Tuber yield, water and fertilizer productivity in early potato as affected by a combination of irrigation and fertilization

Excessive amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers are often utilized for early potato cultivation in the Mediterranean basin. Given that water is expensive and limited in the semi-arid areas and that fertilizers above a threshold level often prove inefficacious for production purposes but still risk nitrate and phosphorous pollution of groundwater, it is crucial to provide an adequate irrigation and fertilization management. With the aim of achieving an appropriate combination of irrigation water and nutrient application in cultivation management of a potato crop in a Mediterranean environment, a 2-year experiment was conducted in Sicily (South Italy). The combined effects of 3 levels of irrigation (irrigation only at plant emergence, 50% and 100% of the maximum evapotranspiration - ETM) and 3 levels of mineral fertilization (low: 50, 25 and 75 kg ha⁻¹, medium: 100, 50 and 150 kg ha⁻¹ and high: 300, 100 and 450 kg ha⁻¹ of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O) were studied on the tuber yield and yield components, on both water irrigation and fertilizer productivity and on the plant source/sink (canopy/tubers dry weight) ratio. The results show a marked interaction between level of irrigation and level of fertilization on tuber yield, on Irrigation Water Productivity and on fertilizer productivity of the potato crop. We found that the treatments based on 50% ETM and a medium level of fertilization represent a valid compromise in early potato cultivation management. Compared to the high combination levels of irrigation and fertilization, this treatment entails a negligible reduction in tuber yield to save 90 mm ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of irrigation water and 200, 50 and 300 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O, respectively, with notable economic savings for farmers compared to the spendings that are usually made.     

Yield and water-production functions of two durum wheat cultivars grown under different irrigation and nitrogen regimes

Wheat (Triticum durum L.) yields in the semi-arid regions are limited by inadequate water supply late in the cropping season. Planning suitable irrigation strategy and nitrogen fertilization with the appropriate crop phenology will produce optimum grain yields. A 3-year experiment was conducted on deep, fairly drained clay soil, at Tal Amara Research Station in the central Bekaa Valley of Lebanon to investigate the response of durum wheat to supplemental irrigation (IRR) and nitrogen rate (NR). Three water supply levels (rainfed and two treatments irrigated at half and full soil water deficit) were coupled with three N fertilization rates (100, 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹) and two cultivars (Waha and Haurani) under the same cropping practices (sowing date, seeding rate, row space and seeding depth). Averaged across N treatments and years, rainfed treatment yielded 3.49 Mg ha⁻¹ and it was 25% and 28% less than half and full irrigation treatments, respectively, for Waha, while for Haurani the rainfed treatment yielded 3.21 Mg ha⁻¹, and it was 18% and 22% less than half and full irrigation, respectively. On the other hand, N fertilization of 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹ increased grain yield in Waha by 12% and 16%, respectively, in comparison with N fertilization of 100 kg N ha⁻¹, while for cultivar Haurani the increases were 24% and 38%, respectively. Regardless of cultivar, results showed that supplemental irrigation significantly increased grain number per square meter and grain weight with respect to the rainfed treatment, while nitrogen fertilization was observed to have significant effects only on grain number per square meter. Moreover, results showed that grain yield for cultivar Haurani was less affected by supplemental irrigation and more affected by nitrogen fertilization than cultivar Waha in all years. However, cultivar effects were of lower magnitude compared with those of irrigation and nitrogen. We conclude that optimum yield was produced for both cultivars at 50% of soil water deficit as supplemental irrigation and N rate of 150 kg N ha⁻¹. However, Harvest index (HI) and water use efficiency (WUE) in both cultivars were not significantly affected neither by supplemental irrigation nor by nitrogen rate. Evapotranspiration (ET) of rainfed wheat ranged from 300 to 400 mm, while irrigated wheat had seasonal ET ranging from 450 to 650 mm. On the other hand, irrigation treatments significantly affected ET after normalizing for vapor pressure deficit (ET/VPD) during the growing season. Supplemental irrigation at 50% and 100% of soil water deficit had approximately 26 and 52 mm mbar⁻¹ more ET/VPD, respectively, than those grown under rainfed conditions.     

