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Film mulch increases the crop grain yield via topsoil moisture and temperature improvement in cool, semi-arid areas, but little is known about the role of the hydrological and thermic relationship between early and later crop growth seasons in the improving grain yield. We conducted a field experiment to compare polyethylene film mulching (PM) with no mulching (CK) in 2014 and 2015 on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China. Compared to CK, PM decreased evapotranspiration before the twelve-leaf stage (V12), but increased evapotranspiration after the V12 stage, and significantly increased the topsoil temperature before the six-leaf stage (V6) and the accumulation of soil growing degree days. Corn plants with PM treatment reached the V6 stage earlier, significantly enhancing the contemporary dry matter accumulation. The harvest index, 100-grain weight, and grain yield significantly increased in PM relative to CK in both years. The growing period to the whole growing season evapotranspiration ratio had a negative correlation with the grain yield before the V12 stage, but a positive correlation after the V12 stage. The grain yield had a negative correlation with the air growing degree days (GDDair) before the V6 stage, but positive correlation from silking to harvest. Conclusively, film mulch promoted the early development of maize via an increased soil temperature before the V6 stage, saved soil water before the V12 stage, resulted in a longer grain-filling period, and increased the GDDair and evapotranspiration during the grain-filling period, which is key to increasing the maize yield.
Meng Kong; Yu Jia; Yan-Jie Gu; Cheng-Long Han; Xin Song; Xiao-Yan Shi; Kadambot H.M. Siddique; Pandi Zdruli; Feng Zhang; Feng-Min Li. How Film Mulch Increases the Corn Yield by Improving the Soil Moisture and Temperature in the Early Growing Period in a Cool, Semi-Arid Area. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1195 .
AMA StyleMeng Kong, Yu Jia, Yan-Jie Gu, Cheng-Long Han, Xin Song, Xiao-Yan Shi, Kadambot H.M. Siddique, Pandi Zdruli, Feng Zhang, Feng-Min Li. How Film Mulch Increases the Corn Yield by Improving the Soil Moisture and Temperature in the Early Growing Period in a Cool, Semi-Arid Area. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (8):1195.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeng Kong; Yu Jia; Yan-Jie Gu; Cheng-Long Han; Xin Song; Xiao-Yan Shi; Kadambot H.M. Siddique; Pandi Zdruli; Feng Zhang; Feng-Min Li. 2020. "How Film Mulch Increases the Corn Yield by Improving the Soil Moisture and Temperature in the Early Growing Period in a Cool, Semi-Arid Area." Agronomy 10, no. 8: 1195.
Ecological sustainability is treated as a main reflection of the synergy among social development, economic growth and environmental protection, while ecological efficiency is an index used to reflect the sustainable development of the ecological environment. The super efficiency model with undesirable outputs (SE-SBM) model was applied to measure the eco-efficiency of the 12 counties in the Minjiang-Source, China, in 2005–2017. The spatial and temporal evolution and spatial differentiation of the eco-efficiency were analyzed. The results showed that the eco-efficiency of 67.7% of the 12 counties remains at a low level but with an increasing trend. A typical spatial aggregation effect was found with the characteristics of “high in the east and low in the west”. The Malmquist-Luenberger index shows a trend of fluctuation with the same trend between scale efficiency and technical efficiency changes. The results proved the positive effect of technological progress on local eco-efficiency. Environmental regulation has a positive impact on eco-efficiency in the short term and an inhibition effect in the long run. Hence, technological innovation and industrial adjustment will be an effective way to improve the eco-efficiency of the Minjiang-Source and promote its sustainability.
Junlong Li; Chuangneng Cai; Feng Zhang. Assessment of Ecological Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability of the Minjiang-Source in China. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4783 .
AMA StyleJunlong Li, Chuangneng Cai, Feng Zhang. Assessment of Ecological Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability of the Minjiang-Source in China. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4783.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJunlong Li; Chuangneng Cai; Feng Zhang. 2020. "Assessment of Ecological Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability of the Minjiang-Source in China." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4783.
