Field Crop Production in Areas with Saline Soils and Shallow Saline Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley of California

SUMMARY

Salinity in soil and water is irrevocably associated with irrigated agriculture throughout the world and as a result requires that salt management becomes an integral part of the production system. With careful water management, it is possible to sustain irrigated agriculture in areas with saline soil and saline groundwater with and without subsurface drainage. The results from two field projects conducted in an area with saline soils and saline groundwater demonstrated the type of irrigation systems and management needed to sustain production of moderately salt tolerant and tolerant crops. During the first study at Murrieta farms, yields of cotton and sugar beet were maintained using both saline and non-saline water for irrigation when pre-plant irrigation and rainfall were adequate to maintain soil salinity at a tolerable level. Wheat production was reduced in areas that used saline water for irrigation. Use of saline water containing toxic elements such as boron for irrigation poses a threat to the sustainability of the system. The second study evaluated the management of furrow and subsurface drip irrigation in the presence of shallow saline groundwater. Careful management of the furrow system during pre-plant irrigation and the first irrigation of the growing season was required to prevent waterlogging. It was possible to manage the subsurface drip system to induce significant crop water use from shallow groundwater. Rainfall and pre-plant irrigation were adequate at this site to manage soil salinity.     

Response of Sunflowers to Quantities of Irrigation Water,Irrigation Regimes and Salinities in the Water and Soil

Summary

The production of sunflower grains for roasting was investigated in two soil types under different quantities of applied saline and non-saline irrigation water, different irrigation managements, soil salinity due to previous use of saline water or due to a raised water table. It was shown in one experiment, conducted in a loess type soil, that sunflowers extracted water at least to a soil depth of 120 cm, when the available water from the top layers was used up. The crop in this soil consumed all the available soil water from nearly the entire root zone, while in the clay soil limited water was consumed from deep layers, due to the high salinity and lack of aeration.

No decrease in yield was found in the loess soil when 75% of the full amount of water (which was 0.8 of Class A pan evaporation rate) was applied. When only 50% was applied a significant decrease in yield was obtained. In contrast, in the clay soil even 75% of the full amount of water decreased the yield remarkably. Under dry-land conditions approximately 65% of maximum yield was found in the loess soil but only 45% in the clay soil. These differences are all attributed to a shallow active root system in the clay soil. Residual soil salinity from previously use of saline water had no effect on grain production in the loess soil, while saline irrigation water applied during the irrigation season decreased production, but only when water supply was not rate limiting. The combination of saline water and residual soil salinity had a marked effect on the decrease of grain yield under limited irrigation. In both soils a reduction in the amount of water applied per single irrigation and maintaining the entire irrigation period caused a significantly smaller decrease in yield than shortening the irrigation period and applying the full demand.     

Long-Term Reuse of Drainage Waters of Varying Salinities for Crop Irrigation in a Cotton-Safflower Rotation System in the San Joaquin Valley of California—A Nine Year Study: II. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Summary

This paper reports the results on safflower crops grown in a nine-year study, conducted on a 8 ha site, to determine the feasibility of using drainage water for irrigation in a 2-year cotton/1-year safflow-er rotation system. The cotton crops were irrigated with waters of 400, 1,500, 3,000, 4,500, 6,000, and 9,000 ppm total dissolved salts, and safflower was grown only with a preplant irrigation with nonsaline water. The use of drainage water for crop irrigation may be a means of decreasing its volume. Even though safflower was never irrigated with saline drainage water directly, the residual effect of using saline water for cotton irrigation adversely impacted safflower growth and development. Safflower seed yields were reduced in plots previously irrigated with waters of 4,500 ppm or higher salinity and even more severe effects on crop growth were seen as the numbers of years of irrigation with the saline water increased. After irrigating six cotton crops, the safflower seed yield in plots irrigated with 9,000 ppm waters was reduced to only 14% of the control. The safflower oil content and quality were not affected. Impacts on plant density, shoot height, shoot biomass, and leaf ionic content also are discussed.     

