Regulatory effects of bundled straw covering on winter wheat yield and soil thermal-moisture utilization in dryland

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201810.027

Abstract

Abstract: Bundled straw covering (BSC), using corn whole straw for partial coverage planting, is a novel dryland cultivation technique. To examine the effects of BSC on the thermal-moisture status and winter wheat yield under typical arid and semiarid conditions in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China, soil temperature, soil water content and consumption, grain yield and water-use efficiency were compared for four treatments, including no-tillage with straw mulch (NTS), whole field plastic mulching with soil covering on the top of the plastic mulch and bunch-seeding (PFM), open field cultivation (CK) and BSC during three growing seasons from 2013 to 2016. The results showed that PFM significantly increased soil temperature of 5-20 cm depth before jointing stage, while the warming effect of BSC and NTS was mainly in the wintering period. The three kinds of coverage methods after jointing stage had significant cooling effects. Both BSC and PFM significantly improved soil water storage effect during the fallow period. BSC significantly elevated soil moisture in the depth of 0 to 200 cm in the whole growing season. The improvement of soil moisture by PFM and NTS mainly occurred before the heading stage, and soil moisture in PFM treatment gradually decreased after heading stage. BSC and PFM significantly increased water consumption in the whole growth period and increased that during the jointing stage to the flowering stage, and promoted the utilization of soil moisture below 120 cm. Compared with CK, BSC, NTS and PFM significantly increased the number of panicles per unit area and biomass at maturity. In those three treatments, grain yield was increased by 19%-52%, 14%-30% and 15%-60%, respectively, and the annual water use efficiency was increased by 19%-61%, 14%-31% and 15%-58%, respectively. BSC had the same potential for increasing yield and water use efficiency as PFM. Based on factors such as winter wheat yield, soil thermal-moisture utilization and annual water consumption, BSC is a high-yield and efficient cultivation method that is conducive to the sustainable development of dryland agriculture in Northwest China.

YANG Chang-gang, CHAI Shou-xi. Regulatory effects of bundled straw covering on winter wheat yield and soil thermal-moisture utilization in dryland[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2018, 29(10): 3245-3255.

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