Effect of Long-Term Fertilization on Soil Water Balance and Water Use Efficiency in the Loess Plateau of China

Abstract:

Rational fertilization is the guarantee for the productivity and stability of crop and sustainable development of rain-fed agriculture. In this study, based on a long term fertilization experiment initiated in 1984, we researched the effect of different fertilizer application on soil water profile distribution and water use efficiency (WUE) from 1999 to 2010. The experimental design consisted a control treatment (CK) and eight fertilizer treatments: farmyard manure (M), farmyard manure and nitrogen (MN), farmyard manure and phosphorus (MP), nitrogen and phosphorus (NP), nitrogen, phosphorus and farmyard manure (NPM), nitrogen and potassium (NK), phosphorus and potassium (PK), nitrogen, potassium and potassium (NPK). Soil moisture content of MN, MP, MNP, M, and NP were significantly lower than Ck in 10-130 cm, while NPK and NK was only slightly lower than Ck. Compared with the CK, on average, treatments MNP and NPK increased the yield of crop by 259% and 226% and they also increased the crop WUE by 202% and 176%, respectively. The results indicated that the fertilizer application of NPK might be the best choice for the sustainable development of arid land agriculture on the Loess Plateau of China.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 361-363)
• Pages: 982-987
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.361-363.982
• Online since: August 2013
• Authors: Feng Li Zhou, Yong Hong Hu, Hai Long Ma, Sha Xue
• Keywords: Loess Plateau, Long-Term Fertilization, Soil Moisture, Water Use Efficiency (WUE)

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