Pan et al. (2026) Sprinkler Irrigation Improves Winter Wheat Yield and Water Use Efficiency in the North China Plain: A Meta‐Analysis and Management Optimization

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Irrigation and Drainage
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-20
• Authors: Xinyu Pan, Delan Zhu, Peng Guo, Luoyang Wang, Ze Liu, Namazov Shadman Ergashevich, Rashidova Dilbar Karimovna
• DOI: 10.1002/ird.70213

Research Groups

• Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Department of Agronomy, University of Agricultural Sciences
• Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This meta-analysis compares sprinkler irrigation (SI) with surface irrigation (SUI) for winter wheat production in the North China Plain, finding that SI increases yield by 5% and water use efficiency by 8%.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of sprinkler irrigation on winter wheat yield and water use efficiency compared to surface irrigation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the North China Plain.
• Temporal Scale: The analysis covers various years, with a focus on general trends rather than specific time periods.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned in the paper.
• Data sources: Published studies (44) comparing SI and SUI for winter wheat production.

Main Results

• Relative to SUI, SI increased wheat yield by 5% (95% CI, 4$–6%) and water use efficiency by 8% (95% CI, 6%–10%).
• Subgroup analyses revealed more favourable joint yield-WUE responses under specific climate conditions (annual mean temperature below 13°C, growing season precipitation above 150 mm) and soil types (medium-fertility loam soils).

Contributions

• This study provides original evidence that sprinkler irrigation can improve winter wheat yield and water use efficiency in the North China Plain when tailored to local climate, soil conditions, and field practices.

Funding

• Not specified in the paper.

Citation

@article{Pan2026Sprinkler,
  author = {Pan, Xinyu and Zhu, Delan and Guo, Peng and Wang, Luoyang and Liu, Ze and Ergashevich, Namazov Shadman and Karimovna, Rashidova Dilbar},
  title = {Sprinkler Irrigation Improves Winter Wheat Yield and Water Use Efficiency in the North China Plain: A Meta‐Analysis and Management Optimization},
  journal = {Irrigation and Drainage},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/ird.70213},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.70213}
}