Impacts of ridge-furrow rainfall concentration systems and mulches on corn growth and yield in the semiarid region of China

摘要

BACKGROUNDPlastic-covered ridge-furrow farming systems for rainfall concentration (RC) improve the water availability for crops and increase the water use efficiency (WUE), thereby stabilizing high yields. In this study, we optimized the mulching patterns for RC planting to mitigate the risks of drought during crop production in semiarid agricultural areas. We conducted a 4-year field study to determine the RC effects on corn production of mulching in furrows with 8% biodegradable films (RCSB), liquid film (RCSL), bare furrow (RCSN) and conventional flat (CF) farming.