Antecedent Precipitation Index to Estimate Soil Moisture and Correlate as a Triggering Process in the Occurrence of Landslides

Landslides are highly dangerous phenomena that occur in different parts of the world and pose significant threats to human populations. Intense rainfall events are the main triggering process for landslides in urbanized slope regions, especially those considered high-risk areas. Various other factors contribute to the process;thus, it is essential to analyze the causes of such incidents in all possible ways. Soil moisture plays a critical role in the Earth’s surface-atmosphere interaction systems;hence, measurements and their estimations are crucial for understanding all processes involved in the water balance, especially those related to landslides. Soil moisture can be estimated from in-situ measurements using different sensors and techniques, satellite remote sensing, hydrological modeling, and indicators to index moisture conditions. Antecedent soil moisture can significantly impact runoff for the same rainfall event in a watershed. The Antecedent Precipitation Index (API) or “retained rainfall,” along with the antecedent moisture condition from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is generally applied to estimate runoff in watersheds where data is limited or unavailable. This work aims to explore API in estimating soil moisture and establish thresholds based on landslide occurrences. The estimated soil moisture will be compared and calibrated using measurements obtained through multisensor capacitance probes installed in a high-risk area located in the mountainous region of Campos do Jordão municipality, São Paulo, Brazil. The API used in the calculation has been modified, where the recession coefficient depends on air temperature variability as well as the climatological mean temperature, which can be considered as losses in the water balance due to evapotranspiration. Once the API is calibrated, it will be used to extrapolate to the entire watershed and consequently estimate soil moisture. By utilizing recorded mass movements and comparing them with API and soil moisture, it will be possible to determine thresholds, thus enabling anticipation of landslide occurrences.

SimET: An open-source tool for estimating crop evapotranspiration and soil water balance for plants with multiple growth cycles

Accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration(ETc) and soil water balance, which is vital for optimizing water management strategy in crop production, can be performed by simulation. But existing software has many deficiencies, including complex operation, limited scalability, lack of batch processing, and a single ETc model. Here we present simET, an open-source software package written in the R programming language. Many concepts involved in crop ETc simulation are condensed into functions in the package. It includes three widely used crop ETc models built on these functions: the single-crop coefficient,double-crop coefficient, and Shuttleworth–Wallace models, along with tools for preparing model data and comparing estimates. SimET supports ETc simulation in crops with repeated growth cycles such as alfalfa, a perennial forage crop that is cut multiple times annually.

The Impact of Soil Freezing/Thawing Processes on Water and Energy Balances

A frozen soil parameterization coupling of thermal and hydrological processes is used to investigate how frozen soil processes affect water and energy balances in seasonal frozen soil. Simulation results of soil liquid water content and temperature using soil model with and without the inclusion of freezing and thawing processes are evaluated against observations at the Rosemount field station. By comparing the simulated water and heat fluxes of the two cases, the role of phase change processes in the water and energy balances is analyzed. Soil freezing induces upward water flow towards the freezing front and increases soil water content in the upper soil layer. In particular, soil ice obviously prevents and delays the infiltration during rain at Rosemount. In addition, soil freezingthawing processes alter the partitioning of surface energy fluxes and lead the soil to release more sensible heat into the atmosphere during freezing periods.

Assessment and utilization of soil water resources

Based on the analyses of water interactions and water balance, this paper discusses the issues on the assessment and regulation of soil water resources, which lays the scientific basis for limited irrigation and water-saving agriculture.

Analysis of Soil and Water Balance on the Land Arrangement Function

The natural supply of land resources is limited, but the economic supply may change along with social and economic development, and its size is decided bye nature and social and economic body conditions. When the supplying ability of land resources threatens the development of society and the conflict between people and land becomes tense, it forced people to im- prove land utilization and to increase the effective supply of land resources. The paper made an overall consideration on the characteristics of the irrigated farming and the frail ecological environment in Fuhai County, Altay Area, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region and explored land arrangement planning as well as water resource planning and environmental protection. The paper evaluated natural resources, land utilization and water resource of the case study areas and focused on the spatio-temporal balance between the utilization of water and land resources. In the end the paper a feasible plan was made out for the land arrangement project.

