Salt distribution and the growth of cotton under different drip irrigation regimes in a saline area

A 3-year experiment was conducted in an extremely dry and saline wasteland to investigate the effects of the drip irrigation on salt distributions and the growth of cotton under different irrigation regimes in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The experiment included five treatments in which the soil matric potential (SMP) at 20 cm depth was controlled at −5, −10, −15, −20, and −25 kPa after cotton was established. The results indicated that a favorable low salinity zone existed in the root zone throughout the growing season when the SMP threshold was controlled below −25 kPa. When the SMP value decreased, the electrical conductivity of the saturation paste extract (EC_e) in the root zone after the growing season decreased as well. After the 3-year experiment, the seed-cotton yield had reached 84% of the average yield level for non-saline soil in the study region and the emergence rate was 78.1% when the SMP target value was controlled below −5 kPa. The average pH of the soil decreased slightly after 3 years of cultivation. The highest irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) values were recorded when the SMP was around −20 kPa. After years of reclamation and utilization, the saline soil gradually changed to a moderately saline soil. The SMP of −5 kPa at a depth of 20 cm immediately under a drip emitter can be used as an indicator for cotton drip irrigation scheduling in saline areas in Xinjiang, Northwest China.     

Drip irrigation with saline water for oleic sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The field experiments were carried out in 2007 and 2008 to study the effects and strategies of drip irrigation with saline water for oleic sunflower. Five treatments of irrigation water with average salinity levels of 1.6, 3.9, 6.3, 8.6, and 10.9 dS/m were designed. For each treatment, 7 mm water was applied when the soil matric potential (SMP) 0.2 m directly underneath the drip emitters was below −20 kPa, except during the seedling stage. To ensure the seedling survival, 28 mm water was applied after sowing during the seedling stage. Results indicate that amount of applied water decreases as salinity level of irrigation water increases. The emergence will be delayed when the salinity level of irrigation water is higher than 6.3 dS/m, but these differences will be alleviated if there is rainfall during emergence period. The final emergence percentage is not changed when salinity level of irrigation is less than 6.3 dS/m, and the percentage decreases by 2.0% for every 1 dS/m increase when the salinity level of irrigation water is above 6.3 dS/m, but the decreasing rate will be reduced if there is rainfall. The plant height and yield decrease with the increase of salinity of irrigation water. The height of plants decreases by 0.6-1.0% for every 1 dS/m increase in salinity level of irrigation water. The yield decreases by 1.8% for every 1 dS/m increase in salinity level of irrigation water, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) increases with increase in salinity of irrigation water. The soil salinity increases as the salinity of irrigation water increasing after drip irrigation with saline water in the beginning, but the soil salinity in soil profile from 0 to 120 cm depths can be maintained in a stable level in subsequent year irrigation with saline water. From the view points of yield and soil salt balance, it can be recognized even as the salinity level of irrigation water is as high as 10.9 dS/m, saline water can be applied to irrigate oleic sunflower using drip irrigation when the soil matric potential 0.2 m directly under drip emitter is kept above −20 kPa and the beds are mulched in semi-humid area.     

盐碱地滴灌对新疆杨生长及土壤盐分分布影响

通过田间试验研究高垄覆膜滴灌模式下不同土壤基质势对盐碱地新疆杨生长以及土壤盐分分布的影响。试验设5个水平的土壤基质势处理：-5kPa（S1）,-10kPa（S2）,-15kPa（S3）,-20kPa（S4）,-25kPa（S5）,每个处理重复3次,按随机区组布置。试验结果表明,2009年生育末期,根系周围土体中的盐分比...     

Response in Growth,Quality and Water Consumption of Greenhouse Tomato to Change in Matric Potential at 20 cm below the Emitter of Drip Irrigation北大核心CSCD

