Abstract: 【Objective】To provide a theoretical evidence for high yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of maize, the experiment was conducted to test soil moisture transportation and distribution, soil temperature, yield and WUE of dryland spring maize for determining the effects of rainfall harvesting under different planting methods.【Method】Four different plastic film mulching planting treatments were used in arid areas of Pengyang country in Ningxia in 2013-2014: double ridges and furrows both mulched with plastic film and planting in furrows (D), flat planting of narrow film mulching (F), plastic film mulching on ridge and planting in film-side (R1) and plastic film mulching on ridge and planting in narrow furrow (R2). A conventional flat field without mulching was used as the control (CK). Soil water and temperature, WUE, and yield at different growth stages of spring maize were analyzed in this study. The experiment was designed by random blocks and repeated three times. The plastic film width of R1 and F treatments were both 60 cm, furrow width of R1 was 10 cm and ridge width was 50 cm, the big-ridge width of D was 70 cm and ridges height was 15 cm, the other small one width and height were 50 cm and 10 cm. Planting density of different treatments were 75 000 plants/hm2. The amount of based fertilizer applied before sowing was N 102 kg·hm^-2and P₂O₅ 90 kg·hm^-2 , and topdressing was N 153 kg·hm^-2. 【Result】 The results showed that the status of soil water and temperature had improved significantly in all the four plastic film mulching planting treatments compared with CK. In maize seedling period (0-30 d), the soil water storage at depths of 0-200 cm soil layer with D, F, R1 and R2 increased by 10%, 8.9%, 10.9% and 14.4%, respectively, compared with CK. At maize mid-late stage (90-120 d), affected by rainfall precipitation and different planting treatments, the maize water consumption was different. In addition, soil water storage in 0-200 cm soil profile showed differences: the soil water storage in the plastic film mulching planting treatments were significantly lower compared with CK in 2013 (precipitation was 309.4 mm in July and August), there was no significant difference between treatments, however, the soil water storage in R1 and R2 treatments were significantly higher than other plastic film mulching planting treatments. However, in the 2 years experiment, the soil water storage in 0-40 cm soil profile of R1 was significantly higher than other treatments, with an average of increasing of 5%; The soil temperature at the depth of 0-25cm soil layer increased by 3.5, 2.3, 0.9 and 1.1℃ in D, F, R1 and R2 treatments compared with CK. Total dry matter accumulation of maize during the whole growth period showed a "S" curve type, during the first two months, the dry matter accumulation was small, each treatment accounted for only 4.3%-15.4% of the whole growth period, with the order from high to low: D＞R2＞F＞R1＞CK. About 74.5% of the dry matter accumulation was formed in the next two months (flare opening to filling period ), the dry matter accumulations were 30.93 and 3.241 kg·hm^-2·d^-1 in the treatments of D, R2. WUE and maize yield of D, F, R2 increased by 13.4%, 21.2%, 13.3% and 18.0%, 11.2%, 20.3% compared with CK in 2013 (when annual rainfall was 594.1 mm). However, the WUE and maize yield in D, R1, R2 treatments increased by 31.1%, 33.8%, 35.1% and 42.5%, 39.9%, 40.8% in 2014 (when annual rainfall was 341.9 mm). There were no significant differences among D, R1, and R2 treatments. The yield and WUE of plastic film mulching planting treatments increased significantly in a less precipitation year, and among all of which, the effect in the treatment of R2 was obvious. 【Conclusion】 The plastic film mulched ridge and sowing furrow planting changed the shallow soil water condition significantly, improved soil temperature, increased dry matter accumulation in semi-arid areas of southern Ningxia. Furrow and ridge mulching planting treatments gave obvious advantages in the less precipitation years. the WUE and maize yield of D and R1 were the best. This study enriched the plastic film mulching plating treatments in the semi-arid areas of southern Ningxia, and provided a basis for the sustainable developing treatments which could improve the yield and stabilize the yield in the semi-arid areas.

Key words: plastic film mulching to rainfall harvesting planting, soil water, soil temperature, spring maize yield, water use efficiency, semi-arid areas