Effects Of Drip Irrigation With Plastic Mulch On Maize Yield

The field experiments were carried out to study the effects of drip irrigation with plastic mulch on maize yield. This research was it has studied:(i) effect of drip irrigation on the changing rule of soil moisture and soil temperature in maize growth periods under mulch and non-mulch conditions; (ii) effect of various row spacing on the time-space changing law of soil water content in crop root zoon and that on maize growth traits;(iii) effect of various row spacing on the yield of maize under drip irrigation with plastic mulch condition. The results showed that:(1) In the same drip irrigation quota condition, the changing of soil moisture around maize root zoon in various row spacing changes more gentle and in a higher level under the mulch condition than that of non-mulch condition. It also changes slowly after irrigated, which embodies the advantage of plastic mulch in moisture conservation. The variation tendency of soil moisture content is basically the same under various row spacing treatments. In the same soil layer, soil moisture content decreases with the increasing of row distance(B1>B2>B3). The influence of irrigation is differ in different soil layers:shallow soil layer (0-30cm) is more influenced by the irrigation water supplement than that of 30-50cm soil layer. The soil moisture content of each layer is basic in a relatively stable range after irrigation in 48 hours.(2) In the drip irrigation with plastic mulch system, the daily variation of soil temperature in different soil layer shows that shallow soil temperature is higher than deep soil temperature both in mulch and non-mulch conditions. The 8:00-16:00 is the heating stage of soil temperature, the maximum temperature of soil comes out in 14:00-16:00 then it fells down. The changing of soil temperature in mulch condition is more slowly than that of non-mulch condition, which helps the soil temperature of crop root zoon keep in the suitable range. The drip irrigation with plastic mulch system improved soil heat condition for crop growth.(3) In the drip irrigation with plastic mulch system, the height and leaf area index of maize is B1>B2>B3 under various row spacing treatments. In the vegetative growth stage of maize, the plant height in treatment B1 is higher than that of B2 and B3, the difference narrowing till maize reproductive periods. The effect of row width on LAI turn out to be:LAI is increasing in the early growth stage of maize and B1 slightly larger than B2 and B3, while the LAI of B3 decreased rapidly in the later stage of maize growth, which means that soil moisture around crop root zoon and the tendency of maize growth is not as good as B1 and B2. As a result, the plant in treatment B3 is premature ageing. Wide and narrow row spacing has advantages in plant growth periods and in increasing crop yield.(4) In the drip irrigation with plastic mulch system, the effect of various row spacing in same planting density on yield constituting factor mainly on ear diameter, grain number and hundred-grain weight of maize. The maximum of maize yield were obtained under B1 and it is up 11.18% and 40.19% from that of B2 and B3. It is fully shows that in the same planting density, wide and narrow row spacing has remarkable advantage in yield increasing, which worth further experimenting and researching.(5) This study shows:in the drip irrigation with plastic mulch system with deficit irrigation, the treatment of wide and narrow row spacing(40+80cm) or Equidistant row(50cm) suit to Taigu county, which can obtained maximum maize yield and can be a trial in drip irrigation with plastic mulch system in Taigu.