Shallow groundwater contribution to pistachio water use

Pistachio can be grown in the central desert of Islamic Republic (I.R.) of Iran with adverse conditions such as shallow saline groundwater tables. The contribution of water from shallow, saline groundwater to crop water use may be important in such conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the contributions from shallow, saline groundwater to water use of pistachio seedlings, and how this contribution was affected by groundwater depth, salinitiy, and irrigation conditions. The results indicated that an increase in groundwater depth resulted in significant increase in root depth and significant decrease in seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), transpiration, and groundwater contribution to the plant water use. Non-saline shallow (30–120 cm depth) groundwater under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions contributed 72.4–89.7% and 90.7–100.0% of plant water use, respectively. However, these contributions were 57.2–74.8% and 79.3–100.0% for irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, respectively for saline shallow (30–120 cm depth) groundwater. The effect of groundwater depths (D, cm) on groundwater contributions (q, %) was found to be influenced by the salinity levels of the groundwater (EC, dS m⁻¹). The linear multiple regression equations were q = 97.5 − 1.24(EC) − 0.194(D) and q = 105.9 − 0.48(EC) − 0.154(D) for irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, respectively. The maximum reductions in relative plant dry weight of 80.3% and 44.8% were occurred under non-irrigated condition and saline groundwater depth of 30 cm and non-saline water depth of 60 cm, respectively. Root depth analysis indicated that vertical root growth caused the root to reach a moist layer near the groundwater. A very close to 1:1 relationship between relative reduction in top dry weight (1 − y/y_m) and relative reduction in transpiration (1 − T/T_m) was obtained.     

Effect of shallow groundwater table on crop water requirements and crop yields

Due to the increasing demand for food and fiber by its ever-increasing population, the pressure on fresh water resources of Pakistan is increasing. Optimum utilization of surface and groundwater resources has become extremely important to fill the gap between water demand and supply. At Lahore, Pakistan 18 lysimeters, each 3.05 m × 3.05 m × 6.1 m deep were constructed to investigate the effect of shallow water tables on crop water requirements. The lysimeters were connected to bottles with Marriotte siphons to maintain the water tables at the desired levels and tensiometers were installed to measure soil water potential. The crops studied included wheat, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, berseem and sunflower. The results of these studies showed that the contribution of groundwater in meeting the crop water requirements varied with the water-table depth. With the water table at 0.5 m depth, wheat met its entire water requirement from the groundwater and sunflower absorbed more than 80% of its required water from groundwater. Maize and sorghum were found to be waterlogging sensitive crops whose yields were reduced with higher water table. However, maximum sugarcane yield was obtained with the water table at or below 2.0 m depth. Generally, the water-table depth of 1.5–2.0 m was found to be optimum for all the crops studied. In areas where the water table is shallow, the present system of irrigation supplies and water allowance needs adjustments to avoid over irrigation and in-efficient use of water.     

Assessing the response of chickpea (Cicer aeritinum L.) yield to irrigation water on two soils in Punjab (India): A simulation analysis using the CROPMAN model

Shrinking water resources in northwest India calls for diversification from a rice–wheat cropping system to low-water-requiring crops and development of water-efficient technologies in Punjab state. Chickpea, because of its lower water demand (evapotranspiration) and irrigation requirement has been identified as a suitable alternate crop to wheat. Simulations, averaged over 18 years, using the CROPMAN model indicated that the yield of chickpea on coarse- to medium-textured soils was higher in a rice–chickpea cropping system compared with maize–chickpea and mung–chickpea systems because of increased availability of water. Yield response of chickpea to irrigation depended upon soil texture, the timings and number of irrigations. The optimum yield (2 t ha⁻¹) on coarse- to medium-textured soils after rice can be obtained with one heavy pre-plant and two post-plant irrigations, i.e., one in mid-February and one in mid-March synchronizing irrigations with flowering and grain development stages. Grain yield with irrigation water followed a quadratic function and linear with evapotranspiration. Water use efficiency and evapotranspiration was curvilinear. Grain yield was significantly sensitive to water stress during the pod setting to grain development period irrespective of soil texture.     

Could deficit irrigation be a sustainable practice for quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in the Southern Bolivian Altiplano?

