Effects of Different Mulching Models on Soil Moisture and Summer Maize Yields
HU Ya-jin, WU Shu-fang, FENG Hao, CAO Han
2015, 36(06):
699-708.
doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-6362.2015.06.006
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To explore the effects of different mulching modes on soil moisture, summer maize yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) in semi-humid drought-prone area, the field experiment was conducted at water-saving irrigation station, Yangling, Shaanxi province from June to October in 2014. Four treatments, including the ridge with plastic film and dent with wheat straw (PSM), flat plot with plastic film-mulched (PM), flat plot with wheat straw (SM), and flat plot without mulch as the control (CK), were designed in the experiment. The soil moisture and its variation during the growth season of summer maize were dynamically monitored by using of TRIME-TDR and EM50, and water use efficiency (WUE) under different mulching modes was analyzed. The results showed that after precipitation of 30.5mm, the treatment of PSM had the most obvious effect on water collection, while after two days of rainfall, the highest soil moisture, as 35.8%, was in the layer of 0-40cm. After 6 days rainfall, the soil moisture in the layer of 0-40cm decreased by 10.3%, 2.9%, 1.8% and 0.2% under the treatments of CK, PSM-F, PM and SM, respectively, while the soil moisture of the treatment of PSM-B increased by 10.4%. For the treatment of PSM, soil moisture in the ditch and the ridge was very different during the dry season, and similar during rainy season. Soil water storage in the layer of 0-20cm of all mulch treatments was significantly higher than that of CK, particularly in PSM. After the seeding stage, soil water storage in the layer of 20-100cm was lower in all mulch treatments than in CK. Soil water storage in the layer of 100-200cm was highest in SM treatment and lowest in PSM treatment. There was a significant positive correlation between the yield of summer maize and the soil water consumption during jointing stage to filling stage (r=0.98*). The yields of summer maize with PSM, PM and SM increased by 95.3%, 83.1% and 55.4% than that of CK, and WUE increased by 75.7%, 71.0% and 58.8% than that of CK, respectively. The results indicated that SPM treatment increased the yield of summer maize and WUE, which was recommended to apply to semi-humid drought-prone region.