A Smart Soil Moisture Monitoring and Micro-sprinkler Irrigation Method for High-Yield Cultivation of Wheat in Sandy Black Soil Areas

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of crop cultivation technology and provides a smart soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield wheat cultivation in sandy loam black soil areas. The method includes: S1. Variety selection and seed treatment; S2. Straw return and land preparation; S3. Basal fertilizer application; S4. Sowing; S5. Smart soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation; S6. Delayed nitrogen fertilization and topdressing at critical stages; S7. Other field management techniques according to local high-yield field methods. By integrating key technologies such as soil moisture monitoring, micro-sprinkler irrigation, and optimized nitrogen fertilizer management, precise water and nitrogen supplementation are applied based on the water deficit in the 0-40 cm soil profile during the key stages of jointing, booting, flowering, and grain filling, aiming to achieve synergistic high wheat yield and efficient water and fertilizer utilization. This invention significantly improves wheat yield in sandy loam black soil areas and has significant practical value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of crop cultivation technology, specifically relating to a smart soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy black soil areas. Background Technology

[0002] The sandy black soil widely distributed in the Huaibei Plain of Anhui Province is a representative type of low- to medium-yield soil in the region. As the core wheat-producing area in the southern part of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, grain production in the Huaibei wheat region is of great significance to the region's food security.

[0003] Sandy black soil mainly develops in inter-river plains and piedmont depressions. Its soil formation process has undergone historical stages of gleying and degleying, resulting in a unique profile: from top to bottom, it consists of a thin, dark brown soil layer covered by recent sediments, a dark black soil layer rich in humic acid organic colloids, and a sandy black soil layer characterized by carbonate deposition. Although the soil is dark in color, its organic matter content is actually very low, and its fertility is extremely poor. Its parent material is mostly lacustrine sediments, with a heavy texture and rich in expansive clay minerals, leading to well-developed soil fissures and columnar structures, making it difficult to form stable water-stable aggregates. This special soil structure results in extremely poor physical properties: it is sticky and poorly aerated when wet, and hard and compacted when dry, with extremely poor tillage performance. It exhibits typical characteristics of being prone to both flooding and drought, and has a low water and fertilizer coordination capacity, hence the name "stiff soil".

[0004] The unfavorable properties of sandy black soil directly restrict winter wheat production. Drought stress during the wheat sowing period directly leads to uneven emergence, slow seedling growth, and a significant decrease in the population size. The weak pre-winter seedlings have poor resistance to adverse conditions, and drought further exacerbates the damage. Due to the poor water retention capacity of the soil, it cracks during drought, accelerating water evaporation and loss. Excessive rainfall or irrigation clogs soil pores, drastically worsening permeability and severely inhibiting crop root growth. Furthermore, the region's low-lying terrain makes it prone to waterlogging, the soil has a short suitable cultivation period, and rainfall is unevenly distributed in the Huaihe River Basin, resulting in frequent occurrences of various obstacles such as drought, waterlogging, infertility, stunted growth, and cold conditions, causing severe damage. Ultimately, this has led to a long-term predicament of low and unstable winter wheat yields with large yield fluctuations in the region.

[0005] In terms of yield, although my country has achieved record-breaking wheat yields exceeding 600 kg per mu (approximately 4,000 kg per hectare) in some areas, the average yield of wheat in the sandy loam black soil region of the Huaihe Plain is still far below this level. This reflects the basic fact that the region has a high proportion of low- and medium-yield fields, prominent soil obstacles, and enormous potential for improvement. Technically, the current large-scale, industrialized production technology system for high-quality wheat in the sandy loam black soil region is still incomplete, particularly lacking in the "four-dimensional" collaborative management of intelligent, precise, data-driven, and real-time operations. Regarding irrigation management, the long-standing practice of flood irrigation is severely incompatible with the "waterlogging-drought-prone" soil characteristics of the sandy loam black soil. Flood irrigation not only involves large single-use water consumption, easily causing short-term waterlogging on the surface of heavy clay soils and damaging the root zone microenvironment; during droughts, the soil cracks rapidly, allowing water to seep into deeper layers or evaporate, resulting in extremely low irrigation water use efficiency. More importantly, traditional flood irrigation struggles to achieve precise water supply during critical crop growth periods, often resulting in both water deficits during key growth stages and water waste during other periods.

