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Alternate partial root zone subsurface drip irrigation increases alfalfa water production function by increasing hay
Yadong Wang1, Yansong Li1, Qiuchi Zhang1
1College of Grassland Science, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, China.
Abstract:
Both conventional subsurface drip irrigation (CI) and alternate partial root zone subsurface drip irrigation (AI) are water-saving irrigation methods (IMs) used to solve agricultural water crises. The responses of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and the relationship with hay yield to the two types of IMs have not been evaluated, which is crucial for the sustainable agricultural development of irrigation and water management. We investigated the effects of CI and AI and three irrigation volumes (IVs) (10, 20, and 30 mm) on alfalfa ETa, and their relationship with hay yield in 2017 and 2018. AI significantly reduced the alfalfa ETa by 10 and 17% under 20 and 30 mm irrigation volumes, respectively, in 2017 compared with CI. However, AI increased the ETa by 42 mm under 10 mm irrigation volume in 2017 and by 43 mm under a 30 mm irrigation volume in 2018. There was no significant effect on the alfalfa ETa between CI and AI under 10 and 20 mm IVs in 2018. The changes in alfalfa ETa could be explained by soil moisture and soil water storage dynamics. In addition, alfalfa ETa is also affected by irrigation volume and stand year. Over more, hay yield was linearly correlated with the alfalfa ETa, and the increase in the slope of the alfalfa-water production function of AI compared to the equivalent slope of CI was 180%. The increase is largely explained by the reproduce in hay yield. This study provides a better alfalfa-water production function irrigation method for promoting AI technology applied in farm production.
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