Field Assessment of Soil Water Storage and Actual Evapotranspiration of Rainfed Maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) Genotypes in a Coastal Savannah Environment

A field experiment was carried out in a coastal savannah agro-ecological zone of Ghana to assess the dynamics of stored soil water and actual evapotranspiration (AET) of three maize genotypes (Obatanpa, Mamaba, and Golden Crystal) grown under rainfed conditions. Access tubes were installed to a depth of 120 cm for soil water content monitoring using a neutron probe meter. The soil water balance model of plant root zone was used to estimate AET at different crop growth stages. On average, the rate of AET for Obatanpa, Mamaba, and Golden Crystal maize genotypes were estimated as 4.32, 4.46, and 3.72 mm·day–1, respectively, for the major cropping season as against corresponding values of 3.88, 4.00 and 3.72 mm day–1 for the minor cropping season. Mamaba had higher values of AET from 42 DAE (days after emergence) to 84 DAE during the minor cropping season while it had low AET values during the major cropping season. The positive balance in stored soil water in the root zone of Obatanpa was the highest from 42 DAE to 84 DAE followed by Mamaba and Golden Crystal during the major cropping season. Mamaba, on the other hand, had the highest AET from 70 DAE to 84 DAE. Obatanpa used 55.6% of stored soil water for AET, which was the highest among the maize genotypes during the major cropping season. Golden Crystal and Mamaba followed with 53.3% and 51.5%. For the minor cropping season, 48.5% of stored soil water was used by Mamaba for AET, followed by Obatanpa, (46.4%) and Golden Crystal (43.2%). A strong positive significant (p ≤ 0.05) linear correlation existed between AET and precipitation with the coefficient of determination (R2) being 69.2 for Obatanpa, 88.5 for Mamaba and 82.8 for Golden Crystal for the major cropping season. Higher R2 values (98.0, for Obatanpa, 94.1 for Mamaba and 98.9 for Golden Crystal) were, however, obtained for the minor cropping season. Additionally, a strong linear relationship was found between AET and precipitation, suggesting the need to formulate strategies for enhancing effective use of precipitation in sustained rainfed maize production.

Effect of sand-fixing vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes and its practical significance

Soil water content is a key controlling factor for vegetation restoration in sand dunes.The deep seepage and lateral migration of water in dunes affect the recharge process of deep soil water and groundwater in sand dune ecosystems.To determine the influence of vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes,we examined the deep seepage and lateral migration of dune water with different vegetation coverages during the growing season in the Horqin Sandy Land,China.The results showed that the deep seepage and lateral migration of water decreased with the increase in vegetation coverage on the dunes.The accumulated deep seepage water of mobile dunes(vegetation coverage<5%)and dunes with vegetation coverage of 18.03%,27.12%,and 50.65%accounted for 56.53%,51.82%,18.98%,and 0.26%,respectively,of the rainfall in the same period.The accumulated lateral migration of water in these dunes accounted for 12.39%,6.33%,2.23%,and 7.61%of the rainfall in the same period.The direction and position of the dune slope affected the soil water deep seepage and lateral migration process.The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water on the windward slope were lower than those on the leeward slope.The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water showed a decreasing trend from the bottom to the middle and to the top of the dune slope.According to the above results,during the construction of sand-control projects in sandy regions,we suggest that a certain area of mobile dunes(>13.75%)should be retained as a water resource reservoir to maintain the water balance of artificial fixed dune ecosystems.These findings provide reliable evidence for the accurate assessment of water resources within the sand dune ecosystem and guide the construction of desertification control projects.

Effects of saline irrigation on soil salt accumulation and grain yield in the winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system in the low plain of North China

In the dominant winter wheat （WW）-summer maize （SM） double cropping system in the low plain located in the North China, limited access to fresh water, especially during dry season, constitutes a major obstacle to realize high crop productivity. Using the vast water resources of the saline upper aquifer for irrigation during WW jointing stage, may help to bridge the peak of dry season and relieve the tight water situation in the region. A field experiment was conducted during 2009-2012 to investigate the effects of saline irrigation during WW jointing stage on soil salt accumulation and productivity of WW and SM. The experiment treatments comprised no irrigation （T1）, fresh water irrigation （T2）, slightly saline water irrigation （T3：2.8 dS m-l）, and strongly saline water irrigation （T4：8.2 dS m-1） at WW jointing stage. With regard to WW yields and aggregated annual WW-SM yields, clear benefits of saline water irrigation （T3 ＆ T4） compared to no irrigation （T1）, as well as insignificant yield losses compared to fresh water irrigation （T2） occurred in all three experiment years. However, the increased soil salinity in eady SM season in consequence of saline irrigation exerted a negative effect on SM photosynthesis and final yield in two of three experiment years. To avoid the negative aftereffects of saline irrigation, sufficient fresh water irrigation during SM sowing phase （i.e., increase from 60 to 90 mm） is recommended to guarantee good growth conditions during the sensitive early growing period of SM. The risk of long-term accumulation of salts as a result of saline irrigation during the peak of dry season is considered low, due to deep leaching of salts during regularly occurring wet years, as demonstrated in the 2012 experiment year. Thus, applying saline water irrigation at jointing stage of WW and fresh water at sowing of SM is most promising to realize high yield and fresh irrigation water saving.

California Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water and Agricultural Energy Use in California

The California Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water （CaI-SIMETAW） model is a new tool developed by the California Department of Water Resources and the University of California, Davis to perform daily soil water balance and determine crop evapotranspiration （ETo）, evapotranspiration of applied water （ETaw）, and applied water （AW） for use in California water resources planning. ETaw is a seasonal estimate of the water needed to irrigate a crop assuming 100% irrigation efficiency. The model accounts for soils, crop coefficients, rooting depths, seepage, etc. that influence crop water balance. It provides spatial soil and climate information and it uses historical crop and land-use category information to provide seasonal water balance estimates by combinations of detailed analysis unit and county （DAU/County） over Califomia. The result is a large data base of ETc and ETaw that will be used to update information in the new California Water Plan （CWP）. The application uses the daily climate data, i.e., maximum （Tx） and minimum （Tn） temperature and precipitation （Pcp）, which were derived from monthly USDA-NRCS PRISM data （PRISM Group 2011） and daily US National Climate Data Center （NCDC） climate station data to cover California on a 4 kmx4 km change grid spacing. The application uses daily weather data to determine reference evapotranspiration （ETo）, using the Hargreaves-Samani （HS） equation （Hargreaves and Samani 1982, 1985）. Because the HS equation is based on temperature only, ETo from the HS equation were compared with CIMIS ETo at the same locations using available CIMIS data to determine correction factors to estimate CIMIS ETo from the HS ETo to account for spatial climate differences. CaI-SIMETAW also employs near real-time reference evapotranspiration （ETo） information from Spatial CIMIS, which is a model that combines weather station data and remote sensing to provide a grid of ETo information. A second database containing the available soil water holding capacity and soil depth information for all of California was also developed from the USDA-NRCS SSURGO database. The Cal-SIMETAW program also has the ability to generate daily weather data from monthly mean values for use in studying climate change scenarios and their possible impacts on water demand in the state. The key objective of this project is to improve the accuracy of water use estimates for the California Water Plan （CWP）, which provides a comprehensive report on water supply, demand, and management in California. In this paper, we will discuss the model and how it determines ETaw for use in water resources planning.

Impact of Land Use Change on Groundwater Recharge in Guishui River Basin,China

It is important to understand how land use change impacts groundwater recharge, especially for regions that are undergoing rapid urbanization and there is limited surface water. In this study, the hydrological processes and re- charge ability of various land use types in Guishui River Basin, China （in Beijing Municipality） were analyzed. The impact of land use change was investigated based on water balance modeling, WetSpass and GIS. The results indicate that groundwater recharge accounts for only 21.16% of the precipitation, while 72.54% is lost in the form of evapotranspiration. The annual-lumped groundwater recharge rate decreases in the order of cropland, grassland, urban land, and forest. Land use change has resulted in a decrease of 4 x 106 m3 of yearly groundwater recharge in the study area, with a spatially averaged rate of 100.48 mm/yr and 98.41 mm/yr in 1980 and 2005, respectively. This variation has primarily come from an increase of urban area and rural settlements, as well as a decrease of cropland.

Analysis and improving ways for water condition in winter wheat field of dryland in subhumid areas of the Loess Plateau

Based on the soil moisture data from the locating experiments from 1986—1990, and using the water balance method, the water supply and demand state in the field of winter wheat, and the ways for improving water condition in dryland of dry subhumid area of the Loess Plateau were studied. The results suggested that a low precipitation satisfying ratio of 42.9%—58.8% appears in the growing period of winter wheat, and the yield, to a great extent depended on the water that was stored in deep soil layer in the previous rainy season. The filed trial results showed that tillage in the summer fallow period,straw cover, soil moisture regulation with adequate fertilization, crop rotation and proper cropping system could be the efficient ways for improving the water condition,and for the exploitation and utilization of natural water resources(both precipitation and soil water) in the winter wheat field of dryland.

Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration Probed by Numerical Analysis of Field-Observed Data Sets

Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration is essential to predict possible changes in terrestrial carbon budget on various scenarios about atmospheric and soil climates. Although it is often evaluated by using respiratory quotient “Q10”, Q10 values of soil respiration seem to vary depending on methods or scales of evaluation. Aiming at probing how Q10 values of soil respiration are evaluated differently for a field, this study used a model of soil respiration rate, and numerically evaluated soil respiration rates along depth by fitting the model to depth distributions of CO2 concentration measured in a field. And temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rate was evaluated by comparing the determined soil respiration rates with atmospheric and soil temperatures measured in the field. The results showed that the relation between surface CO2 emission rates and atmospheric temperatures was represented by lower Q10 values than that between soil respiration rates and soil temperatures, presumably because the top soil layers had acclimatized in more extent to the existing thermal regime than the underlying deeper layers. Thus, for evaluating effects of long-term rise in atmospheric temperature on soil respiration, it is necessary to precisely predict the long-term change in depth distribution of soil temperature as well as to quantify temperature sensitivity of soil respiration along depth. The evaluated sensitivity of surface CO2 emission rate to atmospheric temperature showed hysteresis, implying the needs for more knowledge about temperature sensitivity of soil respiration evaluated in both warming and cooling processes for better understandings and predictions about terrestrial carbon cycling.

Effect of potassium on soil conservation and productivity of maize/cowpea based crop rotations in the north-west Indian Himalayas

Plots under conservation tillage may require higher amount of potassium(K) application for augmenting productivity due to its stratification in upper soil layers, thereby reducing K supplying capacity in a medium or long-term period. To test this hypothesis, a field experiment was performed in 2002-2003 and 2006-2007 to study the effect of K and several crop rotations on yield, water productivity, carbon sequestration, grain quality, soil K status and economic benefits derived in maize(Zea mays L)/cowpea(Vigna sinensis L.) based cropping system under minimum tillage(MT). All crops recorded higher grain yield with a higher dose of K(120 kg K2 O ha-1) than recommended K(40 kg K2 O ha-1). The five years' average yield data showed that higher K application(120 kg K2 O ha-1) produced 16.4%(P<0.05)more maize equivalent yield. Cowpea based rotation yielded 14.2%(P<0.05) higher production than maize based rotation. The maximum enhancement was found in cowpea-mustard rotation. Relationship between yield and sustainable indices revealed that only agronomic efficiency of fertilizer input was significantly correlated with yield. Similarly, higherdoses of K application not only increased the water use efficiency(WUE) of all crops, but also reduced runoff and soil loss by 16.5% and 15.8% under maize and 23.3% and 19.7% under cowpea cover, respectively. This study also revealed that on an average 16.5% of left over carbon input contributed to soil organic carbon(SOC). Here, cowpea based rotation with the higher K application increased carbon sequestration in soil. Potassium fertilization also significantly improved the nutritional value of harvested grain by increasing the protein content for maize(by 9.5%) and cowpea(by 10.6%). The oil content in mustard increased by 5.0% and 6.0% after maize and cowpea, respectively. Net return also increased with the application of the higher K than recommended K and the trend was similar to yield. Hence, the present study demonstrated the potential yield and profit gains along with resource conservation in the Indian Himalayas due to annual additions of higher amount of K than the recommended dose. The impact of high K application was maximum in the cowpea-mustard rotation.

Radiation balance and the response of albedo to environmental factors above two alpine ecosystems in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the energy balance on the Tibetan Plateau is important for better prediction of global climate change. To characterize the energy balance on the Plateau, we examined the radiation balance and the response of albedo to environmental factors above an alpine meadow and an alpine wetland surfaces in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, using 2014 data. Although our two sites belong to the same climatic background, and are close geographically, the annual incident solar radiation at the alpine meadow site(6,447 MJ/(m2·a)) was about 1.1 times that at the alpine wetland site(6,012 MJ/(m2·a)),due to differences in the cloudiness between our two sites. The alpine meadow and the alpine wetland emitted about 38%and 42%, respectively, of annual incident solar radiation back into atmosphere in the form of net longwave radiation; and they reflected about 22% and 18%, respectively, of the annual incident solar radiation back into atmosphere in the form of shortwave radiation. The annual net radiation was 2,648 and 2,544 MJ/(m2·a) for the alpine meadow site and the alpine wetland site, respectively, accounting for only about 40% of the annual incident solar radiation, significantly lower than the global mean. At 30-min scales, surface albedo exponentially decreases with the increase of the solar elevation angle; and it linearly decreases with the increase of soil-water content for our two sites. But those relationships are significantly influenced by cloudiness and are site-specific.

