water use efficiency （WUE）, and seed yield and oil content of the oilseed rape. Results showed that supplemental irrigation improved NNI, RUE, seed yield and oil content, and WUE. However, the NNI, RUE, seed yield and oil content, and WUE did not increase significantly or even showed a downward trend with excessive irrigation. Seed yield was the highest in 13 for both growing seasons. Seed yield and WUE in 13 averaged 3235 kg ha^-1 and 8.85 kg ha^-1 mm-1, respectively. The highest WUE was occurred in 12 for both growing seasons. Seed yield and WUE in 12 averaged 3089 kg ha^-1 and 9.63 kg ha^-1 mm^-1, respectively. Compared to 13, 12 used 60 mm less irrigation amount, had an 8.9% higher WUE, but only 4.5 and 0.4% lower seed yield and oil content, respectively. 12 saved water without substantially sacrificing yield or oil content, so it is recommended as an appropriate cultivation and irrigation schedule for winter oilseed rape at the stem-elongation stage.

Effect of elevated ambient CO_2 concentration on water use efficiency of Pinus sylvestriformis

Pinus Syvestfiformis is an important species as an indicator of global climate changes in Changbai Mountain, China. The water use efficiency (WUE) of this species (11 -year old ) was studied on response to elevated Co, concentration at 500±μLL' L-1 by directly injecting CO2 into the canopy under natural condition in 1998-1999. The results showed that the elevated Co, concentration reduced averagely stomatal opening, stomatal conductance and stomatal density to 78%, 80% and 87% respectively, as compared to normal ambient. The elevated Co, reduced the transpiration and enhances the water use efficiency (WUE) of plant.

Photosynthetic Water Use Efficiency of Heritage and Modern Potatoes under Limited and Unlimited Water Environments

Photosynthetic capacity for heritage (Taewa) and modern potato cultivars were compared at different water and nitrogenregimes in the glasshouse and field. The glasshouse was 2*2*4 factorial design with two irrigation: 100% ET and 60% ET;two applied N: 50 kg N ha-1 and 200 kg N ha-1, two Taewa (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri) and two modern potatoes (Moonlight, Agria). The 2009/2010 field experiment was a split-plot, with irrigation and rain-fed regimes as the main treatments: four potatoes above were sub-treatments. The 2010/2011 field experiment was a split-split-plot, with three water regimes as the main treatments: three cultivars (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri, and Agria) were subplots;two N rates were sub-sub-treatments. Gaseous exchange was measured by CIRAS-2 at different days from emergence. Leaf water potential was measured using pressure chamber method. Taewa achieved high photosynthetic WUE in glasshouse and 2010/2011 experiment by maintaining high An, low gs and low Ci compared to modern cultivars (p The An, gs and T increased with irrigation and N increase while decreasing Ci (p < 0.01). Water stress significantly increased VPD resulting in low An and photosynthetic WUE in Moonlight in the glasshouse. The leaf water potential for Taewa was very tolerant while modern potatoes were weakened by water stress. The study indicated that Taewa can be scheduled at partial irrigation without more detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity while modern potatoes need full irrigation to avoid detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity.

Water Use of Leymus chinensis Community

Soil moisture of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. community has obviously stratified phenomena: the layer (0-40 cm) in which roots are concentrically distributed is directly influenced by precipitation and evapotranspiration. It can be called interaction layer of precipitation and evapotranspiration. The layer (40-120 cm), where water-storage capacity exchange lagged exchange of the root-layer water-storage capacity and the community evapotranspiration, can be called major water-storage layer. The layer (under 120 cm) can be called water relatively stable/balanced layer. The year 1996 was a normal flow year, and soil water had a surplus of 18 mm at the end of the growing season. The year 1998 was a high flow year, because leakage took place under continuous heavy rainfall, soil water had a deficit of 15 mm at the end of the growing season. Transpiration to evapotranspiration ( T/ET) value reflected not only the luxuriance degree of the community, but also the water use regime of the environmental resources. T/ET value was low (0.5) in May 1998, reaching 0.7 in June, then decreasing to 0.6 in July, due to the impact of rainfall inclining, while August reached the maximum (0.9), and September decreased to 0.6. Water use efficiency (WUE) was mainly restricted by the growing rate of plants under sufficient water condition (1998). Its seasonal changes were coincident with the grand period of growth of the plants. When both meanings of WUE and T/ET were analyzed profoundly, the concept of evapotranspiration efficiency (ETE) which can all-side reflect utilization regime of the environmental water resources was advanced.

