Modelling the effects of climate variability and water management on crop water productivity and water balance in the North China Plain

In the North China Plain (NCP), while irrigation using groundwater has maintained a high-level crop productivity of the wheat-maize double cropping systems, it has resulted in rapid depletion of groundwater table. For more efficient and sustainable utilization of the limited water resources, improved understanding of how crop productivity and water balance components respond to climate variations and irrigation is essential. This paper investigates such responses using a modelling approach. The farming systems model APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) was first calibrated and validated using 3 years of experimental data. The validated model was then applied to simulate crop yield and field water balance of the wheat-maize rotation in the NCP. Simulated dryland crop yield ranged from 0 to 4.5 t ha⁻¹ for wheat and 0 to 5.0 t ha⁻¹ for maize. Increasing irrigation amount led to increased crop yield, but irrigation required to obtain maximum water productivity (WP) was much less than that required to obtain maximum crop yield. To meet crop water demand, a wide range of irrigation water supply would be needed due to the inter-annual climate variations. The range was simulated to be 140-420 mm for wheat, and 0-170 mm for maize. Such levels of irrigation applications could potentially lead to about 1.5 m year⁻¹ decline in groundwater table when other sources of groundwater recharge were not considered. To achieve maximum WP, one, two and three irrigations (i.e., 70, 150 and 200 mm season⁻¹) were recommended for wheat in wet, medium and dry seasons, respectively. For maize, one irrigation and two irrigations (i.e., 60 and 110 mm season⁻¹) were recommended in medium and dry seasons, while no irrigation was needed in wet season.     

The effect of system innovations on water productivity in subsistence rainfed agricultural systems in semi-arid Tanzania

Rainfed subsistence farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa generally obtain low crop yields as a result of highly erratic rainfall seasons. This paper presents results of research conducted to test the effects of improvements in farming techniques for subsistence rainfed systems. The research was carried out in the Makanya catchment of northern Tanzania where rainfall of less than 600 mm a⁻¹ and spread over two agricultural seasons per year is clearly insufficient to support staple food crops under the present farming systems in the area. The research sought to prove that, with improved efficiency in tillage techniques, grain yields can improve even under the existing challenging hydro-climatic conditions. The research tested farming system innovations (SIs) at four sites located within a spatial distance of 10 km where a combination of runoff diversion (RD), on-site rain water harvesting (WH) and conservation tillage (CT) were compared against the traditional farming methods of hand-hoeing under strict rainfed conditions (Control). For RD, runoff generated from natural storms was directed into infiltration pits dug along the contour with the excavated soil deposited upward of the trenches (fanya juus). The impact of these techniques on maize yields under different SIs was investigated.The results showed that the innovations resulted in increased maize grain yields of up to 4.8 t ha⁻¹ compared against current averages of less than 1 t ha⁻¹. The average productivity of the available water over four seasons was calculated to range between 0.35 and 0.51 kg m⁻³. For the SIs that were tested, the distribution of yields within a cultivated strip showed variations with better yields obtained on the down slope side of the cultivated strip where ponding effects resulted in higher water availability for infiltration and storage. However, due to the large seasonal climate variability, statistical analysis did not show significant differences in the yields (p < 0.05) between different cultivation techniques.The study showed that there is scope to improve grain yields with the little available rainfall through the adoption of techniques which promote water availability and retention within the field. The re-partitioning of water within the field creates mitigation measures against the impact of dry spells and allows alternative cropping in addition to the traditional maize cultivated in the rainfall seasons.     

