Dai et al. (2026) Synergistic regulation of soil water and salt through mud blanket mulching and raised fields improves rainfed winter wheat yield on coastal saline-alkali land

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-10
• Authors: Li Dai, Yuxuan Dong, Longjin Wang, Yakun Tian, DongLiang Cui, QuanFeng Liu, Yehan Fu, Yixuan Lin, Jiayue Dai, Zeping Shi, Menghan Jia, Yunzhou Qiao, Baodi Dong
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110745

Research Groups

• Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Laboratory of Agricultural Water-Saving, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Hebei University
• Hebei Agricultural University
• CangZhou Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences

Short Summary

This study investigates the synergistic effects of mud blanket mulching (MBM) and raised fields on soil water-salt dynamics, crop physiology, and grain yield in rainfed winter wheat under coastal saline-alkali conditions. The results demonstrate that MBM and raised fields jointly regulate the soil water-salt environment, leading to improved leaf water potential, enhanced photosynthesis, and promoted dry matter accumulation.

Objective

• Investigate the interactive effects of mulching type (MBM vs. PFM) and groundwater depth on soil water-salt dynamics, crop physiology, and grain yield in rainfed winter wheat under coastal saline-alkali conditions.
• Examine the physiological mechanisms underlying the yield increase with MBM.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiment conducted at a single location (Haixing Experiment Base of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) with four raised-field heights (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m).
• Temporal Scale: Two-year field experiment (2023-2024 and 2024-2025).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned.
• Data sources: Field measurements of soil water content, soil solution salt concentration, leaf water potential, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, biomass, yield, and other physiological indices.

Main Results

• MBM and PFM significantly suppressed salt accumulation in the 0–100 cm soil layer compared to CK.
• Mulching treatments (MBM and PFM) increased 0–20 cm soil moisture prior to jointing, but this effect was not evident in deeper soil layers after jointing.
• Regression analysis showed that for each 1-meter increase in groundwater depth, soil salt content decreased by 0.98 g⋅kg–1 under CK, 0.81 g⋅kg–1 under MBM, and 0.65 g⋅kg–1 under PFM.
• Soil solution salt concentration increased gradually with crop growth progression in each treatment and peaked at harvest.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the synergistic effects of mulching type (MBM vs. PFM) and groundwater depth on soil water-salt dynamics, crop physiology, and grain yield in rainfed winter wheat under coastal saline-alkali conditions.
• The results highlight the importance of considering the interaction between mulching type and groundwater depth when managing saline-alkali land.

Funding

• This study was funded by the Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Laboratory of Agricultural Water-Saving, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Citation

@article{Dai2026Synergistic,
  author = {Dai, Li and Dong, Yuxuan and Wang, Longjin and Tian, Yakun and Cui, DongLiang and Liu, QuanFeng and Fu, Yehan and Lin, Yixuan and Dai, Jiayue and Shi, Zeping and Jia, Menghan and Qiao, Yunzhou and Dong, Baodi},
  title = {Synergistic regulation of soil water and salt through mud blanket mulching and raised fields improves rainfed winter wheat yield on coastal saline-alkali land},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110745},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110745}
}