Quantifying Synergistic Effects of Mulch and Drip Irrigation on Water Use Efficiency, Soil Temperature, and Crop Performance in Desert Cropping Systems: A Meta-Analysis
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The combination of mulching and drip irrigation is widely promoted for desert agriculture, but rigorous quantification of synergistic benefits where combined effects exceed the sum of individual interventions remains limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesize evidence from 73 studies (2000-2024) encompassing 287 independent comparisons across arid and semi-arid cropping systems to quantify synergistic effects on water use efficiency (WUE), soil temperature dynamics, and crop productivity. Results demonstrate significant positive synergy: the combined mulch plus drip irrigation system increased WUE by 78.4% compared to conventional irrigation, while drip alone increased WUE by 52.3% and mulch alone by 38.7%, indicating a 21.6% synergistic benefit beyond additive effects (p<0.001). Plastic mulch plus drip systems showed greatest synergy (synergy index: 1.34), followed by organic mulch plus drip (synergy index: 1.18). The combination reduced maximum soil temperature extremes by 6.8°C and increased minimum temperatures by 4.2°C compared to bare soil drip systems, creating more favorable thermal regimes. Shallow-rooted crops (vegetables) exhibited greater synergistic WUE benefits (synergy index: 1.42) than deep-rooted crops (fruit trees; synergy index: 1.15). The mulch-drip combination advanced crop phenology by 5.8 days, extended growing seasons by 12.3 days, and increased yields by 42.7% compared to drip irrigation alone. Economic analysis revealed benefit-cost ratios of 2.8-4.2 for the combined system. Sub-group analyses revealed that synergistic effects were maximized in extremely arid climates (<200 mm rainfall), sandy soils, and with plastic mulch widths of 80-100 cm. These findings provide robust evidence that mulch and drip irrigation exhibit true synergy rather than merely additive effects, with implications for optimizing resource-use efficiency in water-scarce desert agriculture.
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