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The yield of Panax notoginseng (BurK.) F. H. Chen in Yunnan Province accounted for more than 90% of China's total yield, but extensive water and fertilizer management restricted improvement of yield, quality, and economic benefits of Panax notoginseng. Therefore, this study tried to propose an adaptive irrigation and fertilizer management strategy for Panax notoginseng production. A two-year (2017 and 2018) rain-shelter cultivation study in Yunnan Province of southwest China was conducted to analyze the influences of irrigation and organic fertilizer application on soil water distribution, root growth, water-fertilizer productivity, quality, and economic benefits of Panax notoginseng in four organic fertilizer application rates [500 (F 1), 1000 (F 2), 1500 (F 3), and 2000 (F 4) kg ha−1] combined with three micro-sprinkler irrigation schedules [I 1 : moderate deficit micro-sprinkler irrigation, (70–75%) θ FC ; I 2 : alternate micro-sprinkler irrigation, (70–75%) θ FC / (80–85%) θ FC ; I 3 : slight deficit micro-sprinkler irrigation, (80–85%) θ FC ]. The results indicated that the increasing micro-sprinkler irrigation levels enhanced soil water content in 0–40 cm soil layer, but resulted in a reduction irrigation water productivity (IWP). Moreover, the increasing organic fertilizer application significantly led to reduced partial fertilizer productivity (PFP). Under the interaction of micro-sprinkler irrigation schedules and organic fertilizer application in 2017 and 2018, the I 2 F 3 significantly obtained the highest soil water storage (SWS), root hydraulic conductivity, root morphological characteristics, root-shoot ratio, lowest root rot rate (4.68% in 2017 and 6.59% in 2018), largest yield (3614.5 kg ha−1 in 2017 and 3981.5 kg ha−1 in 2018), total saponin content (20.23% in 2017 and 23.28% in 2018), and economic benefits (25.28 × 104 $ ha−1 in 2017 and 32.6 × 104 $ ha−1 in 2018) of Panax notoginseng. Based on the above results, the comprehensive evaluation of five saponin contents and the comprehensive evaluation of the yield, IWP, PFP, economic benefits, and total saponin content of Panax notoginseng were analyzed by using a TOPSIS model in 2017 and 2018. We found that synergistic of alternate micro-sprinkler irrigation [I 2 , (70–75%) θ FC / (80–85%) θ FC ] and organic fertilizer application (F 3 , 1500 kg ha−1) could decrease root rot, improve root growth, water-fertilizer productivity, quality, and economic benefits of Panax notoginseng. [Display omitted] • Alternate irrigation synergized with organic fertilizer (AIOF) was a sustainable technology of Panax notoginseng production. • The AIOF promoted root growth and decreased root rot incidence of Panax notoginseng. • The AIOF improved water-fertilizer productivity, quality, and economic benefits of Panax notoginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax notoginseng (P. notoginseng) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material with high economic and medicinal value. There is an urgent need to find new cultivation areas due to continuous cropping barriers and the effects of climate change. This study integrated the geographical environment of Yunnan with the necessary requirements for a suitable habitat for P. notoginseng and comprehensively analyzed climatic, topographical and soil factors. Furthermore, the criteria were weighted and prioritized by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the best worst method (BWM) respectively, and the overlay analysis method was used to present the suitability map in the GIS environment. Two ecological suitability assessment models were established and compared to explore the ecological suitability regionalization of P. notoginseng in Yunnan Province, China. The results showed that:(1) Among the 12 driving factors, precipitation in the hottest season is the most important, followed by average temperature in the coldest season, average temperature in the hottest season, altitude, and annual precipitation. (2) The most suitable, suitable, and unsuitable regions obtained by the AHP-GIS model accounted for respective 17.98%, 33.41%, and 48.61% of the total area of Yunnan. The values for BWM-GIS model were 13.93%, 40.25%, and 45.81%, respectively. (3) The suitable regions obtained by the two models were overlayed and concentrated in Wenshan, Qujing, Kunming, Chuxiong, Baoshan, Dali, Lijiang, Honghe and Yuxi in central Yunnan, while the unsuitable regions were distributed in Xishuangbanna, Puer, Dehong, Diqing, and southwestern Zhaotong. The sensitivity of the assessment model was analyzed, and its reliability was verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under curve (AUC). The BWM-GIS model (AUC=0.85) had higher accuracy than AHP-GIS model (AUC=0.822), and was more suitable for ecological suitability analysis of P. notoginseng. Our research results provide a theoretical basis for the rational expansion of cultivation regions of P. notoginseng and agricultural layout planning in Yunnan Province of China. [Display omitted] • BWM, AHP and GIS were integrated together to construct comprehensive evaluation model. • The ecological factors affecting the distribution of Panax notoginseng were finely analyzed. • Sensitivity analysis was used to verify the stability of the model. • Panax notoginseng showed range expansions towards high-latitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]