Determination of optimum irrigation strategies and effect of drip irrigation system on growth and water use efficiency of pear jujube in Loess Hilly region of northern Shaanxi

PLoS One. 2019 Aug 29;14(8):e0221925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221925. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore suitable drip irrigation system on the water saving and high yield of pear-jujube from 2009 to 2012 years in the mountain of northern Shaanxi. The treatments consisted of combinations of 5 drip irrigation systems (DP). The irrigation quota of DP-1, DP-2 and DP-3 treatment was 100 m3 hm-2, 135 m3 hm-2 and 180 m3 hm-2, respectively, irrigated 4 times. The irrigation quota of DP-4 and DP-5 treatment was 135 m3 hm-2 and irrigated 3 and 2times, respectively; and with no irrigation as the control (C). Results indicated that bearing branch length of jujube, fruit set and yield of different drip irrigation system are significantly better than C (P<0.05). Bearing branch length and yield of DP-3 treatment are reached maximum in 2012, which are 22.0 cm and 16772.8 m3 hm-2. And they are increased by 47.7% and 13.2% compared with C, respectively. In addition, the water consumption of different irrigation treatment increases along with the increasing of irrigation amount. And the DP-3 treatment is the highest in different years. The water use efficiency of pear-jujube of low irrigation quota is better than the high irrigation quota. Water use efficiency of 135 m3 hm-2 and irrigated 2 times treatment is the best, which is 1.92 m3 hm-2. Considering the lack of high annual precipitation, we conclude that DP-5 treatment was the best drip irrigation system in the mountain of northern Shaanxi.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agricultural Irrigation* / methods
  • Agricultural Irrigation* / standards
  • China
  • Environment*
  • Forests
  • Pyrus / growth & development*
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Time Factors
  • Water

Substances

  • Soil
  • Water

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd. internal project (DJNY2019-23). The funding organizations had no role in the design, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data, nor in the preparation, review or approval of the manuscript. The funder, Jichang Han, provided support in the supervision and funding acquisition of this study, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The company, Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., provided support in the form of salaries for authors [Shenglan Ye, Jichang Han, Tiancheng Liu], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.