The application of deficit irrigation (DI) to stabilize yield and to increase water productivity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) raises questions in the arid Southern Altiplano of Bolivia where water resources are limited and often saline. Rainfed quinoa and quinoa with irrigation restricted to the flowering and early grain filling were studied during the growing seasons of 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 in a location with (Irpani) and without (Mejillones) water contribution from a shallow water table. It was found that the effect of additional irrigation was only significant above a basic fulfillment of crop water requirements of around 55%. Below this threshold, yields, total water use efficiency (TWUE) and marginal irrigation water use efficiency (MIWUE) of quinoa with DI were low. Capillary rise (CR) from groundwater was assessed using the one-dimensional UPFLOW model. The contribution of water from capillary rise in the region of Irpani ranges from 8 to 25% of seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) of quinoa, depending mostly on the depth of the groundwater table and the amount of rainfall during the rainy season. DI with poor quality water and cultivation of crops in fields with a shallow saline groundwater table pose a serious threat for sustainable quinoa farming. To assess the impact of saline water resources, soil salinity and required leaching were simulated by combining the soil water and salt balance model BUDGET with UPFLOW. The results indicate that irrigation of quinoa with saline water and/or CR from a saline shallow water table might, already after 1 year, result in significant salt accumulation in the root zone in the arid Southern Altiplano. A farming system with only 1 year fallow is often insufficient to leach sufficient salts out of the root zone. In case the number of fallow years cannot be increased, leaching by means of an important irrigation application before sowing is an alternative. Although potentially beneficial, DI of quinoa in arid regions such as the Southern Bolivian Altiplano should be considered with precaution.     

Determining water consumption in olive orchards using the water balance approach

Efficient irrigation regimes are becoming increasingly important in commercial orchards. Accurate measurements of the components of the water balance equation in olive orchards are required for optimising water management and for validating models related to the water balance in orchards and to crop water consumption. The aim of this work was to determine the components of the water balance in an olive orchard with mature ‘Manzanilla’ olive trees under three water treatments: treatment I, trees irrigated daily to supply crop water demand; treatment D, trees irrigated three times during the dry season, receiving a total of about 30% of the irrigation amount in treatment I; and treatment R, rainfed trees. The relationships between soil water content and soil hydraulic conductivity and between soil water content and soil matric potential were determined at different depths in situ at different locations in the orchard in order to estimate the rate of water lost by drainage. The average size and shape of the wet bulb under the dripper was simulated using the Philip’s theory. The results were validated for a 3 l h⁻¹ dripper in the orchard. The water amounts supplied to the I trees during the irrigation seasons of 1997 and 1998 were calculated based on the actual rainfall, the potential evapotranspiration in the area and the reduction coefficients determined previously for the particular orchard conditions. The calculated irrigation needs were 418 mm in 1997 and 389 mm in 1998. With these water supplies, the values of soil water content in the wet bulbs remained constant during the two dry seasons. The water losses by drainage estimated for the irrigation periods of 1997 and 1998 were 61 and 51 mm, respectively. These low values of water loss indicate that the irrigation amounts applied were adequate. For the hydrological year 1997–1998, the crop evapotranspiration was 653 mm in treatment I, 405 mm in treatment D and 378 mm in treatment R. Water losses by drainage were 119 mm in treatment I, 81 mm in treatment D and 4 mm in treatment R. The estimated water runoff was 345 mm in treatments I and R, and 348 mm in treatment D. These high values were due to heavy rainfall recorded in winter. The total rainfall during the hydrological year was 730 mm, about 1.4 times the average in the area. The simulated dimensions of the wet bulb given by the model based on the Philip’s theory showed a good agreement with the values measured. In a period in which the reference evapotranspiration was 7.9 mm per day, estimations of tree transpiration from sap flow measurements, and of evaporation from the soil surface from a relationship obtained for the orchard conditions, yielded an average daily evapotranspiration of 70 l for one I tree, and 48 l for one R tree.     

