Prediction of leaching fraction from soil properties,irrigation water and rainfall

Summary Fine textured soils (> 40% clay) form a major proportion of irrigated soils in northeastern Australia. More than half these soils are irrigated with groundwater, some of which has high salinity (electrical conductivity > 2.9 mS cm^–1). A simple prediction of salt leaching was sought to aid in land management decisions.An empirical model of leaching fraction is presented based on rainfall and easily measured soil properties related to hydraulic conductivity. The model is based on data from 766 soils. To account for the complexity of interactions between soil properties, the data was stratified into groups based on clay content and mineralogy (expressed here as CEC/clay ratio). This allowed simple linear regressions using ESP and rainfall to be developed to predict leaching fraction.When applied to irrigated soils, a salinity correction term (EC_{rain+irrigation}/EC_rain) was used to account for the flocculation effects of the increased salinity of irrigation waters. The model gave good predictions of leaching fraction for two irrigation regions with widely differing soil properties (Fig. 4).     

Use of saline–sodic waters through phytoremediation of calcareous saline–sodic soils

Use of poor-quality groundwater has become inevitable for irrigation to compensate rapidly increasing water demands in many arid and semiarid regions. Salinity and sodicity are the principal soil and water quality concerns in such areas. Many saline–sodic and sodic soils have saline or saline–sodic subsurface drainage waters. Amelioration of these soils needs a source of calcium (Ca²⁺) that can replace the excess exchangeable sodium (Na⁺). Most of these soils, however, contain calcite (CaCO₃) of extremely low solubility. The native calcite does not supply adequate levels of Ca²⁺ for soil amelioration as do other chemical amendments. Phytoremediation may help ameliorate such soils through cultivation of certain crops tolerant to ambient soil salinity and sodicity. This amelioration strategy works through plant root action to help dissolve CaCO₃ to supply adequate Ca²⁺ without the application of an amendment. During a 3-year field experiment conducted under irrigated conditions, we evaluated phytoremediation against soil application of gypsum and farm manure, and water treatment with sulphuric acid on a calcareous saline–sodic soil (pH_s=8.0–8.4, EC_e=24–32 dS m⁻¹, SAR=57–78, CaCO₃=45–50 g kg⁻¹ for the top 0.15 m depth; Calcic Haplosalids). A saline–sodic water (EC=2.9–3.4 dS m⁻¹, SAR=12.0–19.4, RSC=4.6–10.0 mmol_c l⁻¹, SAR_adj=15.6–18.4) was used to irrigate the rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops grown in rotation. Active desalinisation and desodication processes were observed in all the treatments. After the final wheat crop, the 1.2 m soil profile EC_e was 7±0.5 dS m⁻¹ and SAR was 15±2 with non-significant treatment differences, indicating comparable soil amelioration effect of phytoremediation with other treatments. Better crop yields were obtained from the manure-treated plots, owing to its annual addition to the soil that possibly improved soil fertility. Phytoremediation needed minimum capital input because no initial investment was made to purchase the amendments.     

农田土壤中土壤水渗漏与硝态氮淋失的模拟研究

应用HYDRUS-1D模型对黄淮海平原的主要土壤(黄潮土和风沙土)中水分与硝态氮的垂直运移规律进行了模拟分析。对模型参数的敏感性分析表明:饱和水力传导度是最敏感的参数,饱和含水量的敏感性次之。数值模拟结果表明:该地区在传统水氮管理制度下,土壤水渗漏和硝态氮淋失非常严重;全耕作年风沙土的土壤水渗漏大于黄潮土,分别为34.3cm和22.7cm,占灌水量的42.1%和74.6%;风沙土的硝态氮淋失大于黄潮土,分别为108.0kg/hm和76.6kg/hm,占总输入氮量的25.3%、14.3%。     

Two-dimensional modeling of nitrate leaching for various fertigation scenarios under micro-irrigation

