Abstract
Abstract In arid and semi‐arid regions, ridge‐furrow with plastic mulch (RFM) is an innovative approach to promote crop productivity and enhance food security. The long‐term effect of the RFM system on soil water is not known. A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau to estimate the spatial and temporal variation of soil water. The objectives were to (a) understand how RFM affects soil water status during and between growing seasons; and (b) investigate whether RFM causes the formation of dry soil layers and threaten the sustainability of the agricultural system. In the nongrowing season, the average precipitation storage efficiency (PSE) of the plastic mulching treatment was 78.2%, compared to just 17.7% for no film mulching treatment. Higher PSE means that the RFM system stored more precipitation during the nongrowing season. In addition, 2‐ and 5‐m soil profile water status showed that the film mulching did not overuse deep soil water and would not lead to the formation of dry soil layers. Our research indicated that the RFM was beneficial for increasing crop production and sustainability of agriculture in semi‐arid regions. Higher PSE during the nongrowing season played an important role in the success of RFM system. We recommend that farmers adopted year‐round plastic mulch management method to make fuller use of water resources.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic mulching raised precipitation storage efficiency in the nongrowing season to 78.2%, versus 17.7% without film
- Treatment
- plastic mulching treatmente1
- Outcome
- precipitation storage efficiency (PSE)e1
- Direction
- higherinferrede1
- Value
- 78.2%e1
- Qualifier
- 17.7%e1
- Comparator
- no film mulching treatmente1
- Setting
- nongrowing seasone1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e1“In the nongrowing season, the average precipitation storage efficiency (PSE) of the plastic mulching treatment was 78.2%, compared to just 17.7% for no film mulching treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Film mulching did not overuse deep soil water in the 2- and 5-m profiles
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e2“2‐ and 5‐m soil profile water status showed that the film mulching did not overuse deep soil water and would not lead to the formation of dry soil layers”
Claim · model-written summary
Film mulching would not lead to the formation of dry soil layers
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e2“2‐ and 5‐m soil profile water status showed that the film mulching did not overuse deep soil water and would not lead to the formation of dry soil layers”
Claim · model-written summary
Ridge-furrow plastic mulching was beneficial for increasing crop production and sustainability in semi-arid regions
- Treatment
- RFMe3
- Outcome
- crop production and sustainability of agriculturee3
- Direction
- increasinge3
- Setting
- semi‐arid regionse3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e3“Our research indicated that the RFM was beneficial for increasing crop production and sustainability of agriculture in semi‐arid regions”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher precipitation storage efficiency in the nongrowing season played an important role in the success of the RFM system
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e4“Higher PSE during the nongrowing season played an important role in the success of RFM system”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmers should adopt year-round plastic mulch management to make fuller use of water resources
- Outcome
- year‐round plastic mulch management methode5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“A 7‐yr maize ( Zea mays L.) field experiment was conducted between 2012 and 2018 in the Chinese Loess Plateau”
e5“We recommend that farmers adopted year‐round plastic mulch management method to make fuller use of water resources”
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