Abstract
The lack of freshwater resources is a critical limiting factor for the crop production in the arid and semi-arid regions. Saline water irrigation presents a viable solution for addressing freshwater scarcity, particularly in North China Plain, by leveraging saline water resources to sustain crop production while minimizing soil salinity accumulation through seasonal rainfall leaching. This study assessed the effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality across five irrigation amounts (20–100 mm) in 2022–2023. Results showed that reasonable saline water irrigation significantly enhanced alfalfa biomass and quality. Biomass increased markedly in the first two harvests (H1, H2) due to the irrigation but not in the latter two (H3, H4). The maximum biomass achieved at 60 mm (5.0 dS/m, 15.99 t/ha) and 76 mm (7.6 dS/m, 14.71 t/ha), representing 40.3 % and 24.3 % increases over rainfed controls. Early-season harvests (H1-H2) exhibited 10–67 % biomass enhancements primarily through stem growth (35–80 % contribution). CP was significantly increased at the H1 with irrigation of 60 mm (5.0 dS/m), whereas elevated salinity (7.6 dS/m) increased ADF and NDF content. Saline water irrigation elevated soil EC, while summer rainfall effectively leached salts, maintaining 0–40 cm soil salinity below alfalfa tolerance thresholds. Structural equation modeling quantified critical interactions: irrigation amount directly enhanced biomass while elevating soil EC, and water salinity indirectly reduced yield via EC accumulation. The optimal irrigation amounts were determined to be 51.0–72.3 mm for 5.0dS/m saline water and 58.3–76.0 mm for 7.6dS/m water, which balanced 20–40 % yield gains with stable interannual soil EC. • Saline water irrigation enhanced the alfalfa biomass by 20–40 %. • Reasonable saline water irrigation scheduling balanced the salt content in the 0–40 cm soil profile. • The optimal saline water irrigation schedules is 51–76 mm with the 5.0–7.6 dS/m water salinity levels for alfalfa in the NCP.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Saline water irrigation increased alfalfa biomass in the first two harvests (H1, H2) at 5.0 and 7.6 dS/m.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae2 - Organ / stage
- first two harvests (H1, H2)e1
- Treatment
- saline water irrigatione2
- Outcome
- Biomasse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- rainfed controlse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Biomass increased markedly in the first two harvests (H1, H2) due to the irrigation but not in the latter two (H3, H4)”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
e3“representing 40.3 % and 24.3 % increases over rainfed controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Saline water irrigation did not increase alfalfa biomass in the latter two harvests (H3, H4).
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Organ / stage
- latter two (H3, H4)e1
- Treatment
- saline water irrigatione2
- Outcome
- Biomasse1
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Biomass increased markedly in the first two harvests (H1, H2) due to the irrigation but not in the latter two (H3, H4)”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
The maximum alfalfa biomass at 5.0 dS/m was 15.99 t/ha at 60 mm irrigation, a 40.3 % increase over rainfed controls.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- 60 mme1
- Outcome
- maximum biomasse1
- Direction
- increasese1
- Value
- 15.99 t/hae1
- Comparator
- rainfed controlse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The maximum biomass achieved at 60 mm (5.0 dS/m, 15.99 t/ha) and 76 mm (7.6 dS/m, 14.71 t/ha), representing 40.3 % and 24.3 % increases over rainfed controls”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
The maximum alfalfa biomass at 7.6 dS/m was 14.71 t/ha at 76 mm irrigation, a 24.3 % increase over rainfed controls.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- 76 mme1
- Outcome
- maximum biomasse1
- Direction
- increasese1
- Value
- 14.71 t/hae1
- Comparator
- rainfed controlse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The maximum biomass achieved at 60 mm (5.0 dS/m, 15.99 t/ha) and 76 mm (7.6 dS/m, 14.71 t/ha), representing 40.3 % and 24.3 % increases over rainfed controls”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-season harvests (H1-H2) showed 10–67 % biomass enhancement from saline water irrigation.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Organ / stage
- Early-season harvests (H1-H2)e1
- Treatment
- saline water irrigatione2
- Outcome
- biomass enhancementse1
- Direction
- increaseinferrede1
- Value
