Abstract
Agro-pastoral ecotone is an important livestock production area in the north of China, and alfalfa is the main pasture crop in this area. Aiming to address the issues of groundwater overexploitation in the area with water demand, we assessed the consumption pattern, irrigation scheduling, and water usage efficiency of alfalfa under subsurface drip irrigation. Alfalfa was used as the research object in this study. A DSSAT model was used to simulate the soil moisture, yield, and other alfalfa grow characteristics during a two-year in situ observation study and provide information on the best irrigation techniques and the water-use efficiency of alfalfa in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northwestern China. The results showed that the ARE, nRMSE, and R2 values of the alfalfa soil water content, leaf area index, and yield varied between 3.82% and 5.57%, 4.81% and 8.06%, and 0.86 and 0.93, respectively, the accuracy of the calibrated and validated parameters were acceptable, and the model could be applied to this study. The water consumption of alfalfa ranged from 395.6 mm to 421.8 mm during the whole year, and the critical water consumption period was the branching stage and the bud stage. During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption, and the water consumption intensity averaged 2.97–3.04 mm/d and 4.23–4.97 mm/d. The variations of WUE and IWUE were 11.74–14.39 kg·m−3 and 7.12–9.31 kg·m−3. Irrigation increased the water productivity of rain-fed alfalfa by 49.48–64.70% and increased the yield of alfalfa by 17.87–34.72%. With the highest yield as the goal, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 200 mm and 240 mm; with the goal of the highest utilization of groundwater resources, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 160 mm and 192 mm. The results of this study are expected to provide scientific and technological support for the rational utilization of groundwater and the scientific improvement of alfalfa yields in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northwestern China.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
The DSSAT model accuracy for alfalfa ARE ranged between 3.82% and 5.57%.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativat0 - Outcome
- AREe0
- Value
- 3.82% and 5.57%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e0“the ARE, nRMSE, and R2 values of the alfalfa soil water content, leaf area index, and yield varied between 3.82% and 5.57%, 4.81% and 8.06%, and 0.86 and 0.93, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
The DSSAT model accuracy for alfalfa nRMSE ranged between 4.81% and 8.06%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- nRMSEe0
- Value
- 4.81% and 8.06%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e0“the ARE, nRMSE, and R2 values of the alfalfa soil water content, leaf area index, and yield varied between 3.82% and 5.57%, 4.81% and 8.06%, and 0.86 and 0.93, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
The DSSAT model fit for alfalfa, R2, ranged between 0.86 and 0.93.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- R2e0
- Value
- 0.86 and 0.93e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e0“the ARE, nRMSE, and R2 values of the alfalfa soil water content, leaf area index, and yield varied between 3.82% and 5.57%, 4.81% and 8.06%, and 0.86 and 0.93, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa consumed 395.6 mm to 421.8 mm of water over the whole year.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- water consumptione1
- Value
- 395.6 mm to 421.8 mme1
- Qualifier
- during the whole yeare1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e1“The water consumption of alfalfa ranged from 395.6 mm to 421.8 mm during the whole year, and the critical water consumption period was the branching stage and the bud stage”
Claim · model-written summary
The critical water consumption period of alfalfa was the branching stage and the bud stage.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Organ / stage
- branching stage and the bud stagee1
- Outcome
- critical water consumption periode1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e1“The water consumption of alfalfa ranged from 395.6 mm to 421.8 mm during the whole year, and the critical water consumption period was the branching stage and the bud stage”
Claim · model-written summary
During the branching stage, alfalfa water consumption was 30–31% of the total.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Organ / stage
- branching stagee2
- Outcome
- water consumptione2
- Value
- 30–31%e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e2“During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption”
Claim · model-written summary
During the bud stage, alfalfa water consumption was 31–33% of the total.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Organ / stage
- bud stagee2
- Outcome
- water consumptione2
- Value
- 31–33%e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e2“During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption”
Claim · model-written summary
The water consumption intensity during the branching stage averaged 2.97–3.04 mm/d.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Organ / stage
- branching stagee2
- Outcome
- water consumption intensitye3
- Value
- 2.97–3.04 mm/de3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e2“During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption”
e3“the water consumption intensity averaged 2.97–3.04 mm/d and 4.23–4.97 mm/d”
Claim · model-written summary
The water consumption intensity during the bud stage averaged 4.23–4.97 mm/d.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Organ / stage
- bud stagee2
- Outcome
- water consumption intensitye3
- Value
- 4.23–4.97 mm/de3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e2“During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption”
e3“the water consumption intensity averaged 2.97–3.04 mm/d and 4.23–4.97 mm/d”
Claim · model-written summary
Water use efficiency (WUE) of alfalfa ranged from 11.74 to 14.39 kg·m−3.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- WUEe4
- Value
- 11.74–14.39 kg·m−3e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e4“The variations of WUE and IWUE were 11.74–14.39 kg·m−3 and 7.12–9.31 kg·m−3”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of alfalfa ranged from 7.12 to 9.31 kg·m−3.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- IWUEe4
- Value
- 7.12–9.31 kg·m−3e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e4“The variations of WUE and IWUE were 11.74–14.39 kg·m−3 and 7.12–9.31 kg·m−3”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation increased water productivity of rain-fed alfalfa by 49.48–64.70%.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Irrigatione5
- Outcome
- water productivitye5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- 49.48–64.70%e5
- Comparator
- rain-fed alfalfae5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e5“Irrigation increased the water productivity of rain-fed alfalfa by 49.48–64.70% and increased the yield of alfalfa by 17.87–34.72%”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation increased alfalfa yield by 17.87–34.72% relative to rain-fed alfalfa.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Irrigatione5
- Outcome
- yielde5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- 17.87–34.72%e5
- Comparator
- rain-fed alfalfae5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e5“Irrigation increased the water productivity of rain-fed alfalfa by 49.48–64.70% and increased the yield of alfalfa by 17.87–34.72%”
Claim · model-written summary
For the highest yield in normal and dry flow years, the recommended irrigation volumes for alfalfa are 200 mm and 240 mm.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- recommended irrigation volumese6
- Value
- 200 mm and 240 mme6
- Qualifier
- With the highest yield as the goale6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e6“With the highest yield as the goal, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 200 mm and 240 mm; with the goal of the highest utilization of groundwater resources, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 160 mm and 192 mm”
Claim · model-written summary
For the highest groundwater utilization in normal and dry flow years, the recommended irrigation volumes for alfalfa are 160 mm and 192 mm.
- Taxon
- AlfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- recommended irrigation volumese6
- Value
- 160 mm and 192 mme6
- Qualifier
- with the goal of the highest utilization of groundwater resourcese6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency”
e6“With the highest yield as the goal, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 200 mm and 240 mm; with the goal of the highest utilization of groundwater resources, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 160 mm and 192 mm”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · yield · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Results differ
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- positive
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See all 92 papers →irrigation · physiology: water · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
24 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction
- positive
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See all 33 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.