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Maize refers to one of the major food crops worldwide. Its yield has a direct effect on global food security. Moreover, cultivated lands in the world have been undergoing serious degradation. In the present study, field experiments were performed in the middle of Jilin, China. A novel maize cultivating method, combining drip irrigation under film mulch cultivation and high photosynthetic efficient cultivation, is presented. NUE, WUE, accumulated temperature, plant growth and yield were determined in high photosynthetic efficient cultivation with drip irrigation under mulch and with there being under the mulch transparent and black film, respectively. As revealed from the results, the high photosynthetic efficient cultivation based on drip irrigation cultivation could increase the yield of rain-fed treatment by 53%; high photosynthetic efficient cultivation with drip irrigation under film mulch cultivation could also improve NUE and WUE compared with conventional drip irrigation under film mulch cultivation; transparent mulch could more significantly raise the soil temperature than black mulching, as well as improving the maize yield. The present study presents a novel planting mode in accordance with reliable theory to sustainably develop maize.

Runoff and soil erosion are serious environmental issues in farmland management. In a field experiment in Xingmu, China, data from nine plots with different slopes and crops were collected, and the crops' leaf area index (LAI) used to represent the impact of vegetation on runoff and soil erosion. The results show that slope and crop both have significant effects on runoff and soil erosion, and that the LAI can indicate the effects of different crops.

Nutrient (total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)) are considered the major indicators to be impacted by wind speed in shallow lakes and reservoirs. As a reservoir situated in Jilin Province, China, Yangshapao Reservoir has been employed for irrigation and urban water use. After 2 years’ observation carried out on water quality and wind speed, it was found that the TN, NH4 and TP are significantly correlated with the bottom shear stress attributed to wind, whereas the dissolved phosphorus (DP) is not. Bottom shear stress is also noticeably associated with dissolved oxygen (DO), thus promoting nutrient release into the water body. In winter, ice can effectively inhibit the wind-induced shear stress, and the TP concentration is evidently lower than in the other seasons. This scenario should be considered in the management of the water quality of the lake and similar lakes.