Farm water and soil management for improved water use in the North China plain

Abstract

The rapid development of industry and urban areas, population growth and rising living standards have all resulted in an increased water demand for non-agricultural uses in the North China Plain, therefore decreasing the water availability for irrigation. Technologies that favour a reduced demand and water-saving practices in irrigation are required to assure the sustainability of water use in agricultural production. This paper presents main research results relative to the integration of water and soil management technologies which may contribute to improving the use of water and land in agricultural production, reducing demand for irrigation, and more efficient use of groundwater. Improved estimates of crop irrigation requirements, better irrigation scheduling for the winter wheat crop and improved surface irrigation systems, result in water saving corresponding to about 100mm in very dry years and up to 250 mm in average years with a small yield increase. These savings represent 16-33% of water use during the wheat crop season. Improvements in soil management lead to improved soil fertility and physical properties (including hydraulic conductivity). These improvements produce potential increases in summer maize yields of between 10 and 20%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.