Abstract
Introduction: Saline irrigation is an effective way to alleviate water scarcity in agriculture, but its productivity is constrained by salt stress. The effects of salinity on wheat yield and water productivity (WP), and how management practices can mitigate these effects, remain inadequately quantified. Methods: Through a meta-analysis of 2265 observations from field studies in Northern China, we quantified the responses of wheat yield, WP, and associated traits to saline irrigation and evaluated the efficacy of key management practices. Results: The wheat yield (-16.3%) and WP (-13.7%) were significantly reduced under saline irrigation. Salt stress primarily inhibited photosynthetic rate (Pn), which subsequently reduced leaf area index (LAI) and plant height (PH), ultimately restricting spike number (SN) and yield, while constraining WP. A salinity threshold of 5 g/L was identified, beyond which the declines in yield and WP became severe. Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation ameliorated stress, increasing PH (+12.1%), SN (+7.4%), yield (+5.9%), and WP (+13.1%). Similarly, straw returning increased SN (+11.3%), yield (+12.3%), and WP (+12.5%). Discussion: This study clarified the physiological cascade from salt stress to yield loss and confirm the critical role of the 5 g/L salinity threshold in sustaining wheat productivity. Alternate irrigation and straw returning mitigate salt stress through complementary pathways, enhancing plant growth and yield components. This meta-analysis provides evidence-based insights for optimizing saline irrigation management, supporting sustainable wheat production in water-scarce, salt-affected regions of northern China.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat yield was significantly reduced by 16.3% under saline irrigation.
- Taxon
- Wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- saline irrigatione1
- Outcome
- wheat yielde1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- -16.3%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The wheat yield (-16.3%) and WP (-13.7%) were significantly reduced under saline irrigation”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat water productivity was significantly reduced by 13.7% under saline irrigation.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- saline irrigatione1
- Outcome
- WPe1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- -13.7%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The wheat yield (-16.3%) and WP (-13.7%) were significantly reduced under saline irrigation”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt stress primarily inhibited photosynthetic rate, which reduced leaf area index and plant height, ultimately restricting spike number and yield and constraining water productivity.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Salt stresse1
- Outcome
- restricting spike number (SN) and yielde1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Salt stress primarily inhibited photosynthetic rate (Pn), which subsequently reduced leaf area index (LAI) and plant height (PH), ultimately restricting spike number (SN) and yield, while constraining WP”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
A salinity threshold of 5 g/L was identified, beyond which declines in yield and water productivity became severe.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- declines in yield and WPe1
- Value
- 5 g/Le1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“A salinity threshold of 5 g/L was identified, beyond which the declines in yield and WP became severe”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation increased plant height by 12.1%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Alternate saline and freshwater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- PHe1
- Direction
- increasinge1
- Value
- +12.1%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation ameliorated stress, increasing PH (+12.1%), SN (+7.4%), yield (+5.9%), and WP (+13.1%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation increased spike number by 7.4%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Alternate saline and freshwater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- SNe1
- Direction
- increasinge1
- Value
- +7.4%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation ameliorated stress, increasing PH (+12.1%), SN (+7.4%), yield (+5.9%), and WP (+13.1%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation increased yield by 5.9%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Alternate saline and freshwater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- increasinge1
- Value
- +5.9%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation ameliorated stress, increasing PH (+12.1%), SN (+7.4%), yield (+5.9%), and WP (+13.1%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation increased water productivity by 13.1%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Alternate saline and freshwater irrigatione1
- Outcome
- WPe1
- Direction
- increasinge1
- Value
- +13.1%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alternate saline and freshwater irrigation ameliorated stress, increasing PH (+12.1%), SN (+7.4%), yield (+5.9%), and WP (+13.1%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw returning increased spike number by 11.3%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- straw returninge1
- Outcome
- SNe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- +11.3%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“straw returning increased SN (+11.3%), yield (+12.3%), and WP (+12.5%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw returning increased yield by 12.3%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- straw returninge1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- +12.3%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“straw returning increased SN (+11.3%), yield (+12.3%), and WP (+12.5%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw returning increased water productivity by 12.5%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- straw returninge1
- Outcome
- WPe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- +12.5%e1
- Setting
- Northern Chinat0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“straw returning increased SN (+11.3%), yield (+12.3%), and WP (+12.5%)”
t0“Wheat water productivity under saline irrigation in Northern China”
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