Validation of dual-crop coefficient method for calculation of rice evapotranspiration under drying–wetting cycle condition

Based on data collected from rice fields under drying–wetting cycle condition, the procedure of dual-crop coefficient (K _cd) approaches was calibrated and validated to reveal its feasibility and improve its performance in rice evapotranspiration (ET _c) estimation. It was found that K _cd based on FAO-recommended basal crop coefficients (K _cb) underestimated dual-crop coefficients in monsoon climate region in East China. The recommended coefficient (K _cp) value of 1.2 was not high enough to reflect the pulse increase of rice ET _c after soil wetting. The K _cb values were calibrated as 1.52 and 0.63 in midseason and late season, and the K _cp value was adjusted as 1.29 after soil wetting in rice field under drying–wetting cycle condition. The dual-crop coefficient curves based on locally calibrated K _cbCal and K _cpCor matched well with the measured crop coefficients and performed well in calculating rice evapotranspiration from paddy fields under drying–wetting cycle condition. So it can be concluded that the procedure of dual-crop coefficient method is feasible in rice ET _c estimation, and locally calibrated K _cb and K _cp can improve its performance remarkably.     

Short-term daily forecasting of crop evapotranspiration of rice using public weather forecasts

Accurate forecasts of daily crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) are essential for real-time irrigation management and water resource allocation. This paper presents a method for the short-term forecasting of ET_c using a single-crop coefficient approach and public weather forecasts. Temperature forecasts with a 7-day lead time in 2013–2015 were retrieved and entered into a calibrated Hargreaves–Samani model to compute daily reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) forecasts, while crop coefficient (K_c) empirical values were estimated from both observed ET_c value and calculated ET₀ values using the Penman–Monteith equation for the period of 2010–2012. Daily ET_c forecasts of irrigated double-cropping rice were determined for three growing seasons during the period of 2013–2015 and were compared with ET_c values measured by the weighing lysimeters at the Jiangxi experimental irrigation station in southeastern China. During the early rice season, the average mean absolute error (MAE) and root-mean-square-error (RMSE) values of ET_c forecasts ranged from 0.95 to 1.06 mm day^?1 and from 1.18 to 1.31 mm day^?1, respectively, and the average correlation coefficient (R) ranged from 0.39 to 0.54; for late rice, the average MAE and RMSE values ranged from 1.01 to 1.09 mm day^?1 and from 1.32 to 1.40 mm day^?1, respectively, and the average R value ranged from 0.54 to 0.58. There could be three factors responsible for errors in ET_c forecasts, including temperature forecast errors, K_c value errors and neglected meteorological variables in the HS model, including wind speed and relative humidity. In addition, ET_c was more sensitive to changes in temperature than K_c. The overall results indicated that it is appropriate to forecast ET_c with the proposed model for real-time irrigation management and water resource allocation.     

The effect of water stress in regulated deficit irrigation on soybean yield (Glycine max [L.] Merr.)

The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of water stress in regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the yield of soybean growing on Ultisol soil. This research was conducted under plastic house on the experimental farm of Lampung Polytechnique from August to November 2004. The water stress treatments in regulated deficit irrigation were ET₁ (1.0 × ET_c), ET₂ (0.8 × ET_c), ET₃ (0.6 × ET_c), ET₄ (0.4 × ET_c) and ET₅ (0.2 × ET_c), arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. ET_c means crop evapotranspiration under standard condition, which was well watered. For example, the ET₂ (0.8 × ET_c) treatment means that the amount of supplied water per a day is the same as the crop adjustment evapotranspiration (ET_cadj) with the value 0.8 of water stress coefficient (K _s). The RDI treatments were carried out just at vegetative phase and its treatments were stopped at the beginning of flowering phase, and afterwards the treatments were watered at 1.0 × ET_c. The results showed that since week II, the soybean experienced stress throughout the growth period except ET₂ treatment. ET₂ treatment started to be stressed at week V and continued to be stressed until the harvest time. At the ET₃ treatment, the critical water content (θ_c) of soybean was reached at week II, and the θ_c was 0.24 m³/m³ on the average. The RDI at vegetative period significantly affected the yield. The highest yield was ET₁ (35.2 g/plant), followed by ET₂ (31.0 g/plant), ET₃ (18.1 g/plant), ET₄ (7.6 g/plant), and ET₅ (3.3 g/plant). The optimal water management of soybean with the highest yield efficiency was regulated deficit irrigation with water stress coefficient (K _s) of 0.80 for vegetative phase.     

