Water conservation potential of smart irrigation controllers on St. Augustinegrass

A variety of technologies for reducing residential irrigation water use are available to homeowners. These “Smart Irrigation” technologies include evapotranspiration (ET)-based controllers and soil moisture sensor (SMS) controllers. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies, along with rain sensors, based on irrigation applied and turfgrass quality measurements on St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze). Testing was performed on two types of SMS controllers (LawnLogic LL1004 and Acclima Digital TDT RS500) at three soil moisture threshold settings. Mini-Clik rain sensors (RS) comprised six treatments at two rainfall thresholds (3 mm and 6 mm) and three different irrigation frequencies (1, 2, and 7 d/wk). Two ET controllers were also tested, the Toro Intelli-Sense controller and the Rain Bird ET Manager. A time-based treatment with 2 days of irrigation per week without any type of sensor (WOS) to bypass irrigation was established as a comparison. All irrigation controller programming represented settings that might be used in residential/commercial landscapes. Even though three of the four testing periods were relatively dry, all of the technologies tested managed to reduce water application compared to the WOS treatment, with most treatments also producing acceptable turf quality. Reductions in irrigation applied were as follows: 7–30% for RS-based treatments, 0–74% for SMS-based treatments, and 25–62% for ET-based treatments. The SMS treatments at low threshold settings resulted in high water savings, but reduced turf quality to unacceptable levels. The medium threshold setting (approximately field capacity) SMS-based treatment produced good turfgrass quality while reducing irrigation water use compared to WOS by 11–53%. ET controllers with comparable settings and good turf quality had −20% to 59% savings. Reducing the irrigation schedule (treatment DWRS) by 40% and using a rain sensor produced water savings between 36% and 53% similar to smart controllers. Proper installation and programming of each of the technologies was essential element to balancing water conservation and acceptable turf quality. Water savings with the SMS controllers could have been increased with a reduced time-based irrigation schedule. Efficiency settings of 100% (DWRS) and 95% (TORO) did not reduce turf quality below acceptable limits and resulted in substantial irrigation savings, indicating that efficiency values need not be low in well designed and maintained irrigation systems. For most conditions in Florida, the DWRS schedule (60% of schedule used for SMS treatments) can be used with either rain sensors or soil moisture sensors in bypass control mode as long as the irrigation system has good coverage and is in good repair.     

玄武岩施入对农田土壤、作物生长及固炭影响的研究进展

土壤是地球上生物生长和生存的基础,它提供了植物生长所需的水分、养分和空气等条件,是农业生产的基础,是许多植物和动物的食物来源。同时,土壤是全球碳循环的主要储存库之一,能够吸收和储存二氧化碳,对于减缓气候变化具有重要意义。玄武岩作为一种重要的天然矿物材料,因其本身是形成土壤的母质,含有多种矿质元素,对土壤本身而言百利而无害,是一种相对稳定和安全的长期有效“肥料”,在农业和环保领域具有广泛的应用价值。本文从土壤、作物产量及土壤固碳的角度出发,结合多学科的研究成果,综述了近年来国内外关于施加玄武岩粉末改良土壤、提高作物产量、增强土壤固碳的研究,为今后相关研究提供资料加以参考。     

Implications of precipitation patterns and antecedent soil water content for leaching of pesticides from arable land

An improved understanding of how precipitation patterns control pesticide leaching from structured soils prone to macropore flow could lead to practical mitigation strategies that would help farmers minimize losses by optimizing application timings. A sensitivity analysis of the macropore flow model MACRO was therefore carried out to examine the influence of antecedent soil water content and precipitation patterns on pesticide leaching to drainage systems and groundwater. One thousand model runs were executed (20 four-year weather data series, 50 application dates per season) for both autumn and spring applications of a hypothetical moderately sorbed and quickly degraded herbicide for one of three national scenarios for pesticide risk assessment in Sweden (Näsbygård, a loamy moraine soil in Scania, southern Sweden). Rapid and direct transport of pesticides in macropores to drainage systems and shallow groundwater was predicted to occur rather infrequently in spring (in 4 of the 20 years) and even more rarely in autumn. For autumn applications, the soil water deficit at application (SWD_tot) and medium-term precipitation (30–90 days after application) were the two most sensitive variables controlling pesticide leaching. For spring applications, total leaching was most closely linked to rainfall the following winter, while short-term precipitation (5 days after application) and the antecedent soil water deficit were the two most important predictors for maximum pesticide concentrations in drainflow. The potential for reducing leaching by restricting applications to periods of low risk was investigated. The results showed that avoiding applications on wet soil in autumn could potentially reduce total pesticide losses by a factor of two to three. Similarly, the risk of acute toxicological effects in surface waters following pesticide applications in spring could be reduced by a factor of 2–3 by avoiding application when 5-day weather forecasts predict precipitation >10 mm.     

