Effect of soil matric potential on tomato yield and water use under drip irrigation condition

Field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of soil matric potential (SMP) on tomato yield, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) under drip irrigation condition in North China Plain. The experiment included five treatments, which controlled SMP at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitter higher than −10 (S1), −20 (S2), −30 (S3), −40 (S4) and −50 kPa (S5), respectively, after tomato plant establishment. The results showed that different SMP affected irrigation amount and tomato ET. Irrigation amount decreased from 185 mm (S1) to 83.6 mm (S5) in 2004, and from 165 mm (S1) to 109 mm (S5) in 2005, respectively. The ET decreased from 270 mm (S1) to 202 mm (S5) in both years. However, it was found that SMP did not affect the tomato yield significantly, for the range of SMP investigated. Both WUE and IWUE increased as SMP decreased. The maximum WUE (253 and 217 kg/ha mm) and IWUE (620 and 406 kg/ha mm) were for S5 in 2 years, whereas the minimum WUE (178 and 155 kg/ha mm) and IWUE 261 and 259 kg/ha mm) were for S1 in 2004 and 2005. Based on the above results, therefore, it is recommended that if the tomatoes are well irrigated (SMP is higher than −20 kPa) during establishment, controlling SMP higher than −50 kPa at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitter can be used as an indicator for drip irrigation scheduling during following period of tomato growth in North China Plain.     

Over-canopy saline sprinkler irrigation of grapevines during different growth stages

Wetting plant foliage with saline irrigation increases the uptake of toxic ions Na⁺ and Cl⁻. Over three consecutive seasons, Colombard vines grafted on Ramsey rootstock were irrigated with saline water (EC 3.5 dS/m) by over-canopy sprinklers during any one of the first three of the four annual growth stages: bud burst to full bloom (treatment BB-FB), full bloom to veraison (treatment FB-V), and veraison to harvest (treatment V-H). At other times, vines received non-saline water (EC 0.5 dS/m) as did the control. Seasonal average soil salinities remained relatively constant over the trial. In contrast, the concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in one-year old wood and grape juice more than doubled. In treatments FB-V and V-H the average yield over the three seasons was reduced by up to 15%. Results were compared with those obtained in an earlier study which was undertaken in the same vineyard with the same treatments applied via dripper. With drippers, the maximum reduction in the average yield over three seasons was 2%. Saline sprinkling caused rises in Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations of fruit, leaf lamina and one-year-old wood that were at least 7-fold, 5-fold and 2-fold greater, respectively, than the rises caused by application of the same treatments with drip. Progressive seasonal rises in the concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in these tissues were due in part to carryover of salt added in previous seasons; with saline sprinkling the magnitude of these carryovers was 4-fold greater than those with saline drip irrigation. With saline water, vignerons can reduce losses by using irrigation systems which do not wet the foliage.     

Different drip irrigation regimes affect cotton yield, water use efficiency and fiber quality in western Turkey

Decreasing in water availability for cotton production has forced researchers to focus on increasing water use efficiency by improving either new drought-tolerant cotton varieties or water management. A field trial was conducted to observe the effects of different drip irrigation regimes on water use efficiencies (WUE) and fiber quality parameters produced from N-84 cotton variety in the Aegean region of Turkey during 2004 and 2005. Treatments were designated as full irrigation (T₁₀₀, which received 100% of the soil water depletion) and those that received 75, 50 and 25% of the amount received by treatment T₁₀₀ on the same day (treatments T₇₅; T₅₀ and T₂₅, respectively). The average seasonal water use values ranged from 265 to 753 mm and the average seed cotton yield varied from 2550 to 5760 kg ha⁻¹. Largest average cotton yield was obtained from the full irrigation treatment (T₁₀₀). WUE ranged from 0.77 kg m⁻³ in the T₁₀₀ to 0.98 kg m⁻³ in the T₂₅ in 2004 growing season and ranged from 0.76 kg m⁻³ in the T₁₀₀ to 0.94 kg m⁻³ in the T₂₅ in 2005 growing season. The largest irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was observed in the T₂₅ (1.46 kg m⁻³), and the smallest IWUE was in the T₁₀₀ treatment (0.81 kg m⁻³) in the experimental years. A yield response factor (k_y) value of 0.78 was determined based on averages of two years. Leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter yields (DM) increased with increasing water use for treatments. Fiber qualities were influenced by drip irrigation levels in both years. The results revealed that well-irrigated treatments (T₁₀₀) could be used for the semi-arid climatic conditions under no water shortage. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that irrigation of cotton with drip irrigation method at 75% level (T₇₅) had significant benefits in terms of saved irrigation water and large WUE indicating a definitive advantage of deficit irrigation under limited water supply conditions. In an economic viewpoint, 25.0% saving in irrigation water (T₇₅) resulted in 34.0% reduction in the net income. However, the net income of the T₁₀₀ treatment is found to be reasonable in areas with no water shortage.     

