Influence of plastic film mulch with biochar application on crop yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency in northern China: A metaanalysis
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Background. China is the leading consumer of plastic film worldwide. Plastic film
mulched ridge-furrow is one of the most widely adopted agronomic and field man-
agement practices in rain-fed agriculture in dry-land areas of China. The efficiency of
plastic film mulching as a viable method to decrease evapotranspiration (ET), increase
crop yields, and water use efficiency (WUE), has been demonstrated extensively by
earlier studies.
Methods. A comprehensive evaluation of how co-application of plastic-film mulch and
biochar in different agro-environments under varying climatic conditions influence
ET, crop yield, WUE, and soil microbial activity were assessed. We performed a meta-
analysis using the PRISMA guideline to assess the effect of plastic-film mulched ridge-
furrow and biochar on ET, yield, and WUE of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), potato
(Solanum tuberosum L.), and maize (Zea mays L.) in northern China.
Results. The use of plastic film increased average yields of wheat (75.7%), potato
(20.2%), and maize (12.9%) in Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces,
respectively due to the reduction in ET by 12.8% in Gansu, 0.5% in Ningxia, and 4.1%
in Shanxi, but increased in Shaanxi by 0.5% compared to no-mulching. These changes
may be attributed to the effect of plastic film mulch application which simultaneously
increased WUE by 68.5% in Gansu, 23.9% in Ningxia, 16.2% in Shaanxi, and 12.8% in
Shanxi, respectively. Compared to flat planting without mulching, in three years, the
yield of maize increased with the co-application of plastic film and biochar by 22.86%
in the Shanxi and Shaanxi regions.
Conclusion. Our analysis revealed co-application of plastic film with biochar is integral
for improving soil and water conservation in rain-fed agriculture and as an integrated
practice to avert drought while simultaneously mitigating runoff and erosion.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Mulching, Plastic film, Biochar, Yield, Water conservation, Soil fertility