The regular application of nitrogen fertilizers by irrigation is likely responsible for the increase in nitrate concentrations of groundwater in areas dominated by irrigated agriculture. Consequently, sustainable agricultural systems must include environmentally sound irrigation practices. To reduce the harmful effects of irrigated agriculture on the environment, the evaluation of alternative irrigation water management practices is essential. Micro-irrigation offers a large degree of control, enabling accurate application according to crop water requirements, thereby minimize leaching. Furthermore, fertigation allows the controlled placement of nutrients near the plant roots, reducing fertilizer losses through leaching into the groundwater. The presented two-dimensional modeling approach provides information to improve fertigation practices. The specific objective of this project was to assess the effect of fertigation strategy and soil type on nitrate leaching potential for four different micro-irrigation systems. We found that seasonal leaching was the highest for coarse-textured soils, and conclude that fertigation at the beginning of the irrigation cycle tends to increase seasonal nitrate leaching. In contrast, fertigation events at the end of the irrigation cycle reduced the potential for nitrate leaching. For all surface-applied irrigation systems on finer-textured soils, lateral spreading of water and nitrates was enhanced by surface water ponding, causing the water to spread across the surface with subsequent infiltration downwards and horizontal spreading of soil nitrate near the soil surface. Leaching potential increased as the difference between the extent of the wetted soil volume and rooting zone increased.     

Reclaiming a saline-sodic,sandy loam soil under rice production

A field-plot reclamation experiment was conducted on a virgin saline-sodic, sandy loam, permeable soil while growing rice with pre- and post-planting leaching under conditions of continuous and intermittent submergence. The soil studied contained very high amounts of soluble salts and exchangeable sodium throughout the profile. The chief salts were Cl^? and SO^2?₄ of Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The data obtained showed that post-transplanting leaching under intermittent submergence alone progressively decreased salinity and sodicity throughout the top 100 cm of the soil to levels safe for cultivation of relatively deep-rooted crops. The surface few centimetres of soil were essentially reclaimed within a few hours after leaching so that young rice seedlings established and survived to give good yield. It was concluded, therefore, that reclamation of these types of soil in arid and semi-arid regions, where good quality water is not available for leaching prior to transplanting rice, would not require any such pre-planting leaching. The results further indicated that there is no need to apply an amendment such as gypsum, mainly because Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ present in such soils are adequate to replace the initially high exchangeable sodium during leaching. Leaching efficiency was high under conditions of intermittent submergence. It was shown that leaching curves could be useful in determining the amount of leaching water required for a given mode of application in order to decrease harmful levels of salinity and sodicity to safer levels for a particular crop.     

Vegetative bioremediation of calcareous sodic soils: history, mechanisms, and evaluation

Chemical amendments have been used throughout the world for almost 100 years to reclaim saline-sodic and sodic soils. Some amendments supply calcium (Ca²⁺) directly to the soil, which then replaces excess exchangeable sodium (Na⁺), while others help solubilize calcite (CaCO₃) in calcareous soils. Chemical reclamation has become costly for subsistence farmers in developing countries. Amendment costs have increased because of greater usage by industry and reductions in government subsidies to farmers. Laboratory and field research, as well as farmers' experiences, have shown that calcareous sodic soils can also be reclaimed without the application of amendments through the cultivation of certain salt-tolerant crops. This vegetative reclamation strategy is generally known as bioremediation, phytoremediation, or biological reclamation. The principal contributing mechanisms include: (1) enhanced CO₂ partial pressure in the root zone because of root and microbial respiration, which increases the solubility of calcite, and (2) improved soil physical properties due to root growth. Vegetative bioremediation can provide financial benefits from the crops grown which help to support farming operations; to some extent bioremediation is a "pay-as-you-go" option.     

