Optimization of the saline groundwater irrigation system along the Tarim Desert Highway Ecological Shelterbelt Project in China

In order to determine the best combination of the most adaptable shrub, the irrigation frequency (IF) and irrigation amount (IA) in the Tarim Desert Highway Ecological Shelterbelt Project, we investigated the soil moisture (SM), soil electrical conductivity (EC) and shelterbelt shrubs height (SH) where the plants were irrigated with the saline groundwater (5 g L−1) bumped from the local wells. And an orthogonal array experiment was set to test the effects of the species, IF and IA on the plants height. When the different irrigation ways were used to irrigate the shelterbelt plants, significant differences in plant species heights, soil moisture, and salt accumulation on the surface were found. All of these findings suggested that the IF 20-day with IA 30 mm every time was the better choice in which the soil moisture was above 2%, little salt accumulated on the dune surface and the most plants’ height occurred. Our results indicated that species was the more important factor to concern than IF and IA when the IA was above 15 mm with the IF less 30-day. The shrub traits determined greatly the growth status. And Haloxylon ammodendron was the best species selected among the three main shelterbelt shrubs, Tamarix taklamakanensis, H. ammodendron and Calligonum caput-medusae in the ecological shelterbelt project. Multivariate orthogonal array designs provided an effective strategy to determine the optimum irrigation management of individual additive components to the shelterbelt shrubs in the Tarim Desert Highway Ecological Shelterbelt Project.