Moisture and temperature effects of different tillage and film-mulching techniques for spring maize in the gully region of the Loess Plateau

The moisture and temperature effects of different tillage and film-mulching techniques for spring maize in the gully region of the Loess Plateau are studied. The results show that the best effects of moisture and temperature can be attained if the soil is tilled and ridged in autumn and is mulched with the plastic film in spring just before the thawing time. Compared with those of the control (i. e. the soil is tilled and ridged in autumn and is mulched with plastic film in seeding time), the moisture capacity in the soil of 0～200cm in depth is increased by 56.35mm in pre-sowing time and by 64.63～104.42mm in growth prophase (from seedling time to he ading time) and the average temperature in the soil of 0～10cm in depth is increased by 1.1～1.5℃. In a year of drought, the yield of maize reac hes to 5652.0kg/hm²，which increases by 37.12%, and the water use efficiency reaches 19.57kg/hm²，which increases by 1.93kg/m³.