Wind effects on solid set sprinkler irrigation depth and yield of maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis>)

A field experiment was performed to study the effect of the space and time variability of water application on maize (Zea mays) yield when irrigated by a solid set sprinkler system. A solid set sprinkler irrigation layout, typical of the new irrigation developments in the Ebro basin of Spain, was considered. Analyses were performed (1) to study the variability of the water application depth in each irrigation event and in the seasonal irrigation and (2) to relate the spatial variability in crop yield to the variability of the applied irrigation and to the soil physical properties. The results of this research showed that a significant part of the variability in the Christiansen coefficient of uniformity (CU), and wind drift and evaporation losses were explained by the wind speed alone. Seasonal irrigation uniformity (CU of 88%) was higher than the average uniformity of the individual irrigation events (CU of 80%). The uniformity of soil water recharge was lower than the irrigation uniformity, and the relationship between both variables was statistically significant. Results indicated that grain yield variability was partly dictated by the water deficit resulting from the non-uniformity of water distribution during the crop season. The spatial variability of irrigation water depth when the wind speed was higher than 2 m s^–1 was correlated with the spatial variability of grain yield, indicating that a proper selection of the wind conditions is required in order to attain high yield in sprinkler-irrigated maize.     

Economic evaluation of salinity,drainage and non-uniformity of infiltrated irrigation water

Salinity, drainage and non-uniformity of irrigation water are important components in determining optimal water application and related profitability. A crop-water production function assuming steady state conditions is incorporated in a long-run economic model to investigate the combined effects of salinity, irrigation uniformity and different drainage requirements at the field scale for the specific crop.The analysis was conducted for corn and cotton as sensitive and tolerant crops to salinity, respectively. Optimum applied water and associated profits, yield and drainage volumes were computed for each crop. The computations were done for the condition that no drainage system was required and also where a drainage system was required and the drainage water was disposed of to either a free off-farm facility or to an on-farm evaporation pond constructed on productive or non-productive land.The main findings are that type of drainage disposal system affects the optimal values of applied water, profits, yield and drainage volumes, except for uniform water applications and non-saline irrigation water. Another finding is that in the long run, under saline conditions and/or different drainage disposal systems, a sensitive crop such as corn is not profitable and goes out of production. In general the profit levels associated with the various drainage options are in the order of no drainage requirement ? free off-farm facility > on-farm evaporation pond on non-productive land > on-farm evaporation pond on productive land. Uniformity of irrigation water affects values of the analyzed variables and the effects are greatest for the cases of on-farm evaporation ponds. Pumping cost effects are quite small, but water price effects are more significant. Breeding the crops for increased salinity tolerance has little effect when irrigating with water of low salinity and/or low irrigation uniformity.     

Quality and maximum profit of industrial tomato as affected by distribution uniformity of drip irrigation system

The tomato industry reformed its system of payment by weight of tomato, introducing a corrective system based on percent level of fruit dry matter produced. Such a decision implies significant changes in the management of irrigation systems, with a need to emphasize the technological quality of the marketable product. Three levels of distribution uniformity of the irrigation system are analysed, and related production functions of crop yield and percent of dry matter are presented as well as their use on the optimisation of dry matter, expected revenues and seasonal applied water. Results are critically influenced by the distribution uniformity. They demonstrate the inter-relationship between crop production, percent fruit dry matter and irrigation management, and the importance of considering non-uniformity in the economic analysis of industrial tomato production. Decreases in uniformity lead to a reduction in dry matter production per unit land. Decreases in dry matter are also observed with increasing levels of seasonally applied water, with the optimal level always lower than the required for maximum yield. Such interaction suggests a continuous and inverse relationship between profit and water applied. However, due to the corrective system of payment, by levels of percent of dry matter produced, for some uniformity, the expected revenue follows the yield-water production function instead of the dry matter function. This fact introduces disturbances in the optimal water applied inducing higher than expected levels of water applied for profit maximisation. The simulated data also show that incentives to switch to new systems or management practices able to raise the distribution uniformity result more from profit losses than increases in water price.     

