Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China
Agricultural production in oases requires extensive irrigation and nitrogen (N) inputs, which result in a high incidence of non-point-source pollution. Information on how soil texture affects crop productivity and water and N use efficiency is needed to improve N management in oases. A two-year fiel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1509 |
| _version_ | 1797407899835695104 |
|---|---|
| author | Lisha Wang Zhibin He Wenzhi Zhao Chuan Wang Dengke Ma |
| author_facet | Lisha Wang Zhibin He Wenzhi Zhao Chuan Wang Dengke Ma |
| author_sort | Lisha Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agricultural production in oases requires extensive irrigation and nitrogen (N) inputs, which result in a high incidence of non-point-source pollution. Information on how soil texture affects crop productivity and water and N use efficiency is needed to improve N management in oases. A two-year field study with six free-draining leaching pits was set up to quantify soil water content (SWC), drainage, yield, N uptake, soil residual N, N leaching, water-use efficiency (WUE), and N fertilizer-use efficiency (NFUE) on sandy-textured soils in a young oasis field (24 years, YOF) and loam-textured soils in an old oasis field (>60 years; OOF) within an intensive oasis agricultural zone in Northwest China. The results showed that sand content in the YOF was significantly higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01), while both clay and silt contents in the YOF were significantly lower than those in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Soil water storage (SW) in the 0–100 cm soil layer, evapotranspiration water-use efficiency (WUEET) and irrigation water-use efficiency (WUEIrrig) in the OOF were, respectively, 87.1, 23.5, and 24.1% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and deep drainage in the YOF was 6.2 times higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Maize N uptake and soil N accumulation in the OOF in the 0–100 cm soil layer were, respectively, 33.4 and 10.3% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and N leaching loss in the YOF was 1.65 times higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> > 0.01). Crop yield and NFUE in the OOF were, respectively, 23.9 and 27.2% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These results indicated that sandy-textured soils with high sand content were not conducive to water and N retention, resulting in lower crop yields and water- and fertilizer-use efficiency in YOF. Therefore, it is imperative that management practices in sandy-textured land promote improvements in soil structure and maintain the long-term productivity of the young cultivated fields. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:49:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66b4eeea776c44bcb045d81e6ea578d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:49:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-66b4eeea776c44bcb045d81e6ea578d92023-12-03T14:29:51ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-06-01127150910.3390/agronomy12071509Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest ChinaLisha Wang0Zhibin He1Wenzhi Zhao2Chuan Wang3Dengke Ma4Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaAgricultural production in oases requires extensive irrigation and nitrogen (N) inputs, which result in a high incidence of non-point-source pollution. Information on how soil texture affects crop productivity and water and N use efficiency is needed to improve N management in oases. A two-year field study with six free-draining leaching pits was set up to quantify soil water content (SWC), drainage, yield, N uptake, soil residual N, N leaching, water-use efficiency (WUE), and N fertilizer-use efficiency (NFUE) on sandy-textured soils in a young oasis field (24 years, YOF) and loam-textured soils in an old oasis field (>60 years; OOF) within an intensive oasis agricultural zone in Northwest China. The results showed that sand content in the YOF was significantly higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01), while both clay and silt contents in the YOF were significantly lower than those in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Soil water storage (SW) in the 0–100 cm soil layer, evapotranspiration water-use efficiency (WUEET) and irrigation water-use efficiency (WUEIrrig) in the OOF were, respectively, 87.1, 23.5, and 24.1% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and deep drainage in the YOF was 6.2 times higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Maize N uptake and soil N accumulation in the OOF in the 0–100 cm soil layer were, respectively, 33.4 and 10.3% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05), and N leaching loss in the YOF was 1.65 times higher than that in the OOF (<i>p</i> > 0.01). Crop yield and NFUE in the OOF were, respectively, 23.9 and 27.2% higher than those in the YOF (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These results indicated that sandy-textured soils with high sand content were not conducive to water and N retention, resulting in lower crop yields and water- and fertilizer-use efficiency in YOF. Therefore, it is imperative that management practices in sandy-textured land promote improvements in soil structure and maintain the long-term productivity of the young cultivated fields.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1509soil textureleaching-pitnitrate leachingwater use efficiencynitrogen use efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Lisha Wang Zhibin He Wenzhi Zhao Chuan Wang Dengke Ma Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China Agronomy soil texture leaching-pit nitrate leaching water use efficiency nitrogen use efficiency |
| title | Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China |
| title_full | Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China |
| title_fullStr | Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China |
| title_short | Fine Soil Texture Is Conducive to Crop Productivity and Nitrogen Retention in Irrigated Cropland in a Desert-Oasis Ecotone, Northwest China |
| title_sort | fine soil texture is conducive to crop productivity and nitrogen retention in irrigated cropland in a desert oasis ecotone northwest china |
| topic | soil texture leaching-pit nitrate leaching water use efficiency nitrogen use efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/7/1509 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lishawang finesoiltextureisconducivetocropproductivityandnitrogenretentioninirrigatedcroplandinadesertoasisecotonenorthwestchina AT zhibinhe finesoiltextureisconducivetocropproductivityandnitrogenretentioninirrigatedcroplandinadesertoasisecotonenorthwestchina AT wenzhizhao finesoiltextureisconducivetocropproductivityandnitrogenretentioninirrigatedcroplandinadesertoasisecotonenorthwestchina AT chuanwang finesoiltextureisconducivetocropproductivityandnitrogenretentioninirrigatedcroplandinadesertoasisecotonenorthwestchina AT dengkema finesoiltextureisconducivetocropproductivityandnitrogenretentioninirrigatedcroplandinadesertoasisecotonenorthwestchina |