Forage quality, water use and nitrogen utilization efficiencies of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L.) grown under different soil moisture and nitrogen levels

The increasing scarcity of water for irrigation is becoming the most important problem for producing forage in all arid and semi-arid regions. Pearl millet is a key crop in these regions which needs relatively less water than other crops. In this research, a field study was conducted to identify the best combination of irrigation and nitrogen (N) management to achieve acceptable pearl millet forage both in quantity and quality aspects. Pearl millet was subjected to four irrigation treatments with interaction of N fertilizer (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg ha⁻¹). The irrigation treatments were 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of total available soil water (I₄₀, I₆₀, I₈₀ and I₁₀₀, respectively). The results showed that increasing moisture stress (from I₄₀ to I₁₀₀) resulted in progressively less total dry matter (TDM), leaf area index (LAI), and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUzE), while water use efficiency (WUE) and the percentage of crude protein (CP%) increased. The highest TDM and LAI were found to be 21.45 t ha⁻¹ and 8.65, in I₄₀ treatment, respectively. TDM, WUE, CP% and profit responses to N rates were positive. The maximum WUE of 4.19 kg DM/m³ was achieved at I₁₀₀ with 150 kg N ha⁻¹. The results of this research indicate that the maximum profit of forage production was obtained in plots which were fully irrigated (I₄₀) and received 225 kg N ha⁻¹. However, in the situation which water is often limited and not available, application of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ can produce high forage quality and guaranty acceptable benefits for farmers.     

Deficit irrigation and nitrogen effects on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor in shallow soils of semi-arid environment

A field experiment was conducted for 2 years to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation, nitrogen and plant growth minerals on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor. The treatment comprises six levels of deficit irrigation (Etc 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5) and four levels of nitrogen (80, 120, 160 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹). These were treatments superimposed with and without plant growth mineral spray. Furrow irrigation treatments were also kept. Cotton variety Ankur-651 Bt was grown during 2006 and 2007 cotton season. Drip irrigation at 1.0 Etc saved 26.9% water and produced 43.1% higher seed cotton yield over conventional furrow irrigation (1.0 Etc). Imposing irrigation deficit of 0.8 Etc caused significant reduction in seed cotton yield to the tune of 9.3% of the maximum yield. Further increase in deficit irrigation from 0.7 Etc to 0.5 Etc significantly decreased seed cotton yield over its subsequent higher irrigation level. Decline in the yield under deficit irrigation was associated with reduction in number of bolls plant⁻¹ and boll weight. Nitrogen at 200 kg ha⁻¹ significantly increased mean seed cotton yield by 36.3% over 80 kg N ha⁻¹. Seed cotton yield tended to increase linearly up to 200 kg N ha⁻¹ with drip Etc 0.8 to drip Etc 1.0. With drip Etc 0.6-0.5, N up to 160 kg ha⁻¹ provided the highest yield, thereafter it had declined. Foliar spray of plant growth mineral (PGM) brought about significant improvement in seed cotton yield by 14.1% over control. The water productivity ranged from 0.331 to 0.491 kg m⁻³ at different irrigation and N levels. On pooled basis, crop yield response factor of 0.87 was calculated at 20% irrigation deficit.     

Different drip irrigation regimes affect cotton yield, water use efficiency and fiber quality in western Turkey

Decreasing in water availability for cotton production has forced researchers to focus on increasing water use efficiency by improving either new drought-tolerant cotton varieties or water management. A field trial was conducted to observe the effects of different drip irrigation regimes on water use efficiencies (WUE) and fiber quality parameters produced from N-84 cotton variety in the Aegean region of Turkey during 2004 and 2005. Treatments were designated as full irrigation (T₁₀₀, which received 100% of the soil water depletion) and those that received 75, 50 and 25% of the amount received by treatment T₁₀₀ on the same day (treatments T₇₅; T₅₀ and T₂₅, respectively). The average seasonal water use values ranged from 265 to 753 mm and the average seed cotton yield varied from 2550 to 5760 kg ha⁻¹. Largest average cotton yield was obtained from the full irrigation treatment (T₁₀₀). WUE ranged from 0.77 kg m⁻³ in the T₁₀₀ to 0.98 kg m⁻³ in the T₂₅ in 2004 growing season and ranged from 0.76 kg m⁻³ in the T₁₀₀ to 0.94 kg m⁻³ in the T₂₅ in 2005 growing season. The largest irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was observed in the T₂₅ (1.46 kg m⁻³), and the smallest IWUE was in the T₁₀₀ treatment (0.81 kg m⁻³) in the experimental years. A yield response factor (k_y) value of 0.78 was determined based on averages of two years. Leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter yields (DM) increased with increasing water use for treatments. Fiber qualities were influenced by drip irrigation levels in both years. The results revealed that well-irrigated treatments (T₁₀₀) could be used for the semi-arid climatic conditions under no water shortage. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that irrigation of cotton with drip irrigation method at 75% level (T₇₅) had significant benefits in terms of saved irrigation water and large WUE indicating a definitive advantage of deficit irrigation under limited water supply conditions. In an economic viewpoint, 25.0% saving in irrigation water (T₇₅) resulted in 34.0% reduction in the net income. However, the net income of the T₁₀₀ treatment is found to be reasonable in areas with no water shortage.     