Estimated evapotranspiration of rice based on pan evaporation as a surrogate to lysimeter measurement

Reference crop evapotranspiration (ET _o), used to determine actual crop evapotranspiration, is often estimated from pan evaporation (EP) data. However, uncertainties in the relationship between ET _o and EP often result in unreliable estimate of crop evapotranspiration. This study investigated the relationship between measured and estimated crop evapotranspirations, ET _m and ET _e, respectively, at tillering (9–30 days after transplanting, DAT) and mid-growth (51–72 DAT) stages of a rice variety. ET _m was measured with a Marriott Tube-type Micro-lysimeter (hereafter referred to Micro-lysimeter) in a ponded rice field and ET _e was estimated from EP, which was measured by employing the US Weather Bureau Class ‘A’ Evaporation Pan (hereafter referred to Class A Evaporation Pan). A strong linear relation (r ² = 0.89) at the tillering stage and a weak relation (r ² = 0.48) at the mid-growth stage were obtained between ET _m and EP. The slope of this plot provided a pan-crop factor (K _p K _c), which was 0.81 at the tillering stage and 0.79 at the mid-growth stage. The ET _e versus ET _m relationship was also strongly linear (r ² = 0.90) at the tillering stage but weakly linear (r ² = 0.50) at the mid-growth stage. The pan-based method thus provided reliable estimates of evapotranspiration during the tillering stage of rice.     

基于称重式蒸渗仪的淮北平原冬小麦蒸散估算模型的本地化

为了解不同作物蒸散量估算方法在淮北地区的适用性,利用新马桥实验站称重式蒸渗仪测定了2016-2017年冬小麦全生育期的实际蒸散值,结合Hargreaves-Samani(H-S)、 FAO-56 PM、Turc、Makkind(Mak)、 Priestley-Taylor(P-T)、Mcloud(Mcl)和DeBruin-Keijman(D-K)7个模型,分析了冬小麦田的蒸散特征,将蒸散的估算值(ET_0)和实测值(ET_C)进行了对比。结果表明,相对于ET_C值,7个模型拟合得到的ET_0的RMSE值为0.99～2.29 mm·d~(-1),且H-S FAO-56 PMTurcMakP-TMclD-K; ET_C与ET_0的相关系数为0.74～0.97,其中FAO-56 PM的相关性最高,P-T、 Mak、 D-K、 H-S也表现出较好的相关性。综合来看,H-S法总体表现较好,更适合该地区。对6种主要气象要素与实测蒸散值进行主成分分析发现,温度是影响ET_C的主要因子,湿度、日照时数和平均风速(2 m)对淮北冬小麦田蒸散值的影响不大;H-S模型以温度数据为基础,利用线性订正法和湿度指数项订正法将H-S模型本地化后检验发现,其优化结果良好,RMSE降低(0.68 mm·d~(-1))。     

Estimation of paddy water productivity (WP) using hydrological model: an experimental study

