Irrigation Optimization via Crop Water Use in Saline Coastal Areas—A Field Data Analysis in China’s Yellow River Delta

Abstract

Freshwater resources are becoming increasingly scarce in coastal areas, limiting crop productivity in coastal farmlands. Although the characteristic of crop water use is an important factor for water conservation in coastal farmlands, it has not been studied extensively. This study aimed to depict the water use process of soil–plant systems under saline stress in coastal ecosystems and optimize water management. An intensive observation experiment was performed within China’s Yellow River Delta to identify the water use processes and crop coefficients (KC) and also quantify the impacts of salt stress on crop water use. The results show that shallow groundwater did not contribute to soil water in the whole rotation; KC values for wheat–maize, wheat–sorghum, and wheat–soybean rotation systems were 45.0, 58.4, and 57% less, respectively, than the FAO values. The water use efficiency of the maize (8.70) and sorghum (9.00) in coastal farmlands was higher than that of the soybean (4.37). By identifying the critical periods of water and salt stress, this paper provides suggestions for water-saving and salinity control in coastal farmlands. Our findings can inform the sustainable development of coastal farmlands and provide new insights to cope with aspects of the global food crisis.

Regional Differences, Temporal Evolution, and Drivers of Rural Hollowing in Coastal Provinces: A Case Study of Fujian Province

“…Understanding the root causes for each locality is deemed pivotal to devising effective solutions [37]. In coastal areas, optimizing agricultural productivity through advanced farming technologies emerges as a primary priority [38]. This involves increasing the value of land and resolving conflicts between land utilization and population dynamics.…”

Effect of Intertidal Vegetation (Suaeda salsa) Restoration on Microbial Diversity in the Offshore Areas of the Yellow River Delta

“…Degraded vegetation exacerbates intertidal surface exposure, and sunlight exposure will exacerbate the salinization of intertidal soils, destroying the ecological function of soils and damaging microbial environments [ 2 , 3 ]. It could ultimately transform the coastal soil environment into salting beaches with low plant diversity [ 4 , 5 ]. Furthermore, the degradation of vegetation also leads to a decrease in the ability of the intertidal zone to absorb pollutants and heavy metals in the sedimentary environment, which exacerbates environmental pollution in the intertidal zone.…”