Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Response of winter-wheat grain yield and water-use efficiency to irrigation with activated water on Guanzhong Plain in China

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Irrigation Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Irrigation with activated water (magnetized and ionized water) can promote crop growth, increase crop yield, and improve water-use efficiency (WUE), but the mechanism of the impact of activated water in agricultural irrigation and production needs to be further explored. We analyzed the responses of growth parameters of winter wheat in field experiments in the main grain-producing area of China to different types and amounts of activated irrigation water and their influence on WUE. The wheat absorbed about 12.2% more activated water than pure groundwater. Aboveground biomass was about 8.0% higher with activated water than pure groundwater. The yield components performed best with an irrigation amount of 120 mm, with grain yield 28.3 and 3.2% higher than for amounts of 60 and 180 mm, respectively. Grain yield at 120 mm was 10.1 and 13.9% higher for magnetized and ionized water than pure groundwater, respectively. WUE was highest for 120 mm, at 28.0 and 30.3 kg ha−1 mm−1 for magnetized and ionized water, respectively. WUE at 120 mm was 22.3 and 22.1 kg ha−1 mm−1 for irrigation with magnetized and ionized water, 8.8 and 7.9% higher, respectively, than with pure groundwater.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Al-Ogaidi AAM, Wayayok A, Rowshon MK, Abdullah AF (2017) The influence of magnetized water on soil water dynamics under drip irrigation systems. Agric Water Manag 180(part_PA): 70–77

  • Ambashta RD, Sillanpää M (2010) Water purification using magnetic assistance: a review. J Hazard Mater 180(1):38–49

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Amiri MC, Dadkhah AA (2006) On reduction in the surface tension of water due to magnetic treatment. Colloids Surf A 278(1):252–255

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bai SS, Kang YH, Wan SQ (2020) Winter wheat growth and water use under different drip irrigation regimes in the North China Plain Winter wheat growth and water use under different drip irrigation regimes in the North China Plain. Irrig Sci 38:321–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker JS, Judd SJ (1996) Magnetic amelioration of scale formation. Water Res 30(2):247–260

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bierkens MFP, Wada Y (2019) Non-renewable groundwater use and groundwater depletion: a review. Environ Res Lett 14:1–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai R, Yang HW, He JS, Zhu WP (2009) The effects of magnetic fields on water molecular hydrogen bonds. J Mol Struct 938(1):15–19

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cai XL, Molden D, Mainuddin M, Sharma B, Ahmad MUD, Karimi P (2011) Producing more food with less water in a changing world: assessment of water productivity in 10 major river basins. Water Int 36(1):42–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Çelik Ö, Atak Ç, Rzakulieva A (2008) Stimulation of rapid regeneration by a magnetic field in Paulownia node cultures. J Cent Eur Agri 9(2):297–303

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang KT, Weng CI (2006) The effect of an external magnetic field on the structure of liquid water using molecular dynamics simulation. J Appl Phys 100(4):43917–43920

    Google Scholar 

  • De-Graaf IEM, Gleeson T, Beek LPH, Sutanudjaja EH, Bierkens MFP (2019) Environmental flow limits to global groundwater pumping. Nature 574(7776):90–94

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duchemin B, Hadria R, Erraki S, Boulet G, Maisongrande P, Chehbouni A, Escadafal R, Ezzahar J, Hoedjes JCB, Kharrou MH, Khabba S, Mougenot B, Olioso A, Rodriguez JC, Simonneaux V (2006) Monitoring wheat phenology and irrigation in Central Morocco on the use of relationships between evapotranspiration, crops coefficients, leaf area index and remotely-sensed vegetation indices. Agric Water Manag 79:1–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Esmaeilnezhad E, Choi HJ, Schaffie M, Gholizadeh M, Ranjbar M (2017) Characteristics and applications of magnetized water as a green technology. J Clean Prod 161:908–921

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2015) FAOSTAT. https://faostat3.fao.org/download/Q/QC/E [2016–4–7]

  • February EC, Higgins SI (2010) The distribution of tree and grass roots in savannas in relation to soil nitrogen and water. South Afr J Bot 76(3):517–523

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng SW, Gu SB, Zhang HB, Wang D (2017) Root vertical distribution is important to improve water use efficiency and grain yield of wheat. Field Crops Res 214:131–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao ZX, Wang YX, Tian GY, Zhao YK, Li CH, Cao Q, Han R, Shi ZL, He MQ (2020) Plant height and its relationship with yield in wheat under different irrigation regime. Irrig Sci 38:365–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner WH (1986) Water content. In: Klute, A. (Ed.), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1. Agronomy Monographs 9, 2nd ed. American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America Madison (Wisconsin) Verlag: 493–544

