Agricultural Water Management最新文献

{"title":"Projections of soil salinization and organic carbon dynamics in the Yellow River Delta under future scenarios","authors":"Qiu Haonan ,&nbsp;Yang Shihong ,&nbsp;Wang Guangmei ,&nbsp;Zhang jie ,&nbsp;Dong Shide ,&nbsp;Liu Xiaoling ,&nbsp;Xu Yi ,&nbsp;Liu Hanwen ,&nbsp;Jiang Zewei ,&nbsp;Meng Tianzhu ,&nbsp;Zhang Dingwen","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinization and soil organic carbon (SOC) critically influence soil quality. However, their future dynamics under climate change remain uncertain. Based on 214 soil samples (soil salt content: 0.03 %-3.05 %; SOC: 2.23 g/kg-16.65 g/kg) and multi-source data, the Back propagation neural network was used to construct a model of soil salinity and SOC stock to a depth of 20 cm, and SOC in Yellow River Delta (YDR) in 2023. The Space-For-Time Substitution method was used to predict salinization and SOC alterations in YDR in 2050–2100 under the shared socio-economic pathways (SSP119: Low-emissions scenario with global warming limited to 1.5°C, SSP245: Medium-emissions scenario reaching 2.7°C warming by 2100). Results showed compared to 2023, under SSP119 the annual mean temperature and precipitation during 2050–2100 show an initial increase followed by decrease, while under SSP245 they exhibit a continuous increasing trend. The proportion of soil salinization in 2023 was 83.22 % (The proportion of the region with salt content exceeding 0.1 %), soil salinization was exacerbated to varying degrees in all future scenarios, with a significant increase in areas of High Salinity (salt content &gt;0.6 %). SOC stock (13.92 Tg in 2023) displayed different future patterns, peaking then declining under SSP119 but gradually increasing under SSP245. Soil fertility in the YRD is deemed low, with area of high SOC is extremely rare (&gt;17.4 g/kg). Areas with low SOC typically exhibit severe salinization. Consequently, these findings highlight the need for adaptive water management and carbon sequestration strategies to sustain agriculture in saline-alkali ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109801"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044974","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":"Aquifer recharge estimation and its origins in intensive irrigated agriculture","authors":"María José Polo Molina ,&nbsp;Lucas Soliva ,&nbsp;Mar Alcaraz ,&nbsp;Jorge Hornero Díaz ,&nbsp;Andres Alcolea ,&nbsp;Anne Imig ,&nbsp;Marisol Manzano ,&nbsp;Joaquín Jiménez-Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensive agriculture often occurs in water-scarce regions, relying on diverse water sources such as imported non-local water–water transfers, treated wastewater, desalination, and groundwater. Efficient water use is crucial to minimize aquifer losses and fertilizer leachates. Understanding the contributions of these sources to both irrigation and aquifer recharge is essential due to differences in volume, quality, and cost. This study presents a methodology combining: <em>i</em>) a spatially distributed approach using the water-table-fluctuation (WTF) method to estimate total aquifer recharge and <em>ii</em>) an experimental assessment of precipitation and irrigation water contributions via mixing calculations. The method is validated through unsaturated flow and stable water isotope transport modeling, applied to the Campo de Cartagena aquifer (SE Spain). Findings reveal that irrigated area contributes ∼ 30 % of total recharge — ∼ 26 % in wet years and ∼ 41 % in dry years— primarily from annual row crops. Groundwater supplies 49 ± 13 % of crop water needs. Recharge contributions from different sources within the irrigated area include precipitation (16 %), Water Transfer (29 %), shallow aquifer (26 %), and the underlying confined aquifer (29 %). These results underscore the importance of quantifying individual water source contributions to irrigation and aquifer recharge, especially if the aquifer is one more water source, for improved water resource management at the catchment scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109794"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044971","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 mechanism of Bacillus subtilis to guarantee the safe utilization of brackish water by improving soil physical properties and cotton production","authors":"Yanpeng Bi ,&nbsp;Beibei Zhou ,&nbsp;Peiqi Ren ,&nbsp;Shaoxiong Yao ,&nbsp;Xiaopeng Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaolong Yang ,&nbsp;Piaohua Yu ,&nbsp;Manli Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although brackish water (BW) irrigation alleviates freshwater (FW) scarcity in arid regions, it risks soil salinization, deterioration of soil physical properties, and productivity decline. The application of Bacillus subtilis has great potential in reducing these potential risks, but the specific effects and mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in cotton cultivation within arid regions of Xinjiang, China, we established two irrigations (FW and BW) and two Bacillus subtilis application rates (0 and 45 kg·ha⁻¹) to explore the feasibility of promoting the safe utilization of BW by applying Bacillus subtilis. The results showed that Bacillus subtilis could effectively reduce soil salinity and enhance the stability of soil water-stable aggregate (WSA), thereby achieving the optimization of soil water holding characteristics. Notably, Bacillus subtilis enhanced the resistance of soil physical properties to the adverse effects of BW irrigation, which is conducive to forming a long-acting protection. On this basis, the Bacillus subtilis increased the SPAD, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and total biomass of cotton; reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) in cotton leaves, This ultimately increased the seed cotton yield and water use efficiency (WUE) by 3.33 %-5.04 % and 1.81–7.52 %, respectively, ensuring the safety and economic benefits of cotton production under BW irrigation. In the structure and function of microbial community, we found that under the application of Bacillus subtilis, the soil main biomarkers of FW and BW irrigations were Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadota, respectively. Moreover, the increase in bacterial community evenness and total abundance of predominant bacterial phyla, as well as the function enhancement of carbohydrate and amino acid biosynthesis, are the key drivers for Bacillus subtilis to achieve the improvement of soil quality and cotton production. In summary, this study demonstrated the effectiveness and clarified key mechanisms of Bacillus subtilis in guaranteeing the safe utilization of BW, providing a feasible solution for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109793"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026559","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":"Adaptations in agricultural water management in arid regions: Modelling farmer behaviour and cooperation on irrigation sustainability in Morocco","authors":"Imane El Fartassi ,&nbsp;Helen Metcalfe ,&nbsp;Rafiq El Alami ,&nbsp;Alhousseine Diarra ,&nbsp;Vasthi Alonso-Chavez ,&nbsp;Toby W. Waine ,&nbsp;Joanna Zawadzka ,&nbsp;Alice E. Milne ,&nbsp;Ron Corstanje","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change has disrupted weather patterns and heightened drought risks in arid and semi-arid regions, requiring adaptations to crop and irrigation strategies to sustain food production. This study integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the factors influencing farmers crop and irrigation management decisions, with a focus on groundwater management and drip irrigation adoption. Semi-structured interviews 70 farmers from Al Haouz Basin, Morocco provided insights into motivations for crop and irrigation choices. Inductive coding was used for qualitative responses, and data analysis examined how farm size and tenure influenced decision-making. An integrated modelling approach combining the theory of planned behaviour and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to interpret drivers of irrigation management strategy. The interviews revealed that 83 % of farmers were concerned about groundwater decline, with 40 % identifying salinity as a major challenge. We found that falling groundwater levels and soil salinization have already impacted yields and raised concerns about further declines, prompting large-scale farmers to transition to more profitable and drought-resilient olive cultivation. Analysis of the SEM showed that attitudes toward drip irrigation efficiency, maintaining groundwater supply, and preventing increases in groundwater salinity influence farmers’ intentions regarding their water usage. Additionally, perceived behavioural control played a key role in shaping adoption behaviours, reinforcing the importance of structural and economic factors in decision-making. Land ownership conferred greater long-term perceived control over sustainable water use. However, qualitative findings revealed that cooperation on groundwater management was limited, with many farmers citing a lack of perceived benefits and logistical challenges, highlighting collective action challenges. Complexities related to subsidy applications and land tenure deter drip irrigation adoption, especially among smallholders, constraining climate change resilience. Our study contributes to understanding farmers' coping strategies and presents a foundation from which to develop evidence-based policy reforms enhancing agricultural and water sustainability across arid and semi-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109789"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010026","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 straw returning methods on seasonal variation in soil moisture and water storage in Mollisols with different degradation degrees","authors":"Shukun Xing ,&nbsp;Guanghui Zhang ,&nbsp;Ning Zhang ,&nbsp;Yatong Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw return has been widely implemented to mitigate soil erosion in agricultural land. However, the influences of straw returning method on soil moisture dynamics and water