Soil Salinity in South India: Problems and Solutions

SUMMARY

Soil salinity is assuming menacing proportions for production of agricultural and horticultural crops in South India. South India comprises of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Tamil Nadu (TN), Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, and Islands in Bay of Bengal (Andaman and Nicobar) and Arabian Sea (Lakshadweep). It comprises central uplands, Deccan plateau (Karnataka plateau and Telangana plateau of AP), Nilgiri hills of TN, South Sahiailri, Eastern hills (Eastern Ghats, TN, upland) and Coastal Plains. The rainfall ranges from 400 to 500 mm in AP, 450 to 1300 mm in Karnataka, 500 to 1215 mm in TN, 100 to 450 mm in Kerala. Climate is mainly semi-arid in nature. Red soils (Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Entisols) make up about 60–65% and are well drained, blacksoils (Vertisols and Inceptisols) comprise about 20–25% and the rest are coastal sands. Soil salinity problems are encountered in almost all the districts in Karnataka and AP. The area extends to about 0.176 million ha in AP, 0.2 million ha in Karnataka, 0.0427 million ha in TN and about 0.03 million ha in Kerala. Introduction of canal irrigation water and use of underground saline waters accelerated the appearance of salt affected soils. Soil salinity observed in South India ranges from hydrometphic saline soils in Kerala to highly saline (EC 20–30 dS m^?1) in Karnataka and AP. Saline soils were classified in to Natrargids or Solarthrids at subgroup level depending on the occurance of nitric or salic horizon within few centimetres of the surface. Soil salinity has reduced crop yields upto 50% and consequently cropping has been abandoned in many areas. Excess soluble salts can be removed through scrapping the surface salt crust or flushing and leaching or through subsurface drainage depending on the problem. Crops also vary in their ability to tolerate salinity at different stages of growth. In most crops subjected to irrigations with saline waters, germination and early seedling stages are generally the most sensitive and their tolerance increases with age. Salt tolerant varieties and nutrient management of crops in saline soils are important solutions for crop production under saline soils.     

A participatory farming system approach for sustainable broomrape (Orobanche spp.) management in the Near East and North Africa

Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are aggressive and damaging parasitic weeds which have a tremendous impact on agriculture in East Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Despite the availability of technologies to control broomrapes in economically important crops, Orobanche infestation continues to increase, threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Many of the technologies developed have not been effectively disseminated and there has been little or zero adoption by farmers—who continue to use ineffective management practices that exacerbate the problem. The adaptation and dissemination of appropriate management practices are major priorities in broomrape control. However, such work must take into consideration the specific socio-economic characteristics of individual farming systems. Orobanche is a community threat and effective management requires a community-based integrated management approach. Recognizing the central role of farmers in parasitic weed management, a technical cooperation project (TCP) involving FAO, ICARDA and seven countries in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region was implemented to improve the dissemination of knowledge and skills by using a farmer field school approach: a form of education that uses experiential learning methods to build farmers’ expertise. This paper reviews conventional Orobanche research and development approaches, and highlights weaknesses in the management of the parasitic weed using these approaches as opposed to participatory approaches. The benefits and challenges of participatory farming system approaches in relation to integrated broomrape management (IBM) are also discussed. Lessons learned from achieving community ownership of, and institutional support for, IBM could be applied to other sectors (e.g. public health) in which there is a need for institutional learning and reform. Recommendations are made that include regional collaboration within the framework of a proposed Near East and North Africa Orobanche Management Network (NENAOMAN).     

Characteristics of paddy irrigation in Taiwan

Paddy and water environment are closely related to each other in Asia. Developing agriculture by way of construction of farmland irrigation works has long been the principal objective of policies in Taiwan. Owing to significant temporal and spatial difference in rainfalls, natural river runoff has hardly corresponded with irrigation requirements. The cultivation of rice paddies and upland crops are practiced according to the state of the water sources, and cultivation patterns and irrigation systems are framed by placing the same importance on the role of irrigation and drainage management. In this article, the characteristics of paddy irrigation in Taiwan, distinguishable from the western arid farming, have been categorized and will be reviewed in terms of irrigation development, agricultural water utilization, equitable distribution management, farmland consolidation, and the Irrigation Association with its role as that of a public juridical body.Dr. Tsai is the Chief of Irrigation and Engineering Division, Council of Agriculture (COA), Executive Yuan, Taiwan, R.O.C, and also serves as the president of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineers (CSAE), the Vice-President of the International Society of Paddy and Water Environment Engineering, the vice-president of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) Chinese Taipei Committee, Managing Supervisor of Chinese Water Resources Management Society. He has an M.Sc. diploma in agricultural engineering from the National Taiwan University and in 1990 he received his Ph.D. degree in natural science and technology from Okayama University, Japan.     