Evaluation of the influence of irrigation methods and water quality on sugar beet yield and water use efficiency

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have increased the pressure on limited existing fresh water to meet the growing needs for food production. Two immediate responses to this challenge are the efficient use of irrigation technology and the use of alternative sources of water. Drip irrigation methods may play an important role in efficient use of water but there is still limited information on their use on sugar beet crops in arid countries such as Iran. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of irrigation method and water quality on sugar beet yield, percentage of sugar content and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). The irrigation methods investigated were subsurface drip, surface drip and furrow irrigation. The two waters used were treated municipal effluent (EC = 1.52 dS m⁻¹) and fresh water (EC = 0.509 dS m⁻¹). The experiments used a split plot design and were undertaken over two consecutive growing seasons in Southern Iran. Statistical testing indicated that the irrigation method and water quality had a significant effect (at the 1% level) on sugar beet root yield, sugar yield, and IWUE. The highest root yield (79.7 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using surface drip irrigation and effluent and the lowest root yield (41.4 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using furrow irrigation and fresh water. The highest IWUE in root yield production (9 kg m⁻³) was obtained using surface drip irrigation with effluent and the lowest value (3.8 kg m⁻³) was obtained using furrow irrigation with fresh water. The highest IWUE of 1.26 kg m⁻³ for sugar was obtained using surface drip irrigation. The corresponding efficiency using effluent was 1.14 kg m⁻³. Irrigation with effluent led to an increase in the net sugar yield due to an increase in the sugar beet root yield. However, there was a slight reduction in the percentage sugar content in the plants. This study also showed that soil water and root depth monitoring can be used in irrigation scheduling to avoid water stress. Such monitoring techniques can also save considerable volumes of irrigation water and can increase yield.     

The effects of irrigation methods with effluent and irrigation scheduling on water use efficiency and corn yields in an arid region

A great challenge for the agricultural sector is to produce more food from less water, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions which suffer from water scarcity. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three irrigation methods, using effluent versus fresh water, on water savings, yields and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). The irrigation scheduling was based on soil moisture and rooting depth monitoring. The experimental design was a split plot with three main treatments, namely subsurface drip (SSD), surface drip (SD) and furrow irrigation (FI) and two sub-treatments effluent and fresh water, which were applied with three replications. The experiment was conducted at the Marvdasht city (Southern Iran) wastewater treatment plant during 2005 and 2006. The experimental results indicated that the average water applied in the irrigation treatments with monitoring was much less than that using the conventional irrigation method (using furrows but based on a constant irrigation interval, without moisture monitoring). The maximum water saving was obtained using SSD with 5907 m³ ha⁻¹ water applied, and the minimum water saving was obtained using FI with 6822 m³ ha⁻¹. The predicted irrigation water requirements using the Penman-Monteith equation (considering 85% irrigation efficiency for the FI method) was 10,743 m³ ha⁻¹. The pressure irrigation systems (SSD and SD) led to a greater yield compared to the surface method (FI). The highest yield (12.11 × 10³ kg ha⁻¹) was obtained with SSD and the lowest was obtained with the FI method (9.75 × 10³ kg ha⁻¹). The irrigation methods indicated a highly significant difference in irrigation water use efficiency. The maximum IWUE was obtained with the SSD (2.12 kg m⁻³) and the minimum was obtained with the FI method (1.43 kg m⁻³). Irrigation with effluent led to a greater IWUE compared to fresh water, but the difference was not statistically significant.     

Response of cotton to various levels of nitrogen and water applied to normal and paired sown cotton under drip irrigation in relation to check-basin

