Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Research on Crop Irrigation Schedules Under Deficit Irrigation—A Meta-analysis

  • Published:
Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Increasing water consumption in agriculture due to global climate change has posed considerable challenges to food security, thus improving the efficiency of water production is the key to sustainable agricultural development. Deficit irrigation uses limited water resources to achieve stable crop yield according to the migration law of production parameters during crop growth. This study uses meta-analysis to quantitatively analyze the yield and water effects on winter wheat and summer maize under deficit irrigation in northern China based on previously published studies. The result shows that deficit irrigation results in an average yield reduction of 7.10% for wheat and an average yield reduction of 18.71% for maize, while the average water use efficiency (WUE) increases by 9.25% and 6.38% for wheat and maize, respectively. This research reveals the differences and effectiveness of deficit irrigation of wheat and maize in different regions and hydrological years and proposes appropriate water deficit levels and irrigation strategies. The optimal deficit irrigation schedule in different regions involves irrigating twice during the wheat growth with irrigation quotas of 100–200 mm. Generally, supplementary irrigation is carried out during the critical water demand period. When supplemental water (the sum of irrigation and precipitation) is 80% of full irrigation (FI), maize can obtain higher yield and WUE. This study provides a reference for irrigation strategies for winter wheat and summer maize in the major agricultural producing areas in northern China to mitigate the adverse effects of increased agricultural water use and extreme climates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

Not applicable.

Code Availability

Not applicable.

References

  • Abedinpour M, Sarangi A, Rajput TBS et al (2012) Performance evaluation of AquaCrop model for maize crop in a semi-arid environment. Agr Water Manage 110:55–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abolfazl N, Fallahi HA(2007) Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat Under Deficit Irrigation.Journal of Biological Sciences7(1)

  • Adu MO, Yawson DO, Armah FA et al (2018) Meta-analysis of crop yields of full, deficit, and partial root-zone drying irrigation. Agr Water Manage 197:79–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmadi SH, Mosallaeepour E, Kamgar-Haghighi AA et al (2015) Modeling Maize Yield and Soil Water Content with AquaCrop Under Full and Deficit Irrigation Managements. Water Resour Manage 29:2837–2853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth EA, Davey PA, Bernacchi CJ et al (2002) A meta-analysis of elevated [CO2] effects on soybean (Glycine max) physiologY. Global Change Biol 8:695–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attia A, El-Hendawy S, Al-Suhaibani N et al(2021) Evaluating deficit irrigation scheduling strategies to improve yield and water productivity of maize in arid environment using simulation.Agr Water Manage249

  • Allakonon G, Sissou Z, Tovihoudji P et al (2022) Grain yield, actual evapotranspiration and water productivity responses of maize crop to deficit irrigation: A global meta-analysis. Agr Water Manage 270(5):107746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai H, Kang S, Zhang Z (2000) Proper Growth Stages and Deficit Degree of Crop Regulated Deficit Irrigation. Transactions Of The Chinese Society Of Agricultural Engineering

  • Cai Q, Zhang YL, Sun ZX et al (2017) Morphological plasticity of root growth under mild water stress increases water use efficiency without reducing yield in maize. Biogeosciences 14:3851–3858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camaille M, Fabre N, Clement C et al(2021) Advances in Wheat Physiology in Response to Drought and the Role of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria to Trigger Drought Tolerance. Microorganisms 9.

  • Carrijo DR, Lundy ME, Linquist BA (2017) Rice yields and water use under alternate wetting and drying irrigation: A meta-analysis. Field Crops Res 203:173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cattivelli L, Rizza F, Badeck FW et al (2008) Drought tolerance improvement in crop plants: An integrated view from breeding to genomics. Field Crops Res 105:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Correia PJ, Cota T, Pestana M (2020) Evaluation of Carob Tree Productivity during a 30-Year Period, in Relation to Precipitation and Air Temperature. Environ Proc 7:1221–1233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du TS, Kang SZ, Sun JS et al (2010) An improved water use efficiency of cereals under temporal and spatial deficit irrigation in north China. Agr Water Manage 97(1):66–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan YT, Zhang JS, Jia WL et al (1994) Effects of Water-Limiting Irrigation on Winter Wheat Production and Its Production Efficiency of Irrigation Water. Shanxi Agricultural Sciences 022:16–19 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Duval S, Tweedie R (2000) Trim and fill: A simple funnel-plot-based method of testing and adjusting for publication bias in meta-analysis. Biometrics 56(2):455–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO AQUASTAT Homepage (2020) http://www.fao.org/aquastat/en/overview/methodology/water-use.Accessed

  • Fereres E, Soriano MA (2007) Deficit irrigation for reducing agricultural water use. J Exp Bot 58:147–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira V, Koricheva J, Duarte S et al (2016) Effects of anthropogenic heavy metal contamination on litter decomposition in streams – A meta-analysis. Environ Pollut 210:261–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao XY, Bai YN, Huo ZL et al (2017) Deficit irrigation enhances contribution of shallow groundwater to crop water consumption in arid area. Agr Water Manage 185:116–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gebreselassie Y, Ayana M, Tadele K (2015) Field experimentation based simulation of yield response of maize crop to deficit irrigation using AquaCrop model, Arba Minch, Ethiopia. Afr J Agr Res 10(4):16

