Agricultural Water Management最新文献

{"title":"Optimizing surge-root irrigation parameters to enhance apple yield and water productivity in arid regions","authors":"Shaoxiong Ning ,&nbsp;Yaohui Cai ,&nbsp;Ziyue Guo ,&nbsp;Keyao Liu ,&nbsp;Mingyi Wen ,&nbsp;Junsheng Lu ,&nbsp;Bin Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Gao ,&nbsp;Xining Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109828","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109828","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although various irrigation strategies are used in arid regions, approximately 75 % of apple orchards still experience drought stress. Surge-root irrigation (SRI) has shown potential in enhancing root-zone water supply, but the precise alignment of fruit trees’ water demand with key irrigation parameters remains unclear. Therefore, this study, conducted in apple orchards in Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, China, systematically evaluated the effects and comprehensive benefits of nine flow rate and sleeve/burial depth configurations of SRI and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) on soil moisture, canopy physiology, and root characteristics. The results showed that long-term SRI significantly improved the uniformity and content of soil moisture in the root zone. The combination of a 40 cm sleeve/burial depth and a 4 L h⁻¹ flow rate resulted in the most uniform soil moisture distribution, which in turn promoted root penetration into the 60–80 cm soil layer, where the root length density reached 2.57 cm cm⁻³, accounting for 37.8 % of the total root distribution. Meanwhile, the 40–60 cm sleeve/burial depth and a 4 L h⁻¹ flow rate improved the canopy physiological performance of the fruit tree. SRI increased yield by 14.0 % compared with SDI. The fruit quality (transverse diameter is 75.86 mm) and irrigation water productivity (<em>WP</em>_<em>I</em>, 156.12 kg m⁻³) were high at 40 cm sleeve/buried depth and 4 L h⁻¹ flow rate. Path analysis indicated that SRI significantly affected the root system and canopy, and soil moisture and canopy were key factors influencing fruit quality and yield. The optimal water consumption for apple trees over the entire growth period was 454.7 mm determined using a binary nonlinear model (R² = 0.61). The 40 cm sleeve/burial depth and 4 L h⁻¹ flow rate could balance water-saving efficiency and sustainable development in approximately 5.5 years by regulating soil moisture distribution, root architecture and canopy physiology. This study provides a significant reference for optimizing SRI parameters in apple orchards on the Loess Plateau and similar arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109828"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145118523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptation simulation and planning for crop yield under climate change: Integrating AquaCrop and DSSAT to project drought-induced yield risks in the Sanjiang Plain","authors":"Shehakk Muneer Baluch ,&nbsp;Luchen Wang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Abrar Faiz ,&nbsp;Haiyan Li ,&nbsp;Yingshan Chen ,&nbsp;Lijuan Wang ,&nbsp;Mo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Sanjiang Plain is used as a case study to demonstrate a novel fusion of mechanistic crop modeling and machine-learning for enhanced yield prediction under climate change, focusing on mid-century (2021–2060) conditions. We introduce a Gaussian-process (GP) ensemble framework that integrates simulated outputs from AquaCrop and DSSAT with multi-source environmental covariates to leverage both process-based realism and data-driven flexibility. Applied to maize, rice, soybean, and wheat under rain-fed and irrigated regimes, this ensemble improves out-of-sample accuracy by 10–15 % relative to either model alone, with performance of R² = 0.85–0.98 for DSSAT and R² = 0.52–0.78 for AquaCrop. To deconstruct prediction uncertainty, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) is applied to the GP outputs, transparently attributing variance to irrigation depth, in-season rainfall, and multi-scale SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index). This analysis reveals that irrigation parameters accounts for over 60 % of yield variability across all crops, substantially outweighing climate-stress factors, and identifies maize’s tasseling to grain-filling, rice’s panicle initiation to grain-filling, soybean’s flowering to pod-filling, and wheat’s jointing to grain-filling stages for targeted water management. Projecting mid-century yields under Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSP) SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, and SSP5–8.5, we quantify steep rain-fed declines in maize (–42 %), rice (–8 %), soybean (–15 %), and wheat (–12 %) and generate high-resolution maps of 30th- and 70th-percentile shortfall probabilities. Under SSP5–8.5, the median probability of ≥ 30 % wheat loss reaches 80 % in rain-fed fields, pinpointing the central and eastern belts as urgent adaptation hotspots. However, these projections are still constrained by model settings, data quality, structural differences between the models, historical calibration, and uncertainty in