Field experiments were conducted for 2 years to investigate the effects of various levels of nitrogen (N) and methods of cotton planting on yield, agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) and water use efficiency (WUE) in cotton irrigated through surface drip irrigation at Bathinda situated in semi-arid region of northwest India. Three levels of N (100, 75 and 50% of recommended N, 75 kg ha⁻¹) were tested under drip irrigation in comparison to 75 kg of N ha⁻¹ in check-basin. The three methods of planting tried were; normal sowing of cotton with row to row spacing of 67.5 cm (NS), normal paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 100 cm alternately (NP) and dense paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 55 cm alternately resulting in total number rows and plants to be 1.5 times (DP) than NS and NP. In NS there was one lateral along each row, but in paired sowings there was one lateral between each pair of rows. Consequently the number of laterals and quantity of water applied was 50 and 75% in NP and DP, respectively, as compared with NS in which irrigation water applied was equivalent to check-basin.Drip irrigation under NS resulted in an increase of 258 and 453 kg ha⁻¹ seed cotton yield than check-basin during first and second year, respectively, when same quantity of water and N was applied. Drip irrigation under dense paired sowing (DP) in which the quantity of irrigation water applied was 75% as compared with NS, further increased the yield by 84 and 101 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. Drip irrigation under NP, in which the quantity of water applied and number of laterals used were 50% as compared with drip under NS, resulted in a reduction in seed cotton yield of 257 and 112 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. However, the yield obtained in NP under drip irrigation was equivalent to yield obtained in NS under check-basin during first year but 341 kg ha⁻¹ higher yield was obtained during second year. The decrease in N applied, irrespective of methods of planting, caused a significant decline in seed cotton yield during both the years. Water use efficiency (WUE) under drip irrigation increased from 1.648 to 1.847 and from 0.983 to 1.615 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ during first and second year, respectively, when the same quantity of N and water was applied. The WUE further increased to 2.125 and 1.788 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ under DP during first and second year, respectively. The agronomic efficiency of nitrogen was higher in drip than check-basin during both the years when equal N was applied. The WUE decreased with decrease in the rate of N applied under fertigation but reverse was true for AEN. It is evident that DP under drip irrigation resulted in higher seed cotton yield, WUE and AEN than NS and also saved 25% irrigation water as well as cost of laterals.     

Yield and quality of melon grown under different irrigation and nitrogen rates

During 2 years, a melon crop (Cucumis melo L. cv. Sancho) was grown under field conditions to investigate the effects of different nitrogen (N) and irrigation (I) levels on fruit yield, fruit quality, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and nitrogen applied efficiency (NAE). The statistical design was a split-plot with four replications, where irrigation was the main factor of variation and N was the secondary factor. In 2005, irrigation treatments consisted of applying daily a moderate water stress equivalent to 75% of ETc (crop evapotranspiration), a 100% ETc control and an excess irrigation of 125% ETc (designated as I₇₅, I₁₀₀ and I₁₂₅), while the N treatments were 30, 85, 112 and 139 kg N ha⁻¹ (designated as N₃₀, N₈₅, N₁₁₂ and N₁₃₉). In 2006, both the irrigation and N treatments applied were: 60, 100 and 140% ETc (I₆₀, I₁₀₀ and I₁₄₀) and 93, 243 and 393 kg N ha⁻¹ (N₉₃, N₂₄₃ and N₃₉₃). Moderate water stress did not reduce melon yield and high IWUE was obtained. Under severe deficit irrigation, the yield was reduced by 22% mainly due to decrease fruit weight. The relative yield (yield/maximum yield) was higher than 95% when the irrigation depth applied was in the range of 87-136% ETc. In 2006, the interaction between irrigation and N was significant for yield, fruit weight and IWUE. The best yield, 41.3 Mg ha⁻¹, was obtained with 100% ETc at N₉₃. The flesh firmness and the placenta and seeds weight increased when the irrigation level was reduced by 60% ETc. The highest NAE was obtained with quantities of water close to 100% ETc and increased as the N level was reduced. The highest IWUE was obtained with applications close to 90 kg N ha⁻¹. The I₂₄₃ and I₃₉₃ treatments produced inferior fruits due to higher skin ratios and lower flesh ratios. These results suggest that it is possible to apply moderate deficit irrigation, around 90% ETc, and reduce nitrogen input to 90 kg ha⁻¹ without lessening quality and yields.     

Carbon and nitrogen cycling in a tropical Brazilian soil cropped with sugarcane and irrigated with wastewater

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in agro-systems can be altered as a consequence of treated sewage effluent (TSE) irrigation. The present study evaluated the effects of TSE irrigation over 16 months on N concentrations in sugarcane (leaves, stalks and juice), total soil carbon (TC), total soil nitrogen (TN), NO₃⁻-N in soil and nitrate (NO₃⁻) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil solution. The soil was classified as an Oxisol and samplings were carried out during the first productive crop cycle, from February 2005 (before planting) to September 2006 (after sugarcane harvest and 16 months of TSE irrigation). The experiment was arranged in a complete block design with five treatments and four replicates. Irrigated plots received 50% of the recommended mineral N fertilization and 100% (T100), 125% (T125), 150% (T150) and 200% (T200) of crop water demand. No mineral N and irrigation were applied to the control plots. TSE irrigation enhanced sugarcane yield but resulted in total-N inputs (804-1622 kg N ha⁻¹) greater than exported N (463-597 kg N ha⁻¹). Hence, throughout the irrigation period, high NO₃⁻ concentrations (up to 388 mg L⁻¹ at T200) and DOC (up to 142 mg L⁻¹ at T100) were measured in soil solution below the root zone, indicating the potential of groundwater contamination. TSE irrigation did not change soil TC and TN.     