Managing irrigation and drainage systems in arid areas in the presence of shallow groundwater: case studies

Two field studies were conducted on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley of California to demonstrate the potential for integrated management of irrigation and drainage systems. The first study used a modified cotton crop coefficient to calculate the irrigation schedule controlling the operation of a subsurface drip system irrigating cotton in an area with saline groundwater at a depth of 1.5 m. Use of the coefficient resulted in 40% of the crop water requirement coming from the groundwater without a loss in lint yield. The second study evaluated the impact of the installation of controls on a subsurface drainage system installed on a 65 hectare field. As a result of the drainage controls, 140 mm less water was applied to the tomato crop without a yield loss. A smaller relative weight of tomatoes classified as limited use, was found in the areas with the water table closest to the soil surface.     

Response of sugar beet to non-uniform irrigation

Summary A field experiment was conducted using a linear-move irrigation machine to test the interactive effects of irrigation uniformity, a representative length of nonuniformity and water quality on crop yield and growth responses. Christiansen's uniformity coefficient values of 60, 80, and 90% were achieved with a sinusoidal pattern of applied water superimposed on the 60 and 80% uniformity treatments. Two wave-lengths 2.4 m (S) and 4.9 m (L), were used. Water qualities used were: 0.3 dS m^-1 and 3 to 5 dS m^-1. Results showed that both the magnitude and the scale of the nonuniformity affect the water use efficiency. Sugar yields were not affected by water quality. Yields on a row basis were significantly correlated to applied water in the 60% uniformity, long scale length (60-L) treatment.     

Cotton response to high frequency surface irrigation

High frequency irrigation with surface irrigation methods has been proposed as a means to increase cotton productivity in cases where drip irrigation or other pressurized systems are not economically justifiable. Field studies were conducted in 1993 and 1994 to evaluate the effects of surface irrigation frequency on the growth, lint yield and water use for a semi-determinate cotton cultivar in central Arizona. Cotton was grown in level basins on a sandy loam under three irrigation treatments defined as low frequency irrigation for the whole season (L), high frequency irrigation for the whole season (H), and low frequency irrigation until the initiation of rapid fruiting, high frequency during rapid fruiting, and low frequency after rapid fruiting (LHL). The treatments were governed by the percentage of allowable soil water depletion within the effective root zone, and the allowable depletion targets for low and high frequency irrigation were 55 and 30%, respectively. An irrigation scheduling program calculated the soil water depletion within the estimated cotton root depth on a daily basis for each treatment and was used to project the dates and amounts for treatment irrigations. In 1993, seven, 14, and 11 irrigations and in 1994 eight, 13 and 10 irrigations were given to the L, H, and LHL treatments, respectively. The total amount of water applied including rainfall differed among the treatments by 4% in 1993 and by 1% in 1994. Soil water measurements indicated that actual soil water depletion within the estimated cotton root depth immediately before treatment irrigations was close to the intended treatment allowable depletion targets for the majority of the growing season. Cotton growth and lint yields were maximized under the H treatment, and yields in this treatment averaged 15 and 21% more lint than the L treatment for the first and second seasons, respectively. The LHL treatment, although not as effective in increasing crop productivity as the H treatment, out yielded the low frequency treatment by an average of 10% in the two seasons. Crop evapotranspiration determined from the soil water balance was 8 and 9% higher for the H than the L treatment and 3 and 5% higher for the LHL than the L treatment in 1993 and 1994, respectively.     

