Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5): 876-893.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.05.15

• Agricultural Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of the regulation of water-salt-nitrogen on water-salt nutrient transport and yield in drip-irrigated cotton fields

ZHANG Ziqi1,2,3(), YANG Lili4, HE Xinlin1,2,3(), LI Xiaolong1,2,3   

  1. 1. College of Water Conservancy & Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Cold and Arid Regions Eco-Hydraulic Engineering of Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China
    3. Key Laboratory of Modern Water-Saving Irrigation of Xinjiang Production & Construction Group, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China
    4. College of Civil Engineering and Architecture Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, Zhejiang, China
  • Received:2023-10-27 Revised:2024-02-07 Online:2024-05-15 Published:2024-05-29

Abstract:

The effects of water, salt, and nitrogen (N) regulation on changes in the soil water, transport of salt nutrients, and growth indices and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) were analyzed under drip irrigation covered by film. A two-year three-factor full-combination field experiment was conducted to study the effects of three levels of irrigation (W1: 2700 m3·hm-2, W2: 3600 m3·hm-2, and W3: 4500 m3·hm-2), salinity (S1: 3 dS·m-1, S2: 6 dS·m-1, and S3: 9 dS·m-1), and N (F1: 105 kg·hm-2, F2: 210 kg·hm-2, and F3: 315 kg·hm-2). The effects of different combinations of water-salt-nitrogen on soil moisture, salinity, N distribution, plant growth, and yield were investigated. The results showed the following: the soil moisture was mainly located in the 30-40 cm soil layer, and the water content of different soil depths essentially first increased and then decreased. The average water content of the 0-40 cm soil layer in the bud and boll stages of S3F3W1 and S2F3W1 increased by 1.3%-21.8% compared with that of S1F3W1, and the average water content of the combination of S1F3 increased by 1.39%-13.83% compared with those of S1F2 and S1F1 under the same amount of irrigation. The soil salinity tended to decrease and then increase during the fertile period. The S1 treatment increased and then decreased the soil salinity as N application increased, and the soil salinity in S2 and S3 decreased as the N application increased. The N content was significantly higher with the F3 treatment than F1 or F2. In the W2 and W3 treatments, N slowly accumulated in the 40-60 cm soil layer, and the N content was significantly higher with the S1 treatment than S2 or S3. The soil moisture, salinity, and N content interacted; under appropriate soil moisture and N conditions, lower soil salinity enabled the plants to utilize nutrients more efficiently, which facilitated their growth, and thus enhanced yield. To obtain high economic benefit, the recommended rate of irrigation for low and medium saline soils is 3600 m3·hm-2 and the rate of N is 210 kg·hm-2. For highly saline soils, the recommended rate of irrigation is 4500 m3·hm-2 and the rate of N is 315 kg·hm-2. This study provides a theoretical basis to explore the mechanism of water and salt nutrient transport and the efficient use of water and fertilizer in cotton farmland ecosystems under multiyear drip irrigation under a membrane in arid areas.

Key words: drip irrigation under plastic film, cotton, water and salt nutrient transport, irrigation system optimization