Effects of deficit irrigation on the yield and yield components of drip irrigated cotton in a mediterranean environment

A field study on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., cv.) was carried out from 2005 to 2008 in the Çukurova Region, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Treatments were designated as I₁₀₀ full irrigation; DI₇₀, DI₅₀ and DI₀₀ which received 70, 50, and 0% of the irrigation water amount applied in the I₁₀₀ treatment. The irrigation water amount to be applied to the plots was calculated using cumulative pan evaporation that occurred during the irrigation intervals. The effect of water deficit or water stress on crop yield and some plant growth parameters such as yield response, water use efficiencies, dry matter yield (DM), leaf area index (LAI) as well as on lint quality components was evaluated. The average seasonal evapotranspiration ranged from 287 ± 15 (DI₀₀) to 584 ± 80 mm (I₁₀₀). Deficit irrigation significantly affected crop yield and all yield components considered in this study. The average seed cotton yield varied from 1369 ± 197 (DI₀₀) to 3397 ± 508 kg ha⁻¹ (I₁₀₀). The average water use efficiency (WUE_ET) ranged from 6.0 ± 1.6 (I₁₀₀) to 4.8 ± 0.9 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₀₀), while average irrigation water use efficiency (WUE_I) was between 9.4 ± 3.0 (I₁₀₀) and 14.4 ± 4.8 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Deficit irrigation increased the harvest index (HI) values from 0.26 ± 0.054 (I₁₀₀) to 0.32 ± 0.052 kg kg⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Yield response factor (Ky) was determined to be 0.98 based on four-year average. Leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter yields (DM) increased with increasing water use. This study demonstrated that the full irrigated treatment (I₁₀₀) should be used for semiarid conditions with no water shortage. However, DI₇₀ treatment needs to be considered as a viable alternative for the development of reduced irrigation strategies in semiarid regions where irrigation water supplies are limited.     

Modelling of water and nitrogen balances in the ponded water and soil profile of rice fields in Northern Greece

This paper presents a water and nitrogen balance model for the surface ponded water and soil profile system of rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields. The model estimates the daily water balance components, as well as, the daily losses and transformations of nitrogen. Data from two neighbouring rice fields during the growing season of 2005 in the Thessaloniki plain of Northern Greece were used for the application of the model. The data set of field A was used for the calibration of the model, while the data set from the field B for validation of model. Simulation results of total inorganic nitrogen in the soil and runoff water exhibited reasonable agreement with the measured data during calibration and verification of the model. Significant amounts of applied irrigation water were lost through surface runoff and deep percolation into the groundwater. The sum of nitrogen inputs from fertilization, mineralization and irrigation water were 292.7 and 280.4 kg ha⁻¹ for field A and B, respectively. Nitrogen uptake by algae in ponding water and plants was one of the main processes of nitrogen reduction in the rice field systems with an amount of 125.7 and 131.8 kg ha⁻¹ for field A and B, respectively. Leaching through percolated water was the other significant process with 118.3 and 120.8 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Gaseous losses of nitrogen (via volatilization and denitrification) were also substantial processes of nitrogen reduction in the flooded compartment. The study showed that the simple model presents important results for the water and nitrogen management in rice fields. This information can be used for irrigation water saving and prevention of water resources contamination in rice-based agroecosystems.     