Replacing saline–sodic irrigation water with treated wastewater: effects on saturated hydraulic conductivity,slaking, and swelling

Irrigation with saline–sodic water imposes sodic conditions on the soil and reduces the soil’s productivity. We hypothesized that replacing saline–sodic irrigation water with lesser saline–sodic treated waste water (TWW), albeit with higher loads of organic matter and suspended solids, might help sodic soils regain their structure and hydraulic conductivity. We studied hydraulic conductivity (HC), aggregate stability and clay swelling of a soil from the Bet She’an Valley, Israel using samples taken from a non-cultivated field (control), and plots irrigated with TWW, saline–sodic Jordan River (JR) water, and moderately saline–sodic spring (SP) water. Soil samples were taken at the end of the irrigation season (autumn 2005) and at the end of the subsequent rainy season (spring 2006). In the HC and the aggregate stability determinations, for both sampling seasons, the TWW-irrigated samples gave significantly higher values than the SP- and JR-irrigated samples, but lower than the samples from the control plot. The autumn samples exhibited, generally, higher HC and lower swelling levels compared with the spring samples. Conversely, aggregate stability of the spring samples was higher than that of the autumn samples. These seasonal changes in the results of the three tests were associated with seasonal changes in the salinity and sodicity of the soils. Contributions from the Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel. No. 601/2007 series.     

Sustainable and effective irrigation through a new subsoil irrigation system (SIS)

Since scarcity of water is a major problem in semi-arid and arid areas of Spain and many other Mediterranean regions, water consumption in irrigated agriculture has to be reduced to a sustainable level that is also adapted to the environment. This goal can be reached by applying the highly effective and resource preserving techniques of micro-irrigation. In order to improve these techniques, a new subsurface irrigation system was developed by modification of conventional subsurface systems through the following innovative elements:

a new design of the lateral hoses which prevents the penetration of roots into the external water outlets and the block up by soil particles;

an impermeable polyethylene foil placed below the lateral pipes to prevent water loss through deep percolation, especially in sandy substrates;

a special installation equipment consisting of a V-shaped device which releases foil and pipe simultaneously into the soil without disturbing the natural soil profile.

After the experience of several years of operation, these elements have proved to be highly effective. Compared to other irrigation methods, the high irrigation efficiency achieved by this system was outstanding. Minimum maintenance requirement and a long life span are additional positive characteristics of the system. The beneficial outcomes of this system give reason for an optimistic appraisal of the strategies involved towards sustainable irrigated agriculture.     

干旱半干旱地区灌溉农业发展的一些问题和发展方向

本文从全球干旱半干旱地区灌溉农业的发展着眼,结合我国这些地区灌溉农业发展的实际,论及了干旱半干旱地区划分、旱象与灌溉农业,干旱半干旱地区灌溉农业发展的经验教训及发展方向等问题,为巩固、发展我国的灌溉农业提出了目前需要付诸实施的五项措施。     

Seasonal movement of salts in naturally structured saline-sodic clay soils

Seasonal changes in the distribution of salt and water in fields of both arable and grassland saline sodic clay soils were studied under temperate rainfed conditions. Leaching of the topsoils during winter rains was further investigated in soil columns. The field studies indicated the cyclical nature of leaching. During winter rains the water moving through the macropores uniformly leached salt from the soil profile to a depth of 1.2 m, but in late summer the salt content of the grassland and arable soils had increased again by 11% and 35% respectively compared with their early spring salinity levels. The results indicated that the salt leached in winter was mainly not lost, but leached below 1.2 m, only to rise again as the soil profile dried in the summer. The implications for managing and reclaiming these soils with gypsum are discussed.Undisturbed grassland topsoils were slow to release salt into the leaching water, maximum salt concentration in the leachate only being reached well into the winters rains. In disturbed arable soils the maximum leachate concentration was achieved shortly after leaching commenced. The changes in surface structure brought about by rainfall impact on bare restructured ploughlayer soils caused a significant decline in leaching efficiency (up to 40%).The observed pattern of leaching questions the validity of the basic assumptions used in most of the mathematical leaching models.     

