Green High-yield and High-efficiency Cultivation Techniques of Integrated Management of Water and Fertilizer for Maize under Mulch Drip Irrigation

The green high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation techniques of integrated management of water and fertilizer for maize under mulch drip irrigation are described from the aspects of high yield target of maize and its component factor indexes,pre-sowing preparation,sowing,post-sowing management,field management at the seedling stage,integrated management of water and fertilizer for target yield of maize,rational application of micro-fertilizer,comprehensive prevention and control of diseases and pests,timely harvest,etc.,in order to provide a reference for agricultural technicians,maize farmers and maize industry development in northern Xinjiang.

Effects of timing and duration under brackish water mulch drip irrigation on cotton yield in northern Xinjiang,China

The brackish water is an important potential water source and has frequently been utilized to drip-irrigate cotton due to the water shortage in the arid region of Xinjiang,northwestern of China.The brackish water is usually saline water with salinity ranging from 1 g/L to 5 g/L,which is widely distributed in this area,so the reasonable use of that brackish water may not only play a vital role in the local agricultural production,but also save plenty of freshwater.However,irrigation with brackish water usually causes the reduction of crop yield and soil salinization which can negatively impact plants through three major components:osmotic,nutritious and toxic stresses.Therefore,a field experiment,with eight different time-series irrigation modes using brackish water(3.5±0.2)g/L and freshwater(<1 g/L),beneath a combined film and drip-irrigation system was carried out to study the changes of soil salt content and cotton yield aiming to search for a balanced method during the 2 cotton growing seasons in 2012 and 2013.The results indicated that the time-series irrigation modes determined the soil salinity and moisture distribution based on observed spatio-temporal distribution of water content and electric conductivity,and soil salinity generally gathered at the depth of 0-10 cm and 60 cm of soil with the increase of irrigation quota.Moreover,the results demonstrated that the yields of cotton which was grown using brackish water and freshwater were better than those only using freshwater and the soil salinity with reasonable irrigation timing was not accumulated obviously.

Effects of Irrigation Water Quality and Drip Tape Arrangement on Soil Salinity,Soil Moisture Distribution,and Cotton Yield (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Under Mulched Drip Irrigation in Xinjiang,China

More and more attention is being focused on saline water utilization in irrigation due to the shortage of fresh water to agriculture in many regions. For purpose of reducing the risks of using of saline water for irrigation, the mechanism of soil moisture and salinity distribution and transport should be well understood for developing optimum management strategies. In this paper, field experiments were carried out at Junggar Basin, China, to study the effects of drip irrigation water quality and drip tape arrangement on distribution of soil salinity and soil moisture. Six treatments were designed, including two drip tape arrangement modes and three irrigation water concentration levels （0.24, 4.68, and 7.42 dS m^-l）. Results showed that, soil moisture content （SMC） directly beneath the drip tape in all treatments kept a relatively high value about 18% before boll opening stage; the SMC in the narrow strip in single tape arrangement （Ms） plot was obviously lower than that in the double tapes arrangement （Md） plot, indicating that less sufficient water was supplied under the same condition of irrigation depth, but there was no significant reduction in yield. Mulching had not significant influence on salt accumulation but the drip tape arrangement, under the same condition of irrigation water depth and quality, compared with Md, Ms reduced salt accumulation in root zone and brought about relatively high cotton yield.

Effects of Soil Water Content on Cotton Root Growth and Distribution Under Mulched Drip Irrigation

The relation between soil water content and the growth of cotton root was studied for the scheme of field water and cotton yield under mulched drip irrigation. Based on the field experiments, three treatments of soil water content were conducted with 90%, 75%θf, and 60%θf （θfis field water capacity）. Cotton roots and root-shoot ratio were studied with digging method, and the soil moisture was observed with TDR （time domain reflector）, and cotton yield was measured. The results indicated that the growth of cotton root accorded with Logistic growth curve in the three treatments, the cotton root grew quickly and its weight was very high under 75%θf because of the suitable soil water condition, while grew slowly and its weight was lower under 90%θf due to water moisture beyond the suitable condition, and the root weight was in between under 60%θf For the three water treatments, the cotton root weight decreased with soil depth, and decreased more significantly in deeper soil layer with the soil moisture increasing. And the ratio of cotton root weight in 0-30 cm soil layer to the total root weight was the highest under 75%θf. The cotton root system was distributed mainly in the soil of narrow row and wide row mulched with plastic film, and little in the soil outside plastic film. The weight of cotton root was the highest in the soil of narrow row or wide row mulched with plastic film under 75%θf. Root-shoot ratio decreased with the soil moisture increasing. The soil water content affected cotton yields, and cotton yield was the highest under 75%θf. The higher soil moisture level is unfavorable to the growth of cotton root system and yield of cotton under mulched drip irrigation.