Yield and quality response of drip irrigated broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) under different irrigation regimes, nitrogen applications and cultivation periods

The experiment aimed at evaluating the yield and quality response of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) to applied irrigation water and nitrogen by drip irrigation method during the spring and autumn cultivation periods of 2007. Irrigation water was applied based on a ratio of Class A pan evaporation (k_cp = 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25) with 7 days interval. Also, the effect of four nitrogen levels (0 kg ha⁻¹, 150 kg ha⁻¹, 200 kg ha⁻¹ and 250 kg ha⁻¹) was compared with each treatment. The seasonal evapotranspiration in the treatments varied from 233 mm to 328 mm during the spring period and from 276 mm to 344 mm during the autumn period. The highest broccoli yield was obtained in the spring period as 11.02 t ha⁻¹ and in the autumn period as 4.55 t ha⁻¹. In general, there were statistical differences along nitrogen does with respect to yield and yield components while there were no statistically significant differences in the yield and yield components among irrigation regimes. Both yield and yield parameters in the spring period were found to be higher than that of the autumn period due to the low temperature and high rainy days in autumn. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) ranged from 3.78 kg m⁻³ to 14.61 kg m⁻³ during the spring period and from 1.89 kg m⁻³ to 5.93 kg m⁻³ during the autumn period. On the other hand, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) changed as 37.32-73.13% and 13.08-22.46% for spring and autumn season, respectively.     

Runoff nitrogen from a large sized paddy field during a crop period

Nutrient load management is an important environmental issue because nutrient loads from farmlands degrade surface waters as a result of anthropogenic eutrophication. Nitrogen load from a large sized paddy field during the crop period was examined from the results of field measurements carried out in 2004. The 1.5 ha paddy field was located east of Biwa Lake. Irrigation water volume and ponded water depth were continuously observed. Field measurements were carried out at least once a week to analyze total nitrogen (TN) concentration in the irrigation water and ponded water. Daily inflow and outflow of nitrogen was obtained by multiplication of the nitrogen concentration and transported water volume, consisting of irrigation, precipitation, evapotranspiration, percolation and surface discharge. Water outflow volume was calculated by a tank model that consisted of three small tanks connected to represent ponded water depth differences in the large paddy field. The calculated nitrogen load was 18.8 kg ha⁻¹, with 7.2 kg ha⁻¹ from surface drainage and 11.6 kg ha⁻¹ from percolation loss. The runoff nitrogen value of 18.8 kg ha⁻¹ was within the range of the reported values investigated in a medium-sized paddy field. The observed value was close to the value for a low percolation flux paddy field where less irrigation water has been applied. These results suggest that less irrigation water keep runoff nitrogen low. This also indicates that irrigation water management can reduce nitrogen load from large sized paddy fields.     

Response of soybean genotypes to different irrigation regimes in a humid region of the southeastern USA

Studies on irrigation scheduling for soybean have demonstrated that avoiding irrigation during the vegetative growth stages could result in yields as high as those obtained if the crop was fully irrigated during the entire growing season. This could ultimately also lead to an improvement of the irrigation water use efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different irrigation regimes (IRs) on growth and yield of four soybean genotypes and to determine their irrigation water use efficiency. A field experiment consisting of three IR using a lateral move sprinkler system and four soybean genotypes was conducted at the Bledsoe Research Farm of The University of Georgia, USA. The irrigation treatments consisted of full season irrigated (FSI), start irrigation at flowering (SIF), and rainfed (RFD); the soybean genotypes represented maturity groups (MGs) V, VI, VII, and VIII. A completely randomized block design in a split-plot array with four replicates was used with IR as the main treatment and the soybean MGs as the sub-treatment. Weather variables and soil moisture were recorded with an automatic weather station located nearby, while rainfall and irrigation amounts were recorded with rain gauges located in the experimental field. Samplings for growth analysis of the plant and its components as well as leaf area index (LAI) and canopy height were obtained every 12 days. The irrigation water use efficiency (I_WUE) or ratio of the difference between irrigated and rainfed yield to the amount of irrigation water applied was estimated. The results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between IR for dry matter of the plant and its components, canopy height, and maximum leaf area index as well as significant differences (P < 0.05) between MGs due to IR. Differences for the interaction between IR and MG were significant (P < 0.05) only for dry matter of pods and seed yield. In general, seed yield increased at a rate of 7.20 kg for each mm of total water received (rainfall + irrigation) by the crop. Within IR, significant differences (P < 0.05) on I_WUE were found between maturity groups with values as low as 0.55 kg m⁻³ for MG V and as high as 1.14 kg m⁻³ for MG VI for the FSI treatment and values as low as 0.48 kg m⁻³ for maturity group V and as high as 1.02 kg m⁻³ for maturity group VI for the SIF treatment. We also found that there were genotypic differences with respect to their efficiency to use water, stressing the importance of cultivar selection as a key strategy for achieving optimum yields with reduced use of water in supplemental irrigation.     

