Effects of Shallow-buried drip irrigation on growth, yield, and water productivity of potato in the Yin-mountain region of China

Abstract

Water scarcity is a significant constraint on potato production in the arid and semi-arid regions of northern China. Shallow-buried drip irrigation (SSI) was examined to assess its effects on water conservation and water use efficiency. A 4-year consecutive field trial spanning from 2019 to 2022 was carried out in the Yin Mountain area, a region conducive to potato cultivation in northern China. The findings revealed that, compared to surface drip irrigation (SI), tuber yield was augmented by 3–12% with SSI. Moreover, in a year with regular rainfall, an irrigation volume of 150 mm in SSI achieved a higher yield than the 200 mm application. The increased yield is predominantly due to a greater leaf area index during the tuber bulking phase and enhanced dry matter accumulation during the starch storage phase in SSI, particularly a higher root dry weight. SSI exhibited reduced ineffective evaporation and greater soil water storage, leading to more irrigation water being used for transpiration and yield production. In comparison to SI, the average Water Use Efficiency per Irrigation (WUEI) and overall Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in SSI increased by 7.75% and 10.65%, respectively. Our results suggest that Shallow-buried drip irrigation is an effective method to conserve scarce water resources, enhance tuber yield, and improve water use efficiency in the arid and semi-arid zones of northern China, thereby aiding the sustainable growth of local potato farming.