storage capacity in croplands with varying degradation degrees remain unclear. To address these knowledge gaps, seasonal variations in soil moisture and water storage in 0–100 cm soil layer were monitored throughout the soybean growing season (2023) in the black soil region of northeastern China. Four straw returning methods, namely rotary tillage (SR), deep plowing (SP), strip mulching (SM) and straw removal (CK), were evaluated across croplands with four degradation degrees: non-degradation (ND), light (LD), moderate (MD) and severe degradation (SD). The findings demonstrated that soil moisture changed greatly with soybean growth stages, especially for SP and CK treatments, with coefficients of variation ranged from 1.3 % to 18.8 % and from 0.7 % to 15.8 %. With land degradation degree intensifying, 0–60 cm soil water storage decreased from 220.2 mm to 152.4 mm. Compared to CK, soil water storage (0–60 cm) increased by 2.8–10.6 %, −5.0–3.8 %, and 15.0–19.3 % for SR, SP and SM treatments, respectively. SR method was recommended for non-degraded cropland, whereas SM method should be applied for degraded croplands. The mechanisms of straw returning method regulating soil water storage were primarily related to the resultant changes in soil porosity, temperature, and the capacity to capture rainfall. This study provides valuable insights for choosing the appropriate straw management practice to promote rainfall use efficiency in sloping farmlands, particularly in semi-humid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109796"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019779","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":"Quantifying rainfall-induced climate risk in rainfed agriculture: A volatility-based time series study from semi-arid India","authors":"Soham Ghosh ,&nbsp;Sujay Mukhoti ,&nbsp;Pritee Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109775","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109775","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intra-annual variation in rainfall creates significant challenges for agricultural output, particularly in semi-arid monsoon regions. In this study, we present a volatility-in-mean time series modeling framework to examine how rainfall risk influences rice yield forecasts in Maharashtra, India. We construct four distinct measures to capture intra-seasonal rainfall variability and incorporate them into forecasting models using six decades of monthly rainfall data (1962–2021) for the state. These measures are embedded within ARIMAX and GARCH-ARIMAX specifications to jointly assess the effects of rainfall volatility on the mean and variability of yields. Our results show that volatility-based models – especially exponential GARCH (eGARCH) and gjrGARCH variants using higher-order, first-difference-based measures (<span><math><mrow><mi>R</mi><msub><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mi>R</mi><msub><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>) – consistently deliver superior forecast accuracy and greater robustness compared to simpler ARIMAX or iGARCH configurations. Models relying on contemporaneous rainfall volatility outperform those using lagged measures, underscoring the immediate impact of seasonal climate anomalies. Sensitivity analysis with <span><math><mrow><mo>±</mo><mn>10</mn></mrow></math></span>% perturbations to rainfall risk measures further confirms that GARCH-type models not only improve predictive skill but also enhance stability under plausible input variations, making their inclusion effectively indispensable for climate-sensitive crop forecasting. These findings reinforce the need to embed dynamic meteorological risk indicators in agricultural forecasting frameworks to strengthen early warning systems, support adaptive policy design, and promote resilient, sustainable cropping systems in monsoon-dependent regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109775"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010025","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":"Accelerated disappearance of desert oases: The impact of climate warming and farmland expansion","authors":"Dinghao Li ,&nbsp;Zhi Wang ,&nbsp;Hao Li ,&nbsp;Yulong Liu ,&nbsp;Yryszhan Zhakypbek ,&nbsp;Serik Tursbekov ,&nbsp;Yanbo Wan ,&nbsp;Qingdong Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate warming and intensified human activities threaten the stability of oasis ecosystems in arid regions, increasing water resource pressure and vegetation degradation. Existing methods fail to fully capture hydrological-vegetation interactions, and research on groundwater depth thresholds remains limited. The Keriya River, which extends deep into the heart of the Taklamakan Desert, serves as a crucial window into the water balance between humans and oases. This study, using multi-temporal Sentinel-2 remote sensing imagery, water resource observation data, and ground survey data from 2016–2024, extracted data on farmland area and watershed area in the middle and lower reaches of the Keriya River over multiple years. An analytical framework integrating