Effect of Irrigation Level and Irrigation Frequency on the Growth of Mini Chinese Cabbage and Residual Soil Nitrate Nitrogen

Youzhen Xiang, Haiyang Zou, Fucang Zhang, Shengcai Qiang, You Wu, Shicheng Yan, Haidong Wang, Lifeng Wu, Junliang Fan and Xiukang Wang
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Youzhen Xiang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Haiyang Zou: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Fucang Zhang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Shengcai Qiang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
You Wu: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Shicheng Yan: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Haidong Wang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Lifeng Wu: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Junliang Fan: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Xiukang Wang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is known to improve the quality and biomass of vegetables, but it is unclear how to manage the large amount of NO 3 -N that accumulates in the soil after vegetable harvest. In this study, we examined the influence of irrigation level and irrigation frequency on the growth and soil residual NO 3 -N of the catch crop mini Chinese cabbage ( Brassica pekinensis ) in a greenhouse. Using conventional border irrigation with adequate water supply as a control (CK), three irrigation levels (W H : 160% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), W M : 120% ETc and W L : 80% ETc) and three irrigation frequencies (intervals of F 2 : 2 days, F 4 : 4 days, and F 8 : 8 days) were assessed in 2014, 2015 and 2016 in northwest China. The results showed that the weight of the leaves and leaf stalks was the primary determinant of yield, and that these are the primary N-containing vegetative organs of the plants. At the same irrigation level, the total N content of the plants increased in the order F 8 < F 2 < F 4 . The trend in the total N content in the mini Chinese cabbage plants among different treatments was synchronized with the yield. The highest total N content in the plants was observed in the W M F 4 treatment during all three years. The three-year averages of mini Chinese cabbage aboveground biomass, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in the W M F 4 treatment were 60%, 64.5% and 119.2% higher respectively than in the CK treatment. The residual NO 3 -N content in the soil in the W M F 4 treatment was only 1.3% higher than that in the CK treatment. The total N uptake in the W M F 4 treatment was 79.2% higher than that in the CK treatment, and the N loss in the W M F 4 treatment was 46.3% lower than that in the CK treatment. Under these experimental conditions, the W M F 4 treatment can be recommended as an appropriate irrigation regime for mini Chinese cabbage under fallow greenhouse management in northwest China.

Keywords: mini Chinese cabbage; economic benefits; nitrate nitrogen; water use efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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