[Objective]Irrigation schedule needs to know the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil moisture in root zone. The objective of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of using matric potential measured at 20 cm below the drip emitter as a proxy for soil moisture in the root zone to schedule irrigation.[Method]The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse and the model plant was tomato. We compared seven matric potential (SMP) thresholds in that whenever the measured soil matric potential dropped below them, drip irrigation was resumed. The values of the SMP thresholds varied from flowering and fruit-setting stage to fruiting stage, and the seven combinations (flowering and fruit-setting stage/fruiting stage) were -15 kPa/-15 kPa (S1), -15 kPa/-30 kPa (S2), -15 kPa/-45 kPa (S3), -25 kPa/-25 kPa (S4), -30 kPa/-15 kPa (S5), -30 kPa/-30 kPa (S6), and -30 kPa/-45 kPa (S7). In each treatment, we measured growth, fruit quality, water consumption and water use efficiency of the tomato.[Result]Stem diameter increased with SMP threshold at both flowering and fruit-setting stage and fruiting stage, whereas the plant height was only responsive to SMP at flowing and fruit-setting stage. The relative chlorophyll content in leaf (SPAD) did not show significant difference between treatments at flowering and fruit-setting stage but inversely increased with the SMP threshold at fruit setting stage. Decreasing the SMP threshold at flowering and fruit-setting stage could reduce the percentage of defective fruits and increase soluble solids content. Yield increased inversely with SMP threshold at fruit setting stage, peaking when SMP was -45 kPa. Lowering the SMP threshold increased irrigation amount and hence water consumption, thereby decreasing water use efficiency. [Conclusion]Our experimental results suggest that setting the SMP at -30 kPa at the flowering and fruit-setting stage and -45 kPa at the fruiting period appears to be optimal to best balance yield, fruit quality, irrigation water use efficiency and water use efficiency for winter-spring tomato grown in solar greenhouse in North China. © The Author(s) 2019.     

温室滴灌土壤基质势调控对番茄生长、品质和耗水的影响

【目的】获得华北地区日光温室冬春茬番茄优质高产滴灌灌溉制度。【方法】采用田间试验的方法,布置了7个不同土壤基质势阈值的试验,在番茄开花坐果期和结果期分别控制滴头正下方20 cm深度土壤基质势阈值在-15kPa和-15 kPa(S1)、-15 kPa和-30 kPa(S2)、-15 kPa和-45 kPa(S3)、-25 kPa和-25 kPa(S4)、-30 kPa和-15 kPa(S5)、-30 kPa和-30 kPa(S6)以及-30 kPa和-45 kPa(S7),研究了番茄生育期内土壤基质势动态调控对番茄生长、果实品质、耗水量和水分利用效率等的影响。【结果】在试验控制的土壤基质势范围内,①在番茄开花坐果期,番茄株高和茎粗均随土壤基质势阈值的升高而增加,进入结果期后不同土壤基质势处理下的番茄株高差异不明显,但茎粗仍随着土壤基质势阈值的升高而增加;②开花坐果期不同土壤基质势处理下的叶片SPAD值(相对叶绿素量)无显著差异,但结果期不同处理叶片SPAD值差异明显,表现为开花坐果期土壤基质势阈值高于低处理(S5、S6和S7)的叶片SPAD值;③对于开花坐果期土壤基质势阈值较低的处理,其畸形果率低、果实可溶性固形物量高,并且随着结果期土壤基质势的降低,畸形果率呈降低趋势,果实可溶性固形物量呈升高趋势;④番茄产量随着结果期土壤基质势阈值的降低而升高,-45 kPa处理番茄的产量最高;⑤随着整个生育期土壤基质势阈值的升高,番茄灌水量和耗水量显著增加,灌溉水利用效率和水分利用效率显著降低。【结论】综合考虑番茄产量、果实品质、灌溉水利用效率和水分利用效率等,华北地区日光温室秋冬茬番茄高产优质高水分利用效率的土壤基质势阈值为开花坐果期-30 kPa、结果期-45 kPa。     

Water and salt regulation and its effects on Leymus chinensis growth under drip irrigation in saline-sodic soils of the Songnen Plain