Can carbon sequestration markets benefit low-income producers in semi-arid Africa? Potentials and challenges

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change allows a country that emits C above agreed-upon limits to purchase C offsets from an entity that uses biological means to absorb or reduce greenhouse emissions. The CDM is currently offered for afforestation and reforestation projects, but may apply subsequently to sequestration in agricultural soils. Additionally, markets outside of the Protocol are developing for soil C sequestration.     

Irrigation scheduling performance by evapotranspiration-based controllers

Evapotranspiration-based irrigation controllers, also known as ET controllers, use ET information or estimation to schedule irrigation. Previous research has shown that ET controllers could reduce irrigation as much as 42% when compared to a time-based irrigation schedule. The objective of this study was to determine the capability of three brands of ET-based irrigation controllers to schedule irrigation compared to a theoretically derived soil water balance model based on the Irrigation Association Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) protocol to determine the effectiveness of irrigation scheduling. Five treatments were established, T1-T5, replicated four times for a total of twenty field plots in a completely randomized block design. The irrigation treatments were as follows: T1, Weathermatic SL1600 with SLW15 weather monitor; T2, Toro Intelli-sense; T3, ETwater Smart Controller 100; T4, a time-based treatment determined by local recommendations; and T5, a reduced time-based treatment 60% of T4. All treatments utilized rain sensors set at a 6 mm threshold. A daily soil water balance model was used to calculate the theoretical irrigation requirements for comparison with actual irrigation water applied. Calculated in 30-day running totals, irrigation adequacy and scheduling efficiency were used to quantify under- and over-irrigation, respectively. The study period, 25 May 2006 through 27 November 2007, was drier than the historical average with a total of 1326 mm of rainfall compared to 1979 mm for the same historical period. It was found that all treatments applied less irrigation than required for all seasons. Additionally, the ET controllers applied only half of the irrigation calculated for the theoretical requirement for each irrigation event, on average. Irrigation adequacy decreased when the ET controllers were allowed to irrigate any day of the week. All treatments had decreased scheduling efficiency averages in the rainy season with the largest decrease of 29 percentile points with a timer and rain sensor (T4) and an average decrease of 20 percentile points for the ET controllers, indicating that site specific rainfall has a significant effect on scheduling efficiency results. Rainfall did not drastically impact the average irrigation adequacy results. For this study, there were two controller program settings that impacted the results. The first setting was the crop coefficients where specific values were chosen for the location of the study when calculating the theoretical requirement whereas the controllers used default values. The second setting was the soil type that defines the soil water holding capacity of the soil. The ET controllers were able to regularly adjust to real-time weather, unlike the conventional irrigation timers. However, the incorporation of site specific rainfall measurements is extremely important to their success at managing landscape water needs and at a minimum a rain sensor should be used.     

优先流影响下环式入渗仪内入渗过程可视化试验

提出了一种室内土壤入渗试验装置,可以直接观测入渗过程中水分在环内土壤中的运动过程。详细描述了该装置的构成、工作原理和试验方法与过程。该装置由可以拆分的土槽和入渗环及可以透视的有机玻璃板组成。将入渗环打击进入土槽内土壤后,用钢板将环内的土壤沿径向切分成两半,移去其中一个半环及其中的土壤。用有机玻璃板封闭和固定另一半环内的土壤,用于进行土壤水分入渗过程的可视化试验,观察环式入渗仪内的水分运动过程。用采自北京的粉壤土进行入渗过程试验,同时根据水量平衡原理计算得到土壤入渗性能曲线。剖切面的湿润过程直观地显示了入渗环内水分的入渗过程存在优先流,不仅影响初始入渗过程,而且对整个入渗过程均产生影响。根据土壤湿润体所指示的土壤入渗特征将整个入渗过程划分为3个阶段:初始入渗阶段、过渡阶段和稳渗阶段。     