Seasonal water balance of an Ozark hillslope

Analysis of field water balance components provides information necessary to minimize the risk of offsite movement of contaminants from crop production practices or animal manure applications. The objective of this study was to determine the timing and amount of surface runoff and drainage from the root zone for a hillslope in the Ozark Highlands of US. A 0.4 ha watershed with slopes of 8–20% having tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cover was established in northwestern Arkansas (35°56′W, 93°51′N). Continuous measurements of water balance parameters were made from June 1997 to August 1998. Soil water drainage was estimated as the residual of weekly water balance calculations. Runoff occurred in response to three precipitation events in the winter of 1998 and totaled 30.6 mm of water or 2.6% of the 1185 mm of precipitation that fell at the site during the study period. Storms of comparable or greater intensity during other seasons failed to produce runoff, a result that was likely due to dry soil conditions and taller grass canopy. Drainage through the root zone totaled 117 mm and occurred primarily during an 83-day interval in the winter of 1998. The water balance was dominated by evaporation, which accounted for 91% (1080 mm) of the precipitation. Tall fescue was capable of sustaining relatively high evaporation rates between infrequent summer rains thereby dewatering the soil profile, which was not replenished until winter. Delaying spring animal manure applications in the Ozarks until evaporation has increased and the soil profile has begun to dry would decrease the risk of offsite transport of potential contaminants contained in the manure.     

Exploring options for water savings in lowland rice using a modelling approach

Water-saving irrigation regimes are needed to deal with a reduced availability of water for rice production. Two important water-saving technologies at field scale are alternately submerged–nonsubmerged (SNS) and flush irrigated (FI) rice. SNS allows dry periods between submerged soil conditions, whereas FI resembles the irrigation regime of an upland crop. The effects of these regimes on the water balance and water savings were compared with continuously submerged (CS) and rainfed (RF) regimes.The crop growth model ORYZA2000 was used to calculate seasonal water balances of CS, SNS, FI, and RF regimes for two locations: Tuanlin in Hubei province in China from 1999 to 2002 during summer seasons and Los Baños in the Philippines in 2002–2003 during dry seasons. The model was first parameterized for site-specific soil conditions and cultivar traits and then evaluated using a combination of statistical and visual comparisons of observed and simulated variables. ORYZA2000 accurately simulated the crop variables leaf area index, biomass, and yield, and the soil water balance variables field water level and soil water tension in the root zone.Next, a scenario study was done to analyse the effect of water regime, soil permeability, and groundwater table depth on irrigation requirement and associated rice yield. For this study historical weather data for both sites were used.Within seasons, the amount of irrigation water application was higher for CS than for any of the water-saving regimes. It was found that groundwater table depth strongly affected the water-yield relationship for the water-saving regimes. Rainfed rice did not lead to significant yield reductions at Tuanlin as long as the groundwater table depth was less than 20 cm. Simulations at Los Baños with a more drought tolerant cultivar showed that FI resulted in higher yields than RF thereby requiring only 420 mm of irrigation.The soil type determined the irrigation water requirement in CS and SNS regimes. A more permeable soil requires around 2000 mm of irrigation water whereas less permeable, heavy soil types require less than half of this amount. We conclude that water savings can be considerable when water regimes are adapted to soil characteristics and rainfall dynamics. To further optimize water-saving regimes in lowland rice, groundwater table dynamics and soil permeability should be taken into account.     

Soil N and salinity leaching after the autumn irrigation and its impact on groundwater in Hetao Irrigation District,China

Soil water and salinity are crucial factors influencing crop production in arid regions. An autumn irrigation system employing the application of a large volume of water (2200–2600 m³ ha⁻¹) is being developed in the Hetao Irrigation District of China, since the 1980s with the goal to reduce salinity levels in the root zone and increase the water availability for the following spring crops. However, the autumn irrigation can cause significant quantities of NO₃⁻ to leach from the plant root zone into the groundwater. In this study, we investigated the changes in soil water content, NO₃–N and salinity within a 150 cm deep soil profile in four different types of farmlands: spring wheat (F_W), maize (F_M), spring wheat–maize inter-planting (F_W–M) and sunflower (F_S). Our results showed that (1) salt losses mainly occurred in the upper 60 cm of the soil and in the upper 40 cm for NO₃–N; (2) the highest losses of salt and NO₃–N could be observed in F_W, whereas the lowest losses were found in F_W–M.NO₃–N concentration, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in the groundwater were also monitored before and after the autumn irrigation. We found that the autumn irrigation caused the groundwater concentration of NO₃–N to increase from 1.73 to 21.6 mg L⁻¹, thereby, exceeding the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). Our results suggest that extensive development of inter-planting tillage might be a viable measure to reduce groundwater pollution, and that the application of optimized minimum amounts of water and nitrogen to meet realistic yield goals, as well as the timely application of N fertilizers and the use of slow release fertilizers can be viable measures to minimize nitrate leaching.     