Assessing whole-field uniformity of stationary sprinkler irrigation systems

The procedure established in the literature for the evaluation of stationary sprinkler irrigation systems is limited in space and time since it is based on a sample of precipitation taken around one sprinkler during a given period of the whole irrigation event. This procedure also ignores what happens in the soil after water infiltrates. A model of the drop trajectory and of the water distribution pattern is formulated here for simulating precipitation from single sprinklers. The operating pressure determines sprinkler flow and maximum throw. Wind and evaporation distort the distribution patterns. The water distribution of individual sprinklers is overlapped to generate precipitation over the whole field and to calculate a coefficient of uniformity. Field effective uniformity is then calculated by averaging precipitation over the extension of plant roots or water redistribution within the soil profile. Application of the model has shown the impact of system management and design, field topography and wind on irrigation uniformity. Management factors such as lateral operation time or riser inclination may account for a large part of the field precipitation variations. A rough topography may also reduce uniformity significantly. Wind speed is important when it exceeds 1.8–2 m s^–1. The allowable maximum pressure loss of 20% fixed as a design criterion seems an overly strict limit when other factors may overcome pressure loss as sources of non-uniformity. The sources of non-uniformity have different scales of variation. Large-scale sources, such as lateral operation time or pressure loss, are not dampened by the crop or soil. Sources of smaller-scale variation, such as wind or inclination of the sprinkler riser, are better compensated by the crop and soil. The application of this kind of model to the design and management of sprinkler irrigation systems is discussed. Received: 9 May 1997     

Sprinkler water distributions as affected by winter wheat canopy

Sprinkler uniformity is often used to evaluate irrigation system performance. The measurement of uniformity is generally made from one test when no crop is present. However, a developing crop canopy has significant potential to modify the distribution of water applied during irrigation. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of a winter wheat canopy on sprinkler uniformity and on canopy-intercepted water by measuring water distributions above and below the canopy. The Christiansen uniformity coefficient (CU) was calculated on both a daily and a cumulative basis. The CU was higher below the canopy than above the canopy. Canopy-intercepted water, which is here defined as the sum of canopy storage and stemflow, increased with increasing water application depth. Sprinkler uniformity had no significant effect on the mean amount of water interception by the canopy. The ratio of water interception to total water application depth for the whole irrigation season was between 0.24 and 0.28. The CUs calculated from the cumulative depth caught above and below the canopy are larger than the averages of individual CU values during the irrigation season. Measurement of individual CUs during the irrigation season therefore underestimates the cumulative CU. Experimental results also demonstrated that sprinkler uniformity in this study had little effect on crop yield. Received: 1 February 2000     

灌水模式及下限对滴灌棉花产量和品质的影响

为探索滴灌条件下棉花优质高效灌溉指标,在新疆石河子研究了地下滴灌(SSDI)和膜下滴灌(SDI)条件下不同灌水控制下限对棉花耗水量、品质以及水分利用率的影响.结果表明,相同滴灌模式,棉花蕾期耗水量随灌水控制下限的提高而增加,花铃期水分胁迫处理的棉花阶段耗水量普遍低于对照处理;蕾期适度水分胁迫(灌水控制下限为60% FC)花铃期充分供水(灌水控制下限为75% FC)处理(SDI-7和SSDI-7)有利于籽棉产量的提高,与对照处理相比,籽棉产量提高了14.48%(SDI-7)和11.60%(SSDI-7);水分处理对棉花衣分、棉纤维整齐度的影响不明显,蕾期和花铃期水分胁迫对棉纤维上半部平均长度的影响随水分胁迫程度的加重而加剧,蕾期适度水分胁迫(灌水控制下限为60% FC)有利于棉纤维断裂比强度的提高.相同水分处理,地下滴灌棉花产量和灌溉水利用率均高于膜下滴灌棉花.与对照处理相比,蕾期和花铃期灌水控制下限分别为60% FC和75% FC,灌水定额为30 mm处理在节约灌溉水的同时提高了籽棉产量并改善了棉纤维品质,可作为石河子垦区滴灌棉花适宜的灌水指标.     