Field experiments were carried out to investigate water and salt management and its effects on Leymus chinensis growth under drip irrigation on saline-sodic soils of the Songnen Plain, China. The ECe of the experiment soil here is 15.2 dS/m and SAR_e is 14.6 (mmol_c L⁻¹)^1/2. The threshold of soil matric potential (SMP) was preset in different treatments (−5, −10, −15, −20 and −25 kPa) to control the timing of the irrigation cycle using vacuum tensiometers buried at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitters. Drip irrigation frequency and soil matric potential significantly influenced water and salt distributions and L. chinensis growth. In the root zone, the soil water content increased with the SMP, but at deeper layers there were no significant differences in soil water content due to the effect of groundwater. Electrical conductivity showed that there was a low-salt zone near the emitters and that drip irrigation inhibited the buildup of salts in the root zone. There was more leaching of salts for −5 and −10 kPa treatments than for the −15, −20 and −25 kPa treatments. After two years of drip irrigation, the surface salts were well leached, and had moved down with the water to depths below 40 cm. The pH of each treatment was a little decreased and the soil nutrient of S1-S5 were all increased after reclamation, but there were no obvious differences of the five treatments. The best growth was achieved with soil matric potentials of −5 and −10 kPa: the plant height, number and length of spikes, number of tillers, coverage and aboveground biomass all attained their maximum values during the growth periods of L. chinensis, with no significant differences between those two treatments. Thus, in the Songnen Plain, drip irrigation can be used on transplanted L. chinensis for restoration of saline-sodic soils. The results provide theoretical and technological guidance for sustainable reclamation salt-affected soil and the quick restoration and reconstruction of saline-sodic grassland.     

Effects of drip irrigation with saline water on waxy maize (Zea mays L. var. ceratina Kulesh) in North China Plain

In order to study the effects of drip irrigation with saline water on waxy maize, three years of field experiments were carried out in 2007-2009 in North China Plain. Five treatments with average salinity of irrigation water, 1.7, 4.0, 6.3, 8.6, and 10.9 dS/m were designed. Results indicated that the irrigation water with salinity <10.9 dS/m did not affect the emergence of waxy maize. As salinity of irrigation water increased, seedling biomass decreased, and the plant height, fresh and dry weight of waxy maize in the thinning time decreased by 2% for every 1 dS/m increase in salinity of irrigated water. The decreasing rate of the fresh ear yield for every 1 dS/m increase in salinity of irrigation water was about 0.4-3.3%. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) increased with the increase in salinity of irrigation water when salinity was <10.9 dS/m. Precipitation during the growing period significantly lightened the negative impacts of irrigation-water salinity on the growth and yield. Soil salinity in depth of 0-120 cm increased in the beginning of irrigation with saline water, while it was relatively stable in the subsequent year when salinity of irrigation water was not higher than 4.0 dS/m and the soil matric potential (SMP) at 0.2 m directly underneath the drip emitter was controlled above −20 kPa.     

Evaluation of mulched drip irrigation for cotton in arid Northwest China

Field experiments were conducted in arid Southern Xinjiang, Northwest China, for 3 years to evaluate sustainable irrigation regimes for cotton. The experiments involved mulched drip irrigation during the growing season and flood irrigation afterward. The drip irrigation experiments included control experiments, experiments with deficit irrigation during one crop growth stage, and alternative irrigation schemes in which freshwater was used during one growth stage and relatively saline water in the others. The average cotton yield over 3 years varied between 3,575 and 5,095 kg/ha, and the irrigation water productivity between 0.91 and 1.16 kg/m³. Crop sensitivities to water stress during the different growth stages ranged from early flowering-belling (most sensitive) > seedling > budding > late flowering-belling (least sensitive), while sensitivities to salt stress ranged from late flowering-belling > budding > seedling > early flowering-belling. Although mulched drip irrigation during the growing season caused an increase in salinity in the root zone, flood irrigation after harvesting leached the accumulated salts to below background levels. Numerical simulations, based on the 3-year experiments and extended by another 20 years, suggest that mulched drip irrigation using alternatively fresh and brackish water during the growing season and flood irrigation with freshwater after harvesting is a sustainable irrigation practice that should not lead to soil salinization.     

亏缺灌溉对成龄库尔勒香梨产量与根系生长的影响

研究了亏缺灌溉对成龄库尔勒香梨树营养生长、果实生长与吸收根系分布的影响。香梨的生育中期,设计了4种土壤水分亏缺(灌前土壤水势下限):轻度胁迫(-100 kPa)、中度胁迫(-200 kPa)、重度胁迫(-300 kPa)和对照(-50 kPa)。灌溉系统为地表滴灌。试验结果表明,亏缺灌溉显著地减少了夏季剪枝量,提高了果实产量。充分灌溉条件下,香梨树根长密度从树行由内向外呈递减趋势,滴灌促进了湿润体内的吸收根系的发育;距树行0.5 m,根长密度随着深度的增加而减少;距树行1 m至1.5 m,根长密度随着深度的增加而增加;距树行2 m的非灌溉区,根长密度在垂直方向上变化不显著。为适应滴灌湿润体内水分胁迫,香梨树在湿润体内及非灌溉区的吸收根系的分布均发生了显著的调整。适度水分胁迫下的根长密度增加对香梨产量有促进作用。     

