In-situ rainwater harvesting and gravel mulch combination for corn production in the dry semi-arid region of China

• Published in: Journal of arid environments Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 371 - 382
• Main Authors: Li, Xiao-Yan, Gong, Jia-Dong, Wei, Xing-Hu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural and forest meteorology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; China; China, People's Rep; corn production; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; furrow; General agronomy. Plant production; gravel mulch; rainwater harvesting; ridge; runoff; soil moisture storage; Water balance and requirements. Evapotranspiration; water-use efficiency; Asia; China; soil moisture storage; rainwater harvesting; furrow; corn production; China; water-use efficiency; runoff; gravel mulch; ridge; Monocotyledones; Zea mays; Water harvesting; Soil moisture; Water conservation; Water use efficiency; Cereal crop; Gramineae; Semi arid zone; Agricultural production; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Furrow irrigation; Application method; Gravel; Mulching; Atmospheric precipitation; Yield component
• ISSN: 0140-1963; 1095-922X
• DOI: 10.1006/jare.2000.0705

A field study was conducted to determine the effect of a combination of ridge and furrow method of in-situ rainwater harvesting with gravel mulch on corn production, soil moisture storage, and water-use efficiency in the dry semi-arid region of China. Results showed that plastic-covered ridges had an average runoff efficiency (runoff/rainfall) of 87% as compared to 7% for bare ridges, and could generate runoff at a threshold value of 0·8±0·2 mm rainfall. Bare ridges produced runoff only under high intensity rainfall events, and was ineffective for harvesting rainfall in the study area. The plastic-covered ridge and gravel-mulched furrow method of rainwater harvesting was effective in conserving moisture and increasing yield and water-use efficiency. The grain yield in this treatment was 1·9 times that of the conventional flat soil cultivation (control), and the water-use efficiency was 1·8 times that of the control. The good performance of the film-covered surface ridges and gravel-mulched furrows is attributed to the better utilization of light rains, improvement of infiltration in the root zone, and suppression of evaporation losses.