Effects of Fertilizer Application and Mulch Strawon Water Use Efficiency of Crops in Dryland

Field experiments were conducted in Heyang, Shaanxi Province from 1992 to 1995 to study the effects of fertilizer application and mulch straw on water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat and spring sunflowers. The results showed that the WUE increased with the amount of fertilizer applied within a certain range of fertilizer application. Mulch straw could increase WUE by reducing soil evaporation and increasing crop transpiration. The yield could be increased by using the technique of rational fertilizer application and mulch straw in dryland.