Soil N and salinity leaching after the autumn irrigation and its impact on groundwater in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Soil water and salinity are crucial factors influencing crop production in arid regions. An autumn irrigation system employing the application of a large volume of water (2200–2600 m3 ha−1) is being developed in the Hetao Irrigation District of China, since the 1980s with the goal to reduce salinity levels in the root zone and increase the water availability for the following spring crops. However, the autumn irrigation can cause significant...