This paper describes the progress of dryland farming development by comparing the ridge‐furrow plastic film mulching (RFM) system with conventional cultivation in the Chinese Loess Plateau, where the climate is cool and semi‐arid or sub‐humid prone to drought, and dryland farming dominates. The barren soil dominated by eolian sedimentary loess is loose and erosive. For thousands of years, increasing human population pressure and high‐intensity disordered land use have led to serious ecosystem degradation. Since the 1950s, large scale and long‐term construction of terraced fields have effectively reduced the soil erosion potential, and such fields have become more and more convenient for mechanized large‐area production. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the crop cultivation system based on the RFM has been widely promoted. Compared with previous cropping systems, the crop productivity in the FRM system is double or multiple times greater. Soil moisture has become favorable. Soil organic carbon content has been controlled or increased. Most importantly, the FRM system has promoted the coordinated development of grain, forage, and livestock, and favorable market results. It has vigorously promoted the fight against poverty and the realization of the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in dryland areas. Therefore, ridge‐furrow mulching is the key basis for the sustainable development of the dryland farming system on the Loess Plateau. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Feng‐Min Li; Xiao Gang Li; Muhammad Mansoor Javaid; Muhammad Ashraf; Feng Zhang. Ridge‐furrow plastic film mulching farming for sustainable dryland agriculture on the Chinese loess plateau. Agronomy Journal 2020, 112, 3284 -3294.
AMA StyleFeng‐Min Li, Xiao Gang Li, Muhammad Mansoor Javaid, Muhammad Ashraf, Feng Zhang. Ridge‐furrow plastic film mulching farming for sustainable dryland agriculture on the Chinese loess plateau. Agronomy Journal. 2020; 112 (5):3284-3294.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFeng‐Min Li; Xiao Gang Li; Muhammad Mansoor Javaid; Muhammad Ashraf; Feng Zhang. 2020. "Ridge‐furrow plastic film mulching farming for sustainable dryland agriculture on the Chinese loess plateau." Agronomy Journal 112, no. 5: 3284-3294.
In arid and semi‐arid regions, ridge‐furrow with plastic mulch (RFM) is an innovative approach to promote crop productivity and enhance food security. The long‐term effect of the RFM system on soil water is not known. A 7‐year maize field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau to estimate the spatial and temporal variation of soil water. The objectives were (1) to understand how RFM affects soil water status during and between growing seasons; and (2) to investigate whether RFM causes the formation of dry soil layers and threaten the sustainability of the agricultural system. In non‐growing season, the average PSE of the plastic mulching treatment was 78.2%, compared to just 17.7% for no film mulching treatment. Higher PSE means that the RFM system stored more precipitation during the non‐growing season. In addition, 2‐m and 5‐m soil profile water status showed that the film mulching did not overuse deep soil water and would not lead to the formation of dry soil layers. Our research indicated that the RFM was beneficial for increasing crop production and sustainability of agriculture in semi‐arid regions. Higher PSE during the non‐growing season played an important role in the success of RFM system. We recommend that farmers adopted year‐round plastic mulch management method to make fuller use of water resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Ming Li; Kaiping Zhang; Rongzhu Qin; Pingxing Wan; Wenjuan Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Feng Zhang; Fengmin Li. Higher precipitation storage efficiency in nongrowing season ensures the success of dryland rain‐fed agricultural system. Agronomy Journal 2020, 112, 3653 -3666.
AMA StyleMing Li, Kaiping Zhang, Rongzhu Qin, Pingxing Wan, Wenjuan Zhang, Ibrahim M. Eldoma, Feng Zhang, Fengmin Li. Higher precipitation storage efficiency in nongrowing season ensures the success of dryland rain‐fed agricultural system. Agronomy Journal. 2020; 112 (5):3653-3666.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMing Li; Kaiping Zhang; Rongzhu Qin; Pingxing Wan; Wenjuan Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Feng Zhang; Fengmin Li. 2020. "Higher precipitation storage efficiency in nongrowing season ensures the success of dryland rain‐fed agricultural system." Agronomy Journal 112, no. 5: 3653-3666.
Ridge–furrow cultivation with plastic film mulching has been widely used for many years to increase crop yields in semiarid regions. The long-term effects of plastic mulching on crop yield and soil water balance need to be seriously considered to assess the sustainability of this widely used field management technique. A seven-year maize field experiment was conducted during 2012–2018 to estimate the yield sustainability and soil water balance with two treatments—mulching (yes; no) and nitrogen fertilization (yes; no). This resulted in the following four groups—no film mulching, no N application (M0N0); film mulching, no N application (M1N0); no film mulching, N application (M0N1); film mulching and N application (M1N1). Our results show that plastic mulching significantly increased maize yield. A combination of mulching and nitrogen application had the highest sustainability yield index (SYI) of 0.75, which was higher than the other three treatments, with SYI values of 0.31, 0.33, and 0.39, respectively. Plastic film mulching increased soil water content and water storage in both the sowing and harvesting periods and did not cause the formation of dry soil layers. Precipitation storage efficiency (PSE) in the nongrowing season played a key role in maintaining the soil water balance and it was positively affected by plastic film mulching. Our research indicates that plastic mulching and N application could maintain maize yield sustainability and the soil water balance of agriculture in semiarid regions. In addition, we highlight the importance of nongrowing season precipitation, and thus, we suggest that mulching the field land with plastic film throughout the whole year should be adopted by farmers to store more precipitation, which is important to crop growth.
