Effects of furrow-mulching materials on soil moisture and maize root distribution in ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting system
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DOI:10.7606/j.issn.1000-7601.2017.01.06
Key Words: maize  ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting  furrow mulching material  soil moisture  root
Author NameAffiliation
LI Fu-chun College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China 
WANG Qi College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China 
ZHANG Deng-kui College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China 
ZHANG En-he Agronomy College, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China 
LIU Qing-lin Agronomy College, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China 
WANG He-ling Key (Open) Laboratory of Arid Climatic Changing and Reducing Disaster of Gansu Province, Institute of Arid Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China 
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Abstract:
      In order to screening environmental friendly mulching materials and elucidate the mechanism of yield increase in ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting system, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different furrow mulching methods (non-mulching, biodegradable film mulching and straw mulching) on soil moisture and root dry matter, length, surface area and volume of maize in semi-arid areas of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that the soil water content and the values of physiological characteristics (dry matter, length, surface area and volume) of maize roots within furrow soil profiles were clearly higher than that within ridge soil profiles. Compared with traditional flat planting without mulching, average soil water content within furrow soil profiles increased during maize growing season was 6.9%, 10.6% and 9.3% for non-mulching, biodegradable film mulching and straw mulching, respectively, while within ridge soil profiles decrease was 13.8%, 10.9% and 5.6%. Total root dry matter (ridge + furrow) of maize decreased by 15.9%, 6.1% and 16.8%. Total root length of maize increased by 37.6%, 43.7% and 34.8%, and total root surface area of maize increase was 10.5%, 33.6% and 15.0%. Total root volume of maize decreased by 34.5% and 16.3% for non-mulching and straw mulching, respectively, but increased by 13.2% for biodegradable film mulching. Root dry matter of maize decreased, but soil moisture, root length and root surface area of maize increased in ridge-furrow rainwater harvesting system, compared with the traditional flat planting without mulching. Biodegradable film mulching had a higher soil water content, root length, surface area and volume of maize than other furrow mulching methods.