Abstract:
To tackle the environmental challenges stemming from the inefficient use of water and fertilizers in vineyards located in the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi, China, it is essential to establish effective irrigation and fertilizer management practices. This will help balance grape growth, nutrient retention, yield factors, and greenhouse gas emissions in the area. A three-year field trial conducted from 2019 to 2021 utilized 'Hutai 8' as the test variety. The study employed a complete combination design featuring three irrigation levels: W3 (100% of the irrigation quota, M), W2 (75% of M), and W1 (50% of M), along with four fertilizer rates: F3 (648 kg/hm
2), F2 (486 kg/hm
2), F1 (324 kg/hm
2), and F0 (0 kg/hm
2). The research aimed to investigate the impacts of irrigation and fertilization on grape growth, soil water and fertilizer distribution, greenhouse gas emissions, and yield components. The TOPSIS method was applied to identify the optimal irrigation and fertilizer amounts for grape cultivation. The findings indicated that among the two factors of irrigation and fertilization, fertilization had a predominant impact on the leaf area index, SPAD value, leaf nitrogen content, leaf phosphorus content, and leaf potassium content. As the amount of fertilization increased from F0 to F2 treatments, these index values rose significantly. Irrigation notably influenced soil moisture levels up to 60 cm deep. The residual nutrient content in the F1 and F0 treatments declined each year, while it increased in the F3 treatment. Proper application of potassium fertilizer across the three types of soil can effectively help reduce the residual soil nutrient levels. In comparison to irrigation, fertilization was the main factor affecting the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. As fertilization increased, the cumulative emissions of N
2O rose significantly, while the cumulative emissions of CO
2 gradually declined. Over the last two years, the cumulative emissions of CH
4 were mostly negative, indicating that the soil absorbed CH
4 gas. Between 2019 and 2021, the highest grape yield, water use efficiency, and fertilizer agronomic use efficiency were achieved with the F2 treatment. The best irrigation and fertilization strategies, determined using the TOPSIS method while considering grapevine growth, yield components, and soil conditions, were W2F2 (225 m
3/hm
2 of irrigation and 486 kg/hm
2 of fertilization) during wet years and W3F2 (465 m
3/hm
2 of irrigation and 486 kg/hm
2 of fertilization) during dry years. The research offers a theoretical framework for managing the growth and maximizing the yield of grapevines by combining water and fertilizer usage. It also serves as a guide for creating effective water and fertilizer management plans for vineyards, aiming to achieve a balance between yield and environmental advantages during both wet and dry seasons.