Ma et al. (2025) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Water-Saving Irrigation on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production in China: A Meta-Analytical Approach

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Identification

• Journal: Plants
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-09-11
• Authors: Baozhong Yin, Cuijiao Jing, Wanyi Li, Yongping Qiao, Luyao Zhang, Haotian Fan, Limin Gu, Wenchao Zhen
• DOI: 10.3390/plants14182837

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Short Summary

This meta-analysis quantitatively assessed the effects of various water-saving irrigation (WSI) methods on wheat yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) across China, finding that optimized WSI, particularly drip and micro-sprinkler systems, significantly improved resource use efficiency without yield penalties.

Objective

• To quantitatively assess the effects of various water-saving irrigation (WSI) methods on wheat yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) across China's wheat regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: China's wheat regions (national scale)
• Temporal Scale: Multi-year, across various growing seasons (meta-analysis of existing studies)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Meta-analysis (statistical synthesis of existing research)
• Data sources: Synthesized data from a comprehensive literature review of studies on water-saving irrigation practices in Chinese wheat regions.

Main Results

• Optimized irrigation, especially drip and micro-sprinkler systems, reduced irrigation water by 35.1% and nitrogen inputs by 7.2% without yield penalties.
• Drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation improved water use efficiency (WUE) by 18.7% and 10.1%, respectively, and increased partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN) by 6.8% and 5.5%, respectively.
• Moderate deficit irrigation (60-100% of full irrigation) optimized WUE and PFPN while maintaining stable yields.
• Severe deficit irrigation (<40% of full irrigation) led to substantial yield losses.
• Soil texture and bulk density significantly modulated WSI effectiveness.
• Growing season precipitation negatively correlated with WSI benefits, indicating greater efficiency gains under drier conditions.

Contributions

• Provided a comprehensive quantitative meta-analysis of WSI effects on wheat yield, WUE, and PFPN across China.
• Identified the dominant role and specific benefits of drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation in current WSI practices.
• Quantified the impact of different deficit irrigation levels, soil properties, and climatic factors on WSI effectiveness.
• Emphasized the need for prioritizing specific WSI technologies and integrating WSI with soil health management and site-specific scheduling for sustainable wheat intensification.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Ma2025Evaluating,
  author = {Ma, Jiayu and Yin, Baozhong and Jing, Cuijiao and Li, Wanyi and Qiao, Yongping and Zhang, Luyao and Fan, Haotian and Gu, Limin and Zhen, Wenchao},
  title = {Evaluating the Effectiveness of Water-Saving Irrigation on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Production in China: A Meta-Analytical Approach},
  journal = {Plants},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/plants14182837},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182837}
}