Assessing the effects of water table depth on water use, soil salinity and wheat yield: Searching for a target depth for irrigated areas in the upper Yellow River basin

The irrigation districts of the upper Yellow River basin face a progressive reduction of water allocation and the need to apply water-saving practices due to increasing water scarcity. The adoption of such practices will lead to lower water tables, hopefully in conjunction with controlled soil salinity levels and improved crop yields. However, excessive water saving associated with excessive increase of the water table depth may decrease...