Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China

Studying the impact of different tillage practices on crop water consumption can help us identify optimal tillage practice choices. The traditional tillage (TT) and conservation tillage (CT) methods are the dominant practices in Jilin Province, China. Few studies have explored the differences in cro...

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Main Authors: Bo Li, Lijie Qin, Mingzhu Lv, Yongcai Dang, Hang Qi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1691
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author Bo Li
Lijie Qin
Mingzhu Lv
Yongcai Dang
Hang Qi
author_facet Bo Li
Lijie Qin
Mingzhu Lv
Yongcai Dang
Hang Qi
author_sort Bo Li
collection DOAJ
description Studying the impact of different tillage practices on crop water consumption can help us identify optimal tillage practice choices. The traditional tillage (TT) and conservation tillage (CT) methods are the dominant practices in Jilin Province, China. Few studies have explored the differences in crop water consumption between TT and CT. To address this knowledge gap, this study utilized maize as its research object and employed the water footprint (WF) as the indicator to assess crop water consumption under TT and CT. This study aimed to investigate when differences in water consumption between TT and CT appear and whether the differences are significant. The results of this study demonstrated that the total WF under CT (339.65 m<sup>3</sup> t<sup>−1</sup>) was less than that under TT (378.19 m<sup>3</sup> t<sup>−1</sup>), and the spatial difference was distinct. The total WF exhibited a clear change under different CT durations. At the initial stage of CT implementation, the total WF decreased slightly compared to that under TT. With an increase in CT duration, the total WF was significantly reduced. The findings of this study demonstrate that CT is an effective measure to ensure sustainable crop production and that it could lead policymakers to choose CT to reduce water consumption.
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spelling doaj-art-ec38a5800b814fca837f5f5ef57d0a532025-08-20T03:04:40ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-08-011515169110.3390/agriculture15151691Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, ChinaBo Li0Lijie Qin1Mingzhu Lv2Yongcai Dang3Hang Qi4Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130024, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130024, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130024, ChinaSchool of Geography and Tourism, Qilu Normal University, Jinan 250200, ChinaNO.5 Geological Team of Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Taian 271000, ChinaStudying the impact of different tillage practices on crop water consumption can help us identify optimal tillage practice choices. The traditional tillage (TT) and conservation tillage (CT) methods are the dominant practices in Jilin Province, China. Few studies have explored the differences in crop water consumption between TT and CT. To address this knowledge gap, this study utilized maize as its research object and employed the water footprint (WF) as the indicator to assess crop water consumption under TT and CT. This study aimed to investigate when differences in water consumption between TT and CT appear and whether the differences are significant. The results of this study demonstrated that the total WF under CT (339.65 m<sup>3</sup> t<sup>−1</sup>) was less than that under TT (378.19 m<sup>3</sup> t<sup>−1</sup>), and the spatial difference was distinct. The total WF exhibited a clear change under different CT durations. At the initial stage of CT implementation, the total WF decreased slightly compared to that under TT. With an increase in CT duration, the total WF was significantly reduced. The findings of this study demonstrate that CT is an effective measure to ensure sustainable crop production and that it could lead policymakers to choose CT to reduce water consumption.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1691water footprintconservation tillagetraditional tillageconservation tillage duration
spellingShingle Bo Li
Lijie Qin
Mingzhu Lv
Yongcai Dang
Hang Qi
Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
Agriculture
water footprint
conservation tillage
traditional tillage
conservation tillage duration
title Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
title_full Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
title_fullStr Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
title_short Assessing the Variation in Maize Water Footprint Under Different Tillage Practices: A Case Study from Jilin Province, China
title_sort assessing the variation in maize water footprint under different tillage practices a case study from jilin province china
topic water footprint
conservation tillage
traditional tillage
conservation tillage duration
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1691
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