Long-Term Reuse of Drainage Waters of Varying Salinities for Crop Irrigation in a Cotton-Safflower Rotation System in the San Joaquin Valley of California—A Nine Year Study: I. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Summary

Use of saline drainage water for crop irrigation was evaluated as a means of decreasing its volume. Results of a nine-year crop rotation (cotton-cotton-safflower, × 3) in which only the cotton was irrigated with drainage water of 400, 1,500, 3,000, 4,500, 6,000, and 9,000 ppm total dissolved salts are presented. The different salinity levels of irrigation waters were achieved by mixing nonsaline canal water (400 ppm) and saline drainage water. Cotton lint yields were not affected by increased salinity level of the irrigation water for the first two years. Detrimental effects became evident in the third cotton crop with increasing severity in later years. In the fifth year of cotton (seventh year of the study), lint yields were adversely affected by waters of salinity greater than 3,000 ppm. However, fiber quality remained unaffected at all levels of irrigation water salinity. The reductions in lint yield appeared to be a function of time and the salinity level of applied water. Shoot height and biomass were reduced by the irrigation water salinity before lint yields. Stand establishment appeared to be the most sensitive to salinity and was perhaps the main reason for yield reduction. Increase in irrigation water salinity increased Na⁺ content of leaf blades and petioles and decreased K⁺/Na⁺ ratio of leaf blades and petioles. The study showed that irrigation waters of up to 3,000 ppm salinity may be used for four years without any yield reductions, as long as some leaching occurs through preplant irrigations with low salinity water. Data on crop growth and development and ionic content collected over the nine year period are presented.     

福建省2008-2009年度冬季气候对农业生产的影响

福建省2008-2009年度冬季总体农业气候特征表现为大部分地区气温偏高,降水量偏少,日照时数正常到一般偏多;发生了3次对农业有影响的寒潮降温过程;出现了时间长、范围广的秋冬气象干旱,尤其是南部地区。对农业生产而言,大部分时段光温条件良好,有利于作物和果树的光合生长,作物长势基本正常;3次主要的寒潮降温过程造成的寒冻害对农牧业造成了较重的经济损失;秋冬气象干旱对缺乏灌溉条件的农作物生长极其不利。     

Deficit irrigation management for rice using crop growth simulation model in an optimization framework

Optimization of irrigation water is an important issue in agricultural production for maximizing the return from the limited water availability. The current study proposes a simulation–optimization framework for developing optimal irrigation schedules for rice crop (Oryza sativa) under water deficit conditions. The framework utilizes a rice crop growth simulation model to identify the critical periods of growth that are highly sensitive to the reduction in final crop yield, and a genetic algorithm based optimizer develops the optimal water allocations during the crop growing period. The model ORYZA2000, which is employed as the crop growth simulation model, is calibrated and validated using field experimental data prior to incorporating in the proposed framework. The proposed framework was applied to a real world case study of a command area in southern India, and it was found that significant improvement in total yield can be achieved by the model compared to other water saving irrigation methods. The results of the study were highly encouraging and suggest that by employing a calibrated crop growth model combined with an optimization algorithm can lead to achieve maximum water use efficiency.     

稻田应用“水肥一体化”的现状、问题与思考

水肥一体化技术是在灌溉的同时将肥料混合施入土壤的集灌溉和施肥于一体的技术。发展和应用水肥一体化技术不仅可以达到节水省肥的目的,还是实现农业精确定量、智慧管理的重要途径。本文概述了水肥一体化在国内外的研究进展和水肥一体化中滴灌等技术在设施栽培以及玉米、棉花等作物生产中的应用现状。对滴灌技术在水稻中应用存在的成本高、环境不友好、品种适应性差等问题进行了分析,并提出对应的沟渠改造、加强滴灌管道建设、垄畦栽培结合、水肥药一体化和筛选新品种等解决方法。本文为水肥一体化在水稻栽培中的应用提供了参考,探索了水肥一体化水稻栽培未来的方向。     

