Integrating Tillage and Mulching Practices as an Avenue to Promote Soil Water Storage, Growth, Production, and Water Productivity of Wheat under Deficit Irrigation in Arid Countries

Ensuring food security with limited water resources in arid countries requires urgent development of innovative water-saving strategies. This study aimed to investigate the effects various tillage and mulching practices on soil storage (SWS), growth, production, irrigation use efficiency (IWUE), productivity (WP) wheat under full (FL) (LM) regimes a typical country. The comprised conventional (CT) reduced (RT), each five treatments (MT), including non-mulched (NM), plastic film mulch (PFM), straw (WSM), palm residues (PRM), mixture at 50/50 ratio (MM). Results showed higher SWS different measured time points CT than RT 20–40 cm, 40–60 0–60 cm depth FL regime, LM while opposite was observed 0–20 regime. depths MT, most cases, followed order PFM > PRM ≈ MM WSM NM FL, regimes. No significant differences were for traits related growth between RT, but increased yield, IWUE, WP by 5.9–11.6% did CT. or highest values WP, respectively. all regime observed, however, 8.0–18.8% yield response factor (Ky) based plant dry weight (KyPDW) grain (KyGY) acceptable four KyGY only PRM, as Ky these <1 interrelationships (PDW), (GY), evapotranspiration (ET), IWUE PDW GY best described second-order polynomial. before exhibited strong linear relationships (R2 range 0.57 0.92), they second polynomial moderate correlation 0.29 0.54). Overall, combining residue mulching, particularly using readily available sufficient amount is feasible sustainable strategy enhancing irrigated countries, such Saudi Arabia.