Effect of soil water storage before sowing on growth and yield of watermelon in the field with mulching gravel
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DOI:10.7606/j.issn.1000-7601.2012.04.05
Key Words: soil water storage before sowing  watermelon  field with gravel mulching  growth  yield
Author NameAffiliation
TAN Junli School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia Universit, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
Engineering and Technology Research Center of Water-saving and Water Resources Regulation in Ningxia, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China 
TIAN Juncang School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia Universit, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
Engineering and Technology Research Center of Water-saving and Water Resources Regulation in Ningxia, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China 
WANG Xina College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China 
ZHAO Xiaoyong School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Ningxia Universit, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
Engineering and Technology Research Center of Water-saving and Water Resources Regulation in Ningxia, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China 
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Abstract:
      Irrigation before sowing for increasing soil moisture is a common method of water supplement for watermelon in the field with mulching gravel around Xiangshan region, Zhongwei in Ningxia. A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of soil water storage before sowing on growth, yield and water use efficiency of watermelon. The results showed that appropriate amount of soil moisture in 0~100 cm soil layer (223~238 mm) could promote main stem growth, leaf occurrence and leaf area increase of watermelon. However, abundant amount of soil water storage was not beneficial for watermelon in the early growing period. Compared with no irrigation treatment, treatment of irrigation before sowing improved watermelon yield and vine to some extent. Watermelon got the highest yield and vine biomass with 70 m3/667m2 irrigation amount, reaching 1 645 kg/667m2 and 25.4 kg/667m2 and the increasing rate was 30% and 49% respectively compared with no irrigation treatment. Nevertheless, water use efficiency of watermelon decreased with the increase of soil water storage amount before sowing.