不同滴灌方式下咸水灌溉对棉花根系分布的影响

通过大田试验研究了不同滴灌方式利用咸水灌溉对棉花根系分布的影响。结果表明,2种滴灌方式下土壤中的水分和盐分在1 m土体内随土壤深度的增加和咸水浓度的增加而增加,且由于滴头的洗盐作用,地表滴灌和地下滴灌方式下土壤中的水盐分布深度均有所下移。正是由于水盐在土壤有这样的分布特征,2种滴灌方式下不同盐度咸水灌溉后,作物不仅可以感受到变化了的环境信息,而且自发地改变结构形态、空间构型,即增加根长、根干重、根半径以及根表面积,对盐胁迫做出适应性的根系形态变化。     

Effect of irrigation methods,management and salinity of irrigation water on tomato yield,soil moisture and salinity distribution

The increasing demand for irrigation water to secure food for growing populations with limited water supply suggests re-thinking the use of non-conventional water resources. The latter includes saline drainage water, brackish groundwater and treated waste water. The effects of using saline drainage water (electrical conductivity of 4.2–4.8 dS m⁻¹) to irrigate field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv Floradade) using drip and furrow irrigation systems were evaluated, together with the distribution of soil moisture and salt. The saline water was either diluted to different salinity levels using fresh water (blended) or used cyclically with fresh water. The results of two seasons of study (2001 and 2002) showed that increasing salinity resulted in decreased leaf area index, plant dry weight, fruit total yield and individual fruit weight. In all cases, the growth parameters and yield as well as the water use efficiency were greater for drip irrigated tomato plants than furrow-irrigated plants. However, furrow irrigation produced higher individual fruit weight. The electrical conductivity of the soil solution (extracted 48 h after irrigation) showed greater fluctuations when cyclic water management was used compared to those plots irrigated with blended water. In both drip and furrow irrigation, measurements of soil moisture one day after irrigation, showed that soil moisture was higher at the top 20 cm layer and at the location of the irrigation water source; soil moisture was at a minimum in the root zone (20–40 cm layer), but showed a gradual increase at 40–60 and 60–90 cm and was stable at 90–120 cm depth. Soil water content decreased gradually as the distance from the irrigation water source increased. In addition, a few days after irrigation, the soil moisture content decreased, but the deficit was most pronounced in the surface layer. Soil salinity at the irrigation source was lower at a depth of 15 cm (surface layer) than that at 30 and 60 cm, and was minimal in deeper layers (i.e. 90 cm). Salinity increased as the distance from the irrigation source increased particularly in the surface layer. The results indicated that the salinity followed the water front. We concluded that the careful and efficient management of irrigation with saline water can leave the groundwater salinity levels unaffected and recommended the use of drip irrigation as the fruit yield per unit of water used was on average one-third higher than when using furrow irrigation.     

Influence of different water quantities and qualities on lemon trees and soil salt distribution at the Jordan Valley

The influences of water quantity and quality on young lemon trees (Eureka) were studied at the University of Jordan Research Station at the Jordan Valley for 5 years (1996–2000). Five water levels and three water qualities were imposed via trickle irrigation system on clay loam soil. The primary effect of excess salinity is that it renders less water available to plants although some is still present in the root zone. Lemon trees water requirements should be modified year by year since planting according to the percentage shaded area, and this will lead into substantial water saving. Both evaporation from class A pan and the percentage shaded area can be used to give a satisfactory estimate of the lemon trees water requirement at the different growth stages. The highest lemon fruit yield was at irrigation water depth equal to evaporation depth from class A pan when corrected for tree canopy percentage area. Increasing irrigation water salinity 3.7 times increased average crop root zone salinity by about 3.8–4.1 times.The high salt concentration at the soil surface is due to high evaporation rate from wetted areas and the nature of soil water distribution associated with drip irrigation system. Then, the salt concentration decreased until the second depth, thereafter, salt concentration followed the bulb shape of the wetted soil volume under trickle irrigation. Irrigation water salinity is very important factor that should be managed with limited (deficit) irrigation. But increasing amount of applied saline water could result in a negative effect on crop yield and environment such as increasing average crop root zone salinity, nutrient leaching, water logging, increasing the drainage water load of salinity which might pollute ground water and other water sources.     

