Agricultural and Biological Sciences
4 years ago

Plastic mulching boosts crop yield and water balance in semiarid areas!

Agricultural Water Management
Did plastic mulching constantly increase crop yield but decrease soil water in a semiarid rain-fed area?
Xucheng Zhang, Hongli Wang, Huizhi Hou, Xian-Feng YU, Yifan Ma, Yanjie Fang, Kangning Lei

Paper Summary

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Plastic mulching helps increase crop yield and water efficiency in dry areas. A study over 10 years found that while soil water decreased due to crop water uptake, mulching didn't make it worse. Mulching actually increased soil water for wheat. Overall, mulching significantly boosted maize and wheat yields by over 80%, especially during drought years. Mulching also made crop productivity more consistent and helped balance water levels over time. This suggests that using plastic mulching can improve crop growth and maintain water resources in semi-arid regions, benefiting food production in the future.