Partial rootzone irrigation increases water use efficiency, maintains yield and enhances economic profit of cotton in arid area

Partial rootzone irrigation (PRI) can substantially reduce irrigation amount and has been demonstrated as a promising irrigation method for crops in arid or semiarid areas. Many earlier researches have shown that PRI reduces leaf transpiration by narrowing stomatal opening. In this study we verified the hypothesis that PRI can also save irrigation water by substantially reducing soil evaporation. Field experiment was conducted in an arid area where cotton production almost completely relies on irrigation. Water was applied to furrows in the cotton field either alternatively (AFI, alternative furrow irrigation), or evenly to all the furrows (CFI, conventional furrow irrigation), or to one fixed furrow in every two (FFI, fixed furrow irrigation). Our results show that surface evaporation constitutes a large fraction of the irrigation water loss from cropped field (more than 20%), and with the two PRI treatments nearly 40% of the evaporative water loss is saved. Transpiration accounted for 48%, 58% and 57% of the total amount of irrigation respectively for the CFI, AFI and FFI treatments. This result suggests that PRI increases the proportion of applied water that is transpired, and therefore leads to a higher water use efficiency than regular irrigation. Overall, when irrigation was reduced by 30%, the average final yield loss of AFI was only 4.44%, a non-significant reduction statistically. The FFI had a significant reduction in yield of 12.01% in comparison to CFI. Moreover, PRI brings in earlier flowering and a higher economical return due to early harvested cotton. This indicates that the final economical output could compensate for the loss of cotton yield due to water-saving. With very little extra cost to implementation, PRI proves a very promising method in cotton production in arid zone.     

Drip Irrigation of Tomato and Cotton Under Shallow Saline Ground Water Conditions

Artificial subsurface drainage is not an option for addressing the saline, shallow ground water conditions along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley because of the lack of drainage water disposal facilities. Thus, the salinity/drainage problem of the valley must be addressed through improved irrigation practices. One option is to use drip irrigation in the salt affected soil.A study evaluated the response of processing tomato and cotton to drip irrigation under shallow, saline ground water at depths less than 1 m. A randomized block experiment with four irrigation treatments of different water applications was used for both crops. Measurements included crop yield and quality, soil salinity, soil water content, soil water potential, and canopy coverage. Results showed drip irrigation of processing tomato to be highly profitable under these conditions due to the yield obtained for the highest water application. Water applications for drip-irrigated tomato should be about equal to seasonal crop evapotranspiration because yield decreased as applied water decreased. No yield response of cotton to applied water occurred indicating that as applied water decreased, cotton uptake of the shallow ground water increased. While a water balance showed no field-wide leaching, salinity data clearly showed salt leaching around the drip lines.     

Modeling crop yield as affected by uniformity of sprinkler irrigation system

The effect of sprinkler irrigation uniformity on crop yield is an important consideration for the design of sprinkler irrigation system. A model that relates yield response to evapotranspiration deficits at special growth stages to evaluate the impacts of uniformity on crop yield was developed from a crop water production function. The simulation results of the model showed that crop yield increased with increasing uniformity. Optimum irrigation amount and uniformity for the maximum net return were determined with the model. The optimum irrigation amount depends on irrigation uniformity and on economic factors, decreasing with the uniformity but increasing with the ratio of product price to water cost. The optimum uniformity increased with an increase of irrigation amount expressed by a ratio between gross and required irrigation amount, but approximated 90% when the ratio exceeded 0.85. Field experiments conducted to study the relationship between spatial distribution of soil moisture and sprinkler application uniformity demonstrated that the water in the soil was more uniformly distributed than that measured for the application at the soil surface.     

灌溉时段及水温对膜下滴灌棉花生长及产量的影响

为探究不同灌溉时段及水温对膜下滴灌棉花生理特性及产量的影响,设置4个灌溉水温梯度分别为15.00(正常灌溉水温),20.00,25.00,30.00℃,2个灌溉时段分别为日间、夜间(分别记为DW,NW)进行完全组合设计,共计8个处理.结果表明,增温灌溉提前了棉花生育进程,促进了棉花株高、茎粗、叶面积增长,有利于棉花光合作用的进行,且在夜间进行增温灌溉效果更显著.增温灌溉使棉花产量显著提高2.95%～14.13%,夜间灌溉较日间灌溉棉花产量平均提高3.34%.基于回归分析确定提高棉花产量的最佳灌溉时段为夜间,最佳灌溉水温为26.38℃,对应的产量为7 482.96 kg/hm².该研究可为北疆膜下滴灌棉花实施增温灌溉技术提供理论依据和技术参考.     