水资源不均等分配及其影响分析以簸箕李灌区为例

以簸箕李灌区为例,分析了该灌区水资源不均等分配及其所带来的对水资源利用方式和效率的影响。结果表明,在灌区内部从上游到下游,水资源可利用量很不均等,上游享用更多的水资源,地下水起到了调节水资源可用量年内波动的作用。上游地区地下水调节了春季水资源可用量的变异性,下游汛期储存的地下水在来年春季被重新利用,年平均利用量达到降雨灌溉总量的40.7%。下游农民应对水资源短缺的另2种途径是进行排水管理和减少种植面积,平均排水再利用量达到40 mm,因此下游地区具有更高的水资源利用效率。在水资源配置中应注意配置方案对水资源利用方式和效率的影响,同时要兼顾效率和公平。     

Yield and water-production functions of two durum wheat cultivars grown under different irrigation and nitrogen regimes

Wheat (Triticum durum L.) yields in the semi-arid regions are limited by inadequate water supply late in the cropping season. Planning suitable irrigation strategy and nitrogen fertilization with the appropriate crop phenology will produce optimum grain yields. A 3-year experiment was conducted on deep, fairly drained clay soil, at Tal Amara Research Station in the central Bekaa Valley of Lebanon to investigate the response of durum wheat to supplemental irrigation (IRR) and nitrogen rate (NR). Three water supply levels (rainfed and two treatments irrigated at half and full soil water deficit) were coupled with three N fertilization rates (100, 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹) and two cultivars (Waha and Haurani) under the same cropping practices (sowing date, seeding rate, row space and seeding depth). Averaged across N treatments and years, rainfed treatment yielded 3.49 Mg ha⁻¹ and it was 25% and 28% less than half and full irrigation treatments, respectively, for Waha, while for Haurani the rainfed treatment yielded 3.21 Mg ha⁻¹, and it was 18% and 22% less than half and full irrigation, respectively. On the other hand, N fertilization of 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹ increased grain yield in Waha by 12% and 16%, respectively, in comparison with N fertilization of 100 kg N ha⁻¹, while for cultivar Haurani the increases were 24% and 38%, respectively. Regardless of cultivar, results showed that supplemental irrigation significantly increased grain number per square meter and grain weight with respect to the rainfed treatment, while nitrogen fertilization was observed to have significant effects only on grain number per square meter. Moreover, results showed that grain yield for cultivar Haurani was less affected by supplemental irrigation and more affected by nitrogen fertilization than cultivar Waha in all years. However, cultivar effects were of lower magnitude compared with those of irrigation and nitrogen. We conclude that optimum yield was produced for both cultivars at 50% of soil water deficit as supplemental irrigation and N rate of 150 kg N ha⁻¹. However, Harvest index (HI) and water use efficiency (WUE) in both cultivars were not significantly affected neither by supplemental irrigation nor by nitrogen rate. Evapotranspiration (ET) of rainfed wheat ranged from 300 to 400 mm, while irrigated wheat had seasonal ET ranging from 450 to 650 mm. On the other hand, irrigation treatments significantly affected ET after normalizing for vapor pressure deficit (ET/VPD) during the growing season. Supplemental irrigation at 50% and 100% of soil water deficit had approximately 26 and 52 mm mbar⁻¹ more ET/VPD, respectively, than those grown under rainfed conditions.     

Soil water dynamics and water use efficiency in spring maize (Zea mays L.) fields subjected to different water management practices on the Loess Plateau, China

Soil water supply is the main limiting factor to crop production across the Loess Plateau, China. A 2-year field experiment was conducted at the Changwu agro-ecosystem research station to evaluate various water management practices for achieving favorable grain yield (GY) with high water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize (Zea mays L.). Four practices were examined: a rain-fed (RF) system as the control; supplementary irrigation (SI); film mulching (FM); and straw mulching (SM) (in 2008 only). The soil profile water storage (W) and the crop evapotranspiration (ET) levels were studied during the maize growing season, and the GY as well as the WUE were also compared. The results showed that mean soil water storage in the top 200 cm of the profile was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the SI (380 mm in 2007, 411 mm in 2008) and SM (414 mm in 2008) compared to the FM (361 mm in 2007, 381 mm in 2008) and RF (360 mm in 2007, 384 mm in 2008) treatments. The soil water content was lower at the end of growing season than before planting in the 60-140 cm part of the profile in both the RF and FM treatments. Cumulative ET and average crop coefficiency (K_c) throughout the whole maize growing season were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the SI (ET, 501 mm in 2007, 431 mm in 2008; K_c, 1.0 in 2007, 0.9 in 2008) treatment than in the other treatments. Both FM and SI significantly improved the GY. The WUE were increased significantly (23-25%; P < 0.05) under the FM treatment. It was concluded that both SI and FM are beneficial for improving the yield of spring maize on the Loess Plateau. However, FM is preferable because of the shortage of available water in the area.     

Response of two-row malting spring barley to water cutoff under sprinkler irrigation

Agricultural production in irrigated areas is becoming more water-constrained. Scheduling the timing of the last irrigation on cereals is one effective method of reducing seasonal water use while maintaining crop yield and quality. The last irrigation application time and its impact on two-row malting barley (Hordeum distichum cv. Moravian 37) yield, quality, and economic benefits were studied in the 2000, 2001, and 2002 cropping seasons. Irrigation was stopped for the season at Milk, pre-Soft Dough, Soft Dough, and post-Soft Dough grain formation stages. The Soft Dough water cutoff treatment produced the highest grain yield of two-row spring malting barley. Water cutoff before or after Soft Dough stage reduced the grain yield significantly at P < 0.05, but the quality of grain for malt production was not significantly different when water was cut off at pre-Soft Dough or post-Soft Dough stages. Irrigation cutoff at Milk stage produced the lowest grain yield with the lowest quality. Decreases in grain yield and quality with the last irrigation at post-Soft Dough reduced grain value by $174 ha⁻¹ relative to Soft Dough, while irrigation costs were higher (Fig. 6). The economic benefit due to labor and power cost reduction from earlier irrigation cutoff does not offset the resulting loss of grain value/ha for any treatment except post-SD under current southern Idaho energy and labor cost conditions.     

Irrigation strategies to improve the water use efficiency of wheat-maize double cropping systems in North China Plain

Water is the most important limiting factor of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) double cropping systems in the North China Plain (NCP). A two-year experiment with four irrigation levels based on crop growth stages was used to calibrate and validate RZWQM2, a hybrid model that combines the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) and DSSAT4.0. The calibrated model was then used to investigate various irrigation strategies for high yield and water use efficiency (WUE) using weather data from 1961 to 1999. The model simulated soil moisture, crop yield, above-ground biomass and WUE in responses to irrigation schedules well, with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.029 cm³ cm⁻³, 0.59 Mg ha⁻¹, 2.05 Mg ha⁻¹, and 0.19 kg m⁻³, respectively, for wheat; and 0.027 cm³ cm⁻³, 0.71 Mg ha⁻¹, 1.51 Mg ha⁻¹ and 0.35 kg m⁻³, respectively, for maize. WUE increased with the amount of irrigation applied during the dry growing season of 2001-2002, but was less sensitive to irrigation during the wet season of 2002-2003. Long-term simulation using weather data from 1961 to 1999 showed that initial soil water at planting was adequate (at 82% of crop available water) for wheat establishment due to the high rainfall during the previous maize season. Preseason irrigation for wheat commonly practiced by local farmers should be postponed to the most sensitive growth stage (stem extension) for higher yield and WUE in the area. Preseason irrigation for maize is needed in 40% of the years. With limited irrigation available (100, 150, 200, or 250 mm per year), 80% of the water allocated to the critical wheat growth stages and 20% applied at maize planting achieved the highest WUE and the least water drainage overall for the two crops.     

Distributed agro-hydrological modeling with SWAP to improve water and salt management of the Voshmgir Irrigation and Drainage Network in Northern Iran

The agro-hydrological model SWAP was used in a distributed manner to quantify irrigation water management effects on the water and salt balances of the Voshmgir Network of North Iran during the agricultural year 2006-2007. Field experiments, satellite images and geographical data were processed into input data for 10 uniform simulation areas. As simulated mean annual drainage water (312 mm) of the entire area was only 14% smaller than measured (356 mm), its distribution over the drainage units was well reproduced, and simulated and measured groundwater levels agreed well. Currently, water management leads to excessive irrigation (621-1436 mm year⁻¹), and leaching as well as high salinity of shallow groundwater are responsible for large amounts of drainage water (25-59%) and salts (44-752 mg cm⁻²). Focused water management can decrease mean drainage water (22-48%) and salts (30-49%), compared with current water management without adverse effects on relative transpiration and root zone salinity.     

