Abstract:

Single technologies have limited effectiveness in remediating saline-alkali soil and improving the low forage productivity in the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation District. To address this issue， we explored the effectiveness of a combined strategy of ‘soil improvement for crop adaptation’ and ‘crop adaptation to soil conditions’. Focusing on six strategic technical aspects （i.e.， soil amendments， fertilization， seed selection， tillage practices， irrigation， and drainage/salt management）， we established a novel ‘six-aspect integrated’ comprehensive saline-alkali soil remediation pattern. This pattern was compared with conventional practices to evaluate its effects on soil water-salt dynamics， the soil quality grade， and silage maize （Zea mays） productivity. The results show that， after 2 consecutive years of implementation， the ‘six-aspect integrated’ pattern achieved the following advantages compared with conventional practices. The volumetric water content in the 0-15 cm soil layer was decreased by 3.05% while that in the 15-30 cm layer was increased by 3.01%. The total salt content in the 0-30 cm soil layer was decreased by 30.42%， although there was a 12.36% increase in groundwater mineralization. The soil bulk density was significantly decreased by 6.34%， soil organic matter was increased by 12.41%， and available phosphorus was increased by 70.33%， elevating soil quality by 0.56 grades in 2024. The combined treatment also enhanced silage maize performance： plant height was increased by 5.67%， dry matter yield was increased by 21.93%， and starch content was increased by 3.46%， alongside reductions in neutral detergent fiber by 5.73% and acid detergent fiber by 11.03%. The annual yields were increased by 12.52% in 2023 and 25.28% in 2024， with a net profit increase of 2279.4 Yuan·ha^-1 and improvement in the cost-benefit ratio by 13.04% in 2024. These findings demonstrate that the ‘six-aspect integrated’ pattern significantly suppresses soil salinity， improves soil quality， and enhances crop productivity， making it a promising approach for practical use on a large scale in agricultural production.

Key words: saline-alkali land, ‘six-aspect integrated’ pattern, water-salt dynamics, cultivated land quality grades, silage maize, production capacity