Yield and growth characteristics for cotton under various irrigation regimes on sandy soil

Over-watering cotton wastes a valuable and scarce resource; it can also lead to rank growth, nutrient leaching, and contaminated groundwater. Since under-watering can decrease yields, the question becomes one of finding the optimum application regime. An irrigation experiment was set up to apply water at six different application rates, ranging from 33% to 144% of normal, with hopes of identifying the regime that produces maximum yield. Two cultivars, Acala Maxxa and Acala PhytoGen-72 (Gossypium hirsutum L.), were planted on sandy soil and irrigated daily with a highly efficient subsurface drip irrigation system for four seasons. The results showed that on the average there was no significant difference in the yield of the two cultivars and there was no significant difference in the yield for the three wettest treatments. The driest of the three wettest treatments, treatment 4, was a critical point on the water production function curve. It represented the least amount of water applied that still produced essentially maximum yield, and it had the highest water use efficiency. This critical level of water application during mid-season was found to be, on the average, 95% of Class A pan evaporation; it corresponded to a total seasonal application of 654 mm of water. Any application less than this critical level decreased yields. Reducing the water application by 5% below the critical level caused about a 4.6% reduction in yield. The critical level produced a soil moisture level that remained nearly constant throughout the season. The final plant height was closely related to the depth of water applied, with the wettest treatment producing plant heights of 2.0 m, and the driest treatment producing plant heights of 0.6 m. At the extremes of the water application rates there were some small differences in the early-season growth rate of the plants, but the main cause of differences in final plant height was the date of cutout (cessation of main stem node production). The length of season for the driest treatment was about 4 weeks shorter than for the wettest treatment on both cultivars. Results showed that deficit irrigation of cotton on sandy soil can greatly reduce yield, and the practice should probably be avoided.     

Water and salt regulation and its effects on Leymus chinensis growth under drip irrigation in saline-sodic soils of the Songnen Plain

Field experiments were carried out to investigate water and salt management and its effects on Leymus chinensis growth under drip irrigation on saline-sodic soils of the Songnen Plain, China. The ECe of the experiment soil here is 15.2 dS/m and SAR_e is 14.6 (mmol_c L⁻¹)^1/2. The threshold of soil matric potential (SMP) was preset in different treatments (−5, −10, −15, −20 and −25 kPa) to control the timing of the irrigation cycle using vacuum tensiometers buried at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitters. Drip irrigation frequency and soil matric potential significantly influenced water and salt distributions and L. chinensis growth. In the root zone, the soil water content increased with the SMP, but at deeper layers there were no significant differences in soil water content due to the effect of groundwater. Electrical conductivity showed that there was a low-salt zone near the emitters and that drip irrigation inhibited the buildup of salts in the root zone. There was more leaching of salts for −5 and −10 kPa treatments than for the −15, −20 and −25 kPa treatments. After two years of drip irrigation, the surface salts were well leached, and had moved down with the water to depths below 40 cm. The pH of each treatment was a little decreased and the soil nutrient of S1-S5 were all increased after reclamation, but there were no obvious differences of the five treatments. The best growth was achieved with soil matric potentials of −5 and −10 kPa: the plant height, number and length of spikes, number of tillers, coverage and aboveground biomass all attained their maximum values during the growth periods of L. chinensis, with no significant differences between those two treatments. Thus, in the Songnen Plain, drip irrigation can be used on transplanted L. chinensis for restoration of saline-sodic soils. The results provide theoretical and technological guidance for sustainable reclamation salt-affected soil and the quick restoration and reconstruction of saline-sodic grassland.     

