Abstract:

A field experiment was conducted to study the influences of different mulching materials (ordinary plastic film (OFM), degradable film (DFM), straw (SM), and liquid film (LFM)) on the dynamics of soil moisture and temperature, the effects of corn growth and yield, and WUE, and the economic benefits of different mulching materials were analyzed at the same time, at the demonstration base of agricultural integrated water-saving research of state eleventh five-year supporting plan. The results indicated that the experimental DFM and OFM both had significant temperature-increasing effect and certain water-conserving effect, SM had significant temperature-decreasing effect and water-conserving effect together, experimental LFM only had certain temperature-increasing effect, but no water-conserving effect. The temperature-increasing or decreasing effects of different mulching materials mainly appeared in the earlier stage of corn growth and development. Experimental DFM and OFM both promoted corn growth and development, the corn yield and WUE of DFM were both highest, but the economic benefit of OFM was highest. Experimental LFM also had certain promoting effect to corn growth and its corn yield, WUE, and economic benefit were all slightly better than that of CK. SM showed adverse effect on corn growth and development, its corn yield, WUE, and economic benefit were all significantly lower than that of CK. The following conclusion could be obtained according to above results: the good mulching material must have temperature-increasing effect and water-conserving effect together, and the temperature-increasing effect was more important than water-conserving effect in the experimental area with low temperature and drought together. Therefore, straw was not suitable as mulching material, experimental liquid film was also not suitable to popularize and apply, the popularization and application of ordinary plastic film could obtain highest economic benefit, and the experimental degradable film could substitute ordinary plastic film as mulching material from the view of economical effect and environmental effect in the low temperature and drought area.