Effects of soil moisture on cotton root length density and yield under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in Aksu Oasis farmland

Effects of soil moisture on cotton root length density (total root length per unit soil volume) and yield under drip irrigation with plastic mulch were studied through field experiments. The results indicate that spatial distributions of root length density of cotton under various water treatments were basically similar. Horizontally, both root length densities of cotton in wide and narrow rows were similar, and higher than that between mulches. Vertically, root length density of cotton decreased with increasing soil depth. The distribution of root length density is different under different irrigation treatments. In conditions of over-irrigation, the root length density of cotton between mulches would increase. However, it would decrease in both the wide rows and narrow rows. The mean root length density of cotton increased with increasing irrigation water. Water stress caused the root length density to increase in lower soil layers. There is a significant correlation between root length density and yields of cotton at the flower-boll and wadding stages. The regression between irrigation amount and yield of cotton can be expressed as y = -0.0026x2+18.015x-24845 (R2 = 0.959). It showed that the irrigation volume of 3,464.4 m3/hm2 led to op-timal root length density. The yield of cotton was 6,360 .8 kg/hm2 under that amount of irrigation.

Localized salt accumulation: the main reason for cotton root length decrease during advanced growth stages under drip irrigation with mulch film in a saline soil

High salinity in soil can prevent root growth of most plants. To investigate soil salinity dynamics under drip irrigation with mulch film （DI） and its effects on cotton root length, we conducted field experiments in saline soil based on a monolith method using flooding irrigation with mulch film （FI） as a control at the Korla Experimental Station of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China in 2009 and 2010. The results showed that the total root length decreased 120 days after sowing （DAS） under DI, and was mainly centered in the 0-30 cm soil layer and at distances of 30-70 cm from the drip-lines. There was almost complete overlap in the area of root length decline and salt accumulation. In the soil depth of 0-30 cm and at distances of 30-70 cm from the drip-lines at 110 to 160 DAS in 2009 and 171 DAS in 2010, the electrical conductivity （EC） in all soil samples was at least 3 mS/cm and in some cases exceeded 5 mS/cm under DI treatment. However, EC barely exceeded 3 mS/cm and no reduction in root length was observed under FI treatment. Correlation analysis of soil EC and root length density indicated that the root length declined when the soil EC exceeded 2.8 mS/cm. The main reason for the decrease of root length in cotton under DI was localized accumulation of salinity.

Response of spatial structure of cotton root to soil-wetting patterns under mulched drip irrigation

The matching relationship between the spatial structure of cotton cluster root systems and soil-wetting patterns under mulched drip irrigation forms the theoretical basis for the technical design of mulched drip irrigation.A 2-year field experiment was conducted,in which different soil-wetting patterns were produced by setting different emitter discharge rates.The envelopes of cotton cluster root length densities were derived using the topological methodology and used to examine the effects of different soil-wetting patterns on the spatial structure of root systems and water uptake capacity within row spaces.The results showed that the root systems in rows of cotton grown under narrower and deeper soil-wetting patterns exhibited a single-peak distribution,while those under wider and shallower soil-wetting patterns exhibited a two-peak distribution.Furthermore,cotton rows grown near mulch edges experienced lower moisture stress,and wider and shallower soil-wetting patterns contributed to greater root growth rates in the vertical direction and resulted in more even potential water uptake capacities.The findings of this study revealed that wider and shallower soil-wetting patterns were more desirable for mulched drip irrigation of cotton and should be considered in the technical design of drip irrigation systems.

Comparative investigation on soil salinity leaching under subsurface drainage and ditch drainage in Xinjiang arid region

This study was carried out to explore the effects of leaching salinity under subsurface drainage and mulched drip irrigation on saline and alkaline land from the year 2012 to 2014 in Xinjiang Region of China.Three sampled points were both set up in the subsurface drainage and ditch drainage areas.Soil samples were obtained at varied depths.Through observing the underground water table under each sampled point and measuring the electrical conductivity(EC)of the soil extracts,the following results were obtained:(1)after draining,the underground water table ranged from 1.6 m to 2.2 m in the ditch drainage area,and ranged from 1.5 m to 2.2 m in the subsurface drainage area.Thus,both irrigations could control underground water table below 1.5 m which is deeper than the main water-absorbing layers of crop root systems;(2)for subsurface drainage,the closer to the pipe,the better to leach salinity;decreased from the initial 13.54-22.95 g/kg to 8.20-11.47 g/kg;(3)compared with the amounts in 2012,soil total salt at each sampling point at depths of 0-200 cm in subsurface drainage area decreased by 42.99%,36.84%and 24.41%respectively in 2014;and in ditch drainage area decreased by 46.85%,38.12%and 30.80%respectively in 2014.The results showed both ditch and subsurface drainage could leach salinity effectively.