Corn yield responses under crop evapotranspiration-based irrigation management

Improving irrigation water management is becoming important to produce a profitable crop in South Texas as the water supplies shrink. This study was conducted to investigate grain yield responses of corn (Zea mays) under irrigation management based on crop evapotranspiration (ET_C) as well as a possibility to monitor plant water deficiencies using some of physiological and environmental factors. Three commercial corn cultivars were grown in a center-pivot-irrigated field with low energy precision application (LEPA) at Texas AgriLife Research Center in Uvalde, TX from 2002 to 2004. The field was treated with conventional and reduced tillage practices and irrigation regimes of 100%, 75%, and 50% ET_C. Grain yield was increased as irrigation increased. There were significant differences between 100% and 50% ET_C in volumetric water content (θ), leaf relative water content (RWC), and canopy temperature (T_C). It is considered that irrigation management of corn at 75% ET_C is feasible with 10% reduction of grain yield and with increased water use efficiency (WUE). The greatest WUE (1.6 g m⁻² mm⁻¹) achieved at 456 mm of water input while grain yield plateaued at less than 600 mm. The result demonstrates that ET_C-based irrigation can be one of the efficient water delivery schemes. The results also demonstrate that grain yield reduction of corn is qualitatively describable using the variables of RWC and T_C. Therefore, it appears that water status can be monitored with measurement of the variables, promising future development of real-time irrigation scheduling.     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on growth and water use efficiency of winter wheat under two soil water regimes

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Kenong9204) was grown in open top chambers with either ambient or elevated CO₂ concentrations (358 ± 19 μmol mol⁻¹ or 712 ± 22 μmol mol⁻¹, respectively) in well-watered or drought conditions. Although elevated CO₂ did not significantly affect the height of the plants at harvest, it significantly increased the aboveground biomass by 10.1% and the root/shoot ratio by 16.0%. Elevated CO₂ also significantly increased the grain yield (GY) by 6.7% when well-watered and by 10.4% when drought stressed. Specifically, in the well-watered condition, this increase was due to a greater number of ears (8.7% more) and kernels (8.6). In the drought condition, it was only due to a greater number of spikes (17.1% more). In addition, elevated CO₂ also significantly increased the water use efficiency (WUE) of the plants by 9.9% when well-watered and by 13.8% under drought conditions, even though the evapotranspiration (ET) of the plants did not change significantly. Elevated CO₂ also significantly increased the root length in the top half of the soil profile by 35.4% when well-watered and by 44.7% under drought conditions. Finally, elevated CO₂ significantly increased the root water uptake by 52.9% when well-watered and by 10.1% under drought conditions. These results suggest that (1) future increases in atmospheric CO₂ concentration may have a significant effect on wheat production in arid and semiarid areas where wheat cultivation requires upland cropping or deficit irrigation; (2) wheat cultivars can be developed to have more tillers and kernels through selective breeding and field management; and (3) fertilizer and water management in topsoil will become increasingly important as atmospheric CO₂ concentration rises.     

