请优化以下论文的讨论部分优化得更具有逻辑性和学术性41 Diversified water management leads to different yields and causes of water consumptionThe present study investigates the effects of different irrigation treatments on winte

4.1 Effects of Diversified Water Management on Winter Wheat Yield and Water Consumption

The present study investigated the effects of diversified water management on winter wheat yield and water consumption. Our findings indicated that different irrigation treatments had a significant impact on winter wheat yield. The minimum irrigation yield was found to be significantly lower compared to conventional irrigation, which is consistent with previous reports (Gao et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2020)(Xu et al., 2018).

The yield differences between irrigation treatments were found to be highly correlated with the ear number and kernel number per ear (Wang et al., 2018). Our study also supports previous findings that indicate that only irrigation of bottom moisture water affects the development of the ear number and kernel number per ear (Wang et al., 2018). The ear number was found to be affected by pre-flowering water stress (Foulkes et al., 2011; M.Z. Siddiqui and Choudhary, 2017).

Plant water stress limits tiller development during nutritional growth, and stress at the pulling stage accelerates stem senescence and reduces spike number. Day and Intalap (1970) reported that in Arizona (sandy soils in a high evaporative demand climate), spring wheat planted in December, stress at the nodulation stage was also important due to reduced seed numbers. Winter wheat's flowering period is crucial for reproductive growth and yield formation, and adequate water supply is essential to improve yield (Sun et al., 2006).

The kernel number per ear was found to be affected by water stress before and after flowering and during the stem elongation period (B et al., 2000). Drought stress causes a significant reduction in both the strong grains of the top spikelet and the weak grains of the middle spikelet (Zhang et al., 2020). Under drought stress conditions, flag leaf material accumulation was stable, but material accumulation in the spike and the two internodes below the spike was reduced, and the spike competed less for assimilates compared with the two internodes below the spike, and competition for assimilates between the spike and stem under drought may have promoted florets degeneration.

Our results demonstrated that irrigation at jointing and anthesis could improve grain yield by increasing ear numbers, kernel number per ear (Xu et al., 2018). However, there was no difference in thousand-kernel weight between the three treatments, which is not consistent with the results of previous studies (Wang et al., 2018). The thousand-kernel weight with minimum irrigation was 11.6%, 5.2% and 11.0% higher than the control, respectively, under Wang practice (Wang et al., 2018).

The filling period of winter wheat in this region is usually from early May to early June. However, dry heat winds usually occurred in the filling period (early June), which caused rapid senescence and death of winter wheat, resulting in lower filling rates (Wang et al., 2018). However, the flowering period of winter wheat under reduced irrigation conditions is usually a few days earlier compared to conventional irrigation, which helps to avoid dry hot winds in the filling period. We did not have a significant increase in thousand-kernel weight, probably due to varietal differences.

During the winter wheat season, Opt and Min practices consumed less water compared to Con practices, respectively, leading to an increase in water use efficiency (Fig. 2), consistent with the results reported by Zhang et al. (1998). In this study, total water consumption consisted mainly of rainfall, irrigation, and soil water depletion. Min practice had less irrigation and more soil water depletion compared to the Con, indicating more efficient rainfall use compared to the Con Practice (Wang et al., 2018).

In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of diversified water management in improving winter wheat yield and water use efficiency. Our findings suggest that irrigation at jointing and anthesis could improve grain yield by increasing ear numbers and kernel number per ear. Furthermore, our study indicates that diversified water management practices, such as Opt and Min practices, can significantly reduce water consumption and improve water use efficiency. Our study provides valuable insights for farmers and policymakers to adopt diversified water management practices for sustainable agriculture.