Plastic mulching enhances maize yield and water productivity by improving root characteristics, green leaf area, and photosynthesis for different cultivars in dryland regions

Lihong Wu; Hao Quan; Lina Wu; Xi Zhang; Dianyuan Ding; Hao Feng; Kadambot H.M. Siddique; De Li Liu; Bin Wang

Agricultural Water Management (Dec 2024)

Plastic mulching enhances maize yield and water productivity by improving root characteristics, green leaf area, and photosynthesis for different cultivars in dryland regions

Lihong Wu,
Hao Quan,
Lina Wu,
Xi Zhang,
Dianyuan Ding,
Hao Feng,
Kadambot H.M. Siddique,
De Li Liu,
Bin Wang

Affiliations

Lihong Wu: College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW 2650, Australia
Hao Quan: College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW 2650, Australia
Lina Wu: Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A8, Canada
Xi Zhang: Red River Research Station and School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University-Agricultural Center, Bossier City, LA 71112, USA
Dianyuan Ding: College of Hydraulic Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Correspondence to: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
Hao Feng: College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Correspondence to: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
Kadambot H.M. Siddique: The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia
De Li Liu: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW 2650, Australia; Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia
Bin Wang: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW 2650, Australia; Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia; Correspondence to: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 305
p. 109105

Abstract

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Uneven precipitation during the growing season and frequent seasonal droughts on the Loess Plateau in Northwest China adversely affect crop production and water use efficiency. While plastic mulching (PM) has been used to alleviate water stress, few studies have examined the traits maize cultivars need to adapt to the altered water environment under PM and achieve high yields. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess the root characteristics and aboveground growth traits of three widely used high-yielding maize cultivars—Zhengdan 958 (ZD), Huanong 138 (HN), Heboshi 122 (HBS)—under no mulching (NM) and PM conditions. Among the three cultivars, HBS had the highest root system indices—root length density (RLD), root surface area density (RSD), and root biomass—in the topsoil (0–40 cm), followed by ZD and HN under both NM and PM conditions. Under NM, HBS_NM treatment exhibited strong water absorption, improving photosynthesis and yield, making it suitable for drought conditions. Under PM, topsoil moisture increased significantly, with root system indices increasing by 22.5–36.1 % for RLD, 30.2–36.1 % for RSD, and 25.2–36.5 % for root biomass across the cultivars compared to NM. While ZD_PM did not have the highest root system indices under PM, it exhibited higher green leaf area index (4.5–7.5 %), chlorophyll content (2.8–8.6 %), and photosynthetic rate (6.0–14.5 %), resulting in the highest aboveground biomass and yield among the treatments. These findings suggest ZD is better adapted to the enhanced soil moisture under PM. Future research should focus on breeding genotypes that thrive under PM conditions, emphasizing traits such as larger leaf areas and higher photosynthetic rates to boost crop productivity in rainfed areas.

Published in Agricultural Water Management

ISSN: 1873-2283 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Agriculture (General); Social Sciences: Industries. Land use. Labor: Special industries and trades: Agricultural industries
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/agricultural-water-management

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