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Optimizing irrigation and fertilization can improve degraded saline soils and increase wheat grain yield
Author(s) -
Song Fupeng,
Zhuge Yuping,
Guo Xinsong,
Lou Yanhong,
Wang Hui,
Pan Hong,
Feng Haojie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.3682
Subject(s) - irrigation , agronomy , topsoil , sowing , soil salinity , environmental science , human fertilization , phosphorus , fertilizer , salinity , crop yield , field experiment , nutrient , water use efficiency , soil water , chemistry , soil science , biology , ecology , organic chemistry
In order to validate whether optimizing irrigation and fertilization can improve degraded saline soil and increase wheat production, a 4‐year wheat field experiment on saline soil in the Yellow River Delta of China was conducted from October 2013 to June 2017. Eight optimizing treatments including two irrigation applcations of 90 (I90) and 135 (I135) mm/time, four irrigation times: at pre‐sowing, wintering, jointing, filling stages, and two fertilizer rates 225 kg N hm −2 ‐75 P 2 O 5 hm −2 ‐150 K 2 O hm −2 (F312), 225 kg N hm −2 ‐150 P 2 O 5 hm −2 ‐75 K 2 O hm −2 (F321) with two basal/topdressing ratios 1:1 (A11) and 1:2 (A12) were designed compared with no‐irrigation and fertilization (CK) and farmer mode (CM). The optimizing treatment combined I135 with F321 and A12 was the optimal practice for wheat production on degraded saline soil in this region. This treatment significantly decreased topsoil salinity on average by 21.97%, increased wheat grain yield, topsoil total N, available P and K, respectively, by an average of 0.74‐, 0.75‐, 1.13‐ and 0.78‐times, improved water utilization efficiency, water productive efficiency, nitrogen utilization efficiency, phosphorus utilization efficiency, respectively, by average of 1.26‐, 8.13‐, 0.32‐, 0.43‐times compared with the CM. These results demonstrate that the optimization of irrigation and fertilization can be extensively applied as a feasible and effective strategy to improve degraded saline soil, maintain soil nutrients, maximize crop yield, and enhance efficiency in other similar degraded saline soil areas of the world.