remote sensing monitoring, machine learning, and groundwater modeling was constructed to systematically assess the impact of regional farmland expansion on groundwater dynamics and desert riparian forests. Results revealed farmland increased by 31.17 km² year⁻¹. Due to the increase in human water use in the middle reaches, decreasing groundwater levels by 0.04–0.05 m year⁻¹ and straining ecological water supplies. <em>Populus euphratica</em> forest decreased by 4.04 km² year⁻¹, while drought-resistant <em>Tamarix chinensis</em> communities expanded by 3.67 km² year⁻¹, indicating a shift to secondary vegetation. Spatial variations in the fractional vegetation cover indicated a significant decline in vegetation health along the oasis peripheries, with pronounced degradation trends in areas with insufficient surface water supply. Model projections indicate that, if current trends persist, 34.5 % of the total oasis area will have groundwater levels shallower than 6 m by 2120, i.e., below the groundwater level suitable for the growth of desert riparian forests. This would put the oasis ecosystem at risk of large-scale degradation, resulting in long-term and irreversible impacts on protected areas. The methodology improved spatiotemporal resolution, quantitative simulation, and multi-source process integration and provides a novel pathway for investigating hydrological-ecological dynamics in arid regions and scientific evidence for water resource management and ecological conservation. Controlled farmland expansion, improve the legal and regulatory standards system, optimized water usage, and a long-term ecological water supplementation mechanism are recommended to sustain the oasis ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109798"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019780","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":"Alternate wetting and drying irrigation with biochar-based struvite enhances phosphorus availability, reduces phosphorus loss potential, and improves yield and water use efficiency in paddy systems","authors":"Yanqi Li ,&nbsp;Xuanming Wang ,&nbsp;Fuzheng Gong ,&nbsp;Yu Guan ,&nbsp;Yanting Jiao ,&nbsp;Daocai Chi ,&nbsp;Qi Wu ,&nbsp;James O’Connor ,&nbsp;Nanthi S. Bolan ,&nbsp;Kadambot H.M. Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In alternate wetting and drying (AWD) paddy systems, frequent redox fluctuations during the drying phase promote soil phosphorus (P) fixation through pH reduction, while the reflooding phase increases the risk of non-point source P pollution. Biochar-based struvite (BS), a novel P fertilizer with self-regulating alkalinity and slow-release properties, offers a promising solution to mitigate both P fixation and P loss in AWD systems. We conducted a two-year field experiment to evaluate the effects of BS on soil properties, available phosphorus (AP), P utilization, total P (TP) dynamics in surface water, rice yield, and water use efficiency (WUE). Notably, BS was applied only once during the first cropping season to evaluate its residual effects in the second season without additional application. Structural equation model indicated that BS mitigated soil P fixation during the drying phase of AWD irrigation (I_AWD) by increasing soil pH. Meanwhile, BS reduced the sharp increase in TP concentration in surface water during the reflooding phase of I_AWD by increasing soil macroaggregate content. However, when soil available P exceeded a threshold of 20.84 mg kg⁻¹ , the TP concentration in surface water significantly increased, highlighting the need for a 25 % reduction in P fertilizer application to minimize the risk of non-point P pollution. Furthermore, BS application not only extended the rapid growth phase of rice but also effectively regulated soil pH due to its self-buffering alkalinity, thereby improving soil P availability. Path analysis revealed that this mechanism facilitated post-anthesis dry matter accumulation and enhanced P translocation to grains, ultimately increasing yield. Under the I_AWD mode, compared to conventional fertilization, the treatment with a 25 % fertilizer reduction combined with 10 t ha^–1 BS (N_3/4B₂ treatment) reduced TP in surface water by 5.95 %, increased yield by 4.82 %, and improved water savings by 6.76 % and WUE by 23.57 % (two-year average). These findings suggest that I_AWDN_3/4B₂ is a reliable strategy for optimizing soil P utilization, guiding rational fertilizer application, and mitigating agricultural P-induced non-point source pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109797"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019773","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":"Regulation of photosynthetic performance and dry matter accumulation through water and fertilizer management to enhance yield of tomato cultivated in yellow sand substrate","authors":"Yalong Song ,&nbsp;Jiahui Xu ,&nbsp;Shuo Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianfei Xing ,&nbsp;Xufeng Wang ,&nbsp;Long Wang ,&nbsp;Can Hu ,&nbsp;Wentao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil degradation and water scarcity