To investigate the dynamics of dry matter accumulation and translocation, nitrogen uptake and utilization, and grain yield of spring wheat under different mulching practices, a field experiment was conducted in 2024 in the rainfed region of Northwestern China. Four treatments were applied: plastic film mulching (PM), straw strip mulching (SM), crushed straw mulching (CM), and a non-mulching control (CK). The effects of these mulching practices on dry matter and nitrogen accumulation, distribution, translocation, nitrogen use efficiency, and yield formation were analyzed. The results showed that mulching promoted aboveground growth and nitrogen accumulation in spring wheat, with the magnitude of increase ranking as PM>SM>CM. Dry matter and nitrogen allocation responded synchronously to mulching practices. Compared with CK, PM significantly reduced the dry matter and nitrogen distribution proportions in leaves at anthesis by 6.73% and 16.55%, respectively. Meanwhile, SM significantly increased the dry matter and nitrogen distribution proportions in grains at maturity by 5.39% and 6.63%, respectively, compared with PM. Mulching markedly influenced dry matter translocation. Compared with CK, PM significantly increased pre-anthesis dry matter translocation by 84.04%, while CM significantly enhanced post-anthesis dry matter assimilation by 48.46%, with SM exhibiting intermediate values. All mulching treatments significantly increased both pre-anthesis nitrogen translocation and post-anthesis nitrogen assimilation, with increase rate of 35.22% (SM), 32.43% (PM), and 21.26% (CM) for the former, and 34.51% (PM), 17.07% (CM), and 8.95% (SM) for the latter. Mulching also differentially affected nitrogen utilization. PM exhibited the highest nitrogen uptake efficiency, whereas SM and CM showed significantly higher nitrogen harvest indices than PM and CK. Furthermore, all mulching treatments significantly increased grain yield compared with CK, with yield increase rate of 33.10% (PM), 16.09% (SM), and 12.98% (CM). These findings indicate that mulching enhances grain yield by optimizing dry matter and nitrogen accumulation, allocation, and translocation in spring wheat. Taking yield, resource use efficiency, and sustainability into consideration, straw strip mulching (SM) is a highly promising mulching technology in spring wheat production in the rain-fed areas of Northwestern China.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |