A global meta-analysis of yield and water use efficiency of crops, vegetables and fruits under full, deficit and alternate partial root-zone irrigation

Minghui Cheng, Haidong Wang, Junliang Fan, Shaohui Zhang, Zhenqi Liao, Fucang Zhang and Yanli Wang

Agricultural Water Management, 2021, vol. 248, issue C

Abstract: Deficit irrigation (DI) and alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) are widely recognized water-saving irrigation methods. This meta-analysis provided a systematic and quantitative result of the relative changes in yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of seven agricultural products (maize, wheat, cotton, potato, tomato, apple and grape) under conventional full irrigation (FULL), APRI and DI globally. Three comparisons were performed: (1) APRI by FULL, (2) APRI by DI and (3) DI by FULL. The results showed that the relative changes of yield and WUE differed among the three comparisons. Higher yield and WUE were achieved in fruits (apple and grape) under APRI compared with FULL or DI. However, the percentage changes in yield and WUE under APRI were not significantly different in vegetables (potato and tomato) and crops (maize, wheat and cotton). Compared with FULL, APRI performed better for acidic soils, clay loam or sandy loam, high bulk density (≥ 1.35 g cm−3), irrigation amount of 80–100% FULL, and was more appropriate for furrow irrigation in drier and colder environments. Compared with FULL, DI performed better for clay loam, low bulk density (< 1.35 g cm−3) and precipitation > 200 mm. Yields under APRI and DI were remarkably lower than those under FULL, while the corresponding WUE were significantly higher. Compared with DI, fruits with furrow irrigation and in soils with clay and sandy loam were better under APRI. There was no significant difference in yield between APRI and DI, but WUE under APRI was higher. APRI increased both yield and WUE in regions with low average annual temperature (< 9 ℃). It is critical to weigh the cost of yield penalty, the economic benefit of saving water and the cost of implementing irrigation method before choosing an effective water-saving irrigation method.

Keywords: Alternate partial root-zone irrigation; Conventional irrigation; Yield; WUE; Meta-analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:248:y:2021:i:c:s0378377421000366

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2021.106771

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