Evapotranspiration of “Superior” grapevines under intermittent irrigation

This study deals with the effects of intermittent irrigation on actual evapotranspiration (ET) and leaf area index (LAI) of “Superior” grapevines grown in a semiarid environment in northeastern Brazil. The field experiments were carried out during two consecutive fruiting cycles (dry season and rainy season) of grapevines (Vitis vinifera, L) irrigated by drip at a rate of 2.3 L h⁻¹. Four irrigation time intervals were used as follow: one turn irrigation-time (I-1), two turn irrigation-time (I-2), three turn irrigation-time (I-3), and four turn irrigation-time (I-4). The growing cycles received different amounts of water by irrigation, which for dry and rainy seasons were 470.5 and 243.5 mm, respectively. The ET increased from 5.7 to 7.5 mm day⁻¹ when the irrigation time interval changed from I-1 to I-4 and resulted in a higher value of LAI. The values of ET during the rainy-season growing cycle were much lower throughout the phenological stages, reaching a maximum of 6.4 mm day⁻¹ for I-4 in the maturation stage. For both growing cycles, an increase in the cumulated vineyard evapotranspiration was observed when changing the irrigation time interval from I-1 to I-4, except I-2, which was slightly greater than I-3. Soil water drainage had a very gradual exponential decrease from I-1 to I-4 in both fruiting cycles. The grapevine coefficient under intermittent irrigation can be described as function of days after pruning by polynomial models.     

Genotypic differences of maize in grain yield response to deficit irrigation

This study was undertaken to investigate genotypic differences of five maize cultivars in grain yield response to two different modes of deficit irrigation, conventional deficit irrigation and partial root zone irrigation. Three irrigation treatments were implemented: (1) FULL irrigation, the control treatment where plant water requirement, 100% Class-A pan evaporation, was fully met and the furrows on both sides of the plant rows were irrigated; (2) partial root zone irrigation (PRI), 35% deficit irrigation, compared to FULL treatment, was applied in every other furrow thus irrigating only one side of the plant rows. The furrows irrigated were alternated every irrigation; (3) conventional deficit irrigation (CDI), the same amount of water as PRI was applied in furrows on both sides of the plant rows, similar to FULL irrigation treatment. Five maize cultivars (P.31.G.98, P.3394, Rx:9292, Tector and Tietar) showing extreme growth response to water stress were selected out of ten cultivars tested with earlier completed greenhouse-pot experiment. A split-plot experimental design, comprising three irrigation treatments and five maize cultivars with four replicates, was used during two years of work, in 2005 and 2006. Total of nine irrigations, with one-week irrigation interval, were annually applied using a drip-irrigation system. Soil water status was monitored using a neutron moisture gauge, in addition to measuring leaf water potential and above-ground biomass production throughout the growing season. Grain yield and other yield attributes were measured at harvest as well as assessing differences in plant root distributions. Decrease in grain yield and harvest index of the tested cultivars, compared to FULL treatment, was proportionally less under PRI than CDI. Whether or not a significant yield advantage can be obtained under PRI compared to CDI showed significant (P < 0.05) genotypic variability. Tector and Tietar among the tested cultivars of maize showed significantly higher grain yield (P < 0.05) under PRI than CDI. The yield advantage of the genotypes (P.3394 and Tector) under PRI compared to CDI seems related to their enhanced root biomass developed under PRI.     

Determination of growth-stage-specific crop coefficients (KC) of maize and sorghum

A ratio of crop evapotranspiration (ET_C) to reference evapotranspiration (ET_O) determines a crop coefficient (K_C) value, which is related to specific crop phenological development to improve transferability of the K_C values. Development of K_C can assist in predicting crop irrigation needs using meteorological data from weather stations. The objective of the research was conducted to determine growth-stage-specific K_C and crop water use for maize (Zea Mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) at Texas AgriLife Research field in Uvalde, TX, USA from 2002 to 2008. Seven lysimeters, weighing about 14 Mg, consisted of undisturbed 1.5 m × 2.0 m × 2.2 m deep soil monoliths. Six lysimeters were located in the center of a 1-ha field beneath a linear-move sprinkler system equipped with low energy precision application (LEPA). A seventh lysimeter was established to measure reference grass ET_O. Crop water requirements, K_C determination, and comparison to existing FAO K_C values were determined over a 3-year period for both maize and sorghum. Accumulated seasonal crop water use ranged between 441 and 641 mm for maize and between 491 and 533 mm for sorghum. The K_C values determined during the growing seasons varied from 0.2 to 1.2 for maize and 0.2 to 1.0 for sorghum. Some of the values corresponded and some did not correspond to those from FAO-56 and from the Texas High Plains and elsewhere in other states. We assume that the development of regionally based and growth-stage-specific K_C helps in irrigation management and provides precise water applications for this region.     