[0006] Although recent studies have shown that micro-sprinkler irrigation has significant water-saving potential in the Huaibei region, such as effectively maintaining suitable soil moisture content in the 0-20 cm soil layer during the seedling stage and promoting root development, existing research has not yet deeply coupled micro-sprinkler irrigation technology with real-time soil moisture monitoring to form a systematic irrigation decision-making system. How to establish an irrigation system encompassing irrigation timing, frequency, and water volume, integrate comprehensive control technologies for the "drought, waterlogging, infertility, and stagnation" problems of sandy loam black soil, and achieve synergistic improvement in high yield and quality remains a key issue that urgently needs to be addressed in the agricultural technology field of this region.

[0007] In summary, given the prominent production obstacles such as drought, waterlogging, infertility, and stunted growth in the sandy black soil region of the Huaibei Plain in Anhui Province, as well as the core problems of low water use efficiency and difficulty in synergistic development of yield and quality under traditional flood irrigation conditions, there is an urgent need to research and develop a high-yield cultivation method based on intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation technology. This method would enable precise control of soil moisture, overcome the limitations of the barrier layer, and fully adapt to the local climate and soil characteristics, thereby providing a scientific basis and technical support for improving the quality and efficiency of wheat production in this region. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a smart, soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield wheat cultivation in sandy loam black soil regions. This method integrates key technologies such as soil moisture monitoring, micro-sprinkler irrigation, and optimized nitrogen fertilizer management. It precisely replenishes water and topsoil based on the water deficit in the 0–40 cm soil profile during critical periods of jointing, booting, flowering, and grain filling, aiming to achieve a synergistic effect of high wheat yield and efficient water and fertilizer utilization.

[0009] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation includes the following steps: S1. Variety Selection and Seed Treatment Variety selection: Select wheat varieties; Seed treatment: Three days before sowing, coat or mix the seeds with a seed coating agent to ensure even coating. After coating, place the seeds in a cool place to dry before sowing. S2. Straw return to the field and land preparation The harvesting and stubble removal of the previous crop are carried out in an integrated manner. All the straw of the previous crop is crushed and returned to the field. Every 2 to 3 years, before the winter wheat is sown, the straw of the previous crop is deeply plowed and buried once. After deep plowing and drying for 2 to 3 days, a rotary tiller is used for fine tillage, and the operation is carried out twice to ensure that the soil is finely broken. After rotary tillage, a drive harrow is used for harrowing to make the soil loose on top and firm underneath, and the ground level. S3. Application of base fertilizer Combined with the final rotary tillage, full-layer fertilization technology is adopted, and commercial organic fertilizer, pure nitrogen, P2O5, K2O and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) are evenly applied per acre and evenly applied to the soil before tillage; S4. Sowing Sowing should be carried out from October 18th to October 25th. After the previous crop is harvested, sowing should be carried out according to the soil moisture and the suitable sowing period for winter wheat. Before sowing, the soil moisture content at a depth of 0 cm to 20 cm should be 80% of the maximum field capacity. If the soil moisture is insufficient, it should be replenished after sowing. Sowing machinery suitable for straw return to the field should be selected for sowing. S5. Smart moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation Automatic soil moisture monitoring stations were installed in the fields using a five-point sampling method to monitor the soil moisture content in the 0-40 cm soil layer in real time, with data uploaded to the cloud management platform hourly. Micro-sprinkler irrigation was carried out during the key growth stages of wheat. When the field water holding capacity was less than 75% during the above-mentioned period, micro-sprinkler irrigation was started and continued until the field water holding capacity reached 75%. S6. Delaying Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Topdressing During Critical Periods The total amount of topdressing fertilizer per mu is 6 kg, which is applied in equal amounts in multiple applications during the jointing stage, booting stage, flowering stage and grain filling stage. Water and fertilizer integration is adopted. If the soil moisture is >75% field capacity during the above key growth stages, a small amount (5 mm) of supplemental irrigation is carried out for topdressing. S7. Other field management techniques shall follow the methods commonly used in high-yield fields in the local area.