  • Grewal HS, Maheshwari BL (2011) Magnetic treatment of irrigation water and snow pea and chickpea seeds enhances early growth and nutrient contents of seedlings. Bioelectromagnetics 32:58–65

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hassen HB, Hozayn M, Elaoud A, El-monem AA (2020) Inference of magnetized water impact on salt-stressed wheat. Arab J Sci Eng 45(5):500

    Google Scholar 

  • Hozayn M, Ahmed AA (2019) Effect of tryptophan and ascorbic acid as magneto-priming on germination attributes of barley (Hordeum vulgare, L.) under salinity stress. Eur J Biosci 13(1): 245–251

  • Hozayn M, Qados AMSA (2010) Magnetic water application for improving wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop production. Agric Biol J North Am 1(4): 677–682

  • Hozayn M, Ahmed AA, El-Saady AA, El-Monem AA (2019) Enhancement in germination, seedling attributes and yields of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under salinity stress using static magnetic field treatment. Eur J Biosci 13(1): 369–378

  • Huang YL, Chen LD, Fu BJ, Huang ZL, Gong J (2005) The wheat yields and water-use efficiency in the Loess Plateau: straw mulch and irrigation effects. Agric Water Manag 72(3):209–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam MR, Eneji AE, Ren C, Hu YG, Xue XZ (2010) Oat-based cropping system for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions of northern China. J Agric Biotechnol Ecol 3(3):1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang SZ, Hao XM, Du TS, Tong L, Su XL, Lu HN, Li XL, Huo ZL, Li SE, Ding RS (2017) Improving agricultural water productivity to ensure food security in China under changing environment: From research to practice. Agric Water Manag 179:5–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Li SX (1999) The current state and prospect of plant nutrition and fertilizer science. Plant Nutr Ferti Sci 5(3):193–205 ((in Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Li JM, Inanaga S, Li ZH, Eneji AE (2005) Optimizing irrigation scheduling for winter wheat in the North China Plain. Agric Water Manag 76:8–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Li QQ, Dong BD, Qiao YZ, Liu MY, Zhang JW (2010) Root growth, available soil water, and water-use efficiency of winter wheat under different irrigation regimes applied at different growth stages in North China. Agric Water Manag 97(10):1676–1682

    Google Scholar 

  • Li QQ, Bian CY, Liu XH, Ma CJ, Liu QR (2015) Winter wheat grain yield and water use efficiency in wide-precision planting pattern under deficit irrigation in North China Plain. Agric Water Manag 153:71–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Xu BC, Li FM (2007) Effects of limited irrigation on yield and water use efficiency of two sequence-replaced winter wheat in Loess Plateau. China Afri J Biotechnol 6(13):1493–1497

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Xu SS, Zhang JW, Ding YF, Li GH, Wang SH, Liu ZH, Tang S, Ding CQ, Chen L (2016) Effect of continuous reduction of nitrogen application to a rice-wheat rotation system in the middle-lower Yangtze River region (2013–2015). Field Crops Research 196:348–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Maffei ME (2014) Magnetic field effects on plant growth, development, and evolution. Front Plant Sci 5(1):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Maheshwari BL, Grewal HS (2009) Magnetic treatment of irrigation water: its effects on vegetable crop yield and water productivity. Agric Water Manag 96:1229–1236

    Google Scholar 

  • Min L, Shen Y, Pei H (2015) Estimating groundwater recharge using deep vadose zone data under typical irrigated cropland in the piedmont region of the North China Plain. J Hydrol 527:305–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Mostafazadeh FB, Khoshravesh M, Mousavi SF, Kiani AR (2012) Effects of magnetized water on soil chemical components underneath trickle irrigation. J Irrig Drain Eng 138(12):1075–1081

    Google Scholar 

  • Mu Y, Zhao GQ, Zhao QQ, Liu H, Wang QJ (2019) Advances in the application of activated water irrigation. J Agric Resour Environ 36(4):403–411 ((in Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • NBS (National Bureau of Statistics of China) (2015) China statistical yearbook. https://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2015/indexeh.htm [2016–4–7]

  • Otsuka I, Ozeki S (2006) Does magnetic treatment of water change its properties? J Phys Chem B 110(4):1509–1512

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oweis T, Zhang H, Pala M (2000) Water use efficiency of rainfed and irrigated bread wheat in a Mediterranean environment. Agron J 92:231–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Pang XF, Deng B (2008) The changes of macroscopic features and microscopic structures of water under influence of magnetic field. Physica B Phys Cond Matter 403(19):3571–3577

