Abstract
Introduction The Hexi Oasis is located in the arid region of northwest China and is a crucial area for agricultural development. The region has a dry climate with scarce rainfall and a severe shortage of water resources. It has long relied on the traditional flood irrigation method, which has led to low efficiency in the utilization of water and soil resources and has hindered the sustainable development of agriculture. Methods This research was conducted in the Hexi Oasis from 2020 to 2021 using "New Farmer 8" watermelon as the experimental material. A field experiment was carried out to systematically explore the comprehensive effects of different water deficit patterns during different growth stages on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, quality and water use efficiency of watermelons. Five treatments were set up: T1 with mild water deficit at both the seedling and mature stages (60%–70% FC, FC being the field capacity), T2 with mild water deficit at the seedling stage and moderate water deficit at the mature stage (50%–60% FC), T3 with moderate water deficit at the seedling stage and mild water deficit at the mature stage, T4 with moderate water deficit at both the seedling and mature stages, and CK with full water supply throughout the growth period (70%–80% FC) as the control. Results The responses of watermelon photosynthesis, yield, and quality to different water deficit patterns were compared and analyzed to provide a scientific basis for efficient watermelon cultivation in arid oasis areas. The results showed that water deficit significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate ( Pn ), transpiration rate ( Tr ), and stomatal conductance ( Gs ) of leaves, and the reduction increased with the severity of water deficit, with the reduction in Pn being smaller than that of Tr and Gs . Compared with CK, all water deficit treatments increased the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), with the highest IWUE in the T2 treatment (0.78 t·ha -1 ·mm -1 ), which was significantly higher by 10.50% than that of CK. The yield of the T1 treatment was the highest and showed no significant difference from CK, followed by T2, with no significant difference between T1 and T2. Water deficit treatments significantly increased the contents of soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar (SU), vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein (SP), with the largest increase observed in the T2 treatment. The entropy weight–fuzzy matter-element comprehensive evaluation showed that the T2 treatment had the highest comprehensive score, followed by the T1 treatment. In the arid oasis area of Hexi, the multi-stage irrigation pattern of mild water deficit at the seedling stage combined with moderate or mild water deficit at the mature stage (T2 or T1) could significantly improve water use efficiency and fruit quality while maintaining yield, which represents a feasible strategy for achieving water-saving and high-quality watermelon production.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly reduced leaf net photosynthetic rate.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- net photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“water deficit significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate ( Pn ), transpiration rate ( Tr ), and stomatal conductance ( Gs ) of leaves”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly reduced leaf transpiration rate.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- transpiration ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“water deficit significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate ( Pn ), transpiration rate ( Tr ), and stomatal conductance ( Gs ) of leaves”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly reduced leaf stomatal conductance.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“water deficit significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate ( Pn ), transpiration rate ( Tr ), and stomatal conductance ( Gs ) of leaves”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Physiological reductions increased with water deficit severity, with photosynthetic rate falling less than transpiration or conductance.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- severity of water deficite0
- Outcome
- reduction in Pne0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- Tr and Gse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the reduction increased with the severity of water deficit, with the reduction in Pn being smaller than that of Tr and Gs”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
All deficit treatments increased irrigation water use efficiency against CK.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- all water deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- irrigation water use efficiencye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared with CK, all water deficit treatments increased the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE)”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
T2 achieved highest irrigation water use efficiency at 0.78 t·ha -1 ·mm -1, 10.50% above CK.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- T2 treatmente0
- Outcome
- IWUEe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.78 t·ha -1 ·mm -1e0
- Qualifier
- 10.50%e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the highest IWUE in the T2 treatment (0.78 t·ha -1 ·mm -1 ), which was significantly higher by 10.50% than that of CK”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
T1 had the highest yield without a significant difference from CK.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- T1 treatmente0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The yield of the T1 treatment was the highest and showed no significant difference from CK”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
T2 followed T1 in yield without a significant difference.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The yield of the T1 treatment was the highest and showed no significant difference from CK, followed by T2, with no significant difference between T1 and T2”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly increased soluble solids.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Water deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- contents of soluble solidse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water deficit treatments significantly increased the contents of soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar (SU), vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein (SP)”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly increased soluble sugar.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Water deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- soluble sugare0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water deficit treatments significantly increased the contents of soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar (SU), vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein (SP)”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly increased vitamin C.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Water deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- vitamin Ce0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water deficit treatments significantly increased the contents of soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar (SU), vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein (SP)”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deficit significantly increased soluble protein.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Water deficit treatmentse0
- Outcome
- soluble proteine0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water deficit treatments significantly increased the contents of soluble solids (SS), soluble sugar (SU), vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein (SP)”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
T2 had the largest increase in measured fruit quality contents.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- T2 treatmente0
- Outcome
- largest increasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“with the largest increase observed in the T2 treatment”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
T2 had the highest comprehensive evaluation score, followed by T1.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- T2 treatmente0
- Outcome
- comprehensive scoree0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Comparator
- T1 treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The entropy weight–fuzzy matter-element comprehensive evaluation showed that the T2 treatment had the highest comprehensive score, followed by the T1 treatment”
t0“watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors recommend T2 or T1 to improve water use efficiency and fruit quality while maintaining yield.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Outcome
- multi-stage irrigation pattern of mild water deficit at the seedling stage combined with moderate or mild water deficit at the mature stagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the multi-stage irrigation pattern of mild water deficit at the seedling stage combined with moderate or mild water deficit at the mature stage (T2 or T1) could significantly improve water use efficiency and fruit quality while maintaining yield”
t0“watermelon”
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