[0010] Furthermore, the wheat variety described in S1 is a semi-winter wheat variety. Select high-quality wheat varieties suitable for legal promotion in the Huaibei Plain region of Anhui Province; these varieties should be semi-winter varieties with short, thick basal internodes, strong resilience, compact plant type, upward-pointing leaves, well-developed root system, and high yield and resistance to disease.

[0011] Furthermore, the seed coating agent described in S1 comprises silthiophanate-methyl, fludioxonil, and thiamethoxam; wherein the ratio of drug to seed is 1:50.

[0012] Furthermore, the depth of cultivation in S2 is 23 cm to 25 cm.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotary tillage depth in S2 is 16 cm to 20 cm.

[0014] Furthermore, in S3, the application rate of commercial organic fertilizer (nitrogen content ≥5%) is 100-150 kg / mu, the application rate of pure nitrogen is 7.0-8.0 kg / mu, the application rate of P2O5 is 6.0-8.0 kg / mu, the application rate of K2O is 6.0-8.0 kg / mu, and the application rate of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) is 1 kg / mu.

[0015] Furthermore, for plots with severe soil-borne diseases, soil disinfection treatment should be carried out before sowing; apply 1-1.5 kg of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 0.8-1.2 kg of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder per acre, mix it evenly with 20-30 kg of fine soil, spread it on the soil surface, and then plow it to effectively kill pathogens in the soil.

[0016] Furthermore, the sowing rate in S4 is 10.0 kg to 12.5 kg per mu, and the basic seedling density is 180,000 to 200,000 per mu.

[0017] Furthermore, in S4, the row spacing is 20 cm and the sowing depth is 3 cm to 5 cm.

[0018] Furthermore, the key growth periods for wheat in S5 include the jointing stage, booting stage, flowering stage, and grain-filling stage.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention utilizes automatic soil moisture monitoring stations deployed in fields of sandy loam and black soil regions to monitor the soil moisture content in the 0-40 cm layer in real time. The data is uploaded to a cloud management platform. During key growth stages of wheat, such as the jointing, booting, flowering, and grain-filling stages, micro-sprinkler irrigation is automatically initiated based on a field water holding capacity (FBC) threshold of <75%, precisely supplementing irrigation to 75%. This method effectively solves the problems of inappropriate timing and inefficient water usage associated with traditional flood irrigation, achieving on-demand water supply and precise supplementary irrigation, significantly improving water use efficiency.

[0020] This invention replaces traditional flood irrigation with micro-sprinkler irrigation, reducing soil compaction and crack formation, improving the root zone microenvironment, and automatically determining the timing and amount of irrigation during key growth stages such as jointing, booting, flowering, and grain filling by real-time monitoring of soil moisture at a depth of 0-40 cm. This solves the technical problems of inappropriate irrigation timing and extensive irrigation methods in the sandy loam black soil region. Simultaneously, it integrates fertigation technology to achieve on-demand water and nitrogen supply, highly adapted to the soil characteristics of the sandy loam black soil region. Furthermore, soil moisture-monitoring micro-sprinkler irrigation significantly increases the leaf area index of winter wheat during flowering, delays flag leaf senescence after flowering, and prolongs the duration of peak photosynthesis. The MSI4 treatment maintains a high chlorophyll content 21 days after flowering, promoting dry matter accumulation. The dry matter accumulation during flowering and maturity is significantly higher than that of traditional flood irrigation, laying a material foundation for high grain yield.

[0021] This invention integrates fertigation technology to achieve on-demand water supply and multi-stage nitrogen application, with a total topdressing amount of 6 kg per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares) applied in equal amounts at four key stages. Two-year trials showed that the MSI4 treatment increased yield by over 100 kg compared to traditional flood irrigation, significantly improving nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency and achieving a synergistic improvement in both high wheat yield and efficient water and nitrogen utilization.