Improving mole drainage channel stability in irrigated areas

Mole drains in flood irrigated agriculture can rapidly fail due to high flows of irrigation water entering the mole channel through the soil cracks formed during the moling process. Currently mole drains are formed using a straight leg mole plough that results in rapid irrigation water flow to the mole drain. The use of an angled leg mole plough to reduce the direct inflow of irrigation water and produce more stable mole channels was investigated. The leg of the angled leg mole plough comprised an upper vertical section to which an angled section carrying the mole foot was attached at a 30° angle. The trials were carried out on two contrasting clay soils in a flood irrigated area. One of the soil types was structurally stable on wetting, the other unstable. The quality of the mole channels formed at installation using the straight leg plough was good, but using the angled leg plough were only moderate due to some instability problems with the equipment. This was caused by the mole foot pitching and thus forming an oval channel.After installation, irrigation was applied to the mole channels to ascertain their stability on wetting. The angled leg moles proved more stable than the straight leg moles in the unstable soil. This was due to reduced water flow rates into the channel causing less erosion and to the prevention of the leg slot opening up directly into the mole channel, through shrinkage, during dry periods. The latter prevented significant soil wash and ingress into the channel during the following irrigation. This improved stability is of significant importance in that it may allow the adoption of mole drainage on sodic and swell/shrink soils where previously mole drainage would have been ineffective.In the structurally stable soil, the stability of the angled leg moles was found to be slightly worse than those installed with the straight leg plough. This was probably due to inadequate soil packing in the channel roof during installation.The trial results indicate that mole channels installed with angled leg plough have the potential for much greater stability on sodic and swell/shrink soils than moles installed with current straight leg mole ploughs. Before this potential can be fully achieved further development of the mole ploughing technique is required to ensure that high quality moles are consistently formed at installation. Suggestions are made for future improvements to the mole plough and the moling technique.     

Comparative affects of blending,intera/inter-seasonal cyclic uses of alkali and good quality waters on soil properties and yields of paddy and wheat

Degradation of soils irrigated with the ground waters having residual alkalinity constitutes a major threat to irrigated agriculture in semi-arid parts especially the South Asia. Paddy–wheat has come to stay as the major crop rotation in the afflicted areas, which is either irrigated solely with alkali waters (AW) or combined with good quality water supplies through canal networks. Therefore, to develop appropriate conjunctive use strategies for the latter situations, response of paddy and wheat was evaluated to the combined use of a good quality water (GW, EC_iw 0.5, RSC nil) and that having residual alkalinity (AW, EC_w 2.3 dS m⁻¹, RSC 11.3 mequiv L⁻¹, SAR_w 15 mmol L^0.5) for 6 years (1997–2003) in lysimeters (2.0 m deep, 0.9 m i.d., with drainage outlets at the bottom) filled in with a sandy loam soil (pH 7.8, ESP 5.3). Increase in soil pH (8.71), salinity (3.8 dS m⁻¹) and sodicity (ESP 27.3) as a consequence of irrigation with alkali water markedly affected the yields of both the crops. The sustainability yield index (SYI) was 0.522 and 0.793 for paddy and wheat, respectively, indicating the sensitivity of the former to the use of alkali water. Keeping the AW input to be similar through irrigations, the SYI for paddy with blending of GW and AW in the ratio of 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 was 0.732, 0.708 and 0.678, respectively, when compared with 0.751, 0.729 and 0.701 under intera-seasonal cyclic uses. Similarly, the SYI of wheat ranged between 0.821–0.907 and 0.853–0.949 with blending and cyclic uses of the two waters, indicating thereby a yield advantage with the latter. When the two waters were rotated inter-seasonally, the dilution effects of monsoon rains helped to induce greater use of AW for paddy. The overall deterioration in soil properties under different modes was related to proportion of AW applied. It was concluded that the alternating good quality and alkali waters could be a better way to alleviate sodicity problems caused with the use of alkali water alone.     

Twenty years of research on reclamation of salt-affected soils in Romanian rice fields

The physiological particularities of rice enable this plant to obtain its necessary oxygen for the roots through stems. This characteristic permits the use of rice during the reclamation of salt-affected soils with ponded flooding. This paper presents some results of twenty years of research in Romania, on the reclamation of saline and sodic soils under rice, including requirements for soil drainage, soil amendments, and salt leaching, at different stages of the reclamation period.Specific data are provided on the tolerance of rice to salinity, crop rotation in rice fields, fertilization, and irrigation practices.     

