Effects of soil moisture content on evapotranspiration and photosynthetic performance of summer maize
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DOI:10.7606/j.issn.1000-7601.2022.05.14
Key Words: summer maize  soil moisture content  evapotranspiration  photosynthetic performance
Author NameAffiliation
ZHAO Zehuan College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China 
FAN Xingke Institution of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Institution of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China 
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Abstract:
      The effects of five soil moisture conditions (They were respectively 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% of the field water capacity, recorded as T1~T5) on evapotranspiration (ET) and photosynthetic performance at tasseling stage of summer maize were studied by a potted water control experiment. The results indicated that soil moisture content had significant effects on ET, plant height, leaf area and photosynthetic performance of summer maize. Compared with T1, the ET of summer maize under T2~T5 water treatments increased by 23.66%, 39.17%, 43.33% and 49.84% during the main growth period, presenting a linear trend of increasing. Compared with T1 treatment, transpiration rate (Tr) increased by 63.74%, 75.65%, 78.83% and 81.77%, stomatal conductance (Gs) increased by 71.97%, 82.63%, 83.91% and 84.87%, respectively, in T2~T5 treatments at tasseling stage with the strongest water consumption intensity of summer maize. Both changed exponentially with the increase of soil moisture content, but the increase rate decreased significantly when soil moisture content exceeded 70% of field water capacity. Photosynthetic rate (Pn) increased by 47.51%, 60.65%, 57.51% and 55.87%, respectively. With the increase of soil moisture content, the growth of Pn, plant height and leaf area showed a parabolic trend: increased first and then decreased and reached the maximum under T3 and T4 treatments, they were 28.14 μmol·m-2·s-1 (T3), 256.5 cm (T4) and 628.6 cm2 (T3) respectively. In conclusion, to improve the photosynthetic efficiency and water production efficiency of summer maize and reduce the water consumption of ineffective evapotranspiration, the soil moisture content should be controlled at about 80% of the water holding rate in the field at tasseling stage of summer maize.