[0022] This invention provides a smart soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield wheat cultivation in sandy loam black soil areas. It effectively overcomes the obstacles of sandy loam black soil and achieves the goal of high wheat yield in these areas, providing a reliable technical path for stable and high wheat yield and efficient resource utilization in this region. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Example 1 The basic conditions of the experimental field in this embodiment are as follows: Trial period: 2021-2023 Experimental location: Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Farm, Mengcheng County, Anhui Province (33°9'44″N, 116°32'56″E).

[0025] Climate conditions: The experimental area is located in the southern part of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, with a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate. The annual average precipitation is 803 mm, with the main precipitation occurring from June to August; the annual average precipitation during the winter wheat season is 237.4 mm.

[0026] Soil type: Sandy black soil.

[0027] The physicochemical properties of the soil 0–20 cm before winter wheat sowing were as follows: organic matter 11.3 g·kg⁻¹ -1 Available nitrogen 108.5 mg·kg -1 61.9 mg·kg of readily available phosphorus -1 189.7 mg / kg of readily available potassium -1 .

[0028] Previous crop: Summer maize This embodiment provides a method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, including the following steps: S1. Variety Selection and Seed Treatment Variety selection: Select the semi-winter wheat variety Jimai 22; select varieties that can be legally promoted in the Huaibei Plain area of ​​Anhui Province, and should be semi-winter varieties with short and thick basal internodes, strong toughness, compact plant type, upward-pointing leaves, well-developed root system, and multiple resistance and high yield. Seed treatment: Three days before sowing, coat or mix the seeds with a special seed coating agent. The seed coating contains silthiophanate-methyl, fludioxonil and thiamethoxam, with a seed-to-drying ratio of 1:50. Ensure uniform coating and dry the seeds in a cool place before sowing. S2. Straw return to the field and land preparation A corn combine harvester with a straw return device is selected, integrating harvesting and stubble removal. All corn stalks are crushed and returned to the field. Every 2-3 years, before winter wheat sowing, the previous summer corn stalks are deeply plowed and buried once, with a plowing depth of 23-25 ​​cm. After deep plowing and drying for 2-3 days, a rotary tiller is used for fine tillage, with a tillage depth of 16-20 cm, and the operation is repeated twice to ensure that the soil is finely broken. After rotary tillage, a drive harrow is used for harrowing to achieve a soil condition of "loose on top, firm underneath, and flat ground". S3. Application of base fertilizer Combined with the final rotary tillage, the whole-layer fertilization technology is adopted. 100-150 kg of commercial organic fertilizer (nitrogen content ≥5%), 7.0-8.0 kg of pure nitrogen, 6.0-8.0 kg of P2O5, 6.0-8.0 kg of K2O, and 1 kg of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) are evenly applied per acre and evenly incorporated into the soil before tillage. In addition, for plots with severe soil-borne diseases, soil disinfection treatment should be carried out before sowing. 1-1.5 kg of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 0.8-1.2 kg of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder per acre can be mixed evenly with 20-30 kg of fine soil and spread on the soil surface before tilling to effectively kill pathogens in the soil. S4. Sowing The suitable sowing period for winter wheat in the Huaibei Plain area of ​​Anhui Province is from October 18th to October 25th. After the summer corn harvest, sowing should be carried out according to the soil moisture conditions and the suitable sowing period for winter wheat. Before sowing, the soil moisture content at a depth of 0 cm to 20 cm should reach 80% of the maximum field capacity. If the soil moisture is insufficient, it should be replenished after sowing. Sowing machinery suitable for straw return should be used. The sowing rate is 10.0 kg to 12.5 kg per mu, and the basic seedling density is 180,000 to 200,000 per mu. The row spacing is 20 cm, and the sowing depth is 3 cm to 5 cm. S5. Smart moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation Automatic soil moisture monitoring stations (model: Top Cloud Agriculture TZS-3X) were installed in the fields using the "five-point sampling method" to monitor the soil moisture content in the 0-40 cm soil layer in real time, and the data was uploaded to the cloud management platform every hour. During the key growth stages of wheat, including the jointing stage, booting stage, flowering stage, and grain-filling stage, when the field water holding capacity was <75%, micro-sprinkler irrigation was started and continued until the field water holding capacity reached 75%. S6. Delaying Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Topdressing During Critical Periods The total amount of topdressing fertilizer per mu is 6 kg, which is applied in equal amounts at the jointing stage, booting stage, flowering stage and grain filling stage. Water and fertilizer integration is adopted. If the soil moisture is >75% field capacity during the key growth period, a small amount (5 mm) of supplemental irrigation is carried out for topdressing.