Spatial variability and temporal stability of actual evapotranspiration on a hillslope of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Actual evapotranspiration(ETa)is a key component of water balance.This study aimed to investigate the spatial variability and time stability of ETa along a hillslope and to analyze the key factors that control the spatiotemporal variability of ETa.The potential evaporation,surface runoff and 0–480 cm soil water profile were measured along a 243 m long transect on a hillslope of the Loess Plateau during the normal(2015)and wet(2016)water years.ETa was calculated using water balance equation.Results indicated that increasing precipitation during the wet water year did not alter the spatial pattern of ETa along the hillslope;time stability analysis showed that a location with high time stability of ETa could be used to estimate the mean ETa of the hillslope.Time stability of ETa was positively correlated with elevation(P<0.05),indicating that,on a hillslope in a semi-arid area,elevation was the primary factor influencing the time stability of ETa.

Assessing the Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Hydrology of the Mbarali River Sub-Catchment. The Case of Upper Great Ruaha Sub-Basin, Tanzania

Intensification of agricultural land use and population growth from 1990-2017 has caused changes in land cover and land use of the Mbarali River sub-catchment which is located in the Upper Great Ruaha Sub basin, Tanzania. This has affected the magnitude of the surface runoff, total water yield and the groundwater flow. This study assesses the impacts of the land cover and land use changes on the stream flows and hydrological water balance components (surface runoff, water yield, percolation and actual evapotranspiration). The land use and land cover (LULC) maps for three window period snapshots, 1990, 2006 and 2017 were created from Landsat TM and OLI_TIRS with the help of QGIS version 2.6. Supervised classification was used to generate LULC maps using the Maximum Likelihood Algorithm and Kappa statistics for assessment of accuracy. SWAT was set up and run to simulate stream flows and hydrological water balance components. The assessment of the impacts of land use and land cover changes on stream flows and hydrological water balance component was performed by comparing hydrological parameters simulated by SWAT using land use scenarios of 2006 and 2017 against the baseline land use scenario of 1990. Accuracy of LULC classification was good with Kappa statistics ranging between 0.9 and 0.99. There was a drastic increase in areal coverage of cultivated land, for periods 1990-2006 (5.84%) and 2006-2017 (12.05%) compared to other LULC. During 2006 and 2017 surface runoff increased by 4% and 9% respectively;however, water yield increased by only 0.5% compared to 1990 baseline period. This was attributed to increased proportion of cultivated land in the sub-catchment which has a high curve number (59.60) that indicates a higher runoff response and low infiltration rate.

Application of SWAT99.2 to sensitivity analysis of water balance components in unique plots in a hilly region

Although many sensitivity analyses using the soil and water assessment tool(SWAT) in a complex watershed have been conducted, little attention has been paid to the application potential of the model in unique plots. In addition, sensitivity analysis of percolation and evapotranspiration with SWAT has seldom been undertaken. In this study, SWAT99.2 was calibrated to simulate water balance components for unique plots in Southern China from 2000 to 2001, which included surface runoff, percolation, and evapotranspiration. Twenty-one parameters classified into four categories, including meteorological conditions, topographical characteristics, soil properties, and vegetation attributes, were used for sensitivity analysis through one-at-a-time(OAT) sampling to identify the factor that contributed most to the variance in water balance components. The results were shown to be different for different plots, with parameter sensitivity indices and ranks varying for different water balance components. Water balance components in the broad-leaved forest and natural grass plots were most sensitive to meteorological conditions, less sensitive to vegetation attributes and soil properties, and least sensitive to topographical characteristics. Compared to those in the natural grass plot, water balance components in the broad-leaved forest plot demonstrated higher sensitivity to the maximum stomatal conductance(GSI) and maximum leaf area index(BLAI).

