Abstract

Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of different water harvesting on soil water, growth, yield and water use efficiency of the proso millet in a semiarid region of northwest China in 2010-2011. The experiment included five treatments: a flat plot with no mulching (NM) and four alternation ridge and furrow only the ridge mulched with white plastic film (PRFRH) systems. The cultivation system could increase soil water content of the furrow and maintained soil water content in ridges, there was better effect of water saving in P40, then P60 compared with NM. This system also promoted proso millet growth and yield development, P60 was higher agronomic characters compared with other treatments (P<0.05). Proso millet yield and water use efficiency significantly increased by 73.87%-147.00% and 75.58%-185.54% compared with NM (P<0.05), respectively. Evapotranspiration (ET) decreased by 3.93mm-101.40mm than NM. The best width of ridge: furrow was between 60 cm and 64 cm.

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