[0029] S7. Other field management techniques shall follow the methods commonly used in high-yield fields in the local area.

[0030] Experiments and Data The impact of moisture-monitoring micro-sprinkler fertigation on wheat yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency Experiment time and location: The field experiment was conducted during the winter wheat growing seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 at the Mengcheng County Agricultural Science and Technology Demonstration Farm in Anhui Province (33°9′44″N, 116°32′56″E). The experimental area is located in the southern part of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, with a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate.

[0031] The experimental field soil is sandy black soil, with a traditional wheat-corn double cropping rotation. The soil organic matter content in the 0–20 cm soil layer before winter wheat sowing was 11.3 g·kg⁻¹. -1 Available nitrogen 108.5 mg·kg -1 61.9 mg·kg of readily available phosphorus -1 189.7 mg / kg of readily available potassium -1 .

[0032] Experimental materials and design: The semi-winter wheat variety "Jimai 22" was selected as the test material. Four different water and fertilizer management modes were set up: traditional flood irrigation of 60 mm at the jointing stage (CI), supplemental irrigation based on soil moisture at the jointing, booting, and flowering stages (MSI3), and supplemental irrigation based on soil moisture at the jointing, booting, flowering, and mid-grain filling stages (MSI4).

[0033] Pre-sowing basal application of P2O5 112.5 kg·hm² for each treatment -2 K2O 112.5 kg·hm -2 Traditional flood irrigation (CI) and soil moisture-monitoring supplemental irrigation (MSI3, MSI4) each applied 112.5 kg·hm² of pure nitrogen as basal fertilizer. -2 ; CI should be applied as a top dressing of pure nitrogen at the jointing stage, combined with irrigation. -2 The irrigation volume is 60 mm; MSI3 is applied as a top dressing of 30 kg·hm² of pure nitrogen each time during the jointing, booting, and flowering stages using fertigation. -2 MSI4 was applied as a top dressing of 22.5 kg·hm² of pure nitrogen each time during the jointing, booting, flowering, and mid-grain-filling stages using fertigation. -2 The target irrigation amount is the difference between the water volume of the micro-sprinkler irrigation and 75% of the field water holding capacity of the soil at a depth of 0–40 cm.

[0034] Micro-sprinkler irrigation uses wheat-specific micro-sprinkler tape (ZL201222 0356553.7) developed by Shandong Agricultural University, with a spray angle of 80°. The irrigation water is well water, and the irrigation water volume is precisely controlled by a water meter. Other field management measures are the same as those for typical high-yield fields in the area.

[0035] Test 1. Irrigation volume at different stages of the soil moisture measurement and supplemental irrigation treatment. Re-irrigation was carried out based on the soil moisture measurement results of the 0-40 cm soil layer. The specific re-irrigation amounts for MSI3 and MSI4 treatments over two years are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Irrigation volume (mm) for each period of soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation treatment from 2021 to 2023

[0036] Table 1 shows that the field water holding capacity of the 0–40 cm soil layer was below 75% during the wheat jointing, booting, flowering, and grain-filling stages. Based on calculations, supplementary irrigation and nitrogen topdressing were applied accordingly. According to the data in Table 1, the total supplementary irrigation amount was 57.34 mm in 2021–2022 and 33.58 mm in 2022–2023. The total supplementary irrigation amount for both MSI3 and MSI4 treatments was lower than the total irrigation amount of traditional flood irrigation (60 mm).

