scholarly journals Assessment of the Effect of Mulch Film on Crops in the Arid Agricultural Region of China under Future Climate Scenarios

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1819
Author(s):  
Lu Deng ◽  
Xianyong Meng ◽  
Ruide Yu ◽  
Qian Wang

Plastic mulch film is widely used in agricultural production. However, there are very few studies on degradable mulch film. In order to investigate the effects of using degradable mulch film in arid regions on crop yield and water use efficiency, we used fully biodegradable mulch films on both maize and bare land cultivation experimental areas. The DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model was used to analyze changes in maize biomass in the future under different climate scenario models. We found that using fully biodegradable mulch film in an arid region had a positive effect on biomass yields. In 2015–2017, the annual maize biomass yield increased by 24.5%, 28.9%, and 32.9%, respectively. Hence, this method has expansion and promotion value. A comparison of the DNDC model simulated biomass yields and actual measured values found that the ranges of R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and model efficiency (ME) were 0.98–0.99, 0.38–0.86 mg C ha−1, and 0.80–0.98. This result shows that the DNDC model can accurately simulate changes in maize biomass in this region. Under the premise of a good model fit, future climate scenario model data were used to drive the DNDC model. The results showed that the possible range of maize biomass yields in the future is −6.5% to 10.3%, with the most probable range being 0.2–1.5%. Using future climatic conditions, our work suggests that degradable mulch films can increase water use efficiency by an average of 9.5%. The results of this study can be used to promote the use of degradable mulch films in arid regions, significantly improving sustainable agricultural development.

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 632
Author(s):  
Weinan Lu ◽  
Wenxin Liu ◽  
Mengyang Hou ◽  
Yuanjie Deng ◽  
Yue Deng ◽  
...  

Improving agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) is an important way to solve the shortage of water resources in arid and semi-arid regions. This study used the Super-DEA (data envelopment analysis) to measure the AWUE of 52 cities in Northwest China from 2000 to 2018. Based on spatial and temporal perspectives, it applied Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to explore the dynamic evolution and regional differences of AWUE. A spatial econometric model was then used to analyze the main factors that influence the AWUE in Northwest China. The results showed firstly that the overall AWUE in Northwest China from 2000 to 2018 presented a steady upward trend. However, only a few cities achieved effective agricultural water usage by 2018, and the differences among cities were obvious. Secondly, AWUE showed an obvious spatial autocorrelation in Northwest China and showed significant high–high and low–low agglomeration characteristics. Thirdly, economic growth, urbanization development, and effective irrigation have significant, positive effects on AWUE, while per capita water resource has a significant, negative influence. Finally, when improving the AWUE in arid and semi-arid regions, plans should be formulated according to local conditions. The results of this study can provide new ideas on the study of AWUE in arid and semi-arid regions and provide references for the formulation of regional agricultural water resource utilization policies as well.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-334
Author(s):  
Agnaldo Roberto de J Freitas ◽  
Francisco Claudio L de Freitas ◽  
Caetano Marciano de Souza ◽  
Fabio T Delazari ◽  
Paulo Geraldo Berger ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Vegetable cultivation requires high water use and weed control. Soil cover using recycled paper, can be an alternative to polyethylene film to reduce weed incidence, soil temperature and increase water use efficiency beyond reduces costs and environmental pollutions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of biodegradable mulch in weed management and water use efficiency (WUE) in lettuce crop. The treatments were composed of brown recycled paper (RP), black polyethylene film (PF) and soil without cover with weed removal (WR) and without weed removal (WW). RP and PF were efficient to control weeds. The soil temperature with RP was 8.2 and 2.1ºC lower than with PF and WR, respectively. The lettuce yield with RP was 14.5 and 28.3% higher than WR, and with PF, respectively. The water volume applied with RP was 26.5% lower, and WUE was 55.6% higher compared to WR. Soil cover with recycled paper controlled weeds, reduced soil temperature and water consumption and increased yield and water use efficiency in lettuce crop.


2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 578-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Guo ◽  
Wen Yin ◽  
Zhilong Fan ◽  
Falong Hu ◽  
Hong Fan ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Henrique da Silva ◽  
Fernando França da Cunha ◽  
Caio Vieira de Morais ◽  
Agnaldo Roberto de Jesus Freitas ◽  
Derly José Henriques da Silva ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Polyethylene mulch can cause serious problems in the environment. A promising alternative to polyethylene mulch is biodegradable mulch. Therefore, a two-year experiment was carried out with zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) during the cropping seasons of 2017 and 2018 in Southeast Brazil to investigate the effects of four soil mulching treatments (white polyethylene mulch: WP, black polyethylene mulch: BP, biodegradable mulch of brown recycled paper: RP and nonmulched: NM) and two wetted soil percentages (50 and 70% of the soil surface) using a randomized block design with five repetitions. The average water consumption of the zucchini was 157 mm in the WP treatment, 155 mm in the BP treatment, 155 mm in the WP treatment and 215 mm in the NM treatment. The yield was higher in the WP (78.1 ton ha-1) and BP (69.1 ton ha-1) treatments than in the RP (66.6 ton ha-1) or NM (52.4 ton ha-1) treatments. The daily thermal amplitude was lowest in the RP treatment (3.6-6.0 °C) and highest in the BP treatment (7.3-9.0 °C). The lower wetted soil percentage (50%) reduced water consumption (by 5-7%) and improved water-use efficiency (by 11%). Weeds, including Cyperus roduntus, were more efficiently controlled in the RP treatment than in the WP and BP treatments. In general, compared to the nonmulched treatment, mulches were effective in reducing weed infestation (95%), increasing yield (36%) and improving water-use efficiency (94%). RP, as an alternative to polyethylene mulch, can save water and control weeds in zucchini crops. These results represent useful information that extends the mulching options for technicians and farmers.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 706
Author(s):  
Abdulhalim H. Farah ◽  
Hussein M. Al-Ghobari ◽  
Tarek K. Zin El-Abedin ◽  
Mohammed S. Alrasasimah ◽  
Ahmed A. El-Shafei

Practical and sustainable water management systems are needed in arid regions due to water shortages and climate change. Therefore, an experiment was initiated in winter (WS) and spring (SS), to investigate integrating deficit irrigation, associated with partial root drying (PRD) and soil mulching, under subsurface drip irrigation on squash yield, fruit quality, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Two mulching treatments, transparent plastic mulch (WM) and black plastic mulch (BM), were tested, and a treatment without mulch (NM) was used as a control. Three levels of irrigation were examined in a split-plot design with three replications: 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), representing full irrigation (FI), 70% of ETc (PRD70), and 50% of ETc (PRD50). There was a higher squash yield and lower IWUE in SS than WS. The highest squash yields were recorded for PDR70 (82.53 Mg ha−1) and FI (80.62 Mg ha−1). The highest IWUE was obtained under PRD50. Plastic mulch significantly increased the squash yield (34%) and IWUE (46%) and enhanced stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf chlorophyll contents under PRD plants. These results indicate that in arid and semi-arid regions, soil mulch with deficit PRD could be used as a water-saving strategy without reducing yields.


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