Yu Zhen-Zhen, Wang Hong-Xuan, Yu De-Shui, Yin Ning-Xia, Zhang Jing
School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Tropical Fruit Biology, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Zhanjiang, China.
Front Plant Sci. 2024 Oct 18;15:1464624. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1464624. eCollection 2024.
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of long-term aerated seepage irrigation technology on soil fertility changes and maize yield under continuous maize cropping system in red loam soil, and to explain the mechanism of maize yield increase under this technology, which can provide theoretical basis for crop quality improvement and yield increase under aerated irrigation (AI) technology. Therefore, this research was conducted for four field seasons in 2020-2023 at the National Soil Quality Observation Experimental Station, Zhanjiang, China. Soil aeration, soil fertility, root growth, physiological traits, and yield indicators were evaluated by conventional underground drip irrigation (CK) and AI. Our results showed that AI treatment significantly improved soil aeration and soil fertility. Increases in soil oxygen content, soil respiration rate, soil bacterial biomass, and soil urease activity were observed, corresponding to increases from 3.08% to 21.34%, 1.90% to 24.71%, 26.37% to 0.09%, and 12.35% to 100.96%, respectively. The effect of AI on maize indicators increased year by year. Based on improvements in soil aeration and fertility, root length, root surface area, and root dry weight under AI treatment were enhanced by 15.56% to 53.79%, 30.13% to 62.31%, and 19.23% to 35.64% ( < 0.05) compared to the CK group. In addition, maize agronomic traits and physiological characteristics showed improved performance; in particular, over 1.16% to 14.42% increases were identified in maize yield by AI treatment. Further analysis using a structural equation model (SEM) demonstrated that the AI technology significantly promotes the improvement of root indicators by enhancing soil aeration and soil fertility. As a result, maize yield could be increased significantly and indirectly.
本研究旨在探讨长期通气渗灌技术对赤红壤连作玉米种植系统土壤肥力变化及玉米产量的影响，并阐明该技术下玉米增产的机制，可为通气灌溉（AI）技术提高作物品质和产量提供理论依据。因此，本研究于2020 - 2023年在中国湛江国家土壤质量观测实验站进行了四个田间季节的试验。通过常规地下滴灌（CK）和AI对土壤通气性、土壤肥力、根系生长、生理特性和产量指标进行了评估。结果表明，AI处理显著改善了土壤通气性和土壤肥力。土壤氧含量、土壤呼吸速率、土壤细菌生物量和土壤脲酶活性均有所增加，分别从3.08%提高到21.34%、1.90%提高到24.71%、26.37%提高到0.09%、12.35%提高到100.96%。AI对玉米指标的影响逐年增加。基于土壤通气性和肥力的改善，与CK组相比，AI处理下的根长、根表面积和根干重分别提高了15.56%至53.79%、30.13%至62.31%和19.23%至35.64%（P<0.05）。此外，玉米农艺性状和生理特性表现出改善；特别是，AI处理使玉米产量提高了1.16%至14.42%。进一步使用结构方程模型（SEM）分析表明，AI技术通过增强土壤通气性和土壤肥力显著促进了根系指标的改善。结果，玉米产量可显著间接提高。
