Effects of Diffeent Drip Irrigation RateAmounts on Growth of Glycyrrhiza uralensis during Seedling Stage in Desert Areas

【Objective】 To study the effects of different drip irrigation amounts on the growth and development of licorice root at seedling stage in desert area. 【Methods】 On the saline soil of the meadow in southern Tianshan mountain in Xinjiang, field plot experiment was carried out with no irrigation（X₀）, very few amount of irrigation（X₁）, few amount of irrigation（X₂）, middle amount of irrigation（X₃） and high amount of irrigation（X₄） treatments. The licorice seedling emergence rate, plant height, leaf area index（LAI）, above ground dry weight, root length, root diameter and root dry weight were measured. 【Results】 The different amounts of irrigation treatments significantly influenced the growth and development of licorice during seedling stage（P < 0.01）. The emergence rate of licorice were shown as X₂>X₃>X₁>X₄>X₀. The emergence rate of X₂ was up to 89.30%, 60.00% higher than that of X₀. Plant height, LAI and abovegrounddryaboveground dry weight were shown as X₄>X₃ >X₂>X₁>X₀, which reached the highest in X₄ treatment, 63.54 cm, 3.75 and 1 139.56 t/hm², respectively, which were 44.53cm, 2.60 and 745.91 t/hm² higher than that of X₀. The root length and root dry weight were shown as X₂>X₁>X₃>X₄>X₀. The root length and root dry weight in X₂ treatment were 67.05 cm and 519.17 t/hm², which were 37.51 cm and 332.99 t/hm² higher than that in X₀. The root diameter and root-shoot ratio were shownasshown as X₁>X₂>X₃>X₄>X₀, both of which reached the maximum in the X₁ treatment, 11.09 mm and 1.03, respectively, which were 7.31 mm and 0.70 higher than that of X₀. 【Conclusion】 In summary, the amount of irrigation had has a significant influence on the growth and development of licorice during the seedling stage in desert areas. Thus, in the cultivation of licorice in desert areas, attention should be paid to the reasonable regulation of irrigation amount. In this research, it is suggested to regulate the drip irrigation amount within 2,500 to 5,000 m³ / hm².