Catchment effect of ridging and mulching in maize field in soil wind erosion area of Loess Plateau

In order to find out the optimal catchment technology of maize planting in soil wind erosion area of Loess Plateau, soil moisture and physiological characteristics of maize were analyzed by five different planting modes which were straw mulch, planting beside filmed ridges, planting on un-filmed ridges, planting on filmed non-ridges and conventional tillage. The results showed that there were differences among soil moisture, chlorophyll content of leaf, net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rates, water use efficiency and yield characters of different treatments, and planting beside filmed ridges was the optimal planting mode. Soil moisture of cultivated layer with planting beside filmed ridges was 72.3% higher than that with conventional tillage during teaseling stage (August 9). The chlorophyll content of leaf, net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate were 16.95%, 9.77% and 16.21% higher than those of conventional tillage, respectively. The grain yield with planting beside filmed ridges was 27.28% higher than that with conventional tillage during the whole growth period. The study shows that all the catchment modes of ridging and mulching can increase maize grain yield in soil wind erosion area of Loess Plateau, and the catchment effect of the mode of planting beside filmed ridges is the best, the yield-increasing effect is optimal. The mode of planting beside filmed ridges is the optimal planting mode which is worth to be extensively extended in the area.