    Google Scholar 

  • Glass G (1976) Primary, secondary, and metaanalysis of research. Educ Res 5:3–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong HD, Geng YJ, Yang C et al(2018) Yield and resource use efficiency of Plukenetia volubilis plants at two distinct growth stages as affected by irrigation and fertilization.Sci Rep8

  • Guo Z, Yu Z, Dong W et al (2014) Photosynthesis and winter wheat yield responses to supplemental irrigation based on measurement of water content in various soil layers. Field Crops Res 166:102–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedges LV, Olkin I(1985) Statistical methods for meta-analysis. New Directions for Program Evaluation 1984, 25–42

  • Hirich A, Rami A, Laajaj K et al (2012) Sweet Corn Water Productivity under Several Deficit Irrigation Regimes Applied during Vegetative Growth Stage using Treated Wastewater as Water Irrigation Source. World Academy of Science Engineering & Technology

  • Homayounfar M, Lai SH, Zomorodian M et al (2014) Optimal Crop Water Allocation in Case of Drought Occurrence, Imposing Deficit Irrigation with Proportional Cutback Constraint. Water Resour Manage 28:3207–3225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang G, Wen C, Li F (2011) Rainfed Farming Systems in the Loess Plateau of China. Springer Netherlands

  • Jennions MD, Lortie CJ, Rosenberg MS et al (2013) 14. Publication and Related Biases. In: Koricheva J, Gurevitch J, MengersenK (ed) Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecology and Evolution. Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp 207-236

  • Kahsay TN, Kuik O, Brouwer R et al (2018) The Transboundary Impacts of Trade Liberalization and Climate Change on the Nile Basin Economies and Water Resource Availability. Water Resour Manage 32:935–947

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang SZ, Shi WJ, Zhang JH (2000) An improved water-use efficiency for maize grown under regulated deficit irrigation. Field Crop Res 67:207–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaoru SY (1990) Signals or Noise? Explaining the Variation in Recreation Benefit Estimates. Am J Agr Econ 72:419–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerebih MS, Keshari AK (2021) Distributed Simulation-optimization Model for Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Surface Water Under Environmental and Sustainability Restrictions. Water Resour Manage 35:2305–2323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klocke NL, Schneekloth JP, Melvin SR et al (2004) Field scale limited irrigation scenarios for water policy strategies. Appl Eng Agric 20:623–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kloss S, Pushpalatha R, Kamoyo KJ et al (2012) Evaluation of Crop Models for Simulating and Optimizing Deficit Irrigation Systems in Arid and Semi-arid Countries Under Climate Variability. Water Resour Manage 26:997–1014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Jiang TT, Luan XB et al(2021) Determinants of agricultural water demand in China.J Clean Prod288

  • Li C, Wu P, Li X et al (2017) Spatial and temporal evolution of climatic factors and its impacts on potential evapotranspiration in Loess Plateau of Northern Shaanxi, China. Sci Total Environ 589:165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CJ, Gong XW, Dang K et al (2021) The efficient use of radiation, water, and nitrogen uptake by low-nitrogen-tolerant broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) increased grain yield in the Loess Plateau, China. Agric For Meteorol 308–309(3):108616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopes CM, Santos TP, Monteiro A et al (2011) Combining cover cropping with deficit irrigation in a Mediterranean low vigor vineyard. Sci Hortic-Amsterdam 129:603–612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madhukar A, Dashora K, Kumar V (2021) Climate Trends in Temperature and Water Variables during Wheat Growing Season and Impact on Yield. Environ Proc 8:1047–1072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Memon SA, Sheikh IA, Talpur MA et al(2021) Impact of deficit irrigation strategies on winter wheat in semi-arid climate of sindh.Agr Water Manage243

  • Morales CL, Traveset A (2009) A meta-analysis of impacts of alien vs. native plants on pollinator visitation and reproductive success of co-occuring native plants. Ecol Let 12:716–728

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pei HW, Scanlon BR, Shen YJ et al (2015) Impacts of varying agricultural intensification on crop yield and groundwater resources: comparison of the North China Plain and US High Plains. Environ Res Lett 10(4):1–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira LS (2017) Water, Agriculture and Food: Challenges and Issues. Water Resour Manage 31:2985–2999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosegrant MW, Ringler C, Zhu TJ (2009) Water for Agriculture: Maintaining Food Security under Growing Scarcity. Annu Rev Env Resour 34:205–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg MS, Rothstein HR, Gurevitch J (2013) 6. Effect Sizes: Conventional Choices and Calculations. In: Koricheva J, Gurevitch J, Mengersen K (ed) Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecology and Evolution. Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp 61-71