Soil moisture distribution patterns under surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems in sandy soil using neutron scattering technique

This study was carried out at the experimental field station of the Atomic Energy Authority in Anshas, Egypt, by the aim of assessing the soil moisture status under surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems, as a function of the variation in the distance between drippers along and between laterals. Moisture measurements were carried out using neutron moisture meter technique, and water distribution uniformity was assessed by applying Surfer Model. The presented data indicated that the soil moisture distribution and its uniformity within the soil profile under surface drip was to great extent affected by the distance between drippers rather than that between laterals. Generally, the soil moisture distribution under using 30-cm dripper spacing was better than of that under 50 cm. Under subsurface drip irrigation, the allocation of the irrigation system was the factor that dominantly affected the moisture trend under the studied variables. Installing the system at 30 cm from the soil surface is the one to be recommended as it represents the active root zone for most vegetable crops, beside it leads to a better water saving in sandy soils than that allocated at 15 cm depth.     

Distribution and dynamics of soil water and salt under different drip irrigation regimes in northwest China

A 2-year experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different drip irrigation regimes on distribution and dynamics of soil water and salt in north Xinjiang, China. Five treatments—F7 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), B7 (4.68 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), S7 (7.42 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), F10 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 10 days) and F3 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 3 days)—were designed. For all treatments, additional 150-mm fresh water was applied on 10th November in 2009 (winter irrigation) to leach the accumulated salt. The results revealed that irrigation frequency and water quality had significant effects on the spatial distribution and change of soil water content, soil salt and the crop water consumption rate, but had a limited impact on the seasonal accumulative water consumption, and the cotton yield decreased with the decrease in irrigation frequency and water quality on the whole. During the cotton growing season, results showed that the salt mainly accumulated in the 0- to 60-cm soil layer, while the soil salt in 60- to 100-cm layer changed slightly, indicating that the drip irrigation could not leach the soil salt out of the root zone under the irrigation regimes. Therefore, salt leaching was necessary to maintain the soil water–salt balance and to prevent excessive salt accumulation in the root zone. After the 150-mm winter irrigation and subsequent thawing, soil salts were leached into the deeper layers (below 60 cm), and the soil salt content (SSC) (EC_1:5) in root zone in the next year was about 0.2 dS m^?1. Moreover, compared to 2009 season, the SSC within the root zone did not increase even the EC of the irrigation water was up to 7.42 dS m^?1. Additionally, it is important to note that the results were concluded based on the data of the 2-year experiment; further studies are need to optimize winter irrigation amount and assess the sustainability of saline water irrigation since long-term utilization of saline water may lead to soil degradation.     

