Effects of alternate furrow irrigation on the biomass allocation and water use efficiency of alfalfa

doi:10.11686/cyxb2015232

Abstract

Abstract: Alternate furrow irrigation has been widely applied to crop production in order to optimize the harvesting of seeds and fruits. A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of alternate furrow irrigation on alfalfa above-ground yield and its components, root biomass, root to shoot ratio and water use efficiency. The experiment aimed to establish whether alternate furrow irrigation can apply to alfalfa whose harvest target is vegetative mass. The results showed that alternate furrow irrigation significantly improved the water use efficiency of alfalfa. Moreover, there was no significant effect on above-ground biomass because branches per plant increased while leaf numbers per plant decreased. Alternate furrow irrigation increased root biomass at 0-20 cm and 0-60 cm soil levels, but decreased root biomass at 20-60 cm. Alternate furrow irrigation also increased root to shoot ratio, therefore improving alfalfa's drought resistance under water stress. These results prove that alternate furrow irrigation not only improves water use efficiency but also maintains the yields of alfalfa. It does so by improving plant drought resistance by encouraging root system development and increasing the number of branches per plant. The results thus indicate that alternate furrow irrigation can be applied to the management of alfalfa production.

ZHANG Jing, WANG Qian, XIAO Yu, PANG Xiao-Pan, JIA Ting-Ting, SONG Rui, LIU Hui-Xia. Effects of alternate furrow irrigation on the biomass allocation and water use efficiency of alfalfa[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2016, 25(3): 164-171.

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