Authors: WANG Jian-dong, GONG Shi-hong , XU Di , YU Ying-duo (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100048, China; National Center of Efficient Irrigation Engineering and Technology Research, Beijing 100048, China)

Abstract: In this paper, different irrigation methods, including basin irrigation, drip irrigation and subsurface drip irrigation, and four irrigation schedules for each irrigation method were selected to investigate the effects of different irrigation models on the space distribution of root system and yield of winter wheat by field experiment for three years. The results revealed that irrigation methods affect the space distribution of root system obviously under the same irrigation schedule. The basin irrigation and drip irrigation significantly boosted space distribution of root system at 0~50cm soil layer compared to subsurface drip irrigation, but the space distribution of root system appeared even at 0~100cm soil layer under subsurface drip irrigation. The research results also revealed the positive correlation of crop yield to irrigation norm, and the irrigation schedules had significant effect on crop yield, and drip irrigation models could attain continuous and stable crop yields for many years compared with basin irrigation. In addition, drip irrigation models had notable advantages in terms of increasing crop yield compared with basin irrigation under deficit irrigation.

Key words: irrigation models, irrigation methods, winter wheat, root system, yield

Published in: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2011
Article ID: 0559-9350 (2011) 10-1239-08