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Regulation effects of water and nitrogen on yield, water, and nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry

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Abstract

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) is important for health care and ecological protection. However, it faces problems of low productivity and resource utilization during planting. Exploring reasonable models for water and nitrogen management is important for solving these problems. Based on field trials in 2021 and 2022, this study analyzed the effects of controlling soil water and nitrogen application levels on wolfberry height, stem diameter, crown width, yield, and water (WUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The upper and lower limits of soil water were controlled by the percentage of soil water content to field water capacity (θf), and four water levels, i.e., adequate irrigation (W0, 75%–85% θf), mild water deficit (W1, 65%–75% θf), moderate water deficit (W2, 55%–65% θf), and severe water deficit (W3, 45%–55% θf) were used, and three nitrogen application levels, i.e., no nitrogen (N0, 0 kg/hm2), low nitrogen (N1, 150 kg/hm2), medium nitrogen (N2, 300 kg/hm2), and high nitrogen (N3, 450 kg/hm2) were implied. The results showed that irrigation and nitrogen application significantly affected plant height, stem diameter, and crown width of wolfberry at different growth stages (P<0.01), and their maximum values were observed in W1N2, W0N2, and W1N3 treatments. Dry weight per plant and yield of wolfberry first increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen application under the same water treatment. Dry weight per hundred grains and dry weight percentage increased with increasing nitrogen application under W0 treatment. However, under other water treatments, the values first increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen application. Yield and its component of wolfberry first increased and then decreased as water deficit increased under the same nitrogen treatment. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE, 8.46 kg/(hm2•mm)), WUE (6.83 kg/(hm2•mm)), partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN, 2.56 kg/kg), and NUE (14.29 kg/kg) reached their highest values in W2N2, W1N2, W1N2, and W1N1 treatments. Results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that yield, WUE, and NUE were better in W1N2 treatment, making it a suitable water and nitrogen management mode for the irrigation area of the Yellow River in the Gansu Province, China and similar planting areas.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51969003), the Key Research and Development Project of Gansu Province (22YF7NA110), the Discipline Team Construction Project of Gansu Agricultural University, the Gansu Agricultural University Youth Mentor Support Fund Project (GAU-QDFC-2022-22), the Innovation Fund Project of Higher Education in Gansu Province (2022B-101), the Research Team Construction Project of College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University (Gaucwky-01), and the Gansu Water Science Experimental Research and Technology Extension Program (22GSLK023). Thanks to Gansu Jingtai Wolfberry Science and Technology Academy, Gansu Wolfberry Harmless Cultivation Engineering Research Center for the support of this study, and editors and reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Yalin Gao, Guangping Qi, Yanlin Ma, Minhua Yin, Jinghai Wang, Chen Wang, Rongrong Tian, Feng Xiao & Qiang Lu

  2. Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Water Resource Utilization Center in Gansu Province, Baiyin, 730900, China

    Jianjun Wang

Authors
  1. Yalin Gao
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  2. Guangping Qi
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  3. Yanlin Ma
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  4. Minhua Yin
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  5. Jinghai Wang
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  6. Chen Wang
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  7. Rongrong Tian
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  8. Feng Xiao
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  9. Qiang Lu
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  10. Jianjun Wang
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Contributions

Conceptualization: GAO Yalin, QI Guangping, MA Yanlin; Methodology: GAO Yalin, MA Yanlin; Formal analysis: GAO Yalin, QI Guangping; Resources: QI Guangping, MA Yanlin, WANG Jianjun; Writing - original draft preparation, GAO Yalin; Writing - review and editing, YIN Minhua, WANG Chen, TIAN Rongrong, XIAO Feng; Supervision: WANG Jinghai; Project administration, LU Qiang; Funding acquisition, QI Guangping. All authors approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Guangping Qi.

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Gao, Y., Qi, G., Ma, Y. et al. Regulation effects of water and nitrogen on yield, water, and nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry. J. Arid Land 16, 29–45 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-024-0003-5

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