Abstract
Plastic film mulching (PM) has been widely used to improve maize (Zea mays L.) yields and water use efficiency (WUE) in Northeast China, but the effects of PM in a changing climate characterized by highly variable precipitation are not well understood. Six site-year field experiments were conducted in the dry and rainy years to investigate the effects of PM on maize growth, grain yield, and WUE in Northeast China. Compared to crops grown without PM treatment (control, CK), PM significantly increased the grain yield by 15-26% in the dry years, but no significant yield increase was observed in the rainy years. Yield increase in the dry years was mainly due to a large increase in dry matter accumulation pre-silking compared to the CK, which resulted from a greater dry matter accumulation rate due to the higher topsoil temperature and water content. As a result, the WUE of the crops that underwent PM (3.27 kg m(-3)) treatment was also increased by around 16% compared to the CK, although the overall evapotranspiration was similar between the two treatments. In the rainy years, due to frequent precipitation and scant sunshine, the topsoil temperature and water content in the field that received PM treatment was improved only at some stages and failed to cause higher dry matter accumulation, except at the 8th leaf stage. Consequently, the grain yield and WUE were not improved by PM in the rainy years. In addition, we found that PM caused leaf senescence at the late growth stage in both dry and rainy years. Therefore, in practice, PM should be applied cautiously, especially when in-season precipitation is taken into account.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic film mulching increased maize grain yield by 15-26% in dry years.
- Treatment
- PMe0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 15-26%e0
- Qualifier
- dry yearse0
- Comparator
- crops grown without PM treatment (control, CK)e0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to crops grown without PM treatment (control, CK), PM significantly increased the grain yield by 15-26% in the dry years”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic film mulching did not significantly increase maize yield in rainy years.
- Treatment
- PMe1
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- rainy yearse0
- Comparator
- crops grown without PM treatment (control, CK)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no significant yield increase was observed in the rainy years”
e1“Compared to crops grown without PM treatment (control, CK), PM”
e2“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching increased pre-silking dry matter accumulation in dry years.
- Organ / stage
- pre-silkinge0
- Treatment
- PMe1
- Outcome
- dry matter accumulatione0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- dry yearse1
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a large increase in dry matter accumulation pre-silking compared to the CK”
e1“PM significantly increased the grain yield by 15-26% in the dry years”
e2“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher topsoil temperature and water content under mulching were associated with greater dry matter accumulation rate.
- Treatment
- PMe2
- Outcome
- dry matter accumulation ratee0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- higher topsoil temperature and water contente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“greater dry matter accumulation rate due to the higher topsoil temperature and water content”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
e2“PM significantly increased the grain yield by 15-26% in the dry years”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching increased maize water use efficiency by around 16% to 3.27 kg m(-3) relative to the control.
- Treatment
- PMe0
- Outcome
- WUEe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- around 16%e0
- Qualifier
- 3.27 kg m(-3)e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the WUE of the crops that underwent PM (3.27 kg m(-3)) treatment was also increased by around 16% compared to the CK”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Overall evapotranspiration was similar under mulching and control.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the overall evapotranspiration was similar between the two treatments”
e1“PM (3.27 kg m(-3)) treatment was also increased by around 16% compared to the CK”
e2“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
In rainy years, mulching improved topsoil temperature and water content only at some stages.
- Treatment
- PM treatmente0
- Outcome
- topsoil temperature and water contente0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Qualifier
- only at some stagese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the topsoil temperature and water content in the field that received PM treatment was improved only at some stages”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
e2“In the rainy years”
Claim · model-written summary
In rainy years, mulching failed to increase dry matter accumulation except at the eighth leaf stage.
- Treatment
- PM treatmente1
- Outcome
- dry matter accumulatione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- except at the 8th leaf stagee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“failed to cause higher dry matter accumulation, except at the 8th leaf stage”
e1“field that received PM treatment was improved only at some stages”
e2“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching caused leaf senescence late in growth in both dry and rainy years.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PM caused leaf senescence at the late growth stage in both dry and rainy years”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advise cautious use of mulching in light of in-season precipitation.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“PM should be applied cautiously, especially when in-season precipitation is taken into account”
e1“maize (Zea mays L.)”
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