抄録
Against the backdrop of increasingly severe water shortages in arid irrigated regions of Northwest China, elucidating the root adaptive mechanisms of spring wheat under drip irrigation in response to staged drought-rewatering stress holds significant theoretical and practical value for promoting water-saving and efficient agriculture. This study selected spring wheat cultivars with contrasting drought tolerance and employed soil column cultivation combined with precise drip irrigation control. Mild and moderate drought treatments were applied during the tillering and jointing stages to systematically evaluate the dynamic responses of key physiological and ecological indicators, including root morphological development, antioxidant enzyme activity, osmotic adjustment substance content, and yield formation. The results showed that mild drought promoted root growth in the 20–60 cm soil layer, enhanced root activity and antioxidant capacity, and induced a pronounced physiological compensation effect after rewatering, thereby contributing to yield stability or improvement. Significant differences were observed between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive cultivars in terms of root regulation pathways, stress resistance strategies, and the intensity of physiological responses. By coupling precise water regulation under drip irrigation with staged drought stress, this study proposes a regulation pathway of “moderate stress–timely rewatering” to optimize root development and achieve yield compensation, offering scientific insights and technical support for efficient water-saving cultivation and precision irrigation strategies for spring wheat in arid irrigated areas.
