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Effects of different cultivation patterns on soil moisture, temperature, yield and quality of dryland maize
- LI Shang-zhong, FAN Ting-lu, ZHAO Gang, DANG Yi, WANG Lei, ZHANG Jian-jun, TANG Xiao-ming, CHENG Wan-li
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2018, 27(4):
34-44.
DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2017418
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The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of mulching time, mulching modes and mulching materials on soil moisture, soil temperature, crop yield and quality of dryland maize, in order to offer recommendations for cultivation of dryland maize of good quality and high-yield. A split-split plot field experiment was designed with the main plot treatment comprising two mulching times (autumn mulching and mulching before sowing), and the split-plot treatment comprising two mulching modes: furrow mulching and plane mulching. Three split-split-plot treatments compared two mulching materials: straw, and plastic film and no mulching. Measurements included determination of the soil moisture for 0-2 m soil depths before sowing and harvest, soil temperature of plough layer, grain yield, water use efficiency and quality of maize. It was found that mulching with either plastic film or straw improved water storage by 42.2 and 43.7 mm, respectively, in the 0-2 m soil layers before sowing in the winter and spring fallow period. Water storage did not differ significantly between plane mulching and furrow mulching. During maize growth periods, compared with no mulching, the average soil temperature under plastic film mulching was increased by 1.4 ℃, and under straw mulching was decreased by 2.9 ℃. The average soil temperature with plane mulching was 23.2 ℃, and in comparison, furrow mulching increased soil temperature by 1.8 ℃. The grain yield and water use efficiency under plastic film mulching were, respectively, 42.8% and 38.2% higher than in plots with straw mulching, and 47.3% and 36.0%, respectively, higher than plots with no mulching. Grain yield and water use efficiency were, respectively, 7.1% and 4.5% higher under autumn mulching than when mulching was carried out before sowing. Yield and water use efficiency of furrow mulching were respectively increased by 6.3% and 5.2%, but the furrow straw mulching and furrow no mulching treatments reduced yield. Compared to mulching before sowing, autumn mulching produced non-significant increasing trends in the harvest volume, weight, fat, protein, and starch contents of maize. Plastic film mulching, compared with no mulching, improved harvest volume, weight, and fat content, and decreased protein content, but had no significant effect on starch content. Straw mulching compared to no mulching increased maize grain fat but decreased grain volume, weight and protein content. Furrow mulching compared to plane mulching increased starch content, but decreased protein content, while the grain volume, weight and fat content did not change significantly. In summary, decisions on the seasonal timing of mulching, mulching mode and mulching material all influence regulation of soil moisture and soil temperature, grain yield and quality, and water use efficiency of dryland maize. The effects ranked in order of size mulching materials>mulching mode>seasonal timing of mulching.