- 10–67 %e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Early-season harvests (H1-H2) exhibited 10–67 % biomass enhancements primarily through stem growth (35–80 % contribution)”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Stem growth contributed 35–80 % of the early-season biomass enhancement in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Outcome
- stem growthe1
- Value
- 35–80 %e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Early-season harvests (H1-H2) exhibited 10–67 % biomass enhancements primarily through stem growth (35–80 % contribution)”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Crude protein (CP) was significantly increased at the first harvest with 60 mm irrigation at 5.0 dS/m.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Organ / stage
- H1e1
- Treatment
- irrigation of 60 mm (5.0 dS/m)e1
- Outcome
- CPe1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“CP was significantly increased at the H1 with irrigation of 60 mm (5.0 dS/m), whereas elevated salinity (7.6 dS/m) increased ADF and NDF content”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Elevated salinity (7.6 dS/m) increased ADF and NDF content in alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- elevated salinity (7.6 dS/m)e1
- Outcome
- ADF and NDF contente1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“CP was significantly increased at the H1 with irrigation of 60 mm (5.0 dS/m), whereas elevated salinity (7.6 dS/m) increased ADF and NDF content”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Saline water irrigation elevated soil EC.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- Saline water irrigatione1
- Outcome
- soil ECe1
- Direction
- elevatede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Saline water irrigation elevated soil EC”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Summer rainfall kept 0–40 cm soil salinity below alfalfa tolerance thresholds.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Outcome
- 0–40 cm soil salinitye1
- Qualifier
- below alfalfa tolerance thresholdse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“summer rainfall effectively leached salts, maintaining 0–40 cm soil salinity below alfalfa tolerance thresholds”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation amount directly enhanced alfalfa biomass in structural equation modelling.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- irrigation amounte1
- Outcome
- biomasse1
- Direction
- enhancede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“irrigation amount directly enhanced biomass while elevating soil EC”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
Water salinity indirectly reduced alfalfa yield via soil EC accumulation.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- water salinitye1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Qualifier
- via EC accumulatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“water salinity indirectly reduced yield via EC accumulation”
e2“effects of saline water irrigation (5.0 and 7.6 dS/m) on alfalfa biomass and quality”
Claim · model-written summary
The optimal irrigation amount at 5.0 dS/m saline water is 51.0–72.3 mm for alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Outcome
- optimal irrigation amountse1
- Value
- 51.0–72.3 mme1
- Qualifier
- 5.0dS/m saline watere1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The optimal irrigation amounts were determined to be 51.0–72.3 mm for 5.0dS/m saline water and 58.3–76.0 mm for 7.6dS/m water, which balanced 20–40 % yield gains with stable interannual soil EC”
e2“The optimal saline water irrigation schedules is 51–76 mm with the 5.0–7.6 dS/m water salinity levels for alfalfa in the NCP”
Claim · model-written summary
The optimal irrigation amount at 7.6 dS/m water is 58.3–76.0 mm for alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae2
- Outcome
- optimal irrigation amountse1
- Value
- 58.3–76.0 mme1
- Qualifier
- 7.6dS/m watere1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The optimal irrigation amounts were determined to be 51.0–72.3 mm for 5.0dS/m saline water and 58.3–76.0 mm for 7.6dS/m water, which balanced 20–40 % yield gains with stable interannual soil EC”
e2“The optimal saline water irrigation schedules is 51–76 mm with the 5.0–7.6 dS/m water salinity levels for alfalfa in the NCP”
Claim · model-written summary
Saline water irrigation enhanced alfalfa biomass by 20–40 %.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- Saline water irrigatione1
- Outcome
- alfalfa biomasse1
- Direction
- enhancede1
- Value
- 20–40 %e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Saline water irrigation enhanced the alfalfa biomass by 20–40 %.”
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