Effects of deficit irrigation on the yield and yield components of drip irrigated cotton in a mediterranean environment

A field study on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., cv.) was carried out from 2005 to 2008 in the Çukurova Region, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Treatments were designated as I₁₀₀ full irrigation; DI₇₀, DI₅₀ and DI₀₀ which received 70, 50, and 0% of the irrigation water amount applied in the I₁₀₀ treatment. The irrigation water amount to be applied to the plots was calculated using cumulative pan evaporation that occurred during the irrigation intervals. The effect of water deficit or water stress on crop yield and some plant growth parameters such as yield response, water use efficiencies, dry matter yield (DM), leaf area index (LAI) as well as on lint quality components was evaluated. The average seasonal evapotranspiration ranged from 287 ± 15 (DI₀₀) to 584 ± 80 mm (I₁₀₀). Deficit irrigation significantly affected crop yield and all yield components considered in this study. The average seed cotton yield varied from 1369 ± 197 (DI₀₀) to 3397 ± 508 kg ha⁻¹ (I₁₀₀). The average water use efficiency (WUE_ET) ranged from 6.0 ± 1.6 (I₁₀₀) to 4.8 ± 0.9 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₀₀), while average irrigation water use efficiency (WUE_I) was between 9.4 ± 3.0 (I₁₀₀) and 14.4 ± 4.8 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Deficit irrigation increased the harvest index (HI) values from 0.26 ± 0.054 (I₁₀₀) to 0.32 ± 0.052 kg kg⁻¹ (DI₅₀). Yield response factor (Ky) was determined to be 0.98 based on four-year average. Leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter yields (DM) increased with increasing water use. This study demonstrated that the full irrigated treatment (I₁₀₀) should be used for semiarid conditions with no water shortage. However, DI₇₀ treatment needs to be considered as a viable alternative for the development of reduced irrigation strategies in semiarid regions where irrigation water supplies are limited.     

Response of cotton to various levels of nitrogen and water applied to normal and paired sown cotton under drip irrigation in relation to check-basin

Field experiments were conducted for 2 years to investigate the effects of various levels of nitrogen (N) and methods of cotton planting on yield, agronomic efficiency of N (AEN) and water use efficiency (WUE) in cotton irrigated through surface drip irrigation at Bathinda situated in semi-arid region of northwest India. Three levels of N (100, 75 and 50% of recommended N, 75 kg ha⁻¹) were tested under drip irrigation in comparison to 75 kg of N ha⁻¹ in check-basin. The three methods of planting tried were; normal sowing of cotton with row to row spacing of 67.5 cm (NS), normal paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 100 cm alternately (NP) and dense paired row sowing with row to row spacing of 35 and 55 cm alternately resulting in total number rows and plants to be 1.5 times (DP) than NS and NP. In NS there was one lateral along each row, but in paired sowings there was one lateral between each pair of rows. Consequently the number of laterals and quantity of water applied was 50 and 75% in NP and DP, respectively, as compared with NS in which irrigation water applied was equivalent to check-basin.Drip irrigation under NS resulted in an increase of 258 and 453 kg ha⁻¹ seed cotton yield than check-basin during first and second year, respectively, when same quantity of water and N was applied. Drip irrigation under dense paired sowing (DP) in which the quantity of irrigation water applied was 75% as compared with NS, further increased the yield by 84 and 101 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. Drip irrigation under NP, in which the quantity of water applied and number of laterals used were 50% as compared with drip under NS, resulted in a reduction in seed cotton yield of 257 and 112 kg ha⁻¹ than NS during first and second year, respectively. However, the yield obtained in NP under drip irrigation was equivalent to yield obtained in NS under check-basin during first year but 341 kg ha⁻¹ higher yield was obtained during second year. The decrease in N applied, irrespective of methods of planting, caused a significant decline in seed cotton yield during both the years. Water use efficiency (WUE) under drip irrigation increased from 1.648 to 1.847 and from 0.983 to 1.615 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ during first and second year, respectively, when the same quantity of N and water was applied. The WUE further increased to 2.125 and 1.788 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ under DP during first and second year, respectively. The agronomic efficiency of nitrogen was higher in drip than check-basin during both the years when equal N was applied. The WUE decreased with decrease in the rate of N applied under fertigation but reverse was true for AEN. It is evident that DP under drip irrigation resulted in higher seed cotton yield, WUE and AEN than NS and also saved 25% irrigation water as well as cost of laterals.     

