| During the year of 2009 to 2010, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of reduced tillage and straw mulching on yield, water consumption characteristics and water use efficiency (WUE) of wheat/maize intercropping system under different irrigation levels, aiming
at providing new ideas for the establishment of efficient water-saving intercropping technical systems. The results showed that the land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercropping was between 1.46 and 1.56, and the advantage of intercropping was remarkable. Compared to the low and intermediate irrigation levels, the economic yield of mazie under high irrigation level was increased by 44.4% and 9.31% in average, and that of wheat under high irrigation level was increased by 10.22%
and 2.36% in average in intercropping with and without reduced tillage and straw mulching. The average soil water storage before sowing and after harvest stages of wheat/maize intercropping system in 0～120 cm profile was significantly improved by reduced tillage and straw mulching. Reduced tillage and straw mulching, intercropping, and irrigation level were all the dominant factors affecting water consumption of wheat and maize. The optimum combination to improve WUE of
wheat and maize was to adopt the integrated technology of reduced tillage and straw mulching, intercropping, and intermediate irrigation level. |