Optimizing Soil Hydrothermal Parameters Through Furrow Mulching to Achieve High Potato Yield and Water Productivity

This study reports a field experiment conducted from 2020 to 2021 to examine the influence of changes in the moisture and temperature of soil on the potato yield under the mulching-based modes of ZM (flat planting with straw partial mulching), HM (high ridge straw with partial mulching) and PM (flat planting with local plastic film mulching) planting, with the traditional open-field flat crop (CK) used as the control. The results showed that compared with CK, the average tuber yield increased by 38.68% under the PM treatment, 36.91% under the HM treatment, and 23.37% under the ZM treatment over two growing seasons. At the same time, the HM treatment increased tuber yield by 13.69%, large tuber percentage by 0.40%, and water use efficiency (WUE) by 15.31% compared with the ZM treatment. Across two growing seasons, the soil water storage capacity in the 0–180 cm soil layer was significantly enhanced by the potato mulching treatments compared to the CK. Specifically, the HM treatment increased it by an average of 43.04 mm, the ZM treatment by 36.71 mm, and the PM treatment by 24.63 mm. Compared with CK, the PM treatment increased the average soil temperature by 1.23 °C, while the HM and ZM treatments decreased it by 1.42 °C and 2.10 °C, respectively. Furthermore, partial straw mulching enhanced soil organic carbon content relative to both CK and PM treatments, with the HM treatment exhibiting a greater increase than the ZM treatment. Therefore, the HM treatment represents a cultivation model that enhances yields and efficiency and is well-suited to the green and sustainable development of dryland farming in Northwest China.