  • Sadras VO (2009) Does partial root-zone drying improve irrigation water productivity in the field? A meta-analysis. Irrig Sci 27:183–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salemi H, Soom M, Lee TS et al (2011) Effects of deficit irrigation on water productivity and maize yields in arid regions of Iran. Pertanika J Trop Agric Sci 34:207–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Sepaskhah AR, Ghahraman B (2004) The effects of irrigation efficiency and uniformity coefficient on relative yield and profit for deficit irrigation. Biosyst Eng 87:495–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • StataCorp (2019) Stata Statistical Software: Release 16. College Station, TX: StataCorp LLC.https://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/citing-softwaredocumentation-faqs/

  • Stanley TD (2001) Wheat From Chaff: meta-Analysis As Quantitative Literature Review. J Econ Perspect

  • Steduto P, Hsiao TC, Fereres E et al (2012) Crop Yield Response to Water. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper, vol 66. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang YH, Luan XB, Sun JX et al(2021) Impact assessment of climate change and human activities on GHG emissions and agricultural water use.Agr Forest Meteorol296

  • Tong C, Li H, Bai B et al (2016) The Optimal Irrigation System of Alfalfa Based on WIN ISAREG Model. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin

  • Topcu S, Kirda C, Dasgan Y et al (2007) Yield response and N-fertiliser recovery of tomato grown under deficit irrigation. Eur J Agron 26:64–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JY, Xiong YC, Li FM et al (2017) Effects of Drought Stress on Morphophysiological Traits, Biochemical Characteristics, Yield, and Yield Components in Different Ploidy Wheat. Adv Agron 143:139–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Li Q, Coulter JA et al(2019) Winter wheat yield and water use efficiency response to organic fertilization in northern China: A meta-analysis.Agr Water Manage229

  • Wu JZ, Zhang J, Ge ZM et al (2021) Impact of climate change on maize yield in China from 1979 to 2016. J Integr Agr 20:289–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xin LF, Zheng HF, Yang ZJ et al (2018) Physiological and proteomic analysis of maize seedling response to water deficiency stress. J Plant Physiol 228:29–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu XX, Zhang M, Li JP et al (2018) Improving water use efficiency and grain yield of winter wheat by optimizing irrigations in the North China Plain. Field Crops Res 221:219–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X, Wang G, Chen Y et al (2022) Reduced groundwater use and increased grain production by optimized irrigation scheduling in winter wheat–summer maize double cropping system—A 16-year field study in North China Plain[J]. Field Crops Res 275:108364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu LY, Gao XD, Zhao XN(2020) Global synthesis of the impact of droughts on crops’ water-use efficiency (WUE): Towards both high WUE and productivity.Agr Syst177

  • Yu L, Zhao X, Gao X et al (2019) Improving/maintaining water-use efficiency and yield of wheat by deficit irrigation: A global meta-analysis. Agr Water Manage 228:105906

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhai YJ, Shen XX, Quan TY et al (2019) Impact-oriented water footprint assessment of wheat production in China. Sci Total Environ 689:90–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XX, Guo P, Guo SS et al(2022) An integrated model to optimize irrigation amount and time in shallow groundwater area under drought conditions.J Contam Hydrol246

  • Zheng FY, Peng SL (2005) Comparison of two effect sizes of meta-analysis commonly used in ecology. Ecologic Sci 24(3):250–253

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Data of rainfall during the growth period and average annual rainfall during the growth period in the experiment years were extracted from the original literature or obtained from the monthly surface climatic data database and the monthly surface annual climatic data database of China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System (http://data.cma.cn/) respectively. All data for this paper is properly cited and referred to in the reference list. This work is jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51979230, 52122903), Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shaanxi Province (2021JC-20), Fok Ying-Tong Education Foundation (171113) and Cyrus Tang Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid Area of Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China

    Qian Li, Yan Chen, Shikun Sun, Muyuan Zhu, Jing Xue, Zihan Gao, Jinfeng Zhao & Yihe Tang

  2. Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid regions of China, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China

    Qian Li, Yan Chen, Shikun Sun, Muyuan Zhu, Jing Xue, Zihan Gao, Jinfeng Zhao & Yihe Tang

  3. College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China

    Qian Li, Yan Chen, Shikun Sun, Muyuan Zhu, Jing Xue, Zihan Gao, Jinfeng Zhao & Yihe Tang

Authors
  1. Qian Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shikun Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Muyuan Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jing Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zihan Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jinfeng Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yihe Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Qian Li: Data curation, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Writing - Original Draft, preparation. Yan Chen: Data curation, Formal Analysis, Writing - Original Draft, preparation. Shikun Sun: Methodology, Writing- Reviewing and Editing, Supervision. Muyuan Zhu: Methodology, Resources, Software. Jing Xue: Conceptualization, Resources. Zihan Gao: Methodology, Validation. Jinfeng Zhao: Methodology, Data curation. Yihe Tang: Conceptualization, Software.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shikun Sun.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

Not applicable.

Consent to Participate

Not applicable.

Consent to Publish

Not applicable.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Q., Chen, Y., Sun, S. et al. Research on Crop Irrigation Schedules Under Deficit Irrigation—A Meta-analysis. Water Resour Manage 36, 4799–4817 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-022-03278-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-022-03278-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation