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Aims <p>Rainfed apple orchards on the Loess Plateau are chronically constrained by water scarcity and soil nutrient depletion, which severely limit orchard productivity and long-term sustainability. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an integrated management strategy combining rainwater harvesting (RWH), supplemental irrigation (SI), and partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer (OF) on soil water and nutrient dynamics, root–shoot development, and yield formation in a typical rainfed apple orchard.</p> Methods <p>A two-year field experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2023 on the Loess Plateau with five treatments: RWH + SI + low-rate OF (WHIOF1), RWH + SI + high-rate OF (WHIOF2), RWH + SI (WHI), RWH alone (WH), and a rainfed control (CK). Soil moisture and nutrient parameters, root and aboveground growth traits, and fruit yield and quality were systematically measured. Mantel tests and partial least squares regression were used to identify the key factors driving yield and fruit quality responses.</p> Results <p>Compared with CK, the WHIOF2 treatment significantly increased soil water storage in the 0–180 cm profile by30.19% and markedly improved surface soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents. Enhanced soil water–nutrient conditions promoted fine-root proliferation in the 0–60 cm layer and significantly improved shoot growth, leaf area development, and photosynthetic performance, with Fv/Fm≈0.83. Apple yield increased by 46.23% under WHIOF2, together with significant increases in fruit soluble solids and total sugar contents. Multivariate analyses showed that fine-root branching capacity, leaf thickness, and soil nitrate nitrogen were the dominant positive drivers of yield and fruit quality improvement.</p> Conclusions <p>The integrated RWH–SI–OF system effectively stabilized soil hydro-nutrient dynamics and strengthened root–shoot coordination, thereby alleviating long-standing water–nutrient constraints in semi-arid rainfed orchards. This strategy offers a practical and scalable approach to improving yield stability, fruit quality, and economic returns, and has strong potential for the sustainable intensification of rainfed apple production on the Loess Plateau and in other semi-arid orchard regions.</p>

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Effects of water harvesting, irrigation and organic fertilization on nutrient availability, apple growth and orchard productivity on the Loess Plateau

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月4日

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  • Fengyuan Pang,
  • Bin Li,
  • Xiaofeng Ouyang,
  • Guangjie Chen,
  • Shufang Wu,
  • Hao Feng,
  • Jianping Wang

摘要

Aims

Rainfed apple orchards on the Loess Plateau are chronically constrained by water scarcity and soil nutrient depletion, which severely limit orchard productivity and long-term sustainability. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an integrated management strategy combining rainwater harvesting (RWH), supplemental irrigation (SI), and partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer (OF) on soil water and nutrient dynamics, root–shoot development, and yield formation in a typical rainfed apple orchard.

Methods

A two-year field experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2023 on the Loess Plateau with five treatments: RWH + SI + low-rate OF (WHIOF1), RWH + SI + high-rate OF (WHIOF2), RWH + SI (WHI), RWH alone (WH), and a rainfed control (CK). Soil moisture and nutrient parameters, root and aboveground growth traits, and fruit yield and quality were systematically measured. Mantel tests and partial least squares regression were used to identify the key factors driving yield and fruit quality responses.

Results

Compared with CK, the WHIOF2 treatment significantly increased soil water storage in the 0–180 cm profile by30.19% and markedly improved surface soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents. Enhanced soil water–nutrient conditions promoted fine-root proliferation in the 0–60 cm layer and significantly improved shoot growth, leaf area development, and photosynthetic performance, with Fv/Fm≈0.83. Apple yield increased by 46.23% under WHIOF2, together with significant increases in fruit soluble solids and total sugar contents. Multivariate analyses showed that fine-root branching capacity, leaf thickness, and soil nitrate nitrogen were the dominant positive drivers of yield and fruit quality improvement.

Conclusions

The integrated RWH–SI–OF system effectively stabilized soil hydro-nutrient dynamics and strengthened root–shoot coordination, thereby alleviating long-standing water–nutrient constraints in semi-arid rainfed orchards. This strategy offers a practical and scalable approach to improving yield stability, fruit quality, and economic returns, and has strong potential for the sustainable intensification of rainfed apple production on the Loess Plateau and in other semi-arid orchard regions.