Ning et al. (2026) PP cotton-wrapped subsurface drip irrigation can increase potato yield and sustainability in arid regions

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-07
• Authors: Shaoxiong Ning, Yaohui Cai, 庞琪, Mingyi Wen, Xiaodong Gao, Xining Zhao
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110840

Research Groups

• College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University
• Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science & Ministry of Water Resources
• National Engineering Research Center of Water Saving and Irrigation Technology at Yangling
• Xinjiang Research Institute of Agriculture in Arid Areas

Short Summary

This study investigates the effects of polypropylene (PP) cotton-wrapped subsurface drip irrigation on potato yield and sustainability in arid regions. The results show that PP cotton wrapping improves soil moisture uniformity, increases potato yield by about 10%, and enhances economic returns by about 19.5%.

Objective

• Investigate the combined effects of physical anti-clogging measures and irrigation levels on soil moisture uniformity, crop growth performance, and related aspects in potato cultivation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiment conducted at Yuanzhi Mountain, Mizhi County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China (37◦40′–38◦06′N, 100◦15′–110◦16′E; 960 m a.s.l.)
• Temporal Scale: Two consecutive growing seasons (2023 and 2024)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Stepwise regression, structural equation modeling
• Data sources: Field measurements of soil moisture, nutrients, potato growth, yield, and water productivity

Main Results

• PP cotton wrapping improves soil moisture uniformity by about 98.47%
• Potato yield increases by about 10% with PP cotton wrapping
• Economic returns increase by about 19.5% with PP cotton wrapping
• A yield prediction model (R² = 0.89, r = 0.94) is developed based on leaf area index, irrigation amount, NO₃⁻‑N, and soil moisture uniformity

Contributions

• This study provides a new perspective and important reference for designing underground anti-clogging measures for SDI in potatoes and other shallow-rooted dryland crops on the Loess Plateau and in similar arid regions.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51609251)
• Shaanxi Province Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2020JM-131)

Citation

@article{Ning2026PP,
  author = {Ning, Shaoxiong and Cai, Yaohui and 庞琪 and Wen, Mingyi and Gao, Xiaodong and Zhao, Xining},
  title = {PP cotton-wrapped subsurface drip irrigation can increase potato yield and sustainability in arid regions},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110840},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110840}
}