Spatial root distribution of mature apple trees under drip irrigation system

The study was undertaken in order to quantify the effect of 12-year irrigation by drip emitters placed on one side of the tree trunk on the rooting pattern of Gloster apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh) grafted on M26 rootstock under the conditions of south-west Poland. The orchard was established in 1994 and since 1995 was drip irrigated under three treatments: V0 - without irrigation (control), V1 - intensive irrigation, and V2 - economical irrigation. In March 2007, after 12 years of irrigation, a profile trench observation method was used to map the number and the location of root distribution in clay loam (Luvisol) soil.The root system architecture was largely affected by irrigation. In case of the trees irrigated intensively (V1), the study showed asymmetry in the distribution of roots of diameter <1 mm and 1-3 mm. In V1, shallow root system, concentrated in the wetted zone developed on the irrigated side of the tree, where on the side of the tree trunk opposite the emitter trees developed significantly larger numbers of roots, which penetrated deeper soil layers. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of roots between both sides of the tree trunk under the treatment with economical irrigation (V2). Moreover, spatial roots distribution over the entire soil profile was found to be the most uniform compared to the other experimental treatments (V0 and V1). Finally, the study examined the relationship between root system and yield. Obtained results showed that in the 3-year period less frequent water application (V2) resulted in the highest yield.     

膜下滴灌结合暗管排水技术改良新疆盐碱地效果综述

膜下滴灌技术的大面积推广和应用,为新疆乃至西北干旱地区作物高产提供了强大的技术支撑。应用在盐碱地改良中,膜下滴灌“有灌无排”模式仅调节耕层盐分分布,并不能将盐分排出土体,长年灌溉容易引起爆发式积盐的风险,而暗管排水是目前公认的改良盐碱地最直接、最有效的方法。目前,将膜下滴灌与暗管排水有机结合形成的新型灌溉技术,充分利用膜下滴灌良好的抑蒸增温、节水抑盐等优势,同时利用暗管将淋洗盐水及时排出土体,使盐碱化土层产生新的水盐平衡,已在新疆盐碱地区开发利用中得到长足发展。本文重点分析并总结了新疆灌区膜下滴灌结合暗管排水系统的设计参数及土壤水盐运移规律,并综述了土壤理化性质及作物产量对该灌排技术的响应研究,以期为新疆盐碱地农业可持续发展提供理论依据和技术指导。     

干旱区秸秆覆盖对滴灌棉花生长及产量的影响

为探索秸秆覆盖对北疆滴灌棉花生长特征和产量的影响,2009—2012年期间,以小麦秸秆为材料,在非盐碱土和盐碱土2种土壤条件下,进行了无覆盖（LUM）、表层覆盖（LSM）、地表以下30 cm深处覆盖（LM30）的测坑对比试验.结果表明：秸秆覆盖对棉花生长及产量具有一定的促进效果,对盐碱土种植的棉花株高、叶面积指数和产量的促进作用显著,而对非盐碱土棉花株高、叶面积指数和产量的促进作用不明显.地表覆盖综合调控效应优于30 cm深层覆盖,尤其是在棉花花铃期,在盐分抑制方面地表覆盖要比30 cm覆盖效果好;30 cm覆盖在苗期和蕾期可以给棉花生长创造比较好的条件,而在花铃期以后这种覆盖效果不太明显;表层覆盖处理棉花产量最高,高出无覆盖处理3.2%-17.9%,高出30 cm深层覆盖3.1%-16.3%.     