水氮耦合对黑土稻田土壤呼吸与碳平衡的影响

为探明不同水氮耦合方式对东北黑土区稻田碳循环的影响,以黑龙江省黑土稻田为研究对象,于2018年进行大田试验,试验设置常规灌溉（F）与控制灌溉（C）两种灌水方式,全生育期施氮量设置0、85、110、135 kg/hm²4个水平（N0、N1、N2、N3）,测定了8种不同水氮耦合方式下水稻不同生育期平均土壤呼吸速率、微生物呼吸速率和根呼吸速率的变化以及水稻收获后各器官的固碳量。结果表明,水稻植株总固碳量为446. 49～716. 92 g/m²,各处理水稻收获后各器官固碳量从大到小依次为穗、茎、叶、根,分别占植株总固碳量的53. 69%～59. 44%、27. 42%～30. 12%、7. 24%～8. 96%、4. 71%～8. 35%。控制灌溉模式能提高水稻植株固碳量,其中CN2处理的总固碳量最大。相同施氮量、控制灌溉模式下,茎、叶、根固碳量均大于常规灌溉模式,除CN0处理穗固碳量低于FN0处理外,其余相同施氮量、控制灌溉模式下的穗固碳量均大于常规灌溉模式。不同水氮耦合方式下,水稻从返青期至乳熟期各生育期平均土壤呼吸速率、微生物呼吸速率、根呼吸速率均呈先升高、后降低的趋势,且均在分蘖期达到峰值。除返青期外,与不施肥处理相比,施肥后各生育期平均土壤呼吸速率、微生物呼吸速率和根呼吸速率均增大,且随着施氮量的增加而增大。控制灌溉模式下各施氮量处理水稻各生育期（除返青期外）平均土壤呼吸速率、微生物呼吸速率和根呼吸速率均高于常规灌溉模式下相同施氮量处理。8种不同水氮耦合方式下黑土稻田均表现为较强的碳\"汇\",控制灌溉模式能够增加碳\"汇\"强度,其中CN2处理碳\"汇\"强度最大。本研究结果可为提高黑土稻田固碳减排潜力提供理论基础,为估算区域乃至全球碳平衡提供数据支撑。     

Twenty-five years modeling irrigated and drained soils: State of the art

Half of the world food production originates from irrigated and drained soils. Advanced soil water flow simulation models have the potential to contribute to the solution of relatively complex problems in irrigation and drainage science and management, provided that field data are available to calibrate and run them. Besides providing a literature review, this paper emphasizes on calibration and mathematical optimization procedures using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Unfortunately, the required level of expertise of integrated GIS, remote sensing and models make the application of sophisticated tools highly dependent on modeling experts. This is one of the chief reasons that soil water flow models have a low operational focus, especially in less developed countries with irrigation systems where they are most needed. The gap between the supply of various advanced models and the application by the irrigation and drainage community needs to be closed. The likelihood of adoption by a broader model user community will increase if models become more user- and data-friendly (or -tolerant) and heterogeneity-aware. During the next 10 years, simulation model development and application should focus on agricultural water savings, understanding recycling of water in the basin context, increase crop water productivity, bring groundwater-overexploitation to a halt and control the build up of soil salinity.     

秸秆综合利用减排固碳贡献与潜力研究

为推进秸秆综合利用,提升农业农村减排固碳能力,针对秸秆综合利用存在的温室气体排放因子基数不明、底数不清等问题,基于IPCC指南(2006年)温室气体排放核算理论框架,构建秸秆综合利用评价方法.明确评价范围与边界,科学核算不同秸秆利用技术的温室气体排放因子,评价秸秆五料化减排固碳底数,基于不同情景预测2030年和2060...     