are major constraints for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. Yellow sand substrates, characterized by low cation exchange capacity, high permeability, and poor water and nutrient retention, have significant potential for use in agricultural facilities in arid regions, such as southern Xinjiang. However, the mechanisms by which yellow sand substrates affect crop photosynthetic performance, dry matter accumulation, and yield throughout the growth cycle remain poorly understood. To address this gap, a two-year (2023–2024) solar greenhouse experiment was conducted with four irrigation levels (I1: 100 % ETc, I2: 85 % ETc, I3: 70 % ETc, I4: 55 % ETc) and three fertilization rates (F1: 120 % F0, F2: 100 % F0, F3: 80 % F0) to analyze the responses of tomato growth, photosynthesis, and yield under different water–fertilizer regimes in yellow sand substrates. A multi-objective evaluation framework was applied, combining a Nash equilibrium-based integration of subjective and objective weighting with an improved TOPSIS method incorporating a virtual ideal solution to comprehensively assess seven key indicators, including growth, photosynthesis, and yield. The results showed that irrigation and fertilization significantly affected root dry weight at the seedling stage(S-RDW), leaf dry weight at the flowering and fruiting stages(F-LDW), fruit dry matter (FDM) content, chlorophyll content at the flowering and fruiting stages(F-CHl), and net photosynthetic rate at the seedling stage(S-Pn). Pearson’s correlation analysis identified seven phenotypic indicators significantly correlated with yield (Y). Path analysis further revealed that FDM had the strongest direct effect on Y, followed by RDW, at the seedling stage. Moderate deficit irrigation (70–85 % ETc) combined with medium-to-high fertilization (100–120 % F0) significantly increased yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Under cultivation with a yellow sand substrate, this water-fertilizer combination optimally enhanced photosynthetic performance, promoted dry matter accumulation, and stabilized yield, thereby enabling both water savings and increased yield. These findings offer a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for the development of water-efficient, high-yield, and sustainable facility agriculture in the Gobi Desert and other arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109795"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010027","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":"Slow-release fertilizers mitigate brackish water stress in rice: Boosting yield and nitrogen use efficiency in saline soils","authors":"Yue Dong ,&nbsp;Yiting Hu ,&nbsp;Xiuchao Song ,&nbsp;Shiwei Guo ,&nbsp;Yan Ma ,&nbsp;Pengfu Hou ,&nbsp;Hong Wang ,&nbsp;Jidong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice cultivation with brackish water irrigation represents an effective practice to ameliorate coastal saline soils, while the application of slow and controlled release fertilizers (SCRFs) further mitigates its adverse effects on nitrogen (N) use efficiency. This study conducted a field soil column experiment with coastal saline soils (soil salinity: 2.20 g kg⁻¹) to evaluate the combined impact of brackish water irrigation (fresh water: 0.15 g L⁻¹, brackish water: 1.00–1.50 and 1.35–2.00 g L⁻¹) and N fertilizer types (urea, polyurethane-coated urea (PCU), and urea formaldehyde) on rice yield and N use efficiency, addressing the critical challenge of water-fertilizer management in coastal saline regions. Results showed that compared with fresh water irrigation, brackish water irrigation significantly inhibited the growth of rice root, leading to a significant reduction in root morphological characteristics(<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). This inhibitory effect was particularly pronounced under the higher salinity treatment (W3). These reductions impaired nutrient and water absorption, leading to a decrease in crop yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The application of SCRFs significantly promoted the development of fine root systems. Root length, tip number, branch number, and cross number under the SCRFs treatments were significantly higher than those under the urea treatment (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). As a result, SCRFs mitigated the negative effects of brackish water irrigation on rice yield and ANUE. Overall, our key practical recommendation for rice cultivation in coastal saline regions is as follows: irrigating with brackish water of salinity below 1.5 g L⁻¹, combined with basal application of PCU. This integrated water-fertilizer management strategy not only optimizes the utilization of unconventional brackish water resources but also enhances N fertilizer efficiency while ensuring stable crop yields. Thus, it provides a science-based and feasible practice for the sustainable utilization of coastal saline soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109790"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019781","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}