Abstract:

Film mulching technique (FM) and super water absorbent polymers(SW) were used in millet production. In this study, six water collecting and conservation treatments were carried out in millet production in southern Ningxia semi-arid areas，including solely furrow seeding with film and ridge technique, furrow seeding with film and ridge colligated SW, hole seeding on film mulching, hole seeding on film mulching with SW together, merely SW, and no film mulching and no SW as CK. During the experiment, the daily changes of photosynthetic rate during millet heading stage were measured, and the changes of moisture and millet yield were investigated. This study points out that the ‘midday depression’ was appeared in daily changes of photosynthetic rate under different treatments, but the integrative technique of FM and SW could abate it (Fig.1). Daily changes of transpiration rate were a single-peak curve (Fig.2), and the time of greatest stomatal conductance was at 8:00 am (Fig.3). Yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were increased by using FM and SW. The treatments of hole seeding on film and furrow seeding with film and ridge could increased the yield, which were 78.98% and 60.12% higher than that of non-mulched, respectively. The millet yield of SW seeding was enhanced 7.66% compared with no SW seeding. Furrow seeding with film and ridge after harvest was propitious to soil moisture, using the technique could increase water storage by 59.9 mm compared with CK in 2 m depth (Table 2).

Key words: Mulching film, Super water absorbent polymers, Physiological and ecological effects, Photosynthesis