Yin Wen, Feng Fuxue, Zhao Cai, Yu Aizhong, Hu Falong, Chai Qiang, Gan Yantai, Guo Yao
Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
Int J Biometeorol. 2016 Sep;60(9):1423-37. doi: 10.1007/s00484-016-1134-y. Epub 2016 Jan 26.
Water shortage threatens agricultural sustainability in many arid and semiarid areas of the world. It is unknown whether improved water conservation practices can be developed to alleviate this issue while increasing crop productivity. In this study, we developed a "double mulching" system, i.e., plastic film coupled with straw mulch, integrated together with intensified strip intercropping. We determined (i) the responses of soil evaporation and moisture conservation to the integrated double mulching system and (ii) the change of soil temperature during key plant growth stages under the integrated systems. Experiments were carried out in northwest China in 2009 to 2011. Results show that wheat-maize strip intercropping in combination with plastic film and straw covering on the soil surface increased soil moisture (mm) by an average of 3.8 % before sowing, 5.3 % during the wheat and maize co-growth period, 4.4 % after wheat harvest, and 4.9 % after maize harvest, compared to conventional practice (control). The double mulching decreased total evapotranspiration of the two intercrops by an average of 4.6 % (P < 0.05), compared to control. An added feature was that the double mulching system decreased soil temperature in the top 10-cm depth by 1.26 to 1.31 °C in the strips of the cool-season wheat, and by 1.31 to 1.51 °C in the strips of the warm-season maize through the 2 years. Soil temperature of maize strips higher as 1.25 to 1.94 °C than that of wheat strips in the top 10-cm soil depth under intercropping with the double mulching system; especially higher as 1.58 to 2.11 °C under intercropping with the conventional tillage; this allows the two intercrops to grow in a well "collaborative" status under the double mulching system during their co-growth period. The improvement of soil moisture and the optimization of soil temperature for the two intercrops allow us to conclude that wheat-maize intensification with the double mulching system can be used as an effective farming model in alleviating water shortage issues experiencing in water shortage areas.
缺水威胁着世界许多干旱和半干旱地区的农业可持续性。目前尚不清楚是否能够开发出改进的节水措施来缓解这一问题，同时提高作物产量。在本研究中，我们开发了一种“双重覆盖”系统，即塑料薄膜与秸秆覆盖相结合，并与强化带状间作相结合。我们确定了：（i）土壤蒸发和水分保持对综合双重覆盖系统的响应；（ii）在综合系统下关键植物生长阶段土壤温度的变化。2009年至2011年在中国西北部进行了试验。结果表明，与传统做法（对照）相比，小麦-玉米带状间作结合土壤表面的塑料薄膜和秸秆覆盖，在播种前土壤湿度（毫米）平均增加3.8%，在小麦和玉米共生期增加5.3%，小麦收获后增加4.4%，玉米收获后增加4.9%。与对照相比，双重覆盖使两种间作作物的总蒸散量平均降低了4.6%（P<0.05）。另一个特点是，在两年时间里，双重覆盖系统使冷季小麦带顶部10厘米深度的土壤温度降低了1.26至1.31°C，使暖季玉米带的土壤温度降低了1.31至1.51°C。在双重覆盖系统间作下，玉米带在顶部10厘米土壤深度的土壤温度比小麦带高1.25至1.94°C；特别是在传统耕作间作下高1.58至2.11°C；这使得两种间作作物在共生期能够在双重覆盖系统下以良好的“协作”状态生长。两种间作作物土壤湿度的改善和土壤温度的优化使我们得出结论，双重覆盖系统的小麦-玉米集约化可作为缓解缺水地区缺水问题的有效耕作模式。
