Xinjiang Field Scientific Observation Research Station of Wulanwusu Ecology and Agrometeorology is a key station for ecological and agricultural meteorological experiments of the China Meteorological Administration.

Basic Information: The station was founded in 1963 and is located in the Manas River Basin Oasis on the southern edge of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, which is a typical representative area of the Xinjiang oasis farmland ecosystem. It has an area of 207 mu, with over 1,000 square meters of experimental and office space, 25 sets of living quarters, and complete facilities such as water, electricity, and heating. It also enjoys smooth information networks and convenient transportation.

Observation and Research Facilities: It is equipped with a standard surface meteorological element observation field, crop observation and experimental research land, an oasis farmland ecological laboratory, and relatively completed irrigation facilities. In addition, there are various advanced instruments and equipment, such as automatic weather stations for observing conventional meteorological elements and solar radiation, Doppler radars, eddy - covariance systems, and TSP and PM10 particle detectors for monitoring the atmospheric characteristics of oasis farmland, and plant physiology and environment monitoring systems for monitoring the physiological and biochemical characteristics of oasis farmland plants and canopy environmental characteristics.

Accumulated Data: The station has accumulated nearly 50 years of meteorological observation data, nearly 30 years of observation data on crop growth and development, soil, and soil moisture, as well as a large number of agricultural meteorological experimental data.

Research Directions and Achievements: The station mainly focuses on agricultural meteorology and ecological meteorology - related research, aiming to study the interaction between oasis farmland ecosystems and global and regional climate change, reveal the structure, function, and evolution law of oasis farmland ecosystems, and conduct research on the prevention of oasis agricultural meteorological disasters and applicable technologies. The station has made significant contributions in many aspects, such as the research on the damage mechanism, indicators, and prediction and prevention technologies of disasters like winter wheat overwintering freezing damage, wheat dry - hot wind, and cotton frost and cold damage. It has also obtained many provincial - and ministerial - level scientific and technological awards. In addition, the station has carried out the certification work on the climate - quality of oasis agricultural products. The grape safe - overwintering film - covering technology they studied has been promoted and demonstrated in seven agricultural and pastoral farms in the Shihezi reclamation area of northern Xinjiang, covering an area of 60,000 mu, achieving extensive social and ecological benefits.

Talent Training: The station is a demonstration base for the joint cultivation of postgraduate students by industry, academia, and research in the autonomous region, a post - doctoral work base of the institute, and a production - education - research base of the School of Applied Meteorology of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. It is also a postgraduate training base of Shihezi University, which has cultivated a large number of backbone talents for the scientific research and operational services of ecological and agricultural meteorology in Xinjiang.

Research Achievements on Crop Growth and Yield

Through field experiments conducted at the station in 2022 and 2023, the impacts of planting density and variety on the morphological structure of vegetative organs and yield of machine-harvested cotton in northern Xinjiang were studied. The optimal planting density was found to be 28 plants·m⁻², and the "Xinshi 518" variety showed higher lint yield. The results provide data support for improving the CottonXL functional-structural cotton model and reference for selecting suitable varieties and densities for machine-harvested cotton in northern Xinjiang.

Research Achievements on Crop Water Use Efficiency

Based on long-term agro-meteorological observation data from 1980 to 2023, the water use efficiency (WUE) of three typical crops (cotton, maize, and winter wheat) in the Manas River Oasis agricultural area on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang was studied. The results show that over the past 44 years, the yield per unit area of the three crops has trended upward, evapotranspiration first increased and then decreased, and WUE has evolved from insignificant change to rapid improvement. It was clarified that management measures contribute more to WUE than meteorological factors, indicating that cotton WUE is mainly affected by accumulated temperature ≥0℃, while sunshine duration has a greater impact on WUE of maize and winter wheat. These findings provide scientific data support for efficient agricultural water use and food security in the region.

Research Achievements on Meteorological Disasters

Based on data from multiple meteorological stations in Xinjiang's cotton-growing areas and cotton agro-meteorological observation stations, combined with monitoring indicators for high-temperature stress during the cotton flowering and boll stage, the temporal and spatial variation patterns of high-temperature stress at different levels during this period were revealed. It was found that from 1961 to 2022, the daily maximum temperature, extreme high temperature, and cumulative days of extreme high temperature during the cotton flowering and boll stage in Xinjiang's cotton-growing areas showed a significantly increasing trend, providing a reference for scientifically formulating disaster prevention and mitigation measures.

Research Achievements on Climate Change

Using meteorological observation data from the Shihezi oasis and desert areas from 1971 to 2021, the variation characteristics of temperature and precipitation in different ecological regions over the past 50 years were compared and analyzed. It was found that temperatures in both the oasis and desert areas showed an upward trend, while precipitation increased in both regions. The period from 2001 to 2010 was the decade with the most obvious warm and wet trend in both the oasis and desert areas.