新疆盐碱地长期利用盐水灌溉土壤盐分变化

在地下水位3～5m、壤质土壤条件下,利用盐碱地时用2～5g/L盐化水灌溉,土壤1m剖面均为脱盐状况。灌溉盐化水15年后,1m土壤残留阴离子浓度较小,多点平均为3.709毫克当量/100克土。其中HCO-3相对较多,1m多点平均为0.404毫克当量/100克土。K++Na+浓度很大,1m多点平均为2.492毫克当量/100克土。这时,土壤1m全盐多点平均为0.248%,在灌溉水矿化度不直接危害作物生长时,不影响耕作和作物正常生长。由此可见,盐化水在盐碱地上无排灌溉,是可行的。     

Soil solution and exchange complex response to repeated wetting–drying with modestly saline–sodic water

Coal bed natural gas (CBNG) extraction in the Powder River (PR) Basin of Wyoming and Montana produces modestly saline-sodic wastewater, which may have electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) exceeding accepted thresholds for irrigation (EC = 3 dS m⁻¹, SAR = 12 (mmol_c l⁻¹)^1/2. As an approach to managing large volumes of CBNG-produced water, treatment processes have been developed to adjust produced water salinity and sodicity to published irrigation guidelines and legislated in-stream standards. The objective of this laboratory study was to assess acute and chronic soil solution EC and SAR responses to various wetting regimes simulating repeated flood irrigation with treated CBNG product water, followed by single rainfall events. Fifty-four soil samples from irrigated fields in southeast Montana were subjected to simulated PR water or CBNG water treated to EC and SAR values accepted as thresholds for designation of saline × sodic water, in a single wetting event, five wetting–drying events, or five wetting–drying events, followed by leaching with distilled water. Resultant saturated paste extract EC (ECe) and SAR of soils having <33% clay did not differ from one another, but resulting ECe and SAR were all less than those for soil having >33% clay. Repeated wetting with PR water having EC of 1.56 dS m⁻¹ and SAR of 4.54 led to SAR <12, but brought ECe near 3 dS m⁻¹. Repeated wetting with water having salinity = 3.12 dS m⁻¹ and SAR = 13.09 led to ECe >3 dS m⁻¹ and SAR near 12. Subsequent inundation and drainage with distilled water, simulating rainfall-quality leaching, reduced ECe and SAR more often in coarse-textured, high salt content soils than in finer-textured, lower salt content soils. Decreases in ECe upon leaching with distilled water were of greater magnitude than corresponding decreases in SAR, reinforcing supposition of sodium-induced dispersion of fine-textured soils as a consequence of rainfall following irrigation with water having salinity and sodicity levels equal to previously published thresholds.     

Effect of frequency of sodic and saline-sodic irrigations and gypsum on the buildup of sodium in soil and crop yields

The effect of three frequencies of irrigation with sodic (high residual alkalinity) and saline-sodic (high residual alkalinity and high NaCl concentration) waters in presence and absence of gypsum application on soil properties and crop yields were investigated under millet (fodder) — wheat — maize (fodder) rotation in a field experiment carried out for 6 years (1986–1992) on a well drained sandy loam Typic Ustochrept soil. Irrespective of the irrigation intervals, sustained use of sodic and salinesodic waters increased pH, electrical conductivity and ESP of the soil and hence significantly decreased crop yields. Application of gypsum decreased ESP and significantly improved crop yields. The beneficial effect of gypsum was lower under saline-sodic irrigation. There were no significant beneficial effects of increasing the frequency of sodic and saline-sodic irrigation, both in presence and absence of applied gypsum, on the yields of wheat and millet (f) crops grown during winter and monsoon seasons, respectively. But decrease in irrigation interval significantly improved yields of maize (f) grown during the hot dry summer period. Frequency of irrigation did not appreciably alter the effectiveness of applied gypsum in wheat and millet (f) but in maize (f), the gypsum treatment was more effective under more frequent irrigation.     