Soil water distribution, uniformity and water-use efficiency under alternate furrow irrigation in arid areas

Soil water distribution, irrigation water advance and uniformity, yield production and water-use efficiency (WUE) were tested with a new irrigation method for irrigated maize in an arid area with seasonal rainfall of 77.5–88.0 mm for 2 years (1997 and 1998). Irrigation was applied through furrows in three ways: alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), fixed furrow irrigation (FFI) and conventional furrow irrigation (CFI). AFI means that one of the two neighboring furrows was alternately irrigated during consecutive watering. FFI means that irrigation was fixed to one of the two neighboring furrows. CFI was the conventional method where every furrow was irrigated during each watering. Each irrigation method was further divided into three treatments using different irrigation amounts: i.e. 45, 30, and 22.5 mm water for each watering. Results showed that the soil water contents in the two neighboring furrows of AFI remained different until the next irrigation with a higher water content in the previously irrigated furrow. Infiltration in CFI was deeper than that in AFI and FFI. The time of water advance did not differ between AFI, FFI and CFI at all distances monitored, and water advanced at a similar rate in all the treatments. The Christiansen uniformity coefficient of water content in the soil (CU_s) was used to evaluate the uniformity of irrigated water distribution and showed no decrease in AFI and FFI, although irrigation water use was smaller than in CFI. Root development was significantly enhanced by AFI treatment. Primary root numbers, total root dry weight and root density were all higher in AFI than in the FFI and CFI treatments. Less irrigation significantly reduced the total root dry weight and plant height in both the FFI and CFI treatments but this was less substantial with AFI treatments. The most surprising result was that AFI maintained high grain yield with up to a 50% reduction in irrigation amount, while the FFI and CFI treatments all showed a substantial decrease of yield with reduced irrigation. As a result, WUE for irrigated water was substantially increased. We conclude that AFI is an effective water-saving irrigation method in arid areas where maize production relies heavily on repeated irrigation. Received: 16 October 1999     

Water, nitrogen and yield losses for a nonhomogeneous furrow set

Water distribution can be nonuniform along the furrow length under surface irrigation. This “down field” nonuniformity is combined with “inter-row” non-uniformity which is a consequence of differences in infiltration characteristics across the plot. Global nonuniformity of application depth causes variation of yield, drainage and nitrogen leaching. In addition to that, due to year-to-year variability of climate, irrigation depths range significantly (from 0 to 360 mm/season). The objective of this paper is to study the impact of the nonuniformity of irrigation-water distribution within a furrow plot on yield, water and nitrogen losses when climate variation is taken into account. Six maize vegetation seasons on a Chromic Luvisol soil in the Sofia region with varying irrigation requirements are considered. Irrigation water is distributed in relative terms over the plot at different levels of nonuniformity (coefficient of variation C_v ranging from 13 to 66%) by the FURMOD model. Water and nitrogen cycle and crop growth are simulated then compared at 30 representative points in the set with various “climate-irrigation nonuniformity” combinations by the CERES-maize model. It was established that non-uniformity of irrigation is not important in wet vegetation periods. The drier the irrigation season, the higher the yield loss and risk to environment due to nonuniformity of irrigation water distribution. In moderate and dry irrigation seasons it causes yield losses of 2–14%, significant variation (30% < C_v < 200%) of drainage, nitrogen leaching and residual soil nitrate over the furrow set. Surface irrigation performances can be improved by reducing lateral nonuniformity of stream advance.     

