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[Objective] The cultivation of safflower with micro rainwater harvesting technology on the hillslopes of the temperate desert grassland in Yili Valley was evaluated in order to provide technical support for dryland cultivation of safflower and for preventing water erosion and desertification. [Methods] The study was conducted from April to September 2021 at the Tiechanggou observation field in Yining City, Xinjiang Wei Autonomous Region. Five runoff plot treatments were set up: control, pit, horizontal terrace, square ridge, and contour ridge. Natural rainfall was observed, as well as runoff, soil loss, and safflower growth for each treatment. The soil moisture content in the 0—10 cm layer was monitored by time-domain reflectometry, and the potential evapotranspiration of safflower was simulated by the FAO Penman-Monteith model. [Results] The total rainfall during the study was 53.1 mm, and the potential evapotranspiration of safflower initially increased and then decreased. Runoff for the control treatment was the highest of all of the treatments (6.50×10-2 mm), and safflower in this treatment did not emerge. Soil loss was greatest for the square ridge treatment (0.684 t/km2). The surface soil water content of the five treatments was the lowest in June, with a mean value of 1.50%. No runoff was observed for the pit treatment, and this treatment showed the highest plant survival number (16) and plant height at flowering (25.3 cm). [Conclusion] Safflower growth at flowering for the five micro rainwater harvesting plots followed the order of pit>horizontal terrace, square ridge, contour ridge>control. Better conditions for safflower survival and growth were observed as total runoff declined.

[Objective] Soil conditioners are commonly used to improve quality and productivity of saline soils. This paper experimentally compares the effects of different soil conditioners on the physical and chemical properties of saline soils. [Method] The experiment was conducted in pots to simulate a rice-oilseed rape rotational cropping system. The soil was amended with calcium superphosphate at rates of 750 kg/hm² (G1) and 1 500 kg/hm² (G2); hydrolyzed poly (maleic anhydride) at rates of 900 kg/hm² (J1), 1 200 kg/hm² (J2) and 1 500 kg/hm² (J3); and Bacillus megaterium at rates of 40 kg/hm² (W1), 60 kg/hm² (W2), and 80 kg/hm² (W3). The control treatment (CK) was conventional fertilization without soil amendment. In each treatment, we measured physical soil properties and electrical conductivity of soil solution. [Result] Compared to CK, J2 increased soil total porosity, maximum water holding capacity, field water holding capacity, and capillary water holding capacity by 12.49%, 13.60%, 13.63% and 12.41%, respectively, while reducing electrical conductivity of the soil solution by 64.73%. W2 improved total soil porosity, maximum water holding capacity, field water holding capacity, and capillary water holding capacity by 8.59%, 9.57%, 9.01%, and 9.79%, respectively, while reducing electrical conductivity of the soil solution by 55.66%. W1 reduced soil bulk density by 4.20%, enhanced maximum water holding capacity, field water holding capacity, capillary water holding capacity and soil organic matter by 6.58%, 9.02%, 9.69% and 25.82%, respectively, while reducing electrical conductivity of soil solution by 8.97%. [Conclusion] Principal component analysis ranked the conditioners and their application rates in terms of their efficacy the following order: 1 200 kg/hm² of hydrolyzed poly (maleic anhydride) > 60 kg/hm² of Bacillus megaterium > 40 kg/hm² of Bacillus megaterium. These findings provide a guidance for practical application of soil amendment agents to improve properties and productivity of saline soils in the studied regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]