Ming Li; Kaiping Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Yanjie Fang; Feng Zhang. Plastic Film Mulching Sustains High Maize (Zea mays L.) Grain Yield and Maintains Soil Water Balance in Semiarid Environment. Agronomy 2020, 10, 600 .
AMA StyleMing Li, Kaiping Zhang, Ibrahim M. Eldoma, Yanjie Fang, Feng Zhang. Plastic Film Mulching Sustains High Maize (Zea mays L.) Grain Yield and Maintains Soil Water Balance in Semiarid Environment. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (4):600.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMing Li; Kaiping Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Yanjie Fang; Feng Zhang. 2020. "Plastic Film Mulching Sustains High Maize (Zea mays L.) Grain Yield and Maintains Soil Water Balance in Semiarid Environment." Agronomy 10, no. 4: 600.
Ridge–furrow mulching with plastic film is widespread in northern China because it can significantly improve crop yields. Whether maize grain yield would further increase with higher plant density, due to the better soil moisture conditions under plastic mulch, is unknown. A process-based model (DeNitrification–DeComposition) coupled with a field experiment during the 2014–2015 growing seasons was used to evaluate the effect of plant density on yield. The field experiment included three treatment groups: soil fully covered with transparent polyethylene film (PM) with plant densities 35,000 (PM35), 45,000 (PM45), and 65,000 plants ha–1 (PM65) and bare soil with a maize planting density of 45,000 plants ha–1 as the control (CK). The DNDC simulated yield in PM and CK was well-matched with the measured values and maize growth pattern, and explained 64% of the yield variation and had an RMSE of 176 kg ha–1. At the same planting density (45,000 plants ha–1), individual plant weight, grain weight per plant, 100-seed weight, and grain yield in the non-mulched plots were 45, 28, 52, and 28% of the values for mulched plots, respectively. In the mulched plots, the individual plant size, grain weight, and seed size significantly decreased as planting density increased. The PM65 had 8% and 19% higher grain yield than PM45 and PM35, respectively. Increasing planting density above 45,000 plant ha–1 in the PM resulted in a small but non-significant increase in grain yield. We concluded that increasing plant density in PM will not necessarily increase maize yield, and the optimum planting density could be determined by combining the field experiment with the model.
Feng Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Ming Li; Meng Kong; Kadambot Siddique; Feng-Min Li. Integrated model and field experiment to determine the optimum planting density in plastic film mulched rainfed agriculture. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 2019, 268, 331 -340.
AMA StyleFeng Zhang, Ibrahim M. Eldoma, Ming Li, Meng Kong, Kadambot Siddique, Feng-Min Li. Integrated model and field experiment to determine the optimum planting density in plastic film mulched rainfed agriculture. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 2019; 268 ():331-340.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFeng Zhang; Ibrahim M. Eldoma; Ming Li; Meng Kong; Kadambot Siddique; Feng-Min Li. 2019. "Integrated model and field experiment to determine the optimum planting density in plastic film mulched rainfed agriculture." Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 268, no. : 331-340.
Feng Zhang; Wenjuan Zhang; Ming Li; Yuan Zhang; Fengmin Li; Changbin Li. Is crop biomass and soil carbon storage sustainable with long-term application of full plastic film mulching under future climate change? Agricultural Systems 2017, 150, 67 -77.
AMA StyleFeng Zhang, Wenjuan Zhang, Ming Li, Yuan Zhang, Fengmin Li, Changbin Li. Is crop biomass and soil carbon storage sustainable with long-term application of full plastic film mulching under future climate change? Agricultural Systems. 2017; 150 ():67-77.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFeng Zhang; Wenjuan Zhang; Ming Li; Yuan Zhang; Fengmin Li; Changbin Li. 2017. "Is crop biomass and soil carbon storage sustainable with long-term application of full plastic film mulching under future climate change?" Agricultural Systems 150, no. : 67-77.