水肥耦合对干热河谷冬春番茄产量及其品质的影响

干热河谷等“热区”以其充足的光照及相对较高的温度为冬春季蔬菜生产提供了重要条件,合理的水肥管理是保障区域蔬菜产业可持续发展及农业环境安全的重要举措。为提高西南热区特色作物水肥管理能力,巩固北方冬春蔬菜供应链,设置不同灌溉量（4469.10、2253.60、1806.70 m³/hm²）和施氮量（240、210、180、150 kg/hm²）2个因子,在元谋干热河谷开展冬春季节番茄大田试验,分析比较不同水氮处理对番茄产量、品质及其水肥利用效率的影响。结果表明：（1）降低灌溉定额后,番茄单果重显著增加（P<0.05）,总产量无显著差异（P>0.05）,番茄果横径和果梗洼大小显著增加（P<0.05）,糖含量和番茄红素显著降低（P<0.05）,水分利用效率显著提高（P<0.05）;（2）氮肥施用量显著影响番茄果梗洼大小（P<0.05）;（3）水氮耦合作用显著影响糖含量和番茄红素（P<0.05）,番茄产量和品质更易受水分供应限制,而受氮肥影响较小。结果显示元谋冬春茬番茄传统种植模式存在过量灌溉和过量施肥的现象,选择低水（灌溉定额1806.70 m³/hm²）中氮（180 kg N/hm²）的水肥管理策略,保产的同时能有效提高番茄水分利用效率,能产出品质较好的番茄,同时减小环境污染风险。     

Safe application of reclaimed water reuse for agriculture in Korea

This article describes the pilot study on the water reuse for agricultural irrigation in Korea. The project is a part of the application of wastewater reuse system for Agriculture project, a 21st Century Frontier R&D Program sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology and associated with the Sustainable Water Resources Research Program. The goal of the project was to develop infra-technologies necessary to reclaim wastewater for irrigation in agriculture. The project involved two phases: laboratory and field research. Reclamation techniques for irrigation and feasible reuse were developed as a first step in proposing appropriate water quality standards. Reclaimed wastewater of various qualities was used to irrigate cereal crops and vegetables, and possible adverse effects on crops, humans, and the environment were investigated. The optimal reclamation methods required to satisfy water quality standards were explored and the operational characteristics investigated. Moreover, an inventory of farmlands that could reuse reclaimed wastewater was established. Feasible delivery systems for irrigation were developed, and pilot project sites were identified. Finally, operational field data from pilot units were collected and analyzed. This research and development may help solve water shortage problems in Korea, which left unaddressed will have an adverse effect on future generations.     

Long-term trends in intersectoral water allocation and crop water productivity in Zhanghe and Kaifeng,China

This paper examines the trends in water allocation among sectors, water use by source, cropped area, crop production and water productivity. The study was undertaken at two sites in China: the Zhanghe Irrigation District in the Yangtze River Basin approximately 200 km west of Wuhan and Kaifeng City Prefecture located just south of the Yellow River in Henan Province. In both areas, water demand for purposes other than irrigation has grown. In the Zhanghe Irrigation District this resulted in a sharp reduction of water availability for irrigation. The decline of water availability for irrigation resulted in adoption of water saving practices and policies that led to a significant gain in water productivity per unit of irrigation water. In the Kaifeng City Prefecture the increased demand from other uses was met by an increase in groundwater extraction without the dramatic cuts in supplies for agriculture as in the Zhanghe Irrigation District. Gains in water productivity were due almost exclusively to higher crop yields. There will be continuing pressure to further reduce diversions to agriculture from the Zhanghe main reservoir in the Zhanghe Irrigation District and from the Yellow River in Kaifeng. Research continues on testing practices that have the potential for further increasing water productivity, some of the results of which are reported in other papers in this volume.     

Assessment and water saving issues for Ningxia paddies,upper Yellow River Basin

In the Hetao Irrigation Districts of the Ningxia autonomous region, Upper Yellow River Basin, the continuous deep flooding irrigation method is used for the rice paddies. The field irrigation water use during the rice-growing season is two to three times higher than in other regions of North China where water-saving practices have been introduced. This paper, based on the data measured in experimental rice fields and sub-branch canal systems, presents main results concerning crop evapotranspiration, percolation and irrigation requirements for deep and shallow water irrigation. Causes for water waste relate to both the lack of regulation in supply and distribution canals and to the poor management of paddy fields. The potential for water saving is discussed using water balance data. Improved irrigation techniques and water management strategies, including the shallow water irrigation method, are suggested considering the expected impacts and benefits. Replacing the current continuous deep flooding with the shallow-ponded water irrigation method may reduce the growing season irrigation water use from 1,405 to 820 mm in average, with a likely increase in yields of 450 kg/ha. Water productivity would then increase from 0.49 to 1.03 kg/m³. Adopting improved canal management and modernization of regulation and control structures may lead to decreasing the gross irrigation demand from the present 3,100 mm to about 1,280 mm, which would highly benefit the environmental conditions in the area.     