Effects of wastewater irrigation on soil sodicity and nutrient leaching in calcareous soils

Soil column studies were conducted with two soils to assess the effects of irrigation with wastewater on soil and groundwater quality. Upon the application of wastewater, exchange occurred between solution sodium (Na⁺) and exchangeable cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺), whereby these cations were released into solution. The average exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of the soils increased during leaching from 9 to 21 and 28.8 to 29.7 after applying 5.0 and 3.5 l (about 7 and 6 pore volumes) of wastewater to the soils columns, respectively. Adverse effect of high Na⁺ concentration in the wastewater on raising ESP was less pronounced in the soil having initial high ESP than in the soil with low initial ESP. Salinity of the soils was also increased with the application of wastewater and Mg²⁺ and K⁺ were leached from the soils. These losses would be more severe on soils having a low cation exchange capacity and if, uncorrected could lead eventually to their deficiencies for plant growth. When the soil columns were leached with distilled water the flow rate of one soil decreased to zero after 2.2 pore volume indicating damage to soil structure. Irrigation with wastewater, which is generally more sodic and saline than regional groundwater, increases the rate of soil sodification of shallow groundwater. A relatively simple chromatographic model was used to estimate final ESP profiles in the soils assuming the condition of local equilibrium. This approach had a limited success for one of the soil. Since the final leached concentrations are in good agreement with those of wastewater, we attribute these differences to non-uniform flow through the column. In terms of practical soil and water management, our study reveals that relatively simple means can be useful to predict the water quality in soils, their discharge to ground water, and the hazard of soil structure deterioration.     

不同水氮条件下生物炭对夏玉米水氮耦合效应的影响

[目的]提高水氮亏缺下夏玉米籽粒产量并促进水氮耦合效应,实现夏玉米节水增产.[方法]采用田间小区试验,设定4个生物炭施用水平(0、5、10、15 t/hm2,分别记为C0、C1、C2、C3)、2种灌溉方式(正常灌溉I1、亏缺灌溉I2)和2个施氮水平(常规施氮N1、亏缺施氮N2),正常、亏缺灌溉灌水量分别为100％和50...     

丘陵地区农田土壤信息监测系统的研究

结合《国务院关于积极推进“互联网+”行动的指导意见》和精准农业的精神,要求进一步实现数字农业、智慧农业、智能农业,以重庆实际状况为切合点,设计了山地分区土壤墒情及酸碱度监测APP。针对重庆丘陵地区存在山地坡度不同和高差不同的特点,对山地进行区域划分。同时,优化了丘陵地区农田土壤信息监测系统,对山地农田各区域进行土壤酸碱度实时监测,解决了传统种植和作业过程中浪费人力资源、水资源及能源耗费大的问题,实现了农作物种植的最优选择,提高农作物种植存活概率,增加农业收成。为此,研究开发了一款农业数据信息与智能手机相结合的APP,达到实时监测及实时灌溉的目的,弥补了传统终端控制的不足,为进一步实现数字农业、精准农业及智能农业提供科学依据。     

Irrigation with saline water: benefits and environmental impact

The shortage of water resources of good quality is becoming an important issue in the arid and semi-arid zones. For this reason the availability of water resources of marginal quality such as drainage water, saline groundwater and treated wastewater has become an important consideration. Nevertheless, the use of these waters in irrigated lands requires the control of soil salinity by means of leaching and drainage of excess water and salt. However, the leaching of salts, soil microelements and agro-chemicals can lower the quality of the drainage water in the irrigation scheme. The irrigation return flows with water or poor quality are a source of pollution of the surface water bodies situated downstream of the drainage outlet. Deep percolation could also contaminate the groundwater. Therefore, irrigation with saline water requires a comprehensive analysis even beyond the area where water is applied. The problem should be treated beyond the scope of the irrigation scheme, taking into consideration the groundwater and downstream surface water resources of the river basin. Consequently, the sustainable use of saline water in irrigated agriculture requires the control of soil salinity at the field level, a decrease in the amount of drainage water, and the disposal of the irrigation return flows in such a way that minimizes the side effects on the quality of downstream water resources. This paper describes the guidelines for a preliminary evaluation of the suitability of water for irrigation and the key factors for salinity control in lands irrigated with saline water. Options to improve the quality of the drainage water, strategies for the reuse of this water and alternatives for disposal of the outflow are also analysed. The final goal is to obtain sustainable agriculture and maintain the quality of the water resources in the river basin.