Effect of irrigation with saline water on soil water-salt dynamics and maize yield in Arid Northwest China

An experiment was conducted in non-weighing lysimeters to study the effect of irrigation with saline water on water movement and salt accumulation and maize yield. The experiment was carried out in northwest China, both sufficient and insufficient irrigation were applied in the first year, and only sufficient treatments in the second year. Irrigation with solute concentration of 9 g · L−1 and 6 g · L−1 led to salt accumulation about 6–8 dS · m−1 in certain depths, even downwards to 160 cm received about 4 dS · m−1 for 9 g · L−1 and 2 dS · m−1 for 6 g · L−1, which was two times more than initial. Salt-affected water extracted from soil behaved as low evapotranspiration under sufficient irrigation, and more water was left in the soil. Yield of spring maize was not affected when saturated soil paste electrical conductivity did not exceeded 1.2 dS · m−1.