Water productivity (WP) expresses the value or benefit derived from the use of water. A profound water productivity analysis was carried out at experimental field at Field laboratory, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, India, for rice crop under different water regimes such as flooded (FL), alternative wet and dry (AWD) and saturated soil culture (SSC). The hydrological model soil-water-atmospheric-plant (SWAP), including detailed crop growth, i.e, WOFOST (World Food Studies) model was used to determine the required hydrological variables such as transpiration, evapotranspiration and percolation, and bio-physical variables such as dry matter and grain yield. The observed values of crop growth from the experiment were used for the calibration of crop growth model WOFOST. The water productivity values are determined using SWAP and SWAP–WOFOST. The four water productivity indicators using grain yield were determined, such as water productivity of transpiration (WP_T), evapotranspiration (WP_ET), percolation plus evapotranspiration (WP_ET+Q) and irrigation plus effective rainfall (WP_I+ER). The highest value of water productivity was observed from the flooded treatment and lowest value from the saturated soil culture in WP_T and WP_ET. This study, reveals that deep groundwater level and high temperature reduces the crop yield and water productivity significantly in the AWD and SSC treatment. This study reveals that in paddy fields 66% inflow water is recharging the groundwater. There is good agreement between SWAP and SWAP–WOFOST water productivity indicators.     

Modelling the nitrogen-driven trade-off between nitrogen utilisation efficiency and water use efficiency of wheat in eastern Australia

The nitrogen-driven trade-off between nitrogen utilisation efficiency (yield per unit nitrogen uptake) and water use efficiency (yield per unit evapotranspiration) is widespread and results from well established, multiple effects of nitrogen availability on the water, carbon and nitrogen economy of crops. Here we used a crop model (APSIM) to simulate the yield, evapotranspiration, soil evaporation and nitrogen uptake of wheat, and analysed yield responses to water, nitrogen and climate using a framework analogous to the rate-duration model of determinate growth. The relationship between modelled grain yield (Y) and evapotranspiration (ET) was fitted to a linear-plateau function to derive three parameters: maximum yield (Y_max), the ET break-point when yield reaches its maximum (ET^#), and the rate of yield response in the linear phase (ΔY/ΔET). Against this framework, we tested the hypothesis that nitrogen deficit reduces maximum yield by reducing both the rate (ΔY/ΔET) and the range of yield response to evapotranspiration, i.e. ET^# − E_s, where E_s is modelled median soil evaporation.     

Responses of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) to irrigation and nitrogen in a hot,dry climate: I. Water use

The effects of differential irrigation and fertiliser treatments on the water use of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desirée) were studied over 2 years in the hot dry climate of northeast Portugal. Total actual evapotranspiration (ET_c) ranged from 150 to 320 mm in 1988, and from 190 to 550 mm in 1989 depending mainly on irrigation treatment, potential evaporation rates (ET_p) and duration of the growing season. By comparison, the effects of nitrogen fertiliser on total water use were relatively small. Although nitrogen increased transpiration (larger leaf canopy), it reduced evaporation from the soil surface, in frequently irrigated plots, by similar amounts. As a result, in well-irrigated crops, the ET_c/ET_p ratio averaged 0.85 over the season, regardless of nitrogen level. Evaporation from the soil surface represented 15–25% of total water use by well-fertilised plants, but as much as 30–50% from the sparse stands of unfertilised crops. The proportion of water extracted from each depth increment of the silt-loam soil declined logarithmically, from the surface to 1.1 m depth, the maximum measured, for irrigated crops, and linearly when rain-fed. The ET_c/ET_p ratio fell below unity when 25–30% of the available water in the top metre had been depleted, equivalent to soil water deficits (SWDs) of 45–50 mm. By comparison, ET_c declined to zero when 75–90% of the available water had been extracted, corresponding to actual deficits of 135–150 mm. Peak ET_c rates reached 12–13 mm per day on days immediately following irrigation, nearly twice ET_p (possibly due to the influence of advection) but then declined logarithmically with time to about 3 mm per day within 5 days. Using the same data, a companion paper reports the influence of climatic conditions on the yield responses to water of potato crops grown in the region.     