Effect of saline water on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) yield and water use under drip irrigation in North China

Saline water has been included as an important substitutable resource for fresh water in agricultural irrigation in many fresh water scarce regions. In order to make good use of saline water for agricultural irrigation in North China, a semi-humid area, a 3-year field experiment was carried out to study the possibility of using saline water for supplement irrigation of cucumber. Saline water was applied via mulched drip irrigation. The average electrical conductivity of irrigation water (EC_iw) was 1.1, 2.2, 2.9, 3.5 and 4.2 dS/m in 2003 and 2004, and 1.1, 2.2, 3.5, 4.2 and 4.9 dS/m in 2005. Throughout cucumber-growing season, the soil matric potential at 0.2 m depth immediately under drip emitter was kept higher than −20 kPa and saline water was applied after cucumber seedling stage. The experimental results revealed that cucumber fruit number per plant and yield decreased by 5.7% per unit increase in EC_iw. The maximum yield loss was around 25% for EC_iw of 4.9 dS/m, compared with 1.1 dS/m. Cucumber seasonal accumulative water use decreased linearly over the range of 1.5-6.9% per unit increase in EC_iw. As to the average root zone EC_e (electrical conductivity of saturated paste extract), cucumber yield and water use decreased by 10.8 and 10.3% for each unit of EC_e increase in the root zone (within 40 cm away from emitter and 40 cm depths), respectively. After 3 years irrigation with saline water, there was no obvious tendency for EC_e to increase in the soil profile of 0-90 cm depths. So in North China, or similar semi-humid area, when there is no enough fresh water for irrigation, saline water up to 4.9 dS/m can be used to irrigate field culture cucumbers at the expense of some yield loss.     

灌溉时段及水温对膜下滴灌棉花生长及产量的影响

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

Water relations of field grown Pomegranate trees (Punica granatum) under different drip irrigation regimes

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a deciduous fruit tree native of central Asia included in the so-called group of minor fruit tree species, not widely grown but of some importance in the south east of Spain. Fruit consumption interest is due to the organoleptic characteristics and to the beneficial effects on health. Pomegranate tree are considered as a culture tolerant to soil water deficit. However, very little is known about pomegranate orchard water management. The objective of this work was to characterize, for the first time in P. granatum, water relations aspects of applied significance for irrigation scheduling. Trees under different irrigation regimes were used and midday stem water potential (Ψ_stem) and midday leaf gas exchange were periodically measured over the course of an entire season. During spring and autumn, Ψ_stem did not show significant differences between irrigation treatments while there were considerable differences in leaf photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, suggesting a near-isohydric behaviour of pomegranate trees. This might explain why the signal intensity of Ψ_stem was lower than those of gas exchange indicators during the experimental period. Thus, leaf photosynthesis rates and stomatal conductance might have a greater potential for irrigation scheduling of pomegranate trees than Ψ_stem measured at solar noon.     

Tape depth and germination method influence patterns of salt accumulation with subsurface drip irrigation

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) can result in accumulation of soluble salts at or near the soil surface. In the southwestern USA, rainfall is usually inadequate for stand establishment, thus supplemental irrigation is necessary. Use of sprinklers to minimize salt concentrations near the soil surface is an alternative to using SDI for stand establishment. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of germination method (irrigation with SDI or sprinklers), depth of SDI tape (0.18 and 0.25 m), and irrigation water salinity (1.5 and 2.6 dS m⁻¹) on salt and Br distribution after each of two consecutive growing seasons. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of these three factors. Bromide was used to trace salt accumulation from the drip tape. After season 1, the highest salt concentrations (ECe up to 11 dS m⁻¹) were in the top 3 cm of soil. Below 3 cm, soil EC dropped significantly and remained constant to 1.05 m. Similarly, Br concentrations were highest in the top 3 cm of soil. The mass of salt and Br recovered in the top 3 cm were significantly affected by tape depth, and water EC significantly affected salt mass. Salt present in the soil after season 1 adversely affected crop emergence in season 2, where SDI was used for stand establishment. After season 2, the highest salt and Br concentrations were at about 25 cm depth, probably due to 210 mm of rainfall that occurred near the end of the growing season. There were no significant differences among treatments in the mass of either salt or Br in the top 3 cm or 16 cm of the soil profile after season 2. Timely rainfall, transplanting rather than direct seeding, and changing bed geometry can reduce dependence on sprinklers for stand establishment.     

