title: Soil Water Balance and Water Use Efficiency of Dryland Wheat in Different Precipitation Years in Response to Green Manure Approach.
abstract: Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) monoculture is conventionally cultivated followed by two to three months of summer fallow in the Loess Plateau. To develop a sustainable cropping system, we conducted a six-year field experiment to investigate the effect of leguminous green manure (LGM) instead of bare fallow on the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat and the soil water balance (SWB) in different precipitation years in a semi-arid region of northwest China. Results confirmed that planting LGM crop consumes soil water in the fallow season can bring varied effects to the subsequent wheat. The effect is positive or neutral when the annual precipitation is adequate, so that there is no significant reduction in the soil water supplied to wheat. If this is not the case, the effect is negative. On average, the LGM crop increased wheat yield and WUE by 13% and 28%, respectively, and had considerable potential for maintaining the SWB (0-200 cm) compared with fallow management. In conclusion, cultivation of the LGM crop is a better option than fallow to improve the productivity and WUE of the next crop and maintain the soil water balance in the normal and wet years in the Loess Plateau.
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Dabin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Pengwei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Bayannaoer Academy of Agricultural and Animal Sciences, 015000, Bayannaoer, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS &MWR, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Suiqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS &MWR, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.|Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D018533:Biomass; D002681:China; D055864:Droughts; D005308:Fertilizers; D018526:Plant Transpiration; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013025:Glycine max; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development*; D000070658:Vigna; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water