Nitrate leaching in a silage maize field under different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer rates

Quantification of the interactive effects of nitrogen (N) and water on nitrate (NO₃) loss provides an important insight for more effective N and water management. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer levels on nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) leaching in a silage maize field. The experiment included four irrigation levels (0.7, 0.85, 1.0, and 1.13 of soil moisture depletion, SMD) and three N fertilization levels (0, 142, and 189 kg N ha⁻¹), with three replications. Ceramic suction cups were used to extract soil solution at 30 and 60 cm soil depths for all 36 experimental plots. Soil NO₃-N content of 0-30 and 30-60-cm layers were evaluated at planting and harvest maturity. Total N uptake (NU) by the crop was also determined. Maximum NO₃-N leaching out of the 60-cm soil layer was 8.43 kg N ha⁻¹, for the 142 kg N ha⁻¹ and over irrigation (1.13 SMD) treatment. The minimum and maximum seasonal average NO₃ concentration at the 60 cm depth was 46 and 138 mg l⁻¹, respectively. Based on our findings, it is possible to control NO₃ leaching out of the root zone during the growing season with a proper combination of irrigation and fertilizer management.     

Evaporative water use of different land uses in the upper-Thukela river basin assessed from satellite imagery

Evaporative water use of various land use classes in the upper-Thukela river basin was estimated using the public domain version of the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images. Twenty eight images were analyzed covering the period between June 2005 and September 2006. The South Africa land use map developed in the year 2000 was used to compute the evaporative water use of the various land uses in 13 Quaternary Catchments (QCs) in the upper-Thukela river basin.There was a good correlation between the SEBAL estimates of total evaporation and ground measurements from a Large Aperture Scintillometer installed at a site in one of the QCs in the study area. It was observed that the land uses that generated relatively large volumes of evaporative water were forestry (i.e. Eucalyptus, Pine, mixed species & indigenous), “water bodies” (i.e. water supply reservoirs, farm reservoirs) and wetlands. Total evaporation rates for all land use classes were high during the summer season (wet), with Eucalyptus ranging between 3 mm d⁻¹ during the winter season (dry) and about 5 mm d⁻¹ during the summer season. Bare rocks and eroded soil surface land use class had the least evaporative water use i.e., less than 1 mm d⁻¹. The relatively low evaporation rates over “water bodies” during the dry winter season could be attributed to the averaging of mixed pixels (wet and dry) due to change in areal coverage and which could not be captured in the 1 km × 1 km low resolution MODIS images. Thus, the potential for applying remote sensing techniques, using low resolution satellite images, to quantify water use by various land uses in the Thukela river basin was explored with promising results.     

The influence of different Acacia senegal agroforestry systems on soil water and crop yields in clay soils of the Blue Nile region,Sudan

The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that (1) the tree Acacia senegal competes for water with associated agricultural crops, and the soil water content would vary spatially with tree density and type of management; (2) the microclimate created by trees would favourably affect the soil water content and improve the growth of associated agricultural crops. Trees were grown at 5 m × 5 m or 10 m × 10 m spacing alone or in mixture with sorghum or sesame. Soil water content was measured using a neutron probe at three depths, 0–25, 25–50 and 50–75 cm; and at different stages of crop development (early, mid, and late). Crop growth and yield and the overall system performance were investigated over a 4-year period (1999–2002). Results showed no significant variation in the soil water content under different agroforestry systems. Intercropping also resulted in a higher land equivalent ratio. No significant variation was found between yields of sorghum and sesame when these crops were grown with or without trees. The averages crop yields were1.54 and 1.54 t ha⁻¹ for sorghum; and 0.36 and 0.42 t ha⁻¹for sesame in intercropping and pure cultivation, respectively. This suggests that at an early stage of agroforestry system management, A. senegal has no detrimental effect on agricultural crop yield. However, the pattern of resource capture by trees and crops can change as the system matures. There was little competition between trees and crops for water suggesting that in A. senegal agroforestry systems with 4-year-old trees the clay soil has enough water to support the crop growth over a whole growing season up to maturation and harvest.     