黄土丘陵区退耕还林土壤不同大小颗粒固碳过程与速率

为揭示黄土丘陵区退耕还林土壤固碳过程及其变化机制,采用物理分组法探讨了安塞纸坊沟退耕15~45 a刺槐与柠条林地土壤砂粒、粉粒、黏粒截存有机碳的效应与速率。结果表明,对比坡耕地,两种退耕林地土壤颗粒结合碳含量均随退耕年限延长显著增加,并且表层0~10 cm土壤增幅最高,10~60 cm各土层增幅基本接近。退耕15~45 a期间,刺槐与柠条林0~20 cm土层均以粉粒碳密度增速最高,分别达0.21、0.11 Mg/(hm2·a),砂粒碳和黏粒碳增速相近,平均分别为0.13、0.06 Mg/(hm2·a)。同样的变化发生在0~60 cm土层,但各颗粒碳密度增速为0~20 cm土层的1.6~2.5倍。按此增速到退耕45 a时柠条林地砂粒碳、粉粒碳、黏粒碳相比坡耕地分别增大了2.6、1.1、0.8倍,刺槐林地则分别增大了8.3、2.2、2.8倍,并且对总有机碳累积贡献的平均比率为:砂粒碳(23%)等于黏粒碳(26%)且均小于粉粒碳(51%)。此外碳库管理指数比碳库活度与土壤总有机碳库变化有更显著的线性相关性。综上分析,该区域退耕刺槐林比柠条林土壤有更强的固碳效应,两种林地均以粉粒碳为主要固碳组分,以砂粒碳周转速率最快。     

调亏灌溉下施氮量对农田CO2固定排放和花生产量的影响

为探究调亏灌溉条件下施氮量对辽宁地区花生农田CO2固定排放的影响,于2018、2019年设置测坑裂区试验,研究了不同灌溉模式（全生育期充分灌溉（F）和花针期、饱果期调亏灌溉（D））下施氮量（0kg/hm2（N0）、50kg/hm2（N50）、100kg/hm2（N100）、150kg/hm2（N150））对花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量等的影响。研究结果表明,与F处理相比,D处理下花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量分别提高了7.59%、15.08%和7.16%（2年平均）。两种灌溉模式下,花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量均随施氮量的增加呈先增加后减小的趋势,在100kg/hm2施氮水平下达到最大值。从苗期至饱果期,花生农田土壤CO2排放量呈先升高后降低的趋势,在花针期达到最大值。与F处理相比,D处理显著降低了花针期、结荚期及饱果期土壤CO2平均排放量及全生育期CO2累积排放量。两种灌溉模式下,土壤CO2排放量均随施氮量的增加而显著增加。相同施氮水平下,调亏灌溉较充分灌溉处理显著降低了全生育期CO2累积排放量,DN100处理较FN100处理CO2累积排放量降低了7.51%（2年平均）。不同水氮处理下,DN100处理花生植株固碳量和产量最大,且CO2排放量较低,是花生农田生态系统固碳减排的最佳处理。     

调亏灌溉下施氮量对农田CO2固定排放和花生产量的影响

为探究调亏灌溉条件下施氮量对辽宁地区花生农田CO₂固定排放的影响,于2018、2019年设置测坑裂区试验,研究了不同灌溉模式(全生育期充分灌溉（F）和花针期、饱果期调亏灌溉（D）)下施氮量(0 kg/hm²（N0）、50 kg/hm²（N50）、100 kg/hm²（N100）、150 kg/hm²（N150）)对花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量等的影响。研究结果表明,与F处理相比,D处理下花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量分别提高了7.59%、15.08%和7.16%（2年平均）。两种灌溉模式下,花生植株干物质积累量、固碳量及产量均随施氮量的增加呈先增加后减小的趋势,在100 kg/hm²施氮水平下达到最大值。从苗期至饱果期,花生农田土壤CO₂排放量呈先升高后降低的趋势,在花针期达到最大值。与F处理相比,D处理显著降低了花针期、结荚期及饱果期土壤CO₂平均排放量及全生育期CO₂累积排放量...     

微咸水波涌畦灌对土壤水盐分布的影响

根据2005年在中国科学院南皮生态农业试验站的田间试验结果,对灌溉后土壤剖面和沿畦长方向的水盐分布进行了研究.结果表明,当灌水量相同时,灌水结束后波涌灌和连续灌0～100 cm土层含水率在整个畦田上存在较大差别.比较灌水均匀度的结果可知,供水时间为90 min时,N=3,r=1/2,T_(on)=30 min的处理含水率离散程度最小,灌水均匀度最满意.从主根区含盐量的变差系数来看,连续灌明显高于波涌灌,说明微咸水的波涌灌在畦首到畦尾的盐分分布离散程度低于连续灌.因此灌水方式的改变在不增加灌水量的条件下改善了土壤水盐分布状况.