Increasing potato yields with additional water and increased soil temperature

Many water saving practices have been adopted to dryland crop production such as in semiarid loess regions of China. In the present study, a field experiment was conducted to examine the yield promotion of potato crops cultivated with in plastic-covered ridges and supplied with water from a furrow rainfall harvesting (PRFRH) system. The experiment included seven treatments: (1) 30 cm wide ridge covered with plastic film (P30), (2) 45 cm wide ridge covered with plastic film (P45), (3) 60 cm wide ridge covered with plastic film (P60), (4) 30 cm wide ridge without covering (B30), (5) 45 cm wide ridge without covering (B45), (6) 60 cm wide ridge without covering (B60), (7) soil surface flat without covering (B0). The PRFRH system increased temperature and availability of nutrients in the ridges, and maintained soil moisture in ridges. It promoted crop growth during the early period and diminished water stress at the later stages of potato growth. Potato yield as well as the water use efficiency in the PRFRT system was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than in the other systems. The best ridge width was between 40 and 45 cm.