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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (10): 3819-3837    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.04.028
Crop Science Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Optimizing planting density to improve growth, yield and resource use efficiencies for winter oilseed rape under ridge-furrow film mulching

Xiaobo Gu1, Zhikai Cheng1, Yadan Du1, Huanjie Cai1#, Yupeng Li1, Yuannong Li1, Heng Fang2, Shikun Sun1#

1 Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education/Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

2 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China

 Highlights 
Film mulching significantly improved yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of winter rapeseed.
Film mulching integrated with 150,000 plants ha–1 obtained the maximum yield, WUE and RUE.
Taproot dry weight and lateral-root mass density had markedly positive correlation with yield.
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摘要  
垄膜沟播因具有显著的节水增产效应,在西北旱区广泛应用。种植密度也是影响作物产量的一个重要因素,不同环境条件下(如垄膜沟播种植模式下),作物高产高效的适宜种植密度会发生一定变化。目前,地膜覆盖与种植密度互作对冬油菜生理生长、产量和资源(水分、光能)利用效率的影响机制尚不明晰。因此,本研究设置2种覆膜种植方式(F:垄膜沟播;N:传统平作不覆膜)和3个种植密度(LD:100000株/hm2;MD:150000株/hm2;HD:200000株/hm2),通过2017-2020年三年田间试验,探究分析了冬油菜叶绿素含量(LCC)、叶片净光合速率(Pn)、叶面积指数(LAI)、地上部干物质量(ADM)、根系生长分布、产量、耗水量(ET)、水分利用效率(WUE)和光能利用效率(RUE)对不同覆膜种植方式和种植密度的响应规律。研究结果表明垄膜沟播可显著提高冬油菜LCC、Pn、LAI和ADM,促进冬油菜根系生长发育;在蕾薹期后,MD种植密度可更好促进冬油菜生理生长。FMD处理在耗水量与FLD和FHD相当,比NLD、NMD和NHD显著降低的前提下,可得到最高的冬油菜产量,分别比FLD、FHD、NLD、NMD和NHD显著增产34.8–46.0%、6.7–9.6%、87.8–108.3%、38.7–50.3%和50.2–61.8%。而且,与NHD(当地常规种植方式和种植密度处理)相比,FMD处理冬油菜WUE和RUE分别显著提高88.5–94.0% and 29.0–41.8%。因此,FMD处理是西北地区冬油菜节水增产、资源高效利用的适宜栽培管理模式。


Abstract  

Ridge-furrow film mulching has been widely used as a water-saving and yield-increasing planting pattern in arid and semiarid regions.  Planting density is also a vitally important factor influencing crop yield, and the optimal planting density will vary in different environments (such as ridge-furrow film mulching).  How the combination of film mulching and planting density will affect the growth, physiology, yield, and water and radiation use efficiencies of winter oilseed rape is not clear yet.  Therefore, a three-year field experiment was conducted from 2017 to 2020 to explore the responses of leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), leaf area index (LAI), aboveground dry matter (ADM), root growth and distribution, yield, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE), and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of winter oilseed rape to different film mulching patterns (F, ridge-furrow planting with plastic film mulching over the ridges; N, flat planting without mulching) and planting densities (LD, 100,000 plants ha–1; MD, 150,000 plants ha–1; HD, 200,000 plants ha–1).  The results showed that the F treatments led to significantly greater leaf Chl contents, Pn, LAI, and ADM, and a stronger root system than treatments without film mulching throughout the whole winter rapeseed growing seasons.  Winter oilseed rape in the MD treatments had better physiological (leaf Chl contents and Pn) and growth (LAI, ADM, taproot, and lateral root) conditions than in LD and HD at the late growth period after stem-elongation.  Grain yield in FMD was the greatest, and it was significantly greater by 34.8–46.0%, 6.7–9.6%, 87.8–108.3%, 38.7–50.3%, and 50.2–61.8% compared to those of FLD, FHD, NLD, NMD, and NHD, respectively.  Furthermore, the ET in FMD was equivalent to FLD and FHD, but was markedly lower by 12.2–18.4%, 14.5–20.3%, and 14.6–20.4% than in NLD, NMD, and NHD.  Finally, the WUE and RUE in FMD were significantly improved by 88.5–94.0% and 29.0–41.8% compared to NHD (the local conventional planting pattern and planting density for winter rapeseed).  In summary, FMD is a favorable cultivation management strategy to save water, increase yield and improve resource utilization efficiencies in winter oilseed rape in Northwest China.

Keywords:  ridge-furrow film mulching       crop growth and physiology        yield        evapotranspiration        water use efficiency        radiation use efficiency  
Received: 28 September 2023   Online: 16 April 2024   Accepted: 14 March 2024
Fund: 
This study was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52479049 and 51909221), the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFD1900700), the Key R&D Program of Shaanxi Province, China (2024NC-ZDCYL-02-08) and the Key Laboratory of Crop Water Use and Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China (IFI-CWUR202402).
About author:  Xiaobo Gu, E-mail: guxiaobo@nwafu.edu.cn; #Correspondence Huanjie Cai, Tel: +86-29-87082133, E-mail: caihj@nwsuaf.edu.cn; Shikun Sun, Tel: +86-29-87082297, E-mail: sksun@nwafu.edu.cn

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Xiaobo Gu, Zhikai Cheng, Yadan Du, Huanjie Cai, Yupeng Li, Yuannong Li, Heng Fang, Shikun Sun. 2025. Optimizing planting density to improve growth, yield and resource use efficiencies for winter oilseed rape under ridge-furrow film mulching. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(10): 3819-3837.

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