Evaluation of the Watermark sensor for use with drip irrigated vegetable crops

The Watermark 200SS sensor was evaluated for the measurement of soil matric potential (SMP) with drip-irrigated vegetable crops. Pepper and melon crops were grown sequentially during autumn-winter and spring-summer, in a sandy loam soil in a greenhouse. Ranges of SMP were generated by applying three different irrigation treatments — 100, 50 and 0% of crop water requirements, during two treatment periods (16 December 2002–7 January 2003; 20 January–10 February 2003) in pepper and one treatment period (26 May–6 June 2003) in melon. Watermark sensors and tensiometers were positioned, at identical distances from irrigation emitters, at 10 cm soil depth, with four replicate sensors for each measurement. Electrical resistance from Watermark sensors and SMP from tensiometers were recorded at 30-min intervals. An in-situ calibration equation was derived using data from the first pepper treatment period. For data in the three treatment periods, SMP was calculated from Watermark electrical resistance using the in-situ, Thomson and Armstrong (in Appl Eng Agric 3:186–189 1987), Shock et al. (1998) and Allen (2000) calibration equations. Additionally, the Thomson and Armstrong (in Appl Eng Agric 3:186–189 1987) and Shock et al. (1998) equations were re-parameterised with the SOLVER^® function of Microsoft Excel 2000^® using data from the first pepper treatment period. Watermark-derived SMP, for each equation, were compared with tensiometer-measured SMP, for <-10, ?10 to ?30, ?30 to ?50 and ?50 to ?80 kPa ranges, using visual analysis, and relative root mean square error (RRMSE) and mean difference (Md) values. In rapidly drying soil, the Watermark-derived SMP responded considerably more slowly to continual drying and to drying between irrigations, regardless of the calibration equation used. Otherwise, the Watermark sensor was able to provide an accurate indication of SMP, depending on the calibration equation. The in-situ and re-parameterised equations were accurate for the conditions in which they were derived/re-parameterised. However, as the growing conditions increasingly differed from those original conditions, these equations lost their advantage compared to the two published equations, suggesting that they are not robust approaches. The Thomson and Armstrong (in Appl Eng Agric 3:186–189 1987) equation generally provided an accurate indication of SMP at >?30 kPa, measuring to ?2.5 kPa. Where the soil was not drying rapidly, the Shock et al. (1998) equation generally provided an accurate indication of SMP at ?30 to ?80 kPa. The use of dynamic data (collected every 30 min) compared to static data (collected only at 6 a.m.) did not influence the evaluation of calibration equations. This study suggested that the Watermark sensor can provide an accurate indication of SMP provided that a suitable calibration equation is derived/verified for the specific cropping conditions, and that the performance characteristics of the sensor are considered.     

土槽模拟开沟覆膜滴灌技术下盐分调控规律

新疆气候干旱与土壤盐碱化并存,是制约新疆农业发展的主要因素,开沟覆膜滴灌技术综合了膜下滴灌技术与开沟技术的优点,理论上可有效治理盐碱地。在开沟覆膜滴灌技术下,设置不同灌水定额与灌水次数,利用试验土槽模拟盐分调控规律,结果表明:1第1次合适灌水定额对盐分的淋洗起主要作用,可使土体盐分达到较稳定的状态,盐分也随水分侧向运移,并在土埂表层聚集;2灌水定额的增加促进盐分随水分向远离滴头和向深层方向运移,使得覆膜间、覆膜边盐分淋洗的深度增加,脱盐区增加;3在灌水定额为300m3/hm2时,可以在滴灌带横向0~23cm,下部58cm处迅速形成一个含盐量小于1.5%的达标脱盐区,满足当地作物正常出苗,故建议当地可选择300m3/hm2作为第1次灌水洗盐定额。     

河套灌区节水灌溉对土壤盐分累积规律的模拟研究

在内蒙古河套实施农业节水对引黄灌区水资源可持续利用具有非常重要的意义。通过河套灌区土壤水盐动态的原位监测,并应用水盐运移和作物耦合模型HYDRUS-EPIC对不同灌溉条件下葵花土壤盐分累积规律进行分析。研究结果表明:现状滴灌条件下葵花生育期土壤表层(0~10cm)盐分呈累积趋势,全盐含量分别比传统地面灌溉和等量地面灌高115%和37%;葵花生育期0~100cm增加的全盐量(ΔC)滴灌比传统地面灌溉高305%,比等量地面灌溉低23%,淋洗是灌区滴灌不可或缺的抑盐措施;滴灌条件下葵花的产量比传统地面灌小6.5%;滴灌产量比等量地面灌高11.7%,增产效果明显。     

Groundwater uptake and sustainability of Acacia and Prosopis plantations in Southern Pakistan

Farm woodlots or plantations of salt tolerant trees may provide an economic use or reclamation treatment for salt-affected farmland within the irrigation regions of the Indus Valley, but the hydrological impact and sustainability of such plantations are unknown. Detailed measurements of plantation water use, watertable depth and soil conditions were recorded over 2 years in two small plantations with contrasting soil and groundwater salinity at Tando Jam in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The species monitored were Acacia nilotica, A. ampliceps and Prosopis pallida. Annual water use by 3- to 5-year old A. nilotica was 1248 mm on the severely saline site and 2225 mm on the mildly saline site. Water use by the other species was less than 25% of these rates, but this difference is largely explained by their lower density in terms of sapwood area per hectare. Water use by A. nilotica was considerably greater than annual rainfall, implying uptake of groundwater which was confirmed both by piezometric observations and chloride balance modelling to predict vertical water movement through the root zone. Plantation watertables fell from 1.7 m below surface in March to over 2.9 m in September, then rose again during irrigation of the surrounding farmland. Root zone salt concentrations remained high at the more saline site throughout the monitoring period, but at the less saline site there was evidence of increasing root zone salinity as salt accumulated in areas of the profile subject to root water uptake. Salt concentration in the upper profile decreased as the soil dried and water was absorbed from greater depth. Plantations using saline groundwater may be sustainable if occasional leaching and other salt-removing processes are sufficient to maintain root zone salinity at a level which does not excessively reduce tree growth.     