[0037] Test 2. Wheat Canopy Leaf Area Index (LAI) At the jointing, heading, and flowering stages, half-meter double-row sections were taken from each experimental plot. The area of ​​the green leaves was measured using a Li-3100 leaf area meter (Li Cor, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, USA) to calculate the green leaf area index. The experimental results are shown in Table 2. Table 2. Impact of soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation on wheat LAI (Lead Intake) from 2021 to 2023

[0038] Table 2 shows that the overall trend of the two-year experiment results is consistent. Specifically, at the jointing stage, there was no significant difference in LAI among CI, MSI1, and MSI2; at the flowering stage, LAI was higher for MSI3 and MSI4 than for CI. The experimental results indicate that soil moisture monitoring and supplemental irrigation can significantly increase the canopy leaf area index of winter wheat at the flowering stage, thereby increasing its photosynthetic area.

[0039] Test 3. Chlorophyll content of wheat flag leaves To monitor the effect of moisture-controlled micro-sprinkler irrigation on the post-flowering leaf senescence process of wheat, 20 representative flag leaves were selected from each experimental plot at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after flowering, and the chlorophyll (a+b) content of the flag leaves was determined by alcohol extraction.

[0040] Table 3. Effects of soil moisture measurement and micro-sprinkler irrigation on post-flowering flag leaf senescence in wheat from 2021 to 2023 (mg / g)

[0041] Table 3 shows that the trends of the two-year experiment were basically consistent. The chlorophyll content of all treatments peaked on day 7 after flowering, gradually decreasing from day 7 to day 28. The decrease in flag leaf chlorophyll content was significantly greater at days 21 and 28 compared to day 14. The chlorophyll content of MSI3 and MSI4 was significantly higher than that of CI after flowering. From 0 to 21 days after flowering, the flag leaf chlorophyll content of MSI3 was significantly higher than that of MSI4. After 21 days, the chlorophyll content of MSI4 began to exceed that of MSI3. These results indicate that soil moisture monitoring and supplemental irrigation are beneficial in delaying the senescence of wheat flag leaves after flowering and prolonging the duration of its photosynthetic peak, especially in the MSI4 treatment.

[0042] Test 4. Dry matter accumulation in wheat plants Dry matter was measured at the jointing, flowering, and maturity stages. Representative 50 cm sections from two adjacent rows were taken from each experimental plot and further subdivided according to different parts (stem + sheath, leaves, ear, grains, and remaining grains). After blanching at 105℃ for 30 min, the samples were dried at 75℃ to constant weight and weighed. The results are shown in Table 4. Table 4. Effects of soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation on wheat dry matter accumulation from 2021 to 2023 (kg / hm²) -2 )

[0043] Table 4 shows that the soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation treatments (MSI3 and MSI4) significantly increased wheat dry matter accumulation at both flowering and maturity stages compared to the conventional flood irrigation (CI) treatment. In the two-year trials of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the dry matter accumulation at flowering stage under MSI3 increased by 12.51% and 11.88% compared to CI, respectively, while the dry matter accumulation at flowering stage under MSI4 increased by 12.44% and 10.92% compared to CI, respectively. At maturity, the dry matter accumulation under MSI3 increased by 15.08% and 16.46% compared to CI, respectively, while the dry matter accumulation at maturity under MSI4 increased by 17.81% and 14.32% compared to CI, respectively.

[0044] Test 5. Wheat yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency At wheat maturity, each experimental plot yielded a representative 2-meter-long wheat plantation with uniform growth. 2 The area of ​​wheat ears was threshed manually to calculate the yield per hectare. Soil moisture content at a depth of 1 meter was measured before sowing and at maturity to calculate soil water consumption during the wheat growing season. The total water consumption during the wheat growing season was the sum of soil water consumption, irrigation, and rainfall. Water use efficiency was the ratio of yield to total water consumption. Nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency was the ratio of yield to nitrogen application.

[0045] Table 5. Impact of soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation on wheat yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency from 2021 to 2023.

[0046] Table 5 shows that in the two-year trials of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the yield of MSI3 increased by 5.72% and 6.18% compared to CI, respectively, while the yield of MSI4 increased by 12.75% and 11.56% compared to CI, respectively. The water use efficiency of the MSI3 treatment was significantly improved compared to CI, increasing by 11.06% and 15.52%, respectively, while the water use efficiency of the MSI4 treatment increased by 27.88% and 24.71%, respectively. The nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of MSI3 was significantly improved compared to CI, increasing by 5.71% and 6.18%, respectively, while the nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency of MSI4 increased by 12.74% and 11.56%, respectively. The two-year results indicate that the MSI4 treatment had the highest yield, water use efficiency, and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency.

