Article
Agronomy
Rui Li, Shouxi Chai, Yuwei Chai, Yawei Li, Xuemei Lan, Jiantao Ma, Hongbo Cheng, Lei Chang
Summary: The study showed that both whole plastic-film mulching (PFM) and straw strips mulching (SSM) techniques can increase the contribution rate of precipitation to evapotranspiration, reduce soil water consumption, and ultimately improve water productivity and yield of winter wheat. Despite being slightly less effective than PFM, SSM may have greater potential considering its friendly sustainability.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ai-Tian Ren, Rui Zhou, Fei Mo, Shu-Tong Liu, Ji-Yuan Li, Yinglong Chen, Ling Zhao, You-Cai Xiong
Summary: The study found that plastic mulching significantly increased evapotranspiration and improved soil water storage, especially with more pronounced effects on deep soil water storage and better performance in conditions of lower precipitation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Lihong Wu, Hao Quan, Lina Wu, Xi Zhang, Hao Feng, Dianyuan Ding, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: This study examines the effects of plastic mulching on winter wheat growth under late-sowing conditions on the Loess Plateau. The research finds that plastic mulching can improve crop growth and increase yields by promoting early emergence and increasing tiller numbers. Additionally, it reduces ineffective transpiration and mitigates yield losses caused by late sowing. The findings suggest that combining a 10-day delay in sowing with plastic mulching is the optimal approach for improving yield and water productivity in unfavorable late-sowing conditions.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xin Fu, Jun Wang, Zhengping Peng, Xiaonan Yang, Shaohong Zhang
Summary: Straw mulching is widely used for soil water conservation and soil fertility enhancement, but it can lead to nutrient immobilization and decrease in crop yield. Late topdressing with urea can alleviate the yield decrease and should be considered for sustainable crop production in the Loess Plateau of China.
Article
Agronomy
Yawei Li, Shouxi Chai, Yuwei Chai, Rui Li, Xuemei Lan, Jiantao Ma, Hongbo Cheng, Lei Chang
Summary: Mulching has a positive impact on winter wheat yield and soil temperature, significantly increasing grain yield, improving crop storage capacity, and promoting vegetative growth.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Yawei Li, Yuwei Chai, Jiantao Ma, Rui Li, Hongbo Cheng, Lei Chang, Shouxi Chai
Summary: Mulching practices can improve soil hydrothermal conditions and affect soil respiration. Straw mulching and plastic film mulching have different effects on soil respiration and heterotrophic respiration. Straw mulching decreases yield, while plastic film mulching increases yield. Mulching practices also have great potential for soil carbon sequestration.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Shuo Li, Shujuan Wang, Jianglan Shi, Xiaohong Tian, Xinxin Ye
Summary: This study conducted an eight-year field experiment and found that substituting high irrigation levels with water-efficient plastic film mulching strategies can improve the economic feasibility, soil organic carbon sequestration, and carbon footprint of wheat production on the Loess Plateau of China, ultimately achieving sustainable wheat production.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xuyang Han, Yu Feng, Jie Zhao, Aixia Ren, Wen Lin, Min Sun, Zhiqiang Gao
Summary: Mulching practices have significant effects on wheat yield and water use efficiency, but the effects vary under different precipitation and temperature conditions. Plastic film mulching and straw mulching can increase wheat yield and water use efficiency, and the effects are influenced by temperature and precipitation.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Shenqiang Lv, Jia Li, Zeyu Yang, Ting Yang, Huitong Li, Xiaofei Wang, Yi Peng, Chunju Zhou, Linquan Wang, Ahmed I. Abdo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of ridge tillage and plastic film or straw mulching on yield stability, soil water storage, nitrogen budget, and soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents in rain-fed spring maize on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that plastic film mulching increased maize yield and stability, improved water use efficiency, and maintained soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents. However, the potential impact of microplastic contamination should be considered.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Meixia Liu, Menglu Wang, Congwei Sun, Hui Wu, Xueqing Zhao, Enke Liu, Wenyi Dong, Meiling Yan
Summary: This study aimed to clarify the change law of soil extracellular enzyme activity (EA) and its eco-enzyme stoichiometric ratio (ES) under different nitrogen addition levels and plastic film mulching. The results showed that soil depth had little effect on the EA involved in the cycling of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). A nitrogen application level of 225 kg center dot hm(-2) was found to be beneficial for soil nutrient balance and improvement of EA at harvest. Plastic film mulching effectively improved soil EA and nutrient balance. Redundancy analysis indicated strong correlations between EA, ES and pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP).
Article
Agronomy
Dabin Zhang, Chi Zhang, Hangle Ren, Qian Xu, Zhiyuan Yao, Yuqi Yuan, Pengwei Yao, Na Zhao, Yangyang Li, Suiqi Zhang, Bingnian Zhai, Zhaohui Wang, Donglin Huang, Weidong Cao, Yajun Gao
Summary: The growth of leguminous green manure in place of bare fallow improved soil fertility but reduced soil water storage and crop yield in semiarid regions of the Loess Plateau. However, the effects of LGM systems on wheat yield and water use efficiency were negative in dry years but positive in years with adequate rainfall. There were strong positive correlations between annual precipitation and changes in soil water storage and wheat yield.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Xingfa Lai, Tongtong Guan, Xiu Dong, Xueyi Jia, Yuying Shen
Summary: Integrating forage crops into winter wheat cropping system increased system productivity. Among the different systems evaluated, soybean-winter wheat system had the highest dry matter yield and crude protein yield, with the smallest variation in dry matter yield. The soybean-winter wheat system also had the highest food equivalent yield and wheat equivalent yield when considering market prices and yields.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Feng Li, Guohong Zhang, Juan Chen, Yali Song, Zhiguang Geng, Kefu Li, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: Water shortages in the semi-arid areas of the Loess Plateau pose a threat to agricultural sustainability. Effective mulching management can help conserve water and increase crop productivity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Xiao-dong Zhao, Xiao-rui Qin, Ting-liang Li, Han-bing Cao, Ying-he Xie
Summary: Drought and low temperature hinder the yield of winter wheat in the Loess Plateau of China. Two common mulching methods, ridge furrows with plastic film mulching (RP) and flat soil surfaces with plastic film mulching (FP), have been proven helpful for wheat production. Previous research indicates that FP can improve wheat yield more effectively than RP, but the reason remains unknown. The impact of mulching method on functional bacteria also needs further investigation.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hafeez Noor, Min Sun, Wen Lin, Zhiqiang Gao
Summary: Research has shown that summer fallow sowing can improve the water use efficiency and grain yield of winter wheat. There are yearly differences in wheat yields based on crop management. A field experiment conducted over 8 years in the Loess Plateau revealed that high water consumption during early growth can increase spike number, grain number, and yield. Wide-space sowing and furrow sowing were beneficial for wheat yield when yields were intermediate or low. Soil water intake during specific growth stages also influenced tiller number, 1000-grain weight, and yield.