Effects of applied water and sprinkler irrigation uniformity on alfalfa growth and hay yield

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of applied water and sprinkler irrigation uniformity on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) growth and hay yield in a semi-arid region. Field experiments were carried out in 2006 in Varamin, Iran, on three plots of 25 m × 30 m. Each plot was subdivided into 25 subplots of 5 m × 6 m. Different irrigation depths and sprinkler water uniformities were obtained by various scenarios of sprinkler nozzle pressure. In each plot, applied water was measured at 250 points (125 points above and 125 points below canopy) and the soil water content of 40 cm deep below soil surface was monitored at 25 points, each in the center of a subplot, throughout the irrigation season. The results showed that sprinkler water and soil water content uniformity varied between 66-78 and 88-91%, respectively. The findings revealed that soil water content uniformity was around 20% higher than sprinkler water uniformity. The irrigation uniformity below the canopy was estimated to be 2.5% greater than above the canopy, and canopy-intercepted water could account for 11-15% of the total seasonal applied water. Evaluation showed that alfalfa leaf area index relies more heavily on farm water application uniformity than hay yield and crop height. The experimental results illustrated that water distribution in sprinkler irrigation systems has a direct effect on alfalfa growth, hay yield and water productivity such that the applied water reduction and the increased sprinkler water uniformity led to an increased alfalfa water productivity of 2.41 kg m⁻³.     

Corn crop response under managing different irrigation and salinity levels

Non-uniformity of water distribution under irrigation system creates both deficit and surplus irrigation areas. Water salinity can be hazard on crop production; however, there is little information on the interaction of irrigation and salinity conditions on corn (Zea Mays) growth and production. This study evaluated the effect of salinity and irrigation levels on growth and yield of corn grown in the arid area of Egypt. A field experiment was conducted using corn grown in northern Egypt at Quesina, Menofia in 2009 summer season to evaluate amount of water applied, salinity hazard and their interactions. Three salinity levels and five irrigation treatments were arranged in a randomized split-plot design with salinity treatments as main plots and irrigation rates within salinity treatments. Salinity treatments were to apply fresh water (0.89 dS m⁻¹), saline water (4.73 dS m⁻¹), or mixing fresh plus saline water (2.81 dS m⁻¹). Irrigation treatments were a ratio of crop evapotranspiration (ET) as: 0.6ET, 0.8ET, 1.0ET, 1.2ET, and 1.4ET. In well-watered conditions (1.0ET), seasonal water usable by corn was 453, 423, and 380 mm for 0.89EC, 2.81EC and 4.73EC over the 122-day growing season, respectively. Soil salt accumulation was significantly increased by either irrigation salinity increase or amount decrease. But, soil infiltration was significantly decreased by either salinity level or its interaction with irrigation amount. Leaf temperature, transpiration rate, and stomata resistance were significantly affected by both irrigation and salinity levels with interaction. Leaf area index, harvest index, and yield were the greatest when fresh and adequate irrigation was applied. Grain yield was significantly affected in a linear relationship (r² ≥ 0.95) by either irrigation or salinity conditions with no interaction. An optimal irrigation scheduling was statistically developed based on crop response for a given salinity level to extrapolate data from the small experiment (uniform condition) to big field (non-uniformity condition) under the experiment constraints.     

水肥一体化下不同滴灌带配置对玉米产量的影响

针对水肥一体化下不同滴灌带配置方式对作物产量的影响,结合实际探究了当铺设50 m长滴灌带、设置6种不同首部压力时,毛管首、中、尾部的土壤含水率、干物质质量积累量对作物产量的影响。结果表明:滴灌带类型差异使得土壤的平均含水率在生育期内变化规律有所差异,滴头采用内镶贴片式(N0. 30)时土壤含水率变化规律呈较明显的先下降后上升趋势,且随着滴头流量的增大,在全生育期土壤含水率变化越平缓;滴头采用侧翼迷宫式(L0. 15)时土壤含水率变化趋势平缓,且随着滴头流量的增大,在全生育期土壤含水率变化越显著。L0. 15下全生育期土壤含水率均满足作物生长的需求,可以为作物提供充足水分;流入滴灌带的肥液流速越低、长度越长,附着在管壁的肥料质量越多,尾部作物的肥料利用率越低,致使养分吸收少,作物产量降低。对不同处理下毛管的首、中、尾部产量均匀性进行分析表明,随着滴灌带长度的增加,N0. 30的作物产量均匀性逐渐降低,L0. 15的作物产量均匀性逐渐上升,故不同滴头流量对沿滴灌带长度方向的产量均匀性有一定影响。     