A procedure to estimate cover coefficient and parameters of soil moisture stress function using soil moisture monitoring data

A procedure to determine soil moisture threshold (θ*), cover coefficient (k _c), and parameters of soil moisture stress function (k _s) is proposed in this study. These coefficients can be further applied to estimate daily actual evapotranspiration in a hydrological model. Two soil moisture stress functions are used to describe k _s. One of the functions is proposed by this study, which assumes moisture stress is inversely proportional to matric potential described by van Genuchten retention curve. The procedure is applied to identify the coefficients for three kinds of reference potential evapotranspiration based on soil moisture monitoring. Soil moisture was measured by Watermark soil moisture sensors. These sensors were tested in a laboratory to establish the relationship between soil moisture and recorded tensor. Then, these sensors were installed in an experimental forest watershed. The verification study shows that the calibrated coefficients can provide reasonable estimate of actual evapotranspiration. The R ² = 0.85 for using the Penman–Montieth equation for tall maize along with k _c = 1.81 can be obtained for the validation period with soil moisture stress. Besides, the results also indicate the proposed soil moisture stress function can have better performance on estimating daily actual evapotranspiration at early stage of a dry period. The proposed procedure and soil moisture stress functions can be successfully applied to estimate daily evapotranspiration when soil moisture is known. However, their performance in a hydrological model requires further study, since a hydrological model can only provide estimated soil moisture.     

Research on the relationship between rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration with multi-time scales

Limited by Fourier analysis and the selection of different wavelet base functions, the wavelet analysis method shows some deficiencies. For that reason, the empirical mode decomposition method is applied to analyze fluctuating periods and local features of annual rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) from 1959 to 2002. With respect to the correlation between variables, the traditional time series analysis methods often assume that data sequences are stationary which result in “spurious regression.” Therefore, the cointegration theory is introduced to describe the long-term equilibrium relationship of rainfall and ET₀. At last, to understand the uncertainty between these two variables, the set pair analysis (SPA) method is used to present the identity, discrepancy, and contrary of rainfall and ET₀ with multi-time scales. The results reveal that rainfall and ET₀ have a complex relationship which may be related to El Nino, air–sea intersection, solar activity. Moreover, the fluctuation periods of rainfall and ET₀ also have similar short and middle period level, and slightly different long period level. The changes of rainfall and ET₀ present mainly the contrary and the discrepancy. This relationship will remain a long-term equilibrium.     

Determination of homogeneous regions for regional reference evapotranspiration estimation using the self-organizing map in western Taiwan

Although, the reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) had been studied in many places, but when data at a given location are insufficient for a reliable estimation of the quantiles, a regional estimation must be performed to obtain ET₀ in ungauged site. In this process of regional estimation, the sites must be assigned to homogeneous regions, because approximate homogeneity is required to ensure that ET₀ is more accurate than at-site analysis. In this study, the self-organizing map (SOM) is applied to identify the homogeneous regions for reference ET₀. First, several site characteristics are chosen as the relevant attributes in cluster analysis based on Penman–Monteith (PM) equation. Then, the SOM is compared with two traditional clustering methods, the K-means method and Ward’s method, using the heterogeneity measure. Finally, the SOM is applied to actual meteorological data in western Taiwan to identify homogeneous regions for regional reference ET₀ estimation. The heterogeneity measure indicates that the SOM can identify the homogeneous regions more accurately, compared to the other two clustering methods. In addition, the results show that the four regions are sufficiently homogeneous. The conclusion is that the SOM is more robust than the traditional clustering methods, and that it is recommended as an alternative to the identification of homogeneous regions for regional reference ET₀ estimation.     

Simulation of salt and water movement and estimation of water productivity of rice crop irrigated with saline water

