Soil-plant-environment informed deficit drip irrigation enhances maize yield and resource-use efficiency
Junsheng Lu·Tiantian Hu·Zhijie Chang·Shicheng Yan·Yue Li·Youzhen Xiang·Junliang Fan·Fucang Zhang·Shikun Sun·Xiaolu Cui
Increasing water scarcity and rainfall variability under climate change are major constraints to sustainable crop production in dryland agricultural systems, highlighting the need for irrigation strategies that not only adapt to changing climates but also improve grain yield (GY) and resource-use efficiency. Here, we developed a Soil–Plant–Environment informed Irrigation (SPEI) framework and evaluated it in a seven-year (2014–2020) maize ( Zea mays L. ) field experiment in northwest China. Treat