Effects of saline irrigation water and heat waves on potato production in an arid environment

Production of spring potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Désirée) on a deep sandy soil in the central highland of the Negev desert of Israel under drip irrigation with saline water (up to 6.2 dS m⁻¹) was studied in the years 1992–1997. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of saline water irrigation on potato production in an arid environment with special focus on the interactions with weather conditions. Although yields were often high, salinity effects were evident in some years. Thus 1992 and 1996 yields were 6–7 kg m⁻² and showed no significant effect of salinity, while a pronounced drop in yield with increasing salinity was observed in 1993 and 1994. Analysis of weather data for 1993–1994 suggests that the decline in yield was due to interactions between saline irrigation and prolonged heat wave events occurring during crop development. Further experimental work (1997) revealed that tuber yield was most sensitive to combined salt and heat stress when heat waves occurred at 40–60 days after emergence. The combined stress apparently leads to the collapse of mechanisms for avoiding salt accumulation in young expanding leaves, resulting in failure of vegetative growth recovery and a consequent reduction in the leaf area index and canopy functioning. The relationship between tuber sink demand and available photoassimilate supply at certain stages of plant development is discussed with reference to the ability of the potato plant to recover from the combined stress.     

Modeling of continental-scale crop water requirement and available water resources

The relationship between agricultural water demand and supply has been of interest to government decision makers and scientists because of its importance in water resources management. We developed a water cycle model for eastern Eurasia that can estimate water requirements for crop growth and evaluate the demand–supply relationships of agricultural water use on a continental scale. To produce an appropriate water cycle, the model was constructed based on small drainage basins. To validate the model performance with respect to simulated runoff, which is here considered as the available water resource, we compared our outputs with those of other models and with observed river discharges. The results show that this model is comparable to other models and that it is applicable for the evaluation of water cycles at continental scale. We defined two types of crop water deficits (CWDs) as indicators of agricultural water demand. These were formulated by considering the physical processes of crop water use; we did not include water consumption that is dependent on cultivation management practices, such as water losses in irrigation systems. We assessed the reliability of our indicators by comparison with indicators from other studies and with published statistics related to agricultural water use. These comparisons suggest that our indicators are consistent with independent data and can provide a reasonable representation of water requirements for crop growth.     

The Future of Cereal Yields and Prices: Implications for Research and Policy

SUMMARY

Crop yields experienced significant increases in much of the world over the last 30 years, in large part due to investment in agricultural research, irrigation, and rural infrastructure. However, recent declines in yield growth are major causes of concern for future food security. Especially in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa the future prospects for food production are problematic. Both regions must meet strong growth in food demand–driven mainly by income growth in Asia and by population growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The production challenges in the two regions are fundamentally different: much of Asia is facing post-Green Revolution challenges of how to sustain crop yield growth following widespread adoption of modern varieties while dealing with environmental degradation in some high intensity crop production systems. Sub-Saharan Africa has yet to experience a Green Revolution, and must boost crop yield growth in the face of less favorable agroclimatic environments than in Green Revolution breadbaskets of Asia. In this paper, we review the past and possible future developments in yield growth in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the possible causes of the current yield growth problems and the management challenges both regions face to overcome them.     

Potato growth with and without plastic mulch in two typical regions of Northern China

Plastic film mulching is an important agricultural practice to save water and improve crop productivity in Northern China. Three field experiments were conducted to examine the effect of plastic mulch on soil temperature, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growth and evapotranspiration under drip irrigation in two typical regions of Northern China in 2001 and 2006. Results suggest that daily mean soil temperature under mulch was 2–9 °C higher than without mulch, especially during the early growth. Potato growth was restrained under mulching conditions in the North China Plain mainly due to the higher air temperature in this region and thus the higher soil temperature. The negative effects of mulching included a lower emergence and fewer marketable tubers per plant. Evapotranspiration and potato tuber yield were both reduced by mulch, especially in the North China Plain. In northwest China, mulch favorably increased the weight of jumbo tubers (W ≥ 300 g) per plant. Mulching duration had little effect on potato evapotranspiration in northwest China. However, both tuber yield and water use efficiency (WUE) decreased with increases in mulch duration, which suggests the plastic mulch should be removed early.