Effect of Plastic Film Mulch and Drip Irrigation under Plastic Film Mulch on Growth and Development of Maize and Water use Efficiency

Taking no-plastic mulch and no-irrigation treatment as control plot,the effects of different treatments(Plastic film mulch,Conventional drip irrigation,Conventional drip irrigation under plastic film mulch,Limited supplemental irrigation under plastic film mulch)on plant height,leaf area,leaf area index,maize yield and water use efficiency are studied based on field experiments.The results show that under the methods of plastic film mulch and drip under plastic film mulch,the growth stage is earlier by 2or 3days,the maize plant height is enhanced at the early growth stages,the leaf area is improved;comparing to control treatment,the four treatments,including Plastic film mulch,Conventional drip irrigation,Conventional drip irrigation under plastic film mulch and Limited supplemental irrigation under plastic film mulch,can enhance leaf area index by 0.22,0.11,0.38 and 0.44,respectively;enhance hundred-grain weight by 3.1,2.6,5.1and 5.5g,respectively;enhance yield by 6.7%,6.1%,12.7% and 13.1%,respectively;Plastic film mulch,Conventional drip irrigation under plastic film mulch and Limited supplemental irrigation under plastic film mulch can improve water use efficiency by 0.57,0.83 and 1.23kg/m3,respectively and improve water production efficiency by0.23,0.30 and 0.36kg/m3,respectively;Comparing with Conventional drip irrigation and Conventional drip irrigation under plastic film mulch,Limited supplemental irrigation under plastic film mulch can keep higher maize yield and the irrigation water use efficiency is enhanced to 2.7times and 2.5times.Considering the aspects of agricultural water conservation and high-yield crop,Limited supplemental irrigation under plastic film mulch is an optimal irrigation method which can not only increase maize yield but also save water.