Comparison of Two Dripper Line Designs to Assess Cotton Yield,Water Use,and Net Return in Northwest China

This study aimed to compare the effects of two types of drip irrigation line design on cotton yield, water use, and net returns. The experiments were carried out in the arid region of Xinjiang, Northwest China, during 2009-2010 growing years. The two types of lateral placement are commonly used by the local farmers in the area： double lines （two laterals controlling four rows） and single line designs （one lateral controlling four rows）. The results indicated that less irrigation water was applied by single line compared with double lines design. This implies that more irrigation water could be saved using single line, by reducing the water consumption of cotton. The emergence rates for double lines were 2 and 6% higher than those for single line design in 2009 and 2010. The seed cotton yields for double lines design were 5.76 and 6.41 Mg ha-1 which were 13 and 9% higher than for single line design in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Single lines could however lower the investment cost compared to double lines, which produced 10 and 7% more net income in 2009 and 2010, respectively. By contrast, the double lines was more profitable and suitable for the farmers in Northwest China than single line design.

Seasonal Variation and Correlation with Environmental Factors of Photosynthesis and Water Use Efficiency of Juglans regia and Ziziphus jujuba

Both the photosynthetic light curves and CO2 curves of Juglans regia L. and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa in three seasons were measured using a LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system. The maximal net photosynthetic rate （Amax）, apparent quantum efficiency（φ）, maximal carboxylation rate （Vcmax） and water use efficiency （WUE） of the two species were calculated based on the curves. The results showed that Amax of J. regia reached its maximum at the late-season, while the highest values of Amax of Z. jujuba occurred at the mid-season. The Amax of J. regia was more affected by relative humidity （RH） of the atmosphere, while that of Z. jujuba was more affected by the air temperature. Light saturation point （LSP） and Light compensation point （LCP） of J. regia had a higher correlation with RH of the atmosphere, those of Z. jujuba, however, had a higher correlation with air temperature. Vcmax of both J. regia and Z. jujuba had negative correlation with RH of the atmosphere. WUE of J. regia would decrease with the rise of the air temperature while that of Z. jujuba increased. Thus it could be seen that RH, temperature and soil moisture had main effect on photosynthesis and WUE of J. regia and Z. jujuba. Incorporating data on the physiological differences among tree species into forest carbon models will greatly improve our ability to predict alterations to the forest carbon budgets under various environmental scenarios such as global climate change, or with differing species composition.

Study on Water-Preserving Effects of Mulching for Dryland Winter Wheat in Loess Tableland

Focused on the rainfall characteristics and the reality of agricultural production in the loess tableland , and based on previous results, new patterns for dryland winter wheat production, in which the emphasis was put on the film mulch with obvious water-preserving advantage, were designed to make effective use of rainfall. The results showed that the technique of the double mulch of film plus straw in summer fallow period can collect the rainfall in this period to the utmost extent and over 73.2% of it can be stored in the soil, which is 108. 4 mm more than that of conventional tillage. Furthermore, it can not only preserve water stored in soil in summer fallow, but also collect the rainfall in the growth period as much as possible by using the technique of making ridges plus film mulching and furrow sowing. So the patterns, which can greatly increase both the soil moisture and wheat yield, are the best choice for making full utilization of the rainfall and achieving a high and stable yield in the dryland wheat production of the loess tableland.

Response of the water use efficiency of natural vegetation to drought in Northeast China

Drought has become a problem that is universally faced by global terrestrial ecosystems. Northeast China is located in a region sensitive to global climate changes, and one of the main impacts of climate changes in Northeast China is manifested as drought in growing seasons. This study analyzes the spatio-temporal evolution law of the water use efficiency(WUE) of the main natural vegetation(i.e., cold-temperate coniferous forests, temperate pine-broad-leaved mixed forests, warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests, and grasslands) in Northeast China based on public MODIS data products, including MCD12 Q1, MOD15 A2 H, MOD16 A2, and MOD17 A3 H, and meteorological data from 2002 to 2013. The influence of drought events on the WUE of different vegetation types and their response to drought events are also investigated. The study findings are as follows:(1) drought in Northeast China frequently occurs in the regions stretching from 114.55°E to 120.90°E, and the percentage of drought area among the forests is lower than that among the grasslands during these years;(2) the annual average WUE of the natural vegetation ranges from 0.82 to 1.08 C/kg^(-1) H_2O, and the WUE of forests(0.82 to 1.08 C/kg^(-1) H_2O) is universally higher than that of grasslands(0.84 to 0.99 C/kg^(-1) H_2O);(3) in 2008, the regions where the WUE in drought conditions is higher than that in normal water conditions account for 86.11% of the study area, and a significant linear positive correlation is found between the WUE in drought conditions and the WUE in normal water conditions, whereas the degree of drought does not influence the WUE of the natural vegetation in an obviously linear manner; and(4) the WUE for the cold-temperate coniferous forests and temperate pine-broad-leaved mixed forests with a high ET or low NPP is more likely to rise in drought conditions; the WUE for the grasslands with a low Evapotranspiration(ET), Net Primary Production(NPP), and Leaf Area Index(LAI) is more likely to rise in drought conditions; and the ET, NPP, and LAI have no significant influence on the WUE for the warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests in drought conditions. This study contributes to improving the evaluation of the influence of drought on natural ecosystems.

密肥互作对全膜双垄沟播玉米产量及水分利用效率的影响

为进一步完善全膜双垄沟播玉米栽培技术体系,采用大田随机区组试验法,研究了不同密度和施肥水平对全膜双垄沟播玉米产量和水分利用效率的影响。结果表明:6.75×104株·hm-2种植密度下玉米产量和水分利用效率显著高于4.50×104株·hm-2密度处理。不同施肥处理条件下,玉米穗行数和产量均以施纯氮180kg·hm-2,施过磷酸钙144 kg·hm-2处理最高;玉米百粒重和水分利用效率均以施纯氮210 kg·hm-2,施过磷酸钙168kg·hm-2最高;6.75×104株·hm-2密度下施纯氮210 kg·hm-2,施过磷酸钙168 kg·hm-2处理互作效应显著,玉米百粒重、产量和水分利用效率均高于其他处理。说明6.75×104株·hm-2密度下施纯氮210 kg·hm-2,施过磷酸钙168kg·hm-2是当地全膜双垄沟播玉米生产中比较理想的种植密度和施肥水平。

Seasonal and inter-annual variations in carbon fluxes and evapotranspiration over cotton field under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in an arid region of Northwest China

Xinjiang is the largest semi-arid and arid region in China, and drip irrigation under plastic mulch is widely used in this water-limited area. Quantifying carbon and water fluxes as well as investigating their environ- mental drivers over cotton fields is critical for understanding regional carbon and water budgets in Xinjiang, the largest cotton production basin of China. In this study, an eddy covariance （EC） technique was used to measure the carbon and water fluxes of cotton field under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in the growing seasons of 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 at Wulanwusu Agrometeorological Experiment Station, a representative oasis cropland in northern Xinjiang. The diurnal patterns of gross primary production （GPP）, net ecosystem exchange （NEE） and evapotran-spiration （ET） showed obviously sinusoidal variations from June to September, while the diurnal ecosystem respiration （Res） was stable between daytime and nighttime. The daytime hourly GPP and ET displayed asymptotic rela-tionships with net solar radiation （Rnet）, while showed concave patterns with raising vapor pressure deficit （VPD） and air temperature （Ta）. The increases in hourly GPP and ET towards the maximum occurred over half ranges of VPD and Ta. The seasonal variations of GPP, NEE and ET were close to the cotton phenology, which almost reached the peak value in July. The cumulative GPP averaged 816.2±55.0 g C/m^2 in the growing season （from April to October）, and more than half of GPP was partitioned into NEE （mean value of -478.6±41.4 g C/m^2）. The mean seasonal ET was 501.3±13.9 mm, and the mean water use efficiency （WUE） was 1.0＋0.1 （mg C/g H2O）/d. The agro-ecosystem behaved as a carbon sink from squaring to harvest period, while it acted as a carbon source before the squaring time as well as after the harvest time.

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.

Patterns and driving factors of WUE and NUE in natural forest ecosystems along the North-South Transect of Eastern China

From July 2008 to August 2008, 72 leaf samples from 22 species and 81 soil samples in the nine natural forest ecosystems were collected, from north to south along the North-South Transect of Eastern China （NSTEC）. Based on these samples, we studied the geographical distribution patterns of vegetable water use efficiency （WUE） and nitrogen use efficiency （NUE）, and analyzed their relationship with environmental factors. The vegetable WUE and NUE were calculated through the measurement of foliar δ 13C and C/N of predominant species, respectively. The results showed： （1） vegetable WUE, ranging from 2.13 to 28.67 mg C g-1 H2O, increased linearly from south to north in the representative forest ecosystems along the NSTEC, while vegetable NUE showed an opposite trend, increasing from north to south, ranging from 12.92 to 29.60 g C g-1 N. （2） Vegetable WUE and NUE were dominantly driven by climate and significantly affected by soil nutrient factors. Based on multiple stepwise regression analysis, mean annual temperature, soil phosphorus concentration, and soil nitrogen concentration were responding for 75.5% of the variations of WUE （p0.001）. While, mean annual precipitation and soil phosphorus concentration could explain 65.7% of the change in vegetable NUE （p0.001）. Moreover, vegetable WUE and NUE would also be seriously influenced by atmospheric nitrogen deposition in nitrogen saturated ecosystems. （3） There was a significant trade-off relationship between vegetable WUE and NUE in the typical forest ecosystems along the NSTEC （p0.001）, indicating a balanced strategy for vegetation in resource utilization in natural forest ecosystems along the NSTEC. This study suggests that global change would impact the resource use efficiency of forest ecosystems. However, vegetation could adapt to those changes by increasing the use efficiency of shortage resource while decreasing the relatively ample one. But extreme impacts, such as heavy nitrogen deposition, would break this trade-off mechanism and give a dramatic disturbance to the ecosystem biogeochemical cycle.