Effect of temporal variability in soil hydraulic properties on simulated water transfer under high-frequency drip irrigation

The effect of changes in the hydraulic properties of a loamy topsoil on water transfer under daily drip irrigation was studied over a cropping cycle. Soil water contents were measured continuously with neutron probes and capacitance sensors placed in access tubes (EnviroSMART) and were compared to predications made by the Hydrus-2D model. Three different sets of hydraulic parameters measured before and after irrigation started, were used.Our results demonstrated that, based on the assumptions used in this study, the accuracy of the Hydrus predictions is good. Graphical and statistical comparisons of simulated and measured soil water contents and consequently the total water storage revealed a similar trend throughout the monitoring period for the all three different sets of parameters. The soil hydraulic properties determined after irrigation started were found to be much more representative of the majority of the irrigation season, as confirmed by the accuracy of the simulation results with high values of the index of agreement and with values of RMSE similar in magnitude to the error associated with field measurements (0.020 cm³ cm⁻³). The highest RMSE values (about 0.04 cm³ cm⁻³) were found when the model used input soil parameters measured before irrigation started.Generally, changes in topsoil hydraulic properties over time had no significant effect on soil moisture distribution in our agro-pedo-climatic context. One possible explanation is that daily water application was conducted at the same time as maximal root water uptake. This meant the soil did not need to store total daily crop water requirements and consequently that the water redistribution phase represented a very short stage in the irrigation cycle. It is probable that irrigating in the daytime when crop evapotranspiration is highest could prevent the effects of a temporal change and other problems connected with the soil. Moreover, water will be always available for the crop. Further experiments are needed to justify the results and to study the effects of low frequency drip irrigation on soil hydraulic characterization and consequently on soil water transfer in order to improve irrigation scheduling practices.     

Effect of saline water irrigation and manure application on the available water content, soil salinity, and growth of wheat

Good water management combined with appropriate soil management is necessary for sustainable crop production in drylands. A pot culture experiment was conducted using sand dune soil under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to the application of farmyard manure (FYM) or poultry manure (PM), and irrigation with water at two salinity levels (0.11 and 2.0 dS m⁻¹) and two irrigation intervals (daily and every second day). The manure was applied at a rate of 20 Mg ha⁻¹. The soil water content, measured 1 h before every irrigation, showed that soil treated with PM retained more water than that treated with FYM, while the control (no manure) contained the least water. FYM treatment resulted in 78 and 21% higher dry matter yield compared to the control and PM treatments, respectively, under daily irrigation using good-quality water. The increase was 29 and 55%, respectively, when saline water was used for daily irrigation. A similar trend was observed with the alternate day irrigation treatment; FYM gave the highest dry matter yield. The number of tillers and plant height showed that FYM was better than PM, which in turn was better than the control under irrigation with good-quality water regardless of the irrigation interval. When water of the highest salinity was used for irrigation, FYM was still always the best, but the control was now better than the PM treatment. The electrical conductivity of the soil measured at the end of the experiment was slightly higher with PM, as compared to the FYM and control treatments. A significant interaction between irrigation water quality and manure application was observed, affecting plant growth. PM aggravated the adverse affect of saline water on plant growth by increasing soil salinity.     

The effect of drip line spacing, irrigation regimes and planting geometries of tomato on yield, irrigation water use efficiency and net return

This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of drip line spacing, irrigation regimes and planting geometries of tomato on yield, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and net return. The experiments were carried out in the conditions of Eskisehir in Central Anatolian part of Turkey, between 2003 and 2005, with cv. Dual Large F1 tomatoes (Lycopercion esculentum L). The maximum yield of 121.1 t ha⁻¹ was obtained from the treatment in which both the lateral and row spacing were 1 m, and irrigated with water amount based on the percentage of canopy cover. The seasonal irrigation water amount of the treatment was 551 mm. Tomatoes yield of 109.9 t ha⁻¹ was obtained under conditions of 491 mm seasonal irrigation water applied for the 2-m lateral spacing in which two plant rows (twin rows) were planted 0.35 m on either side of the lateral with a row spacing of 0.70 m across the drip lateral and 1.30 m in the interrow between each set of twin rows. Although water saving of 60 mm and investments economy of 40% were provided from the twin-row design, the yearly return of the design including one lateral for each row was US$ 1590 ha⁻¹ higher than that the return of the twin-row design. The method of determination of irrigation water amount based on the percentage of canopy cover appeared to be the most reasonable and effective one in terms of the yield and IWUE. On the other hand, the maximum irrigation water use efficiency (22.3 kg m³) was obtained from 2-m lateral spacing and the percentage of canopy cover for calculation of the amount of irrigation water applied. Thus, canopy cover may be used successfully at any lateral design conditions.     

