Combined effects of irrigation,drainage and fertilization on soil water and salt dynamics in Yellow River water-irrigated districts
CHEN Cheng
LIU Yongfeng
XIAO Meng
YAO Wenyi
LIU Guangming
HOU Liting
Abstract：[Objective]Soil salinization is a major constraint to agricultural production in regions irrigated using diverted exogenous water.This paper presents the results of a field experiment that explored how irrigation,drainage and fertilization can be optimized to alleviate the adverse effects of soil salinization in Yellow River water-irrigated districts in China.[Method]The experiment was conducted in a drip-irrigated area.It consisted of ten treatments with different combinations of irrigation amounts(ranging between 1 800 and 2 700 m3/hm2),drainage intensity(varying between 3 and 7 cm/d),and nitrogen fertilization(varying between 0 and 300 kg/hm2).During the experiment,we measured the changes in soil pH,soil water and salt content in the 0-100 cm soil profile.[Result]① Drainage significantly reduced soil pH by 1.54%-4.14%in the 0-100 cm soil profile,while nitrogen fertilization increased pH of the topsoil by 0.2%-1.2%.Irrigation and nitrogen fertilization notably increased soil water content in the top 0-20 cm soil,while drainage reduced it,especially in the subsoil,by up to 10%.② Combination of irrigation and drainage increased salt leaching by up to 34%,whereas fertilization increased salt accumulation by 18%-37%,compared to the control.③ Quantitative analysis revealed that irrigation amount had the strongest influence on spatiotemporal dynamics of soil water and salt,followed by drainage frequency and intensity.[Conclusion]Irrigation amount is the primary factor regulating soil water-salt dynamics in Yellow River water-irrigated areas.Optimizing irrigation and drainage can effectively mitigate soil salinization,whereas excessive fertilization exacerbates salt accumulation.A management strategy combining high-frequency and low-volume irrigation,periodic intensive drainage,and controlled-release fertilization can stabilize soil pH,maintain optimal root-zone soil water content,and reduce salt accumulation.Ou results provide a practical solution for mitigating soil salinization in the study regions.
Keywords：Yellow River Irrigation DistrictIrrigation-drainage-fertilizationwater-salt transportinfluencing mechanisms
Publication Date：2025-12-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-12(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 57-65 )