Volume 1 (2025) 

The effects of irrigation methods on potato yield and water use efficiency: An empirical study in Guangdong province

Huiqin Wang, Jiali Liang, Shengxia Li

Volume 1 (2025), Article ID: eip1v0214a  

Published: 2025-02-14 (Received: 2024-12-06; Revised: 2025-02-03; Accepted: 2025-02-12)

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15598630

Citation

Wang H, Liang J, Li S. The effects of irrigation methods on potato yield and water use efficiency: An empirical study in Guangdong province. Engineering Innovation and Practice, 2025, 1, eip1v0214a.

Abstract

This study systematically evaluated the effects of different irrigation methods on winter potato production in Guangdong province, providing scientific guidance for optimizing irrigation strategies. Four treatments were tested: subsurface drip irrigation, surface drip irrigation, surface micro-sprinkler irrigation, and a control (no irrigation). Their impacts on soil water-thermal conditions, nutrient availability, water use efficiency, and plant growth characteristics, as well as tuber yield and quality, were compared. The results showed that irrigation treatments significantly improved soil moisture and temperature conditions and enhanced nutrient availability. Among them, subsurface drip irrigation achieved the highest water use efficiency (7.2 kg/m³) and tuber yield (40.5 t/ha), outperforming the other methods. Surface drip irrigation and surface micro-sprinkler irrigation also significantly promoted potato growth and yield, though their yield increases were lower than subsurface drip irrigation. Additionally, all irrigation methods improved tuber quality, with varying effects. Overall, subsurface drip irrigation demonstrated outstanding water-saving and yield-enhancing benefits, making it suitable for promotion in winter potato cultivation in Guangdong province. This study not only provides technical guidance for regional potato production but also offers valuable references for efficient water resource management and the promotion of water-saving irrigation technologies in other regions.

Keywords

irrigation methods, potato yield, water use efficiency, subsurface drip irrigation, Guangdong province

References

[1] Junejo A R, Soomro S A, Gujjar K J, et al. Analysis of the application effect of wick irrigation technology in vegetable planting: A case study of sponge gourd and bitter gourd. Geographical Research Bulletin, 2023, 2, 104-111. 

[2] Chaibva P, Mugala C, Makuvaro V, et al. Adaptability analysis of quinoa cultivation: A case study of Zimbabwe. Geographical Research Bulletin, 2023, 2, 144-157. 

[3] Chen Y, Wang J, Zhang F, et al. Globalization and the new pattern of food security. Journal of Natural Resources, 2021, 36(6), 1362-1380. 

[4] Yu F. Research on the motivation, core, and countermeasures of green development of agriculture in the new era. Chinese Rural Economy, 2018, 5, 19-34. 

[5] Jin D, Wei Y, Zhang K. The research on soil water utilization mechanism in drought-resistant crops based on big data. Advances in Resources Research, 2025, 5(1), 329-349. 

[6] Wu J, Zhang Y, Li X, et al. Effects of drip irrigation under mulch on soil temperature, moisture, and wheat growth. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, 2013, 32(6), 64-70. 

[7] Yang C, Wang P, Li N, et al. Effects of drip irrigation and drip irrigation under mulch on soil temperature, moisture and crop growth. Journal of Agricultural Water Conservancy and Engineering, 2015, 31(4), 45-52. 

[8] Li G, Wang Z, Xu F, et al. Effects of drip irrigation under mulch on potato growth and yield. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2017, 33(2), 129-136. 

[9] Sun J, Zhang J, Wang L, et al. Effects of soil temperature on potato tuber development. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 2016, 53(5), 892-898. 

[10] Wu L, Wang W, Chen D, et al. Effects of sub-film drip irrigation on soil moisture and water use efficiency. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, 2016, 35(4), 75-80. 

[11] Li W, Liu L, Zhang Y, et al. Research on the role of sub-film drip irrigation in water-saving agriculture and its application. Journal of Agricultural Water Resources and Engineering, 2017, 33(6), 92-97. 

[12] Wang X, Zhu L, Wang J, et al. Study on soil moisture changes and crop water use efficiency. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 2014, 51(2), 298-304. 

[13] Zhang T, Li Y, Liu L, et al. Effects of drip irrigation under film on soil salt distribution. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 2015, 45(5), 33-37. 

[14] Li W, Chen G, Wang Q. Effects of sub-film drip irrigation on potato yield and water use efficiency. Journal of Agricultural Water Resources and Engineering, 2019, 35(7), 112-118.

[15] Wu X, Wang Q, Li X. Comparative study on the effects of drip irrigation and sub-film drip irrigation on crop growth and water management. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 2017, 48(12), 131-137.

[16] Liu Y, Zhou J, Zhang W, et al. Effects of different irrigation methods on potato plant growth and water use efficiency. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, 2018, 37(3), 63-69.

[17] Sun J, Zhang W, Wang M. Effects of sub-film drip irrigation on potato growth and yield. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2017, 33(6), 78-84.

[18] Li L, Liu Y, Yang R, et al. Effects of sub-film drip irrigation on soil moisture and crop yield. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, 2018, 37(5), 95-101.

[19] Xu L, Wang C, Zhang J. Effects of drip irrigation and sub-film drip irrigation on crop water use efficiency. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Water Resources and Engineering, 2019, 34(3), 123-129.