Carbon retention in the soil-plant system under different irrigation regimes

Carbon (C) sequestration through irrigation management is a potential strategy to reduce C emissions from agriculture. Two experiments (Exps. I and II) were conducted to investigate the effects of different irrigation strategies on C retention in the soil-plant system in order to evaluate their environmental impacts. Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L., var. Cedrico) were grown in split-root pots in a climate-controlled glasshouse and were subjected to full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and alternate partial root-zone irrigation (PRI) at early fruiting stage. In Exp. I, each plant received 2.0 g chemical nitrogen (N), while in Exp. II, 1.6 g chemical N and maize residue containing 0.4 g organic N were applied into the pot. The results showed that, in both experiments, the concentration and the amount of total C in the soil were lower in FI and PRI as compared to DI, presumably due to a greater microbial activity in the two treatments; particularly the PRI induced drying and wetting cycles of the soils may cause an increase of microbial activities and respiration rate, which could lead to more C losses from the soil. However, in both experiments the total C concentration in the PRI plants was the highest as compared with the FI and DI plants, and this was seemingly due to improved plant N nutrition under the PRI treatment. Consequently, the total amount of C retained in the soil-plant system was highest in the FI and was similar, but lower, for the PRI and DI. The different N input in the two experiments might have affected the C retention in the soil and in the plant biomass. Nevertheless, with a same degree of water saving, PRI was superior to DI in terms of enhancing C concentration in the plant biomass, which might have contributed to a better fruit quality in tomatoes as reported by [Zegbe et al., 2004] and [Zegbe et al., 2006].     

干旱区滴灌均匀系数对土壤水氮分布影响模拟

基于HYDRUS-2D软件建立了棉花膜下滴灌水氮运移模型,利用干旱区棉花膜下滴灌试验数据对模型进行了参数率定和验证。将灌水器流量沿毛管的变化离散为依次逐段减小,并假设土壤水分在各段之间不存在交换,利用验证后的数学模型研究了干旱区不同滴灌均匀系数时土壤水氮分布特征,评估了土壤空间变异对水氮分布均匀性的影响。模拟结果表明,随着灌水的进行,滴灌均匀系数Cu为0.60和0.80时,土壤含水率和NO-3-N质量浓度均匀系数均呈下降趋势,而Cu=0.95时变化较平稳;滴灌均匀系数越低,灌水后土壤含水率和NO-3-N质量浓度均匀系数降低的幅度越大;土壤NO-3-N质量浓度均匀系数的变化范围为0.35~1.00,低于土壤含水率均匀系数。田间试验存在的土壤空间变异在一定程度上增加了土壤水氮分布不均匀性。     

干旱区不同地下水位对棉花膜下滴灌灌溉制度的响应研究

地下水埋深对作物灌溉制度的制定及土壤次生盐碱化的防治具有重要影响.为研究不同地下水位对棉花膜下滴灌灌溉制度的影响,本文以新疆孔雀河流域为研究区,利用HYDRUS-2D软件对不同地下水位下的土壤含水率动态进行模拟,结果表明:地下水埋深为1m时,地下水对土壤水的补给作用较强,灌溉定额3000m3/hm2较为适宜;地下水埋深为2.0m时,灌溉定额4500m3/hm2较为适宜,此时棉花基本不受水分胁迫;地下水埋深为3m时,地下水对土壤水已无补给作用,灌溉定额5550m3/hm2较为合适,此时水分胁迫时间累计14d.研究结果为指导当地水资源开发利用及棉花种植业提供了重要参考.