[0047] In summary, this invention, through studying the effects of precise supplemental irrigation during key growth periods and reduced-volume, increased-frequency application of nitrogen fertilizer through fertigation on wheat yield, water use efficiency, and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency, demonstrates that the cultivation method of this invention can synergistically improve wheat yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency.

[0048] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam and black soil regions using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: S1. Variety Selection and Seed Treatment Select wheat varieties; 3 days before sowing, coat or mix the seeds with a seed coating agent, and then place them in a cool place to dry before sowing; S2. Straw return to the field and land preparation The harvesting and stubble removal of the previous crop are carried out in an integrated manner. All the straw of the previous crop is crushed and returned to the field. Every 2 to 3 years, before the winter wheat is sown, the straw of the previous crop is deeply plowed and buried once. After deep plowing and drying for 2 to 3 days, fine tillage is carried out. The operation is carried out twice to ensure that the soil is finely broken. After rotary tillage, a driven harrow is used for harrowing to achieve a state where the soil is loose on top and firm underneath, and the ground is flat. S3. Application of base fertilizer Combined with the final rotary tillage, the whole-layer fertilization technology is applied, and commercial organic fertilizer, pure nitrogen, P2O5, K2O and zinc sulfate are evenly applied per acre and evenly applied to the soil before tillage; S4. Sowing Before sowing, ensure that the soil moisture content at a depth of 0 cm to 20 cm reaches 80% of the maximum field capacity. If the soil moisture is insufficient, replenish the soil moisture after sowing. Use sowing machinery suitable for straw return conditions. S5. Smart moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation Automatic soil moisture monitoring stations were installed in the fields using a five-point sampling method to monitor the soil moisture content in the 0-40 cm soil layer in real time, with data uploaded to the cloud management platform hourly. Micro-sprinkler irrigation was carried out during the key growth stages of wheat. When the field water holding capacity was less than 75% during the above-mentioned period, micro-sprinkler irrigation was started and continued until the field water holding capacity reached 75%. S6. Delaying Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Topdressing During Critical Periods The total amount of topdressing fertilizer per mu is 6 kg, which is applied in equal amounts and multiple times during the above-mentioned key growth periods. Water and fertilizer integration is adopted. If the soil moisture is >75% field capacity during the above-mentioned key growth periods, supplementary irrigation is carried out for topdressing. S7. Other field management techniques shall follow the methods commonly used in high-yield fields in the local area.

2. The intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wheat variety described in S1 is a semi-winter wheat variety.

3. The intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seed coating agent described in S1 contains silthiamethoxam, fludioxonil, and thiamethoxam; the ratio of the drug to the seed is 1:

50.

4. The intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, The depth of tillage in S2 is 23 cm to 25 cm.

5. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... In S2, the rotary tillage depth is 16 cm to 20 cm.

6. The intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S3, the application rates of commercial organic fertilizer are 100–150 kg / mu, pure nitrogen is 7.0–8.0 kg / mu, P2O5 is 6.0–8.0 kg / mu, K2O is 6.0–8.0 kg / mu, and zinc sulfate is 1 kg / mu.

7. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... For plots with severe soil-borne diseases, soil disinfection should be carried out before sowing. Apply 1-1.5 kg of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 0.8-1.2 kg of 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder per acre, mix it evenly with 20-30 kg of fine soil, spread it on the soil surface, and then plow it to effectively kill pathogens in the soil.

8. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The sowing rate for S4 is 10.0 kg to 12.5 kg per mu, and the basic seedling density is 180,000 to 200,000 per mu.

9. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... In S4, the row spacing is 20 cm and the sowing depth is 3 cm to 5 cm.

10. A method for high-yield cultivation of wheat in sandy loam black soil areas using intelligent soil moisture monitoring and micro-sprinkler irrigation, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The key growth periods for wheat in S5 include the jointing stage, booting stage, flowering stage, and grain-filling stage.

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