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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2022, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (9): 2379-2387.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202209.013

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Effects of deficit irrigation on seed production performance and water use efficiency of two native plant species in arid areas

GAO Fu-jie1,2, CUI Hong-jiao1,2, HAN Bing-fang3*, HE Yan-ling4, PENG Wen-dong5, LIU Ding-xin5, FU Bing-zhe1,2, MA Hong-bin1,2   

  1. 1Ningxia Grassland and Animal Husbandry Engineering Technology Research Center, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    2College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    3Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Modern Agricultural Water Resources in Arid Regions, College of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    4Weather Bureau of Yanchi County, Wuzhong 751500, Ningxia, China;
    5Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Science, Science and Technology Bureau of Yanchi County, Wuzhong 751500, Ningxia, China
  • Received:2021-11-10 Accepted:2022-07-05 Online:2022-09-15 Published:2023-03-15

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Abstract: Scientific irrigation is of great significance to plant seed production. With two excellent native plant species in desert steppe, Agropyron mongolicum and Lespedeza potaninii, as the objects, and full irrigation as the control, we explored the effects of deficit irrigation in different growth stages on the seed production and water use efficiency (WUE) of those two species. The results showed that, compared with the control, soil water content of both species decreased under deficit irrigation. The decrease of soil water content of A. mongolicum mainly occurred in the 0-60 cm soil layer, while there was no obvious stratification for the reduction of soil water content of L. potaninii. There were significant differences in the yield components of A. mongolica under deficit irrigation. The seed yield of deficit irrigation at the flowering stage was the highest. There were significant differences in the numbers of fertile tillers, florets and pods of L. potaninii among treatments, but no significant difference in seed yield. There were positive correlations between seed yield of A. mongolicum and the numbers of fertile tillers (r=0.776) and spikelets (r=0.717). The racemes of L. potaninii was significantly negatively correlated with the number of fertile tillers (r=-0.685), and positively correlated with the number of florets (r=0.412). Compared with full irrigation, water consumption of seed production of the two native plant species was reduced under deficit irrigation, but water use efficiency was improved, with the strongest improvement at the flowering stage of A. mongolicum (32.9%) and at the branching stage of L. potaninii (27.4%). Therefore, proper deficit irrigation could improve water use efficiency of both plant species. From the perspective of water use efficiency and seed yield, deficit irrigation could be used for artificial breeding of A. mongolicum and L. potaninii seeds in arid area, with the suitable growth stage for deficit being the flowering and the branching stages, respectively.

Key words: deficit irrigation, native plant, seed production performance, evapotranspiration, water use efficiency