Groundwater uptake and sustainability of farm plantations on saline sites in Punjab province,Pakistan

Productive tree plantations on degraded land within Pakistan’s irrigation areas may help control salinity by extracting shallow groundwater, but their adoption has been limited by a lack of information on tree–water–salt interactions. Tree growth, water use, climate and soil conditions were monitored between 1994 and 1998 in young plantations of Eucalyptus, Acacia and Prosopis at two locations in Punjab province. Eucalyptus camaldulensis on an irrigated, non-saline site near Lahore showed best growth till the age of 5 years, and an annual water use of 1393 mm. Irrigated Eucalyptus microtheca at this site and unirrigated E. camaldulensis dependent on saline groundwater at Pacca Anna also transpired over 1000 mm of water per year. Basal area growth of Acacia ampliceps at the latter site was similar to E. camaldulensis, but its water use was less. Lowest annual water use of 235 mm was shown by an understocked stand of Prosopis juliflora. Canopy conductance decreased with increasing vapour pressure deficit to a species-dependent minimum value. Results of soil sampling, chloride balance modelling and intensive monitoring of soil solution salinity demonstrated accumulation of salt in the root zone of plantations using saline groundwater. The concentration of stored salt varied seasonally as a result of water table fluctuations and redistribution processes within the unsaturated zone. The apparent limitation of salt accumulation by these processes and the continuing satisfactory growth of the plantations justify cautious support of tree growing as a control measure for shallow water tables and salinisation in Pakistan.     

Opening floodgates in coastal floodplain drains: effects on tidal forcing and lateral transport of solutes in adjacent groundwater

The effects of opening tidal barriers (floodgates) upon water table levels and lateral transport of solutes adjacent drains was investigated at two sites on a coastal floodplain. The sites had contrasting geomorphology, soil texture and sediment hydraulic properties. The site with lower hydraulic conductivity (0.3–0.9 m day⁻¹) soils (Romiaka) also had a higher elevation and hydraulic gradients towards the drain. While floodgate opening at Romiaka enhanced the amplitude of pre-existing tidal interaction with adjacent shallow groundwater, altered hydraulic gradients and caused some salt seepage, lateral solute movement from the drain was highly attenuated (<10 m). The site with very high hydraulic conductivity soils (Shark Creek; >125 m day⁻¹) had a lower elevation and seasonally fluctuating hydraulic gradients. The introduction of a tidal pressure signal into the drain by opening the floodgate at Shark Creek caused tidal forcing of groundwater over 300 m from the drain. Floodgate opening at this site also caused changes in groundwater hydraulic gradients, leading to incursion of saline drain water into shallow groundwater over 80 m from the drain. Lateral movement of solutes was relatively rapid, due to macropore flow in oxidised acid sulfate soil horizons, and caused substantial changes to shallow groundwater chemical composition. Conversely, when groundwater hydraulic gradients were towards the drain at this site there was substantial lateral outflow of acid groundwater into drains. This study highlights the importance of assessing the hydraulic properties of soils next to drains on coastal floodplains prior to opening floodgates, particularly in acid sulfate soil backswamps, in order to prevent unintended saline intrusion into shallow groundwater.     

