Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Effects of straw mulch on the growth and yield of drip irrigated cotton in north Xinjiang

Author(s):

Jinzhu Zhang, Zhenhua Wang *

Recieved Date: 2013-06-28, Accepted Date: 2013-10-16

Abstract:

To investigate the influence of straw mulch on the grow feature and yield of drip irrigated cotton in north Xinjiang, test-pit experiments with three treatments of surface mulch, subsurface mulch (30 cm beneath surface), and no mulch were conducted in both non-saline and saline-alkaline soils using sweat straw as material in 2009-2012. The results showed that straw mulch exerted certain effects on the growth and yield of drip irrigated cotton especially in saline-alkaline soils. Compared with no mulch, straw mulch did not have a significantly enhancing effect on the plant height, leaf area index and yield of drip irrigated cotton in non-saline soils. Yet, the comprehensive regulating effect of surface mulch was better than that of subsurface mulch especially during the middle and later growth stages (blossing and boll-forming stages). The enhancing effect of straw mulch on the plant height, leaf area index and yield of drip irrigated cotton was relatively significant in saline-alkaline soils. Surface mulch had a more significant salt-suppressing effect than subsurface mulch. The subsurface mulch effect was pronounced in the early growth stages (seedling stage and bud stage) of cotton and faded in the later growth stages (blossing and boll-forming stages). Compared with no mulch and subsurface mulch, surface mulch raised cotton yield by 3.2-17.9% and 3.1-16.3%, respectively.

Keywords:

Straw mulch, drip irrigation, cotton, growth characteristics, yield, saline-alkaline soil

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2013
Volume: 11
Issue: 3&4
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 1375-1380

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