Effects of Different Soil Moisture-Holding Strategies on Growth Characteristics, Yield and Quality of Winter-Seeded Spring Wheat

Abstract

Drought during the overwintering period threatens the emergence rate and restricts the yield under the “winter-seeded spring wheat” cultivated model in the Hetao Plain Irrigation District in Inner Mongolia. To address this issue, from 2017 to 2019, six treatments were set up in the field to study the emergence rate, growth attributes, grain quality, yield and its percentage of winter-seeded spring wheat. These treatments were the (1) application of water-retaining agents under winter sowing (WRA), (2) soil amendments under winter sowing (SA) and wheat seed presoaking with amino acid water-soluble fertilizer under winter sowing (SP), (3) straw mulching under winter sowing (SM), (4) film-mulching hole sowing under winter sowing (FMHS), (5) blank control under winter sowing (CKW) and (6) conventional blank control under spring sowing (CKS). The results showed that the emergence rate of winter-seeded treatment was lower than CKS treatment, the emergence of WRA, SA, SM, and FMHS treatment increased by 5.4%, 2.3%, 6.5% and 10.8% compared with CKW treatment, respectively. The winter-seeded treatment is earlier than CKS treatment in the growth process, in which FMHS treatment is between 12 d and 16 d earlier in the emergence period, between 13 d and 15 d earlier in the maturation period, between 8 d and 12 d earlier than the CKW treatment in the emergence period, and between 8 d and 10 d earlier in the maturity period. Compared with CKW treatment, WRA, SA, SM, FMHS and CKS treatments increased yield by 13.49%, 11.42%, 14.75%, 21.61% and 28.15%, respectively. FMHS treatment significantly reduced the total water consumption and significantly improved water use efficiency. The protein content, wet gluten content, sedimentation value, dough ductility and maximum resistance in CKS treatment were significantly lower than other winter sowing treatments. The protein percentage and wet gluten percentage in FMHS treatment were the highest, and the difference with CKW treatment was significant. In summary, film-mulching hole sowing in winter improves soil water and the emergence rate, significantly accelerates the growth process of wheat, increases yield and promotes grain quality.