Effects of ridge-and-furrow rainwater harvesting with mulching on soil water- heat-fertility and potato yield in arid areas of southern Ningxia

: In order to explore the effect of different ridge-and-furrow rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns on soil wa-ter-heat-fertility properties and the yield of rainfed potato. A located experiment was conducted in 2015 and 2016 for two con-secutive years, and six ridge-and-furrow rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns were set up in dry farmland of southern Ningxia. Ridges were mulched with plastic film, while furrows were covered with plastic film (PP), maize straw (PS), biodegradable film (PB), bast fiber film (PF), liquid film (PL), and furrow without mulching (PN), and the flat planting without mulching was used as control check (CK). We investigated the effect of ridge-and-furrow rainwater harvesting with mulching on soil water, temperature, nutrients, and potato yield. Furrow-and-ridge rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns could significantly increase averag e soil water storage in 0–200 cm layer during the whole growth period, and PS treatment had the best effect on soil water conservation. Compared with CK, PP treatment significantly increased topsoil temperature (0–25 cm) during the growth period, while PS treatment significantly reduced topsoil temperature in potato. Compared with the treatment before the experiment, the contents of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolysed nitrogen, and available phosphorus in 0–40 cm layer under different furrow-and-ridge rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns were significantly increased, while the soil available potassium contents were significantly decreased during the two-year experiments. Compared with the control, the soil nutrients with different furrow-and-ridge rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns were significantly increased with the largest increase in soil nutrients in PS treatment. Ridge-and-furrow rainwater harvesting with mulching patterns could significantly improve potato yield and marketable tuber rate, and PS and PP treatments were the highest, followed by PB, PF, and PL treatments, while there was no significant difference between PN and CK treatments. According to correlation and path analysis, the soil water, organic carbon, and temperature were the important factors limiting the high yield of potato. The ridge mulched with plastic film and furrow covered with straw could significantly increase potato yield by improving the soil water, temperature, and nutrient environ-ment in dryland. It had certain application value in high yield cultivation of potato in arid areas of southern Ningxia.