Comparison of drip and sprinkler irrigation strategies on sunflower seed and oil yield and quality under Mediterranean climatic conditions

This study compares the effects of different irrigation regimes on seed yield and oil yield quality and water productivity of sprinkler and drip irrigated sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) on silty-clay-loam soils in 2006 and 2007 in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. In sprinkler irrigation a line-source system was used in order to create gradually varying irrigation levels. Irrigation regimes consisted of full irrigation (I₁) and three deficit irrigation treatments (I₂, I₃ and I₄), and rain-fed treatment (I₅). In the drip system, irrigation regimes included full irrigation (FI-100), three deficit irrigation treatments (DI-25, DI-50, DI-75), partial root zone drying (PRD-50) and rain-fed treatment (RF). Irrigations were scheduled at weekly intervals both in sprinkler and drip irrigation, based on soil water depletion within a 0.90 m root zone in FI-100 and I₁ plots. Irrigation treatments influenced significantly (P < 0.01) sunflower seed and oil yields, and oil quality both with sprinkler and drip systems. Seed yields decreased with increasing water stress levels under drip and sprinkler irrigation in both experimental years. Seed yield response to irrigation varied considerably due to differences in soil water contents and spring rainfall distribution in the experimental years. Although PRD-50 received about 36% less irrigation water as compared to FI-100, sunflower yield was reduced by an average of 15%. PRD-50 produced greater seed and oil yields than DI-50 in the drip irrigation system. Yield reduction was mainly due to less number of seeds per head and lower seed mass. Soil water deficits significantly reduced crop evapotranspiration (ET), which mainly depends on irrigation amounts. Significant linear relationships (R² = 0.96) between ET and oil yield (Y) were obtained in each season. The seed yield response factors (ky_seed) were 1.24 and 0.86 for the sprinkler and 1.19 and 1.06 for the drip system in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The oil yield response factor (ky_oil) for sunflower was found to be 1.08 and 1.49 for both growing seasons for the sprinkler and 1.36 and 1.25 for the drip systems, respectively. Oil content decreased with decreasing irrigation amount. Consistently greater values of oil content were obtained from the full irrigation treatment plots. The saturated (palmitic and stearic acid) and unsaturated (oleic and linoleic acid) fatty acid contents were significantly affected by water stress. Water stress caused an increase in oleic acid with a decrease in linoleic acid contents. The palmitic and stearic acid concentrations decreased under drought conditions. Water productivity (WP) values were significantly affected by irrigation amounts and ranged from 0.40 to 0.71 kg m⁻³ in 2006, and from 0.69 to 0.91 kg m⁻³ in 2007. The PRD-50 treatment resulted in the greatest WP (1.0 kg m⁻³) and irrigation water productivity (IWP) (1.4 kg m⁻³) in both growing seasons. The results revealed that under water scarcity situation, PRD-50 in drip and I₂ in sprinkler system provide acceptable irrigation strategies to increase sunflower yield and quality.     

Effect of irrigation methods on root development and profile soil water uptake in winter wheat

The 2-year field experiments were carried out to research the effect of different irrigation methods, namely border irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and surface drip irrigation, on root development and profile water uptake in winter wheat. Results showed that the main root distribution zone moved upward under sprinkler and surface drip irrigation when compared to the traditional border irrigation. Profile root distribution pattern changed with irrigation methods. Soil profile water uptake was correlated to the root system and soil water dynamics. Due to the appropriate soil water and higher root density in the surface soil layer under sprinkler and surface drip irrigation, the main water uptake zone was concentrated in the upper layer. Because of the water deficit in the surface layer under border irrigation, water uptake in 50–100 cm depth was stimulated, which caused the main uptake zone downward. The amount and pattern of root water uptake varied with irrigation methods. This may provide valuable information on the aspect of agricultural management.