Optimizing irrigation scheduling for winter wheat in the North China Plain

In the North China Plain (NCP), more than 70% of irrigation water resources are used for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A crucial target of groundwater conservation and sustainable crop production is to develop water-saving agriculture, particularly for winter wheat. The purpose of this study was to optimize irrigation scheduling for high wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Field experiments were conducted for three growing seasons at the Wuqiao Experiment Station of China Agriculture University. Eleven, four and six irrigation treatments, consisting of frequency of irrigation (zero to four times) and timing (at raising, jointing, booting, flowering and milking stage), were employed for 1994/95, 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, respectively. Available water content (AWC), rain events, soil water use (SWU), evapotranspiration (ET) and grain yield were recorded, and water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were calculated.The results showed that after a 75-mm pre-sowing irrigation, soil water content and AWC in the root zone of a 2-m soil profile during sowing were 31.1% (or 90.7% of field capacity) and 16.1%, respectively. Rainfall events were variable and showed a limited impact on AWC. The AWC decreased significantly with the growth of wheat. At the jointing stage no water deficits occurred for all treatments, at the flowering stage water deficits were found only in the rain-fed treatment, and at harvest all treatments had moderate to severe soil water deficits. The SWU in the 2-m soil profile was negatively related to the irrigation water volume, i.e. applying 75 mm irrigation reduced SWU by 28.2 mm. Regression analyses showed that relationships between ET and grain yield or WUE could be described by quadratic functions. Grain yield and WUE reached their maximum values of 7423 kg/ha and 1.645 kg/m³ at the ET rate of 509 and 382 mm, respectively. IWUE was negatively correlated with irrigated water volume. From the above results, three irrigation schedules: (1) pre-sowing irrigation only, (2) pre-sowing irrigation + irrigation at jointing or booting stage, and (3) pre-sowing irrigation + irrigations at jointing and flowering stages were identified and recommended for practical winter wheat production in the NCP.     

Estimating spatial mean soil water contents of sloping jujube orchards using temporal stability

Estimating spatial mean soil water contents from point-scale measurements is important to improve soil water management in sloping land of semiarid areas. Temporal stability analysis, as a statistical technique to estimate soil water content, is an effective tool in terms of facilitating the upscaling estimation of mean values. The objective of this study was to examine temporal stability of soil water profiles (0–20, 20–40, 40–60 and 0–60 cm) in sloping jujube (Zizyphus jujuba) orchards and to estimate field mean root-zone soil water based on temporal stability analysis in the Yuanzegou catchment of the Chinese Loess Plateau, using soil water observations under both dry and wet soil conditions. The results showed that different time-stable locations were identified for different depths and the temporal stability of soil water content in 20–40 cm was significantly (P < 0.05) weaker than that in other depths. Moreover, these time-stable locations had relatively high clay contents, relatively mild slopes and relatively planar surfaces compared to the corresponding field means. Statistical analysis revealed that the temporal stability of root zone soil water (0–60 cm) was higher in either dry or wet season than that including both, and soil water exhibited very low temporal stability during the transition period from dry to wet. Based on the temporal stability analysis, field mean soil water contents were estimated reasonably (R² from 0.9560 to 0.9873) from the point measurements of these time-stable locations. Since the terrains in this study are typical in the hilly regions of the Loess Plateau, the results presented here should improve soil water management in sloping orchards in the Loess Plateau.     

Effect of water-saving irrigation on rice yield and water use in typical lowland conditions in Asia

With decreasing water availability for agriculture and increasing demand for rice, water use in rice production systems has to be reduced and water productivity increased. Alternately submerged–nonsubmerged (ASNS) systems save water compared with continuous submergence (CS). However, the reported effect on yield varies widely and detailed characterizations of the hydrological conditions of ASNS experiments are often lacking so that generalizations are difficult to make. We compared the effects of ASNS and CS on crop performance and water use, at different levels of N input, in field experiments in China and the Philippines, while recording in detail the hydrological dynamics during the experiment. The experiments were conducted in irrigated lowlands and followed ASNS practices as recommended to farmers in China. The sites had silty clay loam soils, shallow groundwater tables and percolation rates of 1–4.5 mm per day.Grain yields were 4.1–5.0 t ha⁻¹ with 0 kg N ha⁻¹ and 6.8–9.2 t ha⁻¹ with 180 kg N ha⁻¹. Biomass and yield did not significantly differ between ASNS and CS, but water productivity was significantly higher under ASNS than under CS in two out of three experiments. There was no significant water×N interaction on yield, biomass, and water productivity. Combined rainfall plus irrigation water inputs were 600–960 mm under CS, and 6–14% lower under ASNS. Irrigation water input was 15–18% lower under ASNS than under CS, but only significantly so in one experiment. Under ASNS, the soils had no ponded water for 40–60% of the total time of crop growth. During the nonsubmerged periods, ponded water depths or shallow groundwater tables never went deeper than −35 cm and remained most of the time within the rooted depth of the soil. Soil water potentials did not drop below −10 kPa. We argue