future climate. Overall, this study provides a transferable blueprint for climate-resilient agriculture on the Sanjiang Plain and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109818"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water use, yield, and root growth characteristics of safflower in surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems under water-saving irrigation strategies","authors":"Ameneh Karizi ,&nbsp;Tooraj Honar ,&nbsp;Seyed Hamid Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Ali Reza Sepaskhah ,&nbsp;Bahram Heidari ,&nbsp;Ali Akbar Kamgar-Haghighi","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Implementing water-saving irrigation techniques and drought-tolerant crops is essential for sustainable agriculture under drought and water scarcity. This study evaluated the effects of three irrigation strategies of full irrigation (FI), partial root-zone drying (PRD) at 70 % FI, and conventional deficit irrigation (DI) at 70 % FI, three lateral spacings (20 cm, 40 cm, 60 cm), and two drip irrigation systems (surface drip (SD) and subsurface drip (SSD)) on water use, crop water productivity, yield, and root growth of spring safflower (cv. Goldasht) in a semi-arid region in Iran over two growing seasons. The split–split plot experiment revealed that FI with 20 cm spacing achieved the highest seed yield. PRD and DI saved 25 % of irrigation water, with mean seed yield reductions of 9.4 % and 13.6 %, respectively, compared to FI. Increasing lateral spacing to 40 cm and 60 cm reduced yield by 4.5 % and 24.3 %. Root growth was positively correlated with seed yield; higher root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) were observed where soil water content was greater. Water-saving treatments enhanced specific root length (SRL). SSD improved crop water productivity compared to SD. Maximum <em>WP</em>_<em>CET</em>, <em>WP</em>_{<em>irrig</em>}, and <em>WP</em>_{<em>irrig+rain</em>} were achieved with PRD under SSD at 20 cm and 40 cm spacings, while the lowest values were found under FI with SD at 60 cm spacing. Yield response factor (K_y) and yield sensitivity index (λ_i) analyses indicated that 20 cm lateral spacing enhanced drought tolerance. We conclude that SSD with 40 cm spacing under PRD at 70 % FI is an effective alternative for water-scarce regions, balancing water savings with minimal yield loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109829"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies for present and future bubbler irrigation system management in a Saharan date palm oasis under climate change","authors":"Nessrine Zemni ,&nbsp;Fairouz Slama ,&nbsp;Fethi Bouksila ,&nbsp;Hamouda Dakhlaoui ,&nbsp;Latifa Dhaouadi ,&nbsp;Ons Sidhom ,&nbsp;Ronny Berndtsson ,&nbsp;Rachida Bouhlila","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Date palm oases in North Africa have historically supported agriculture through indigenous irrigation techniques such as foggaras and tabias, made possible by a relatively stable water supply. However, the sustainability of these systems is increasingly threatened by irrational water use, climate change and environmental resources degradation. In response to these challenges, we introduced and evaluated a modern irrigation system “the bubbler” in the Saharan oasis of Jemna (southern Tunisia) cultivated with adult palm tree. Field experiments were performed during two crop growing seasons (2018–2019). Decagon 5TE sensors were installed for real-time soil monitoring at six different soil depths in the root zone and directly below the bubbler emitter. The numerical model Hydrus-1D was calibrated and validated against the collected soil water content (θ) and pore water electrical conductivity (ECp) data. The model was then used to study the effect of different farmer irrigation amounts (T_1 F (66 % crop evapotranspiration (ETc); T_2 F (135 % ETc)) on root water uptake, yield production and soil salinity. In addition different irrigation optimization scenarios were investigated under current climate condition (T₁ (100 % ETc- schedule based on Cropwat), T_1LR (120 % ETc- Cropwat schedule with leaching requirement fraction (LR), T₃ (100 % ETc- schedule based on observed crop growth stages and LR) and future climate change (T_4cc (100 % ETc- same schedule as T₃); T_5cc (80 %ETc- same schedule as T₃)). The results demonstrated that following an irrigation schedule (T₃) designed to meet 100 % of crop water requirements, with irrigation water salinity (ECw) equal to 3.2 dSm⁻¹ and five irrigation events including LR (120 mm) during date palm fruit stage, succeeded to leach the root zone to soil water electrical conductivity values (ECsw) lower than 7 dSm⁻¹ and to increase the root water uptake, achieving approximately 81 % of the potential crop yield under current situation. However the use of schedule implemented based on current situation (T₃), for the future period, using different condition of irrigation water salinity and crop water need (T_5cc) result in a significant crop yield decrease from an average of 81 % in 2020 to about 55 % in 2090 associated with an increase of ECsw to 20 dSm⁻¹ which represent a threat to agriculture land sustainability. Indeed, to meet the double