Water use efficiency and crop coefficients of dry season oilseed crops

Eastern India receives higher average annual rainfall (1000–2000 mm) but 80% of it occurs within the June–September (rainy season), whereas the winter season (November–March) is dry. Due to a shortage of soil moisture, most rainfed areas of the region remain fallow during the winter season and cultivation (mainly rice) is confined to the rainy season only (June–September). To explore the possibility of double cropping in the rainfed rice areas, three oilseed crops, viz., linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), safflower (Carthamous tinctorious L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), were grown in a representative rainfed area of eastern India, i.e. Dhenkanal, Orissa, during the dry/winter season by applying irrigation water at phonological stages. Study revealed that with three supplemental irrigations, the highest WUE was achieved by safflower followed by linseed with the mean values being 3.04 and 2.59 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹, respectively. Whereas, with one irrigation, the highest water use efficiency (WUE) was achieved for safflower (1.23 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) followed by linseed (0.93 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹). Of the three crops studied, safflower withdrew maximum water followed by mustard and crops were shown to use 90–105 mm more water than linseed. With three irrigations, average maximum rooting depths were 1.66, 1.17 and 0.67 m for safflower, mustard and linseed, respectively, which were 13.5, 10.6 and 11.4% higher than for single irrigated crops because of more wet sub soils and decrease of soil strength. The crop growth parameters like leaf area, dry biomass were also recorded with different levels of irrigation. The research work amply revealed the potential of growing these low water requiring oilseed crops in rice fallow during dry/winter season utilizing limited irrigation from harvested rainwater of rainy season. Crop coefficients (K_c) of three winter season oilseed crops were derived using field water balance approach. Study showed that LAI was significantly correlated with K_c values with the R² values of 0.91, 0.89 and 0.94 in linseed, safflower and mustard, respectively. When LAI exceeded 3.0, the K_c value was 1 in safflower and mustard whereas in linseed corresponding LAI was 2.5. Study revealed that the K_c values for the development and mid season stage were slightly higher to that obtained by the procedure proposed by FAO, which might be due to local advection.     

Evapotranspiration and water use of full and deficit irrigated cotton in the Mediterranean environment in northern Syria

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the most important industrial and summer cash crop in Syria and many other countries in the arid areas but there are concerns about future production levels, given the high water requirements and the decline in water availability. Most farmers in Syria aim to maximize yield per unit of land regardless of the quantity of water applied. Water losses can be reduced and water productivity (yield per unit of water consumed) improved by applying deficit irrigation, but this requires a better understanding of crop response to various levels of water stress. This paper presents results from a 3-year study (2004-2006) conducted in northern Syria to quantify cotton yield response to different levels of water and fertilizer. The experiment included four irrigation levels and three levels of nitrogen (N) fertilizer under drip irrigation. The overall mean cotton (lint plus seed, or lintseed) yield was 2502 kg ha⁻¹, ranging from 1520 kg ha⁻¹ under 40% irrigation to 3460 kg ha⁻¹ under 100% irrigation. Mean water productivity (WP_ET) was 0.36 kg lintseed per m³ of crop actual evapotranspiration (ET_c), ranging from 0.32 kg m⁻³ under 40% irrigation to 0.39 kg m⁻³ under the 100% treatment. Results suggest that deficit irrigation does not improve biological water productivity of drip-irrigated cotton. Water and fertilizer levels (especially the former) have significant effects on yield, crop growth and WP_ET. Water, but not N level, has a highly significant effect on crop ET_c. The study provides production functions relating cotton yield to ET_c as well as soil water content at planting. These functions are useful for irrigation optimization and for forecasting the impact of water rationing and drought on regional water budgets and agricultural economies. The WP_ET values obtained in this study compare well with those reported from the southwestern USA, Argentina and other developed cotton producing regions. Most importantly, these WP_ET values are double the current values in Syria, suggesting that improved irrigation water and system management can improve WP_ET, and thus enhance conservation and sustainability in this water-scarce region.     

Water and salt balance at irrigation scheme scale: A comprehensive approach for salinity assessment in a Saharan oasis