The HYDRUS-ID model was experimentally tested for water balance and salt build up in soil under rice crop irrigated with different salinity water (ECiw) of 0.4, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 dS m⁻¹ in micro-lysimeters filled with sandy loam soil. Differences of means between measured (M) and HYDRUS-1D predicted (P) values of bottom flux (Q _o) and leachate EC as tested by paired t test were not found significant at P = 0.05 and a close agreement between RMSE values showed the applicability of the HYDRUS-1D to simulate percolation and salt concentration in the micro-lysimeters under rice crop. Potential ET values of rice as obtained from CROPWAT matched well with model predicted and measured one at all ECiw treatments. The model predicted root water uptake varied from 66.1 to 652.7 mm and the maximum daily salt concentration in the root zone was 0.46, 2.3, 4.5, 6.7, 8.4 and 10.2 me cm⁻³ in 0.4, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 dS m⁻¹ ECiw treatments, respectively. The grain production per unit evapotranspiration ( \textWP_{\textET\texta} {\text{WP}}_{{{\text{ET}}_{\text{a}} }} ) value of 2.56 in ECiw of 0.4 dS m⁻¹ treatment declined to 1.31 with ECiw of 2 dS m⁻¹. The \textWP_{\textET\texta} {\text{WP}}_{{{\text{ET}}_{\text{a}} }} reduced to one-fifth when percolation was included in the productivity determination. Similarly, the water productivity in respect of total dry matter production (TDM) was also reduced in different treatments. Therefore, the model predicted values of water balance can be effectively utilized to calculate the water productivity of rice crop.     

Growth,water use,and kernel abortion of maize subjected to drought at silking

Maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield is particularly sensitive to water deficits that coincide with the tasseling-silking period, causing marked reductions in grain number. More knowledge about crop responses to water supply is required, however, to explain the causes of kernel number reductions under the mild stresses characteristic of humid regions. The objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify crop evapotranspiration, E_c, and its relationship with shoot biomass production, grain yield, and kernel number; and (ii) determine the impact on final kernel number of supplying fresh pollen to silks whose appearance is delayed by water deficits at silking. Field experiments were conducted at Balcarce (37°45′S, 130 m) during 1988/89 and 1989/90 with two sowing dates (6 weeks apart) to provide differences in evaporative demand. Plastic covers were placed on the ground of water-deficit plots to generate a 40-day period of lowered water supply bracketing silking. Control plots received rain plus additional furrow irrigation in order to keep the ratio between crop (_c) and potential (E_p) Penman evapotranspiration greater than 0.9. Plant water status indicators revealed differences between treatments, but failed to reflect soil water status. Water deficit reduced plant height, maximum leaf area index, and shoot biomass. Shoot biomass accumulation was correlated with E_c, but higher water-use efficiencies (WUE) were found for the water-stress treatments. Grain yield was correlated to kernels m⁻² (r = 0.88; 6 d.f.), and both grain yield and kernels m⁻² were related to E_c during the treatment period, resulting in reductions of 4.7 grains m⁻² and 17.7 kg ha⁻¹ for each mm reduction in E_c. The number of kernels per ear did not improve when fresh pollen was applied to late appearing silks, suggesting that ovaries which failed to expose their silks synchronously with pollen shedding were deleteriously affected by water stress.     

Critical water content and water stress coefficient of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) under deficit irrigation

The objective of this research was to investigate the critical water content (θ _c) and water stress coefficient (K _s) of soybean plant under deficit irrigation. This research was conducted in a plastic house at the University of Lampung, Sumatra in Indonesia from June to September 2000. The water deficit levels were 0–20%, 20–40%, 40–60%, 60–80%, and 80–100% of available water (AW) deficit, arranged in Randomized Completely Block (RCB) design with four replications. The results showed that the soybean plant started to experience stress from week IV within 40–60% of AW deficit. The fraction of total available water (TAW) that the crop can extract from the root zone without suffering water stress (p) was 0.5 and θ_c was 0.305 m³ m⁻³. The values of K _s at p=0.5 were 0.78, 0.86, 0.78, and 0.71 from week IV to week VII, respectively. The optimum yield of soybean plant with the highest yield efficiency was reached at 40–60% of AW deficit with an average K _s value of 0.78; this level of deficit irrigation could conserve about 10% of the irrigation. The optimum yield of soybean plant was 7.9 g/pot and crop water requirement was 372 mm.     