challenge of water scarcity and salinity, it is strongly recommended to optimize irrigation scheduling according to crop water requirements during observed crop growth stages and salinity levels. Further studies of various irrigation schedules with bubbler system under arid climate and brackish water need to focus on its impact on oasis sustainability especially when used for traditional oases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109811"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Satellite data and physics-constrained machine learning for estimating effective precipitation in the Western United States and application for monitoring groundwater irrigation","authors":"Md Fahim Hasan ,&nbsp;Ryan G. Smith ,&nbsp;Sayantan Majumdar ,&nbsp;Justin L. Huntington ,&nbsp;Antônio Alves Meira Neto ,&nbsp;Blake A. Minor","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109821","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109821","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective precipitation, the portion of evapotranspiration derived from precipitation, is an important part of the agricultural water balance and affects the amount of water required for irrigation. Due to hydrologic complexity, effective precipitation is challenging to quantify and validate using existing empirical and process-based methods. Moreover, there is no readily available high-resolution effective precipitation dataset for the United States (US), despite its importance in determining consumptive use of irrigation water. Here, we developed a framework that incorporates multiple hydrologic states and fluxes within a machine learning approach that accurately predicts effective precipitation for irrigated croplands of the Western US at ∼2 km spatial resolution and monthly scale from 2000 to 2020. We analyzed the factors influencing effective precipitation to understand its dynamics in irrigated landscapes. To further assess effective precipitation estimates, we estimated groundwater pumping for irrigation in seven basins of the Western US with a water balance model incorporating model-generated effective precipitation. A comparison of our estimated pumping volumes with in-situ records indicates good skill, with R² of 0.78 and PBIAS of –15 %. Though challenges remain in predicting and assessing effective precipitation, the satisfactory performance of our approach illustrate the application and potential of integrating satellite data and machine learning with a physically-based water balance to estimate key water fluxes. The effective precipitation dataset developed in this study has the potential to be used with satellite-based actual evapotranspiration data for estimating consumptive use of irrigation water at large spatio-temporal scales and enable the best available science-informed water management decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109821"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maize yield, crop water productivity, and partial factor productivity of nitrogen influenced by nitrogen rates and groundwater table depths: A lysimeter study in the North China Plain","authors":"Ning Wang ,&nbsp;Peifang Leng ,&nbsp;Yunfeng Qiao ,&nbsp;Zhipin Ai ,&nbsp;Gang Chen ,&nbsp;Jie Li ,&nbsp;Fadong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Falling groundwater table depth (WTD) and excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization have caused both crop yield reductions and environmental contamination. However, the combined effects of WTD and N application rate on maize production and resource use efficiency remain unclear. In this study, an automated groundwater level control system was used to investigate the impacts of WTDs (2 m and 4 m) and N rates (210 and 280 kg ha^–1) on soil properties, yield components, crop evapotranspiration (ET_c), crop water productivity (WP_c), and partial factor productivity of N (PFP_N) across two maize growing seasons (2023–2024). Results showed that increased N rate at WTD of 2 m caused soil nutrient loss, while at a WTD of 4 m, it improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Maize yields decreased with deeper WTD and lower N rate, with WTD contributing more to yield variation than N rate (16 % vs. 10 %). Grain number had a stronger effect on yield than kernel weight (0.65 vs. 0.40), with the former mainly influenced by WTD and the latter by N rate. Deeper WTD reduced ET_c by 68 mm, groundwater evaporation by 73 mm, and the contribution of groundwater to ET_c by 11 %. WP_c did not differ significantly among treatments, suggesting a linear yield–ET_c relationship. Both lower WTD and N rate increased PFP_N, with WTD affecting N utilization efficiency and N rate influencing N uptake efficiency. This study offers practical insights into water–fertilizer managements under fluctuating groundwater conditions to support sustainable maize production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109816"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water stress thresholds for walnuts: Stem water potential baselines to maximize yield and water productivity","authors":"Beyá-Marshall V ,&nbsp;G. Lobos ,&nbsp;F. Calvo ,&nbsp;J. Otárola ,&nbsp;E. Trentacoste","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Walnut (<em>Juglans regia</em>) cultivation in the Americas faces increasing challenges due to water scarcity and high irrigation demands. This study refines irrigation management strategies by establishing midday stem water potential (Ψₓ) baselines as a function of vapor pressure deficit (VPD): (i) a fully irrigated baseline, where the entire soil moisture is maintained near field capacity; and (ii) a non-stressed baseline, where Ψₓ reflects water content conditions that do not limit fruit size and yield. Additionally, detrimental Ψₓ thresholds are identified to optimize water productivity, nut yield, and quality. Multi-year, multi-location trials were conducted in ‘Chandler’ and ‘Serr’ orchards under diverse environmental and irrigation conditions. Results confirm that Ψₓ is strongly correlated with VPD, making it a reliable indicator of plant water status. Fully irrigated walnut trees maintain a Ψₓ between −0.3 and −0.5 MPa, while the non-stressed baseline ranges from −0.3 to −0.7 MPa in ‘Chandler’ and from −0.3 to −0.8 MPa in ‘Serr’ under wet and non-stressed soil conditions within a VPD range of 0.5–4 kPa. Validating the non-stressed Ψₓ baseline through production data demonstrated that optimizing irrigation based on this baseline improves water productivity by 20–25 % compared to fully irrigated treatments. Additionally, deficit Ψₓ thresholds (Ψₓ values below the full irrigation baseline) were established, defining the optimal range of water stress that balances yield, fruit size, and water savings. In ‘Serr’ maximum yield and fruit size were achieved when the Ψₓ deficit ranged from −0.15 to −0.40 MPa, peaking at −0.29 MPa. In contrast, ‘Chandler’ performed optimally within a narrower Ψₓ deficit range of −0.10 to −0.30 MPa, with a peak at −0.22 MPa. Beyond this threshold, yield losses increased progressively, reaching 25 % or more at higher water deficits. Furthermore, detrimental Ψₓ thresholds associated with 5–25 % yield losses were identified, providing critical decision-making tools for growers facing water scarcity. These findings emphasize the importance of Ψₓ monitoring in irrigation scheduling to enhance water efficiency, maintain high walnut productivity, and support sustainable orchard management in water-limited regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109808"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of deep storage irrigation on summer maize yield formation and safety irrigation threshold for maximizing flood resources utilization","authors":"Xiaodong Fan,&nbsp;Haitao Che,&nbsp;Yakun Wang,&nbsp;Dianyu Chen,&nbsp;Xiaotao Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The new strategy of deep storage irrigation through flood resources utilization is an effective alternative to addressing the water resources shortage and overexploitation of groundwater in the irrigation districts of Northern China. However, the influence mechanisms of deep storage irrigation, which is essentially characterized by active excessive irrigation, on the yield formation process of summer maize have not yet been systematically revealed. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms by which growth status and the grain filling process affect grain yield and its components under deep storage irrigation and to determine the safety threshold in different rainfall type years. A three-year field experiment (2021–2023) was conducted in the Guanzhong Plain according to six irrigation application depths (RF: 0 cm; W80 (CK): 80 cm; W120: 120 cm; W140: 140 cm; W160: 160 cm; and W180: 180 cm), with the soil saturation moisture content as the irrigation upper limit. Results showed that, compared with the W80 treatment, the W120, W140, and W160 treatments led to increased plant height (PH), leaf area index (LAI), and total dry matter accumulation (TDMA). In addition, the W120, W140, and W160 treatments enhanced the kernel weight increment achieving maximum grain filling rate (W_max), maximum grain filling rate (G_max), and active grain filling period (AGP). This resulted in increases in ear diameter (ED), ear length (EL), and 100-kernel weight (HKW), ultimately increasing the grain yield (GY). However, the higher irrigation treatment (i.e., W180) exhibited negative effects on these indicators. Relative to the W80 treatment, the W120, W140, and W160 treatments showed yield increases of 5.16 %–15.73 %, 4.77 %–14.81 %, and 4.79 %–15.34 %, respectively, over the three years. In contrast, the W180 treatment decreased the yield by 8.97 %, 9.47 %, and 10.18 %. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed direct influences of growth indicators (PH, LAI, and TDMA) and grain filling characteristics (W_max, G_max, and AGP) on maize yield characteristics. The growth indicators indirectly modulated the yield characteristics through grain filling characteristics. Deep storage irrigation improved ED, EL, and HKW by positively regulating W_max, G_max, and AGP, thus significantly increasing GY. This study identified the optimal threshold (W140 treatment) for maximizing maize yields and the safety threshold (W160 treatment) for maximizing flood resources utilization, and maintained relative stability in wet and normal seasons. Short-term waterlogging stress induced by W180 treatment significantly decreased the grain yield. These findings provide valuable insights for making informed decisions to balance and coordinate food security and water security under future conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109805"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Irrigated agriculture expansion drives groundwater storage decline in Black Soil Region of Northeast China","authors":"Yexiang Yu ,&nbsp;Guangxin Zhang ,&nbsp;Peng Qi ,&nbsp;Jingxuan Sun ,&nbsp;Qingsong Zhang ,&nbsp;Boting Hu ,&nbsp;Yijun Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global expansion of irrigated agriculture is driving groundwater overexploitation and increasing the risk of aquifer depletion. However, the drivers of groundwater storage changes across different temporal scales remain unclear, posing challenges to regional agricultural and ecological sustainability. This study used high-resolution Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data (2003 – 2022) to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater storage in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China, with a focus on key irrigated agricultural areas. The study identified long-term and seasonal trends of groundwater storage across key areas and applied a random forest regression model to quantify the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors. The results indicate a significant overall decline in groundwater storage (GWSA) in the study region, with an annual rate of decrease of 3.72 mm (p &lt; 0.01). Spatially, GWSA exhibited heterogeneous patterns, with increasing variation from south to north and west to east. Significant seasonal fluctuations were also observed, with the highest GWSA in July (−11.65 mm) and the lowest in January (−34.56 mm). Snowmelt in spring and monsoon precipitation in summer was major contributors to increased groundwater storage. The seasonal trends were mainly driven by natural factors, while the long-term trends were influenced by anthropogenic factors, particularly agricultural land expansion. Expansion of irrigated areas is a major driver contributing to 26.6 %, 31.2 %, and 31.6 % of GWSA in the Sanjiang Plain, Liaohe Plain, and West Liao River Basin, respectively. Precipitation was the main driver of seasonal trends in the West Liao River Basin (21.1 %), while actual evapotranspiration dominated in the Sanjiang Plain (41.3 %), Songnen Plain (40.8 %), and Liaohe Plain (25.8 %). Expansion of irrigated agriculture, through associated increases in water consumption for irrigation, is the fundamental driver of groundwater storage depletion in irrigated agricultural regions. These results provide scientific evidence to support for the sustainable management and use of groundwater in irrigated agriculture within the study area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109813"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of drip irrigation methods and nitrogen application rates on soil salinity and nitrogen distribution, and fruit quality in arid regions of Northwest China","authors":"Hao Liu,&nbsp;Jun Wang,&nbsp;Jiusheng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The labor-saving intensive planting of Korla fragrant pear has emerged as an innovative cultivation model in recent years. Exploring drip irrigation methods and nitrogen application rates compatible with this model is crucial for mitigating soil salinization and improving the yield and quality of fragrant pears. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of drip irrigation methods and nitrogen application rates on the soil salt accumulation (SSA), soil nitrogen content, fruit yield and quality of fragrant pears during the growing seasons of 2022 and 2023 in Xinjiang, China. Two drip irrigation methods, i.e., surface drip irrigation (DI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), and four nitrogen application rates, i.e., 100 kg ha⁻¹ (N1), 200 kg ha⁻¹ (N2), 300 kg ha⁻¹ (N3), and 400 (N4) kg ha⁻¹, were included. The results showed that the SDI treatment significantly reduced the SSA in the root zone of pear trees by 1.5–3.8 g kg⁻¹ during the growing stages. The lowest SSA was obtained at nitrogen application rates of 300 kg ha⁻¹and 200 kg ha⁻¹ under the DI and SDI treatments, respectively. In addition, the overall quality score was evaluated via principal component analysis (PCA). The yield and overall quality score under the SDI treatment were 10.7–24.4 % and 150.2–315.3 % higher than those under the DI treatment. The pear yield and overall quality increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen application rate, with appropriate values of 300 kg ha⁻¹ and 200 kg ha⁻¹ under the DI and SDI treatments, respectively. The structural equation model (SEM) indicated that drip irrigation methods and nitrogen application rates primarily improved pear yield and overall quality by reducing soil salinity. Considering the soil salinity, pear yield and quality, SDI combined with 200 kg ha⁻¹ nitrogen application is recommended for the young Korla fragrant pear trees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109810"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}