不同生育期水分亏缺对春青稞水分利用和产量的影响

对不同生育期水分亏缺程度对春青稞(Hordeum vulgare)水分利用效率和产量的影响进行了桶栽试验研究。试验处理设充分灌溉处理(2个水分控制下限和秸秆覆盖)以及在全生育期和5个不同生育期的4个水分亏缺程度(轻度、中度、重度和极度)处理,共27个处理。结果表明,在充分灌溉条件下,75%田间持水率水分下限控制处理的春青稞收获指数、籽粒产量和作物水分利用效率大于80%水分处理;秸秆覆盖处理的籽粒产量和水分利用效率在所有试验处理中最大。在全生育期水分亏缺条件下,春青稞籽粒产量均小于充分灌溉处理,且随着水分亏缺程度的增大而显著减小;轻度至重度水分亏缺处理可获得更大的作物收获指数和水分利用效率,但极度水分亏缺却导致最低的籽粒产量、收获指数和水分利用效率。除成熟期水分亏缺处理外,不同生育期水分亏缺处理条件下,春青稞籽粒产量和作物水分利用效率基本随着水分亏缺程度的增大而减小;拔节期、分蘖期和灌浆期水分亏缺对籽粒产量的不利影响较大。地表秸秆覆盖或全生育期轻度至重度水分亏缺处理可提高春青稞水分利用效率。     

Effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency and dry mass

Water regulations have decreased irrigation water supplies in Nebraska and some other areas of the USA Great Plains. When available water is not enough to meet crop water requirements during the entire growing cycle, it becomes critical to know the proper irrigation timing that would maximize yields and profits. This study evaluated the effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation (150 mm) on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), yield, water use efficiency (WUE = yield/ETc), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE = yield/irrigation), and dry mass (DM) of corn (Zea mays L.) irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation in the semiarid climate of North Platte, NE. During 2005 and 2006, a total of sixteen irrigation treatments (eight each year) were evaluated, which received different percentages of the water allocation during July, August, and September. During both years, all treatments resulted in no crop stress during the vegetative period and stress during the reproductive stages, which affected ETc, DM, yield, WUE and IWUE. Among treatments, ETc varied by 7.2 and 18.8%; yield by 17 and 33%; WUE by 12 and 22%, and IWUE by 18 and 33% in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Yield and WUE both increased linearly with ETc and with ETc/ETp (ETp = seasonal ETc with no water stress), and WUE increased linearly with yield. The yield response factor (ky) averaged 1.50 over the two seasons. Irrigation timing affected the DM of the plant, grain, and cob, but not that of the stover. It also affected the percent of DM partitioned to the grain (harvest index), which increased linearly with ETc and averaged 56.2% over the two seasons, but did not affect the percent allocated to the cob or stover. Irrigation applied in July had the highest positive coefficient of determination (R²) with yield. This high positive correlation decreased considerably for irrigation applied in August, and became negative for irrigation applied in September. The best positive correlation between the soil water deficit factor (Ks) and yield occurred during weeks 12-14 from crop emergence, during the “milk” and “dough” growth stages. Yield was poorly correlated to stress during weeks 15 and 16, and the correlation became negative after week 17. Dividing the 150 mm allocation about evenly among July, August and September was a good strategy resulting in the highest yields in 2005, but not in 2006. Applying a larger proportion of the allocation in July was a good strategy during both years, and the opposite resulted when applying a large proportion of the allocation in September. The different results obtained between years indicate that flexible irrigation scheduling techniques should be adopted, rather than relying on fixed timing strategies.