Macromanagement of deficit-irrigated peanut with sprinkler irrigation

Precision irrigation management and scheduling, as well as developing site- and cultivar-specific crop coefficient (K_c), and yield response factor to water deficit (ky) are very important parameters for efficient use of limited water resources. This study investigated the effect of deficit irrigation, applied at different growth stages of peanut with sprinkler irrigation in sandy soil, on field peanut evapotranspiration (ETc), yield and yield components, and water use efficiencies (IWUE and WUE). Also, yield response factor to water deficit (ky), and site- and cultivar-specific K_c were developed. Four treatments were imposed to deficit irrigation during late vegetative and early flowering, late flowering and early pegging, pegging, and pod formation growth stages of peanut, and compared with full irrigation in the course of the season (control). A soil water balance equation was used to estimate crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The results revealed that maximum seasonal ETc was 488 mm recorded with full irrigation treatment. The maximum value of K_c (0.96) occurred at the fifth week after sowing, this value was less than the generic values listed in FAO-33 and -56 (1.03 and 1.15), respectively. Dry kernels yield among treatments differed by 41.4%. Deficit irrigation significantly affected yields, where kernels yield decreased by 28, 39, 36, and 41% in deficit-irrigated late vegetative and early flowering, late flowering and early pegging, pegging, and pod formation growth stages, respectively, compared with full irrigation treatment. Peanut yields increased linearly with seasonal ETc (R² = 0.94) and ETc/ETp (R² = 0.92) (ETp = ETc with no water stress). The yield response factor (ky), which indicates the relative reduction in yield to relative reduction in ETc, averaged 2.9, was higher than the 0.7 value reported by Doorenbos and Kassam [Doorenbos, J., Kassam, A.H., 1979. Yield response to water. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 33, Rome, Italy, 193 pp.], the high ky value reflects the great sensitivity of peanut (cv. Giza 5) to water deficit. WUE values varied considerably with deficit irrigation treatments, averaging 6.1 and 4.5 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (dry-mass basis) for pods and kernels, respectively. Differences in WUE between the driest and wettest treatment were 31.3 and 31.3% for pods and kernels, respectively. Deficit irrigation treatments, however, impacted IWUE much more than WUE. Differences in IWUE between the driest and wettest treatment were 33.9 and 33.9% for pods and kernels, respectively. The results revealed that better management of available soil water in the root zone in the course of the season, as well as daily and seasonal accurate estimation of ETc can be an effective way for best irrigation scheduling and water allocation, maximizing yield, and optimizing economic return.     

Assessing yield optimization and water reduction potential for summer-sown and spring-sown maize in Pakistan

Agricultural food production in arid and semi-arid regions faces the challenge to ensure high yields with limited supply of water. This raises the question to which extent irrigation supply can be reduced without detriment to yield. Our study focuses on the yield-water uptake relationship for maize in the moderate water stress range in order to determine the onset of stress-induced dry-matter and yield losses. Compensatory plant responses under moderate stress levels are discussed in relation to seasonal climatic conditions.Summer-sown and spring-sown maize were irrigated with a decreasing amount of water in a field experiment in Pakistan. Water supply ranged from 100% water required to maintain soil at field capacity (FC) to 40% of FC. The average dry-matter and yield levels were slightly higher for summer-sown (15.0 Mg ha⁻¹) compared to spring-sown maize (13.1 Mg ha⁻¹). The onset of significant dry-matter and yield reduction started at the least irrigation treatment in both seasons. The amount of water required to avoid production losses was 272 mm in the summer-sown maize during the autumn growing season, and 407 mm for the spring-sown maize in the summer season, when the evaporative demand of the atmosphere was +27% higher. Water use efficiency (WUE_ET), normalized by vapour pressure deficit, of the summer-sown maize which was 10.0 kg kPa m⁻³, was +15% higher compared to the spring-sown crop; while the irrigation water productivity (2.9 kg m⁻³) was +11% more. WUE_ET increased over the whole range of applied water deficits for summer-sown maize, while the spring-sown crop showed a decreasing WUE_ET in the less irrigated treatment. Due to the higher efficiency in summer-sown maize, the potential in irrigation reduction without production losses (129 mm) was higher compared to the spring-sown maize (57 mm). Our results showed that in Pakistan water saving irrigation practices can be applied without yield loss mainly during the cooler growing season when the crop can efficiently compensate a lower total water uptake by increased use efficiency. For spring-sown maize the increasing evaporative demand of the atmosphere towards summer implies a higher risk of yield losses and narrows the range to exploit higher irrigation water productivity under moderate water deficit conditions.     

Nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in runoff from a purple soil in an agricultural watershed

Nutrient loss from purple soils has been reported to increase pollution of the Yangtze River. However, few studies have addressed the variations of nutrient concentration in runoff during natural rainstorms in the regions. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in runoff waters from a small agricultural watershed, in the purple soil region of southwest China, were investigated for four natural rainstorms occurred in a conventional double cropping system (wheat-corn) and another six rainstorms in a new triple cropping system (wheat-corn-sweet potato). The NO₃⁻ concentrations in runoff for the observed rainstorms generally varied from 1.0 to 3.5 g m⁻³, which were noticeably affected by flow rates. A significant logarithmic correlation between NO₃⁻ concentrations and flow rates for each rainstorm was identified. In contrast, the concentrations of NH₄⁺ and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in runoff fluctuated substantially without a noticeable trend for each rainstorm. Positive linear correlation between the concentrations of DRP and sediment for each rainstorm tested was found under the circumstances of double cropping system. In addition, the ratios of NO₃⁻ to NH₄⁺ for the loss amount in 10 rainstorms varied from 1 to 7 for the triple cropping system and 16-29 for the double cropping system. Furthermore, the ratios of the sum of NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ to DRP for the loss amount in 10 rainstorms ranged from 12 to 79 depending on the cropping systems. Nitrate nitrogen was proved to be the main form of inorganic nitrogen loss in runoff water in the purple soil region. Compared with the conventional double cropping system, the new triple cropping system tends to cause more NH₄⁺ loss. These findings would help develop the effective erosion control strategies and select a suitable cropping system to reduce potential pollution hazards.     

Tuber yield, water and fertilizer productivity in early potato as affected by a combination of irrigation and fertilization

Excessive amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers are often utilized for early potato cultivation in the Mediterranean basin. Given that water is expensive and limited in the semi-arid areas and that fertilizers above a threshold level often prove inefficacious for production purposes but still risk nitrate and phosphorous pollution of groundwater, it is crucial to provide an adequate irrigation and fertilization management. With the aim of achieving an appropriate combination of irrigation water and nutrient application in cultivation management of a potato crop in a Mediterranean environment, a 2-year experiment was conducted in Sicily (South Italy). The combined effects of 3 levels of irrigation (irrigation only at plant emergence, 50% and 100% of the maximum evapotranspiration - ETM) and 3 levels of mineral fertilization (low: 50, 25 and 75 kg ha⁻¹, medium: 100, 50 and 150 kg ha⁻¹ and high: 300, 100 and 450 kg ha⁻¹ of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O) were studied on the tuber yield and yield components, on both water irrigation and fertilizer productivity and on the plant source/sink (canopy/tubers dry weight) ratio. The results show a marked interaction between level of irrigation and level of fertilization on tuber yield, on Irrigation Water Productivity and on fertilizer productivity of the potato crop. We found that the treatments based on 50% ETM and a medium level of fertilization represent a valid compromise in early potato cultivation management. Compared to the high combination levels of irrigation and fertilization, this treatment entails a negligible reduction in tuber yield to save 90 mm ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of irrigation water and 200, 50 and 300 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O, respectively, with notable economic savings for farmers compared to the spendings that are usually made.