ABSTRACT Seasonal drought frequently limits sugarcane productivity in Guangxi, China. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of rotary tillage (X20, 20 cm depth) and three depths of Fenlong tillage (20 cm, F20; 40 cm, F40; 60 cm, F60) on soil macropore characteristics and sugarcane water‐use strategies using CT scanning and stable isotopes (δ 2 H, δ 18 O) and clarify the relationship between macropore characteristics and sugarcane water‐use strategies. The results showed that compared with the X20 treatment, the F40 treatment increased SOM by 62.2% in the 20–30 cm soil layer and the F60 treatment increased it by 48.4% in the 30–40 cm layer ( p < 0.05). The F40 treatment significantly reduced soil bulk density in the 30–40 cm layer. Compared with the X20 treatment, the F60 treatment increased macroporosity by 168% and 162% in the 20–30 cm and 30–40 cm layers, respectively and significantly improved pore connectivity. Soil water content was generally higher under the Fenlong tillage than the rotary tillage, especially in the 20–40 cm layer. Stable isotope analysis revealed that sugarcane in the X20 treatment primarily absorbed shallow soil water (0–20 cm), with a contribution rate of 65.3%, whereas Fenlong tillage promoted the use of deeper soil water (20–40 cm), with contribution rates reaching 70.0%–87.7% in the F40 and F60 treatments. Moreover, water use strategies shifted dynamically with variation in water content. This study demonstrates that Fenlong tillage enhances drought resistance of sugarcane by optimizing subsoil pore structure, improving water storage capacity and facilitating root access to deeper water. Among the treatments, Fenlong tillage at 40 cm (F40) offers the best cost‐effectiveness and ecological adaptability for widespread application. These findings provide important insights for evaluating the impact of Fenlong tillage on sugarcane water use strategies and improving sugarcane resilience to drought stress.
Zhou et al. (Mon,) studied this question.