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

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

Effects of Super Absorbent Polymers on Yield and Water-saving and Drought-escaping Mechanism in Spring Maize

The effects of super absorbent polymers （SAP） on yield as well as water-saving and drought-escaping mechanism in spring maize in the seasonal drought region were studied. As shown by the results, during the seasonal drought in southern China, SAP treatment promoted the soil moisture, improved the capability of absorption and transportation of roots, promoted physiological and biochemical functions, increased the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate and intercellular CO2 concentration, and reduced the stomatal conductance and transplre.tion rate. As a result, the economic characters of spring maize were improved, and the yield was increased.

Characteristics and Functions of Cooperative Economic Organizations for Water-saving Irrigation in Agricultural Development in Arid Areas

Agricultural cooperative economic organization for water-saving irrigation in arid areas is a new form of economic organization in production,operation and management during the application process of water-saving irrigation technologies.Currently,there are few researches on this cooperative economic organization.In this study,connotations of cooperative economic organizations for water-saving irrigation are specifically defined,and the characteristics and functions of this cooperative economic organization are analyzed.Based on that,several suggestions are proposed on the continuous development of cooperative economic organizations for water-saving irrigation.

Application of Automatic Water-saving Irrigation System in Roof Gardens

Based on the special site conditions of roof gardens,it was put forward to introduce automatic water-saving irrigation system into the roof garden constructions,such as the solar energy and microcomputer auto water-saving irrigation system,aiming to solve the photosynthetic noon break phenomenon of plants and relieve the stress from high temperature.

Design and Construction of Rainwater Harvesting and Water-saving Irrigation System of Toona sinensis on Mountain Slopes

In order to collect rainwater and resist drought to enhance the utilization rate of rainfall and water resources, through project rainwater harvesting measures, the total annual rainwater harvesting amount of the six greenhouses was calculated according to annual average precipitation 542.2 mm, up to 1 095.7 m^3. The upper natural slopes of cultivated land were as rainwater harvesting areas, and total annual rainwater harvesting amount was 49 242 m^3 on the mountain slopes with an area of 73.37 hm^2, while total water storage amount was 39 394 m^3 in theory, so it could meet water use for the irrigation of 26.28 hm^2 of T. sinensis land. To be convenient for rainwater harvesting, irrigation and supplying water to the water-saving cellars, one pert-cut and part-fill reservoir （which was 470 m^3 in volume） was built on the mountain slopes at the right rear of the greenhouses, and their altitude difference was 50 m. The reservoir was sealed and was built with reinforced concrete. Water-saving cellars were distributed in front and the middle and at the back of two rows of greenhouses, and they were connected with each other. The reservoir could supply water to the water-saving cellars and also collect water by mountain slopes, from the lower water-saving cellars or deep wells. Two rainwater hervesting ditches that were 1 650 m in length were at the lower edge of arable land in the upper reaches of slopes to intercept rainfall runoff and make it flow into channels and then the sedimentation tanks. The total annual rainwater harvesting amount of the reservoir and water-saving cellars was 1 222.5 m^3.

Effects of Water Stress on Economic Characters of Water-saving Rice Variety Luhan No.1

[Objective] This study aimed at exploring the utilization rate of water of the new water-saving rice variety ＂Luhan No.1＂ and providing references and basis for the further demonstration and extension.[Method] Water-saving rice variety ＂Luhan No.1＂ and original receptor ＂6527＂ were used for dry processing without aquifer,and rice under regular irrigation conditions was used as the control.[Result] Under conditions which had economized on 67.4% of water compared with the regular irrigation,decreasing rates of 1 000-seed weight,seed setting rate,plant height and effective panicles of ＂Luhan No.1＂ were relatively small and had not achieved a significant level,while the decreasing rates of production of the region,total grains per panicle,theoretical production and filled grains per panicle of the original receptor ＂6527＂ were all over 25% and had attained very significant levels（P0.01）.[Conclusion] ＂Luhan No.1＂ had shown stable production,energy conservation,reducing environmental pollution and other advantages under water-conservating cultivation conditions.