Effects of crop properties, weather conditions and mechanical treatments on the wilting rate of dipliod and tetraploid Italian ryegrass for silage

The relationship between rate of water loss of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and crop properties, weather conditions and mechanical treatments were studied on a field scale, as was the importance of the variables and their combined effects on influencing the wilting process. Eleven forage-drying experiments were performed between 1992 and 1994 on diploid and tetraploid cultivars cut at different growth stages, ranging from early elongation to flowering, under environmentally variable conditions. The rate of drying was measured until a moisture content of 1 g water g^?1 dry matter (DM) (500 g kg^?1) was reached, or for a maximum of 2 days by calculating the rate of water loss from two consecutive hourly weights of swath portions placed on trays. Multiple regression analysis was used to correlate the drying rate (k) with crop properties and with meteorological and mechanical treatment variables. The interaction between potential evapotranspiration (ET₀) and the moisture content of grass at cutting (M_grass appeared to be the most important variable, from the twenty-one tested, in influencing K. This variable shows that the same quantity of energy available for evaportaion acts in different ways when the water content of the crop at cutting differs. The rate of water loss is also influenced by the M^grass itself, surgacae density of the swath, tedding and the weather conditions on the first day of drying. The value of M^grass at cutting is greatly greatly dependent on crop maturity and ploidy. The tetraploid cultivars, with a higher inital moisture content, lost water more slowly than diploid cultivars did. Because the date of cutting cannot be delayed, owing to the decline in nutrive value, it is helpful to select for cultivars with low moisture contents at cutting, as well as applying mechanical treatment (spreading and tedding), in order to keep the wilting period as short as possible. A validated drying model can be useful for operational purposes to understand the drying process and to assess technological choices for forage drying.     

Estimating Crop Coefficient in Intermittent Irrigation Paddy Fields Using Excel Solver

The current study proposes a novel method using Excel Solver to estimate,from limited data,crop coefficient(Kc) in paddy fields under intermittent irrigation(II).The proposed method was examined in a field experiment conducted at Karang Sari Village,Bekasi,West Java,Indonesia during the first rice season of 2007/2008(December 2007 to April 2008) in the rainy season.As the control,continuous flooding irrigation(CF) was applied to the conventional rice cultivation fields.Based on the observed water storage,Excel Solver was used to estimate crop evapotranspiration.Estimated crop evapotranspiration was used to compute Kc value,then the average Kc values at each growth stage were compared with that for the CF treatment.The estimation method was evaluated by comparing estimated crop evapotranspiration and the crop evapotranspiration derived by the well established FAO procedure.Excel Solver estimated crop evapotranspiration accurately with R2 values higher than 0.81.Accordingly,more than 81% of the FAO crop evapotranspiration was described by the proposed method.Thus,Kc value could be well determined from those estimated crop evapotranspiration.Under the II treatment,the average Kc values were 0.70,1.06,1.24 and 1.22 for the initial,crop development,reproductive and late stages,respectively.These values were lower than those under the CF treatment for initial and crop development stages because of a minimal soil evaporation and intense dryness during these stages.However,average Kc values under the II treatment were higher than those under the CF treatment at the reproductive and late stages,indicating that the II treatment promoted more plant activity particularly for dry biomass production as indicated by a greater number of tillers per hill.     

Decadal and Monthly Change of an Empirical Coefficient in the Relation between Solar Radiation and the Daily Range of Temperature in Japan: Implications for the Estimation of Solar Radiation Based on Temperature

Abstract: The need for solar radiation (R_s, MJ m^–2 d^–1) estimation remains a common concern for agronomists. Evaluation of crop productivity is primarily based on R_s data, which are difficult to collect because of cost and calibration requirements. Generally, historical R_s data are more difficult to obtain. This study focused on an estimation model based on the daily range of temperature and evaluated its accuracy from the viewpoint of crop productivity analysis. The variability of an empirical coefficient in the model (K_rs), which was derived from the relation between R_s and daily range of temperature (T_max – T_min) was analyzed using climatic data observed in Japan considering data availability and quality. K_rs had significant monthly differences, and it significantly increased from 1981 – 1985 to 2003 – 2007 at all 10 locations. Period-month interactions were not significant, except for in Utsunomiya, suggesting that the seasonal pattern did not change during the period. Weather data indicated that the increase in K_rs was caused not only by increased solar radiation but also by a decrease in T_max – T_min. The substantial differences in K_rs produced considerable bias for the estimated R_s when the estimation was conducted with a constant K_rs (0.16). Despite the bias, the model is considered to perform well given the present availability of R_s data. The results of this study suggest that the evaluation of the seasonal pattern of K_rs greatly improves the model accuracy.     