Simulation of Irrigation Water Loss Based on VSMB Model

The low degree of development and utilization as well as the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources in Huangshui River basin are the main restricting factors of the local agricultural development. The study on the simulation of irrigation water loss based on the VSMB model has very important significance to strengthening regional water management and improving water resource utilization efficiency. Five groundwater wells were set up to carry out the farmland irrigation water infiltration and the experimental study on groundwater dynamic effect. Two soil moisture monitoring sites were set up in two typical plots of Daxia and Guanting irrigation area at the same time and TDR300 was used to monitor four kinds of deep soil moisture( 10 cm,30 cm,50 cm and 70 cm). On this basis,the VSMB model was used to study the irrigation water loss in the irrigation area of Yellow River valley of Qinghai Province,including soil moisture content,the actual evapotranspiration,infiltration,runoff,groundwater buried depth and so on. The results showed that the water consumption caused by soil evaporation and crop transpiration accounted for 46. 4% and 24. 1% of the total precipitation plus irrigation,respectively,and the leakage accounted for 30. 3% and 60. 6% of the total precipitation plus irrigation,respectively,from March 1,2013 to April 30,and from August 1 to September 30. The actual evaporation of the GT- TR1 and GT- TR2 sites in the whole year of 2013 was 632. 6 mm and 646. 9 mm,respectively,and the leakage accounted for 2. 6% and 1. 2% of the total precipitation plus irrigation,respectively. RMSE of the simulation results of the groundwater depth in Daxia irrigation area during the two periods was 92. 3 mm and 27. 7 mm,respectively. And RMSE of the simulation results of the water content of soil profile in the two monitoring sites of Guanting irrigation area was 2. 04% and 5. 81%,respectively,indicating that the simulation results were reliable.

Effects of Aggregate Extraction on Water Storage in the Pepin Creek Watershed, British Columbia, Canada

Aggregate extraction in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, has affected the soil water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed. Although local government has set regulations for aggregate extraction projects to avoid negative environmental impacts, the gradual loss of soil materials and associated changes in vegetative cover has led to an alteration of the water balance within the watershed, which may affect surface or groundwater levels, and aquatic habitats. The study assessed the effects of aggregate extraction on the water storage of the Pepin Creek watershed and estimated that 25% of the surface area of the Canadian portion of the watershed has been affected by aggregate mining with an estimated loss of water storage of 10%. Evapotranspiration has decreased as a result of the removal of the vegetative cover. Precipitation has remained relatively constant over the study period but the annual discharge measured at Pepin Creek has decreased. Recommendations for enhancing environmental monitoring to better measure and understand ecological functions of the watershed during aggregate extraction are provided.

Effects of irrigation level and method on soil salt balance and crop water use efficiency in arid oasis regions

Fresh water resource scarcity and soil salt accumulation in the root-zone are two key limiting factors for sustainable agricultural development in the oasis region of arid inland basin, northwest China. The aim of this study was to explore an appropriate irrigation scheme to maintain sustainable crop cultivation in this region. The effects of four irrigation levels (full irrigation, mild deficit, moderate deficit, and severe deficit) and three irrigation methods (border, surface drip and subsurface drip) on soil water and salt dynamics, highland barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yield, and crop water use efficiency were studied by field plot experiments. The results showed that soil salt in 0-100 cm profile was accumulated under all experimental treatments after one season of highland barley planting, but the accumulated salt mass decreased with the decrease of the lower limit of irrigation. Salt mass in 0-100 cm soil profile under subsurface drip irrigation was 16.8%-57.8% and 2.9%-58.4% less than that under border and surface drip irrigation, respectively. The grain yield of highland barley decreased first and then increased with the decrease of the lower limit of irrigation under surface drip and subsurface drip irrigation, but it was on the contrary under border irrigation. Mean grain yield for all irrigation levels under subsurface drip irrigation was 5.7% and 18.8% higher than that under border and surface drip irrigation, respectively. Water use efficiency increased with the decrease of the lower limit of irrigation, and the averaged water use efficiency of all irrigation levels under subsurface drip irrigation was 11.9% and 14.2% higher than that under border and surface drip irrigation, respectively. Considering economic benefit and irrigation water requirement, subsurface drip irrigation with the lower limit of irrigation of 50%-55% field capacity is suggested for highland barley planting in the arid oasis region.