2001-2020年内蒙古地区水分利用效率的时空变化及其影响因素

Water use efficiency(WUE)is an important variable to explore coupled relationships in carbon and water cycles.In this study,we first compared the spatial variations of annual gross primary productivity(GPP)and evapotranspiration(ET)using four GPP and ET products.Second,we selected the products closest to the flux towers data to estimate WUE.Finally,we quantitatively analyzed the impact of climate change and soil water content on WUE.The results showed that:(1)Four GPP and ET products provided good performance,with GOSIF-GPP and FLDAS-ET exhibiting a higher correlation and the smallest errors with the flux tower data.(2)The spatial pattern of WUE is consistent with that of GPP and ET,gradually decreasing from the northeast to the southwest.Higher WUE values appeared in the northeast forest ecosystem,and lower WUE values occurred in the western Gobi Desert,with a value of 0.28 gC m^(-2)mm^(-1).The GPP and ET products showed an increasing trend,while WUE showed a decreasing trend(55.15%)from 2001 to 2020.(3)The spatial relationship between WUE and driving factors reveal the variations in WUE of Inner Mongolia are mainly affected by soil moisture between 0 and 10 cm(SM0–10cm),vapor pressure deficit(VPD),and precipitation,respectively.(4)In arid regions,VPD and precipitation exhibit a major influence on WUE.An increase in VPD and precipitation has a negative and positive effect on WUE,with threshold values of approximately 0.36 k Pa and 426 mm,respectively.(5)In humid regions,SM0–10cm,VPD,SM10–40cm,and SM40–100cm exert a significant impact on WUE,especially SM0–10cm,and weakens with increasing soil depths,these differences may be related to physiological structure and living characteristics of vegetation types in different climate regimes.Our results emphasize the importance of VPD and soil moisture in regional variability in WUE.

Seasonal Variation of δ^13C of Four Tree Species： A Biological Integrator of Environmental Variables

Foliar δ^13C values, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon dioxide concentration and, thus, of long-term water use efficiency （WUE） in plants, were measured for Pinus massoniana Lamb., P. elliottii Engelm., Cunninghamia laceolata （Lamb.） Hook., and Schima superba Gardn. et Champ. in a restored forest ecosystem in the Jiazhu River Basin. Seasonal variation and the relationship between the foliar δ^13C values of the four species and environmental factors （monthly total precipitation, monthly average air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and monthly total solar radiation and evaporation） were investigated. The monthly δ^13C values and WUE of the four species increased with increasing precipitation, air temperature, solar radiation, and evaporation, whereas δ^13C values of the four species decreased with increasing relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. Despite significant differences in δ^13C seasonal means for the four species, our results demonstrate a significant convergence in the responses of δ^13C values and WUE to seasonal variations in environmental factors among the species investigated and that the δ^13C signature for each species gives a strong indication of environmental variables.

Estimation and analysis of the ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration in forest ecosystems along the North-South Transect of East China

The ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration (T/ET) is a key parameter for quantifying water use efficiency of ecosystems and understanding the interaction between ecosystem carbon uptake and water cycling in the context of global change.The estimation of T/ET has been paid increasing attention from the scientific community in recent years globally.In this paper,we used the Priestly-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory Model (PT-JPL) driven by regional remote sensing data and gridded meteorological data,to simulate the T/ET in forest ecosystems along the North-South Transect of East China (NSTEC) during 2001-2010,and to analyze the spatial distribution and temporal variation of T/ET,as well as the factors influencing the variation in T/ET.The results showed that:(1) The PT-JPL model is suitable for the simulation of evapotranspiration and its components of forest ecosystems in Eastern China,and has relatively good stability and reliability.(2) Spatial distribution of T/ET in forest ecosystems along NSTEC was heterogeneous,i.e.,T/ET was higher in the north and lower in the south,with an averaged value of 0.69;and the inter-annual variation of T/ET showed a significantly increasing trend,with an increment of 0.007/yr (p<0.01).(3) Seasonal and inter- annual variations of T/ET had different dominant factors.Temperature and EVI can explain around 90%(p<0.01) of the seasonal variation in T/ET,while the inter-annual variation in T/ET was mainly controlled by EVI (53%,p<0.05).