Crop water use indicators to quantify the flexible phenology of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in response to drought stress

Models can play an important role in agricultural planning and management. Thermal time accumulation is a common way of describing phenological development in crop models, but the sensitivity of this concept to water stress is rarely quantified. The effect of pre-anthesis droughts on the timing of anthesis and physiological maturity was assessed for quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) var. ‘Santa Maria’, with the help of two field experiments (2005–2006 and 2006–2007) in the central Bolivian Altiplano. Various treatments with different sowing dates and irrigation applications were considered. To evaluate the effect of drought stress on crop development, drought stress during the first 60 days after sowing was assessed with three different stress indicators: the number of days that the soil water content of the root zone was above a threshold, the average relative transpiration, and the sum of daily actual transpiration, standardized for reference evapotranspiration (∑(T_a/ET₀)). The best indicator to quantify the effect of pre-anthesis drought stress on phenological development was ∑(T_a/ET₀) cumulated until 60 days after sowing. This indicator showed a significant logarithmic relation with the time to anthesis and time to physiological maturity. Correlations of the drought stress indicator with thermal time accumulation were better than with calendar time accumulation. Due to an effect of post-anthesis droughts, the correlations of the drought stress indicator with the time to anthesis were stronger than with the time to physiological maturity. It was also demonstrated that deficit irrigation can contribute to a better agricultural planning due to a better control of the phenological development of quinoa. The proposed relations can be used for modeling phenological development of quinoa in drought prone regions and for efficient deficit irrigation planning.     

Biomass production and nutrient removal by tropical grasses subsurface drip‐irrigated with dairy effluent

Effluent lagoons on dairy farms can overflow and potentially pollute adjacent land and associated water bodies. An alternative solution to effluent disposal is needed by dairy operators in island environments. An attractive win‐win alternative is to recycle nutrients from this resource through effluent irrigation for forage grass production that minimizes environmental pollution. This study assessed biomass production and nutrient removal by, and high application rates to, tropical grasses that were subsurface drip‐irrigated with dairy effluent. Four grass species – Banagrass (Pennisetum purpureum K. Schumach.), California grass (Brachiaria mutica (Forssk.) Stapf.), Stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst) and Suerte grass (Paspalum atratum Swallen) – were subsurface (20–25 cm) drip‐irrigated with effluent at two rates based on potential evapotranspiration (ET_p) at the site (Waianae, Hawaii) ?2·0 ET_p (16 mm d^?1 in winter; 23 mm d^?1 in summer) and 0·5 ET_p (5 mm d^?1 in winter; 6 mm d^?1 in summer). Treatments were arranged in an augmented completely randomized design. Brachiaria mutica and P. purpureum had the highest dry‐matter yield (43–57 t ha^?1 year^?1) and nutrient uptake especially with the 2·0 ET_p irrigation rate (1083–1405 kg ha^?1 year^?1 N, 154–164 kg ha^?1 year^?1 P, 1992–2141 kg ha^?1 year^?1 K). Average removal of nutrients by the grasses was 25–94% of the applied nitrogen, 11–82% of phosphorus and 2–13% of the potassium. Average values of crude protein (90–160 g kg^?1), neutral detergent fibre (570–620 g kg^?1) and acid detergent fibre (320–360 g kg^?1) were at levels acceptable for feeding to lactating cattle. Results suggest that P. purpureum and B. mutica irrigated with effluent effectively recycled nutrients in the milk production system.