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Payero JO, Tarkalson DD, Irmak S, Davison D, Petersen JL (2008) Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate. Agric Water Manag 95(8):895–908

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng JB, Cao DY, He ZL, Guo J, Prokop H, Ma RZ, Cheng BW, Chen J, Xie WJ, Li XZ, Pavel J, Xu LM, Gao YQ, Wang EG, Jiang Y (2018) The effect of hydration number on the interfacial transport of sodium ions. Nature 557:701–707

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piao SL, Ciais P, Huang Y, Shen ZH, Peng SS, Li JS, Zhou LP, Liu HY, Ma YC, Ding YH (2010) The impacts of climate change on water resources and agriculture in China. Nature 467:43–51

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Podleoeny J, Pietruszewski S, Podleoena A (2004) Efficiency of the magnetic treatment of broad bean seeds cultivated under experimental plot conditions. Int Agrophys 18(1):65–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajaram S (2001) Prospects and promise of wheat breeding in the 21st century. Euphytica 119:3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray DK, Ramankutty N, Mueller ND, West PC, Foley JA (2012) Recent patterns of crop yield growth and stagnation. Nat Commun 3:1–7

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghipour O, Aghaei P (2013) Improving the growth of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) by magnetized water. J Biodiv Environ Sci 3(1): 37–43

  • Savostin PV (1964) Magnetic growth relations in plants. Planta 12:327

    Google Scholar 

  • Selim AFH, El-Nady MF (2011) Physio-anatomical responses of drought stressed tomato plants to magnetic field. Acta Astronaut 69(7):387–396

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Selim AH, Zayed MA (2013) Magnetic field treated water effects on germination, growth and physio-chemical aspects of some economic plants. Acta Botanica Hungarica 55(1):99–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Shao HB, Liang ZS, Shao MA (2006) Progress and trend in the study of anti-drought physiology and biochemistry and molecular biology of wheat. Acta Prataculturae Sin 15(3):12–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Surendran U, Sandeep O, Mammen G, Joseph EJ (2013) A novel technique of magnetic treatment of saline and hard water for irrigation and its impact on cow pea growth and water properties. Int J Agric Environ Biotechnol 6(1):85–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Surendran U, Sandeep O, Joseph EJ (2016) The impacts of magnetic treatment of irrigation water on plant, water and soil characteristics. Agric Water Manag 178:21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Toledo EJL, Ramalho TC, Magriotis ZM (2008) Influence of magnetic field on physical-chemical properties of the liquid water: Insights from experimental and theoretical models. J Mol Struct 888(1/3):409–415

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turker M, Temirci C, Battal P, Erez ME (2007) The effects of an artificial and static magnetic field on plant growth, chlorophyll and phytohormone levels in maize and sunflower plants. Phyton Annales Rei Botanicae 46(2):271–284

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vashisth A, Nagarajan S (2010) Characterization of water distribution and activities of enzymes during germination in magnetically-exposed maize (Zea mays L) seeds. Indian. J Biochem Biophys 47(5):311–318

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JD, Gong SH, Xu D, Yu YD, Zhao YF (2013) Impact of drip and level-basin irrigation on growth and yield of winter wheat in the North China Plain. Irrig Sci 31(5):1025–1037

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang CY, Liu WX, Li QX, Ma DY, Lu HF, Feng W, Xie YX, Zhu YJ, Guo TC (2014) Effects of different irrigation and nitrogen regimes on root growth and its correlation with above-ground plant parts in high-yielding wheat under field conditions. Field Crops Res 165:138–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang WH, Chen J, Liu TW, Chen J, Han AD, Simon M, Dong XJ, He JX, Zheng HL (2014) Regulation of the calcium-sensing receptor in both stomatal movement and photosynthetic electron transport is crucial for water use efficiency and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. J Exp Bot 65(1):223–234

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang QJ, Zhang JH, Men Q, Tan S, Zhou LW, Liu XY (2016) Experiment on physical and chemical characteristics of activated brackish water by magnetization or ionization. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng 32(10):60–66 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang QJ, Xu ZY, Shan YY, Zhang JH (2018) Effect of salinity of de-electronic brackish water on characteristics of water and salt movement in soil. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng 34(4):125–132 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang QJ, Sun Y, Ning SR, Zhang JH, Zhou BB, Su LJ, Shan YY (2019) Effects of activated irrigation water on soil physicochemical properties and crop growth and analysis of the probable pathway. Adv Earth Sci 34(6):660–670 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei K (2018) Research on soil water-salt distribution and cotton growth characteristics using de-electronic brackish water drip irrigation with plastic mulch. Dissertation, Xi′an University of Technology