Salt balance methods are generally applied in the root-zone and at local scales but do not provide relevant information for salinity management at irrigation scheme scales, where there are methodological impediments. A simple salt balance model was developed at irrigation scheme and yearly time scales and applied in Fatnassa oasis (Nefzaoua, Tunisia). It accounts for input by irrigation, export by drainage and groundwater flow, and provides novel computation of the influence of biogeochemical processes and variations in the resident amount of salt for each chemical component in the soil and shallow groundwater. Impediments were overcome by limiting the depth of the system so that the resident amount of salt that remained was of the same order of magnitude as salt inputs and allowed indirect and reliable estimation of groundwater flow. Sensitivity analyses as partial derivatives of groundwater salinity were carried out according to non-reactive salt balance under steady-state assumption. These analyses enabled the magnitude of the salinization process to be foreseen as a function of hydrological changes linked to irrigation, drainage, groundwater flow and extension of the irrigated area. From a salt input of 39 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ by irrigation, 21 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (54%) and 10 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (26%) were exported by groundwater flow and drainage, respectively. 7 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (18%) were removed from groundwater by geochemical processes, while a non-significant 2 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ were estimated to have been stored in the soil and shallow groundwater where the residence time was only 2.7 years. The leaching efficiency of drainage was estimated at 0.77. With a water supply of 1360 mm by irrigation and 90 mm by rainfall, drainage, groundwater flow and actual evapotranspiration were 130, 230, and 1090 mm, respectively. The current extension of date palm plantations and salinization of groundwater resources are expected to significantly increase the salinity hazard while the degradation of the drainage system is expected to be of lesser impact. The approach was successfully implemented in Fatnassa oasis and proved to be particularly relevant in small or medium irrigation schemes where groundwater fluxes are significant.     

Sediment production and water quality of watersheds with contrasting land use in Navarre (Spain)

An experimental watershed (Oskotz principal- Op -ca.1700 ha) covered with forest and pasture (cattle-breeding) with an equally experimental sub-watershed (Oskotz woodland - Ow - ca. 500 ha) almost entirely under forest was continuously monitored during 8 years (2001-2008). These watersheds were established by the Government of Navarre (Spain) in order to assess the impact of agricultural activities on different region of Navarre. The first results regarding exported sediment, runoff, nitrate and phosphate are presented herein. These results are compared with those from two grain-sown watersheds previously reported by the authors, elsewhere.The same as in the grain-sown watersheds, most runoff, sediment, nitrate and phosphate yields in Oskotz were generated during winter, though most erosive rainfalls occurred during summer. In Ow, average sediment, nitrate and phosphate yields were approximately: 700, 22, 0.35 kg ha year⁻¹, respectively; for Op these figures were 550, 54 and 0.76 kg ha year⁻¹, respectively.However, total sediment and solute yields were different depending on the prevailing land use: cereal crops > forest > pasture. Sediment yields in the forest were strongly affected by the logging moment, when exported sediment rocketed.Nitrate concentration and yields were lower (and under the critical threshold) in the forested/pastured watersheds than those recorded in the two intensively cultivated watersheds. However, phosphate yields were dramatically higher (and over the critical threshold) in the former watersheds due to the prevailing soil conditions and to the fertilization of pasture, mainly with slurry.The present work, along with that similar one recently reported by the authors, is an unprecedented and relevant piece of research for the region.     

Cover crop effects on nitrogen load in tile drainage from Walnut Creek Iowa using root zone water quality (RZWQ) model

Studies quantifying winter annual cover crop effects on water quality are mostly limited to short-term studies at the plot scale. Long-term studies scaling-up water quality effects of cover crops to the watershed scale provide more integrated spatial responses from the landscape. The objective of this research was to quantify N loads from artificial subsurface drainage (tile drains) in a subbasin of the Walnut Creek, Iowa (Story county) watershed using the hybrid RZWQ-DSSAT model for a maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and maize-maize-soybean rotations in all phases with and without a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop during a 25-year period from 1981 to 2005. Simulated cover crop dry matter (DM) and N uptake averaged 1854 and 36 kg ha⁻¹ in the spring in the maize-soybean phase of the 2-year rotation and 1895 and 36 kg ha⁻¹ in the soybean-maize phase during 1981-2005. In the 3-year rotation, cover crop DM and N uptake averaged 2047 and 44 kg ha⁻¹ in the maize-maize-soybean phase, 2039 and 43 kg ha⁻¹ in the soybean-maize-maize phase, and 1963 and 43 kg ha⁻¹ in the maize-soybean-maize phase during the same period. Annual N loads to tile drains averaged 29 kg ha⁻¹ in the maize-soybean phase and 25 kg ha⁻¹ in the soybean-maize phase compared to 21 and 20 kg ha⁻¹ in the same phases with a cover crop. In the 3-year rotation, annual N loads averaged 46, 43, and 45 kg ha⁻¹ in each phase of the rotation without a cover crop and 37, 35, and 35 kg ha⁻¹ with a cover crop. These results indicate using a winter annual cover crop can reduce annual N loads to tile drains 20-28% in the 2-year rotation and 19-22% in the 3-year rotation at the watershed subbasin scale over a 25-year period.