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A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of sprinkler irrigation on field microclimate, yield and water use efficiency during winter wheat growing period from Oct. 27, 2000 to June 8, 2001 in Yucheng Comprehensive Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The experiment results show that sprinkler irrigation affects the air temperature and humidity near crop canopy not only at the sprinkler day but also during the whole sprinkler irrigation season. The effect of sprinkler irrigation on temperature and vapour pressure is more significant during daytime. Air temperature inversion appears for a very long time and air temperature is decreased sharply near canopy under sprinkler irrigation condition. Vapor pressure is enhanced under sprinkler irrigation condition. The average vapor pressure under sprinkler irrigation condition is 1.42, 1.01, 1.36 and 1.20 mb higher than that under surface irrigation condition at heights of 1, 2, 3 and 4 m, respectively. Diurnal soil temperature amplitude under sprinkler irrigation condition is smaller than that under surface irrigation condition at ground surface. The temperature amplitude decreases sharply as depth increases under both sprinkler irrigation and surface irrigation conditions. The average soil temperature difference between sprinkler irrigation and surface irrigation is not significant at ground surface. However, soil temperature under sprinkler irrigation condition is higher than that under surface irrigation when it is deeper than 5 cm. Cumulative water surface evaporation measured using 20 cm standard pan on the top of canopy from April 1 to June 4 under sprinkler irrigation is 355.7 mm, which is 42.5 mm lower than that under surface irrigation condition. Total water uses during winter wheat growing period were 436.5 and 459.4 mm under both sprinkler irrigation and surface irrigation conditions, respectively. However, the winter wheat yield under sprinkler irrigation is 6430 kg.ha-1, and it is 4455 kg.ha-1 under surface irrigation condition. Water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat in sprinkler irrigation field is 1.47 kg.m-3 while it is 0.97 kg.m-3 under surface irrigation condition. WUE under sprinkler irrigation condition is higher than that under surface irrigation condition about 52%.