  • Wei T, Dong ZY, Zhang C, Ali S, Chen XL, Han QF, Zhang FC, Jia ZK, Zhang P, Ren XL (2018) Effects of rainwater harvesting planting combined with deficiency irrigation on soil water use efficiency and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) yield in a semiarid area. Field Crops Res 218:231–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu PT, Feng H, Niu WQ, Zhao XN (2006) Research emphasis and reflection of strategy for water saving agriculture in China. Sci Technol Rev 24(5):86–88 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu YC, Zhou SL, Wang ZM, Feng HY, Lu LQ, Wang RZ (2009) Recovery of residual fertilizer-nitrogen by wheat in a winter wheat–summer maize rotation in the North China Plain: A soil column study. Agron J 101(4):925–932

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao GJ, Wang J (2003) Research on progress of rainwater harvesting agriculture on the Loess Plateau of China. Acta Ecologica Sinica 23(5): 1003–1011(In Chinese)

  • Xu Z, Zhou G (2011) Responses of photosynthetic capacity to soil moisture gradient in perennial rhizome grass and perennial bunchgrass. BMC Plant Biol 11(1):11–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu XX, Zhang M, Li JP, Liu ZQ, Zhao ZG, Zhang YH, Zhou SL, Wang ZM (2018) Improving water use efficiency and grain yield of winter wheat by optimizing irrigations in the North China Plain. Field Crops Res 221:219–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang T, Wang QJ, Wu LS, Zhang PY, Zhao GX, Liu YL (2016) A mathematical model for the transfer of soil solutes to runoff under water scouring. Sci Total Environ 569(570):332–341

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yin YA, Chen L, Li LH, Fan XY, Wang YQ, Chen YF (2018) Effects of activated water on agronomic characteristics of rice by drip irrigation under mulch film. China Rice 24(6):70–72 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Yusuf KO, Ogunlela AO (2015) Impact of magnetic treatment of irrigation water on the growth and yield of tomato. Notulae Scientia Biologicae 7(3):345–348

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zamora-Re MI, Dukes MD, Hensley D, Rowland D, Graham W (2020) The effect of irrigation strategies and nitrogen fertilizer rates on maize growth and grain yield. Irrig Sci 38:461–478

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang LH (2005) Molecular dynamics simulation of mechanism of increasing vegetable yield by irrigated magnetization water. J Qing Univ (Natl Sci Ed) 18(1): 58–62 (In Chinese)

  • Zhang XY (2013) Regulating mechanisms for improving farmland water use efficiency. Chin J Eco Agric 21(1):80–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XY, Chen SY, Sun HY, Pei D, Wang YM (2008) Dry matter, harvest index, grain yield and water use efficiency as affected by water supply in winter wheat. Irrig Sci 27(1):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XY, Zhang XY, Liu XW, Shao LW, Sun HY, Chen SY (2015) Incorporating root distribution factor to evaluate soil water status for winter wheat. Agric Water Manag 153:32–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao H, Zhang ZB, Shao HB, Xu P, Foulkes MJ (2008) Genetic correlation and path analysis of transpiration efficiency for wheat flag leaves. Environ Exp Bot 64(2):128–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou SL, Wu YC, Wang ZM, Lu LQ, Wang RZ (2008) The nitrate leached below maize root zone is available for deep-rooted wheat in winter wheat-summer maize rotation in the North China Plain. Environ Pollut 152(3):723–730

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Q, Ristenpart WD, Stroeve P (2011) Magnetically induced decrease in droplet contact angle on nanostructured surfaces. Langmuir 27(19):11747–11751

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu LF, Zhang JH, Yu SM, Hu ZH, Jin QY (2014) Magnetized water irrigation enhanced rice growth and development, improved yield and quality. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng 30(19): 107–114 (In Chinese)

  • Zwart SJ, Bastiaanssen WGM (2004) Review of measured crop water productivity values for irrigated wheat, rice, cotton and maize. Agric Water Manag 69(2):115–133

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all anonymous reviewers for their helpful remarks. We acknowledge funding by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41830754). We are grateful for the support of the staff of the Caoxinzhuang experimental farm of Northwest A&F University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhao, G., Mu, Y., Wang, Y. et al. Response of winter-wheat grain yield and water-use efficiency to irrigation with activated water on Guanzhong Plain in China. Irrig Sci 39, 263–276 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-020-00706-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-020-00706-y

Navigation