In order to determine the effect of limited irrigation on water consumption and water use efficiency of spring maize field in newly cultivated sandy land in desert oasis of Hexi Corridor

the dynamics of soil moisture at various crop growth stages of maize were continuously monitored using soil neutron probe combined with drying-weighing method

and daily water consumption

soil evapotranspiration

and crop water use efficiency were also analyzed. The results indicated that no significant (P＞0.05) difference was found in daily water consumption among treatments except during sowing to Five-leaves and jointing to booting

and daily water consumption varied from low to high then to low during plant growth

the maximum value appeared during silking to middle filling with 6.8 to 10.0 mm/d. The seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) in treatment MI1 which yielded the highest under the least seasonal irrigation was slightly lower than in MI5 under more irrigation water. Among all the treatments

the ET in CK was 16.0% higher than in MI5

with the lowest in MI3. Water use efficiency (WUE) of maize was the highest in MI1 and MI3

and there were significant (P＜0.05) differences between these two treatments and the others. The lowest WUE was found in MI4

and the WUE was significantly increased by 19.3%

34.1%

15.3%

and 25.4% both in MI1 and MI3 than in MI2

MI4

MI5 and the CK. There were significant differences in the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) between MI1 and the other treatments and CK

so were between MI3 and the other treatments and CK. The highest IWUE occurred in MI1 with the least seasonal irrigation but the highest grain yield

while the lowest IWUE appeared in MI4. In all the treatments

IWUE was significantly improved by 35.1%

14.6%

61.0%

36.7%and 48.4% in MI1 than in MI2

MI3

MI4

MI5

and the CK respectively

and IWUE was significantly improved by 17.9%

40.4%

19.3%

and 29.4% in MI3 than in MI2

MI4

MI5

and the CK

while 17.7% of IWUE was improved in MI5 than in MI4. Therefore

limited irrigation could improve WUE and IWUE of maize in oasis irrigation field. However

the effect of limited irrigation on WUE and IWUE improving was not absolutely stable.