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

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

THE BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF WATER RESOURCES AND THE WATER-SAVING POTENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE HEXI CORRIDOR

The Hexi Corridor is an important base of agriculture development inNorthwest China. According to recent statistics, there are 65. 94 x 10~8m^3 of water resourcesavailable in the Hexi Corridor. At present, net consumption in development and utilization is 43. 33x 10~8m^3. Water supply and demand reach a balance on the recent level of production, but loss ofevaporation and evapotranspiration is as much as 25. 69 x 1010~8m^3. So net use efficiency of waterresources is 59% Based on analyzing balance between water and land considering ecologicalenvironment at present, there exists the serious water shortage in the Shiyang River system whereirrigation lands have overloaded. There is a comparative balance between supply and demand of waterresource in the Heihe River system; and the Sule River system has some surplus water to extendirrigation land. Use of agriculture water accounts for 83. 3% and ecological forest and grass for 6.9% . The Hexi Corridor still has a great potential for water saving in agriculture production.Water-saving efficiency of irrigation is about 10% by using such traditional technologies as furrowand border-dike irrigation and small check irrigation, and water-saving with plastic film cover andtechniques of advanced sprinkler and drip/micro irrigation etc. can save more than 60% of irrigatedwater. Incremental irrigation area for water-saving potential in the Hexi Corridor has beenestimated as 56% - 197% to original irrigation area. So the second water sources can be developedfrom water saving agriculture in the Hexi Corridor under Development of the Western Part of China inlarge scale. This potential can be realized step by step through developing the water-savingmeasures, improving the ecological condition of oasis agriculture, and optimizing allocation ofwater resources in three river systems.

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

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

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

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

Development Prospect and Strategies of Water-saving and Drought-resistance Rice

Water-saving and drought-resistance upland rice has become a preferable choice for cotton farmlands ready for changing crops or paddy fields with water in short,because simplified and mechanical cultivation can be applied for the rice varieties of drought resistance and high yield.At present,it has been applied with an area of 400 000 hm2 in Hunan Province and the area continues growing.The research bred and introduced the relevant cultivation technology standard applicable to local water-saving and drought-resistance rice varieties in order to improve farmer＇s benefits.

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

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

Water-saving Technologies,Solar Green House and Ecological Rehabilitation in Minqin Oasis of Gansu Province,China

Land degradation and desertification have become severe environmental problems in arid areas due to excessive use of water resources. It is urgent to reduce agricultural water use for ecological rehabilitation, which may result in a decrease in agricultural production and farmer＇s welfare. This paper focused on the impacts of some main measures including extensions of watersaving irrigation, expanding solar green house and increasing off-farm employment, which are generally recognized to be important to alleviate water shortage and poverty. A bioconomic model is applied taking Minqin Oasis in Gansu Province as a case study site. Simulation results showed that the effect of expanding solar greenhouse was more positive than other ones so it drew more attention. On the view of the different effects between each irrigation zone, mixed policy patterns suitable for them are suggested. In Baqu, expanding solar greenhouse should be the most important, auxiliary with encouraging pipe irrigation. Inversely, with regard to Quanshan, the major attention should be paid to subsidy for pipe irrigation and it would be better to supply the off-farm employment opportunities to the households in Huqu, where the expanding of solar greenhouse should also be summoned. Finally, it should be noted that farmer＇s income would only resume to 90% of the current level in the short run by putting more effort into local policies. Thus, the ecological compensation is needed to ensure farmer＇s welfare.

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

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

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

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

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

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

RESEARCH & PRACTICE OF WATER-SAVING AGRICULTURE

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

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

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

Problems and Development Countermeasures of Agricultural Water-Saving Irrigation

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

Agricultural water-saving potential and feasibility of developing semi-dryland farming in Henan Province

Based on the collected data in the current status of developing and utilizing water resources and imple- menting water-saving agriculture in Henan Province, and taking into account the influence of engineering, agro- nomic and management measures, the water-saving potential in past years and the feasibility of implementing semi-dryland farming were analyzed in Henan Province. Finally, specific technical measures of developing semi- drvland farming in different areas of Henan Province were orooosed.