Effects of Deficit-Regulated Irrigation on Root-Growth Dynamics and Water-Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat in a Semi-Arid Area

Water management is critical for wheat production under extreme drought conditions, and the mechanisms by which root dynamics and soil water utilization affect wheat yield are uncertain. This study was conducted in 2023–2024 under a mesophilic semi-arid climate with a two-factor partitioned experime...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWater (Basel) Vol. 16; no. 18; p. 2678
Main Authors Wang, Ziqian, Zhang, Bo, Li, Jiahao, Lian, Shihao, Zhang, Jinshan, Shi, Shubing
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2024
Subjects
Agricultural production
Agriculture
deficit-regulated irrigation
Drought
Efficiency
Experiments
grain yield
Irrigation
Loam soils
Rain
root-growth dynamics
soil moisture content
Water
water-use efficiency
Wheat
Winter
winter wheat
China
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Summary:Water management is critical for wheat production under extreme drought conditions, and the mechanisms by which root dynamics and soil water utilization affect wheat yield are uncertain. This study was conducted in 2023–2024 under a mesophilic semi-arid climate with a two-factor partitioned experimental design, aiming to assess the response of different irrigation amounts in winter wheat crops on root growth and development, soil water utilization, and yields in different soil horizons. The results showed that variety and irrigation volume had significant effects on the spatial and temporal distribution of root and yield components, with irrigation volume having the greatest effect on yield. Compared with CK, deficit-regulated irrigation significantly promoted root penetration to deeper layers and delayed root senescence. DRWD, RLD, RSA, and RV decreased gradually with increasing soil depth, and the peaks of RLD, RSA, and RV appeared at the tassel to flowering stage, respectively; and under deficit-regulated irrigation, the contribution of the A2W4 treatment to stable yield was greater. Therefore, A2W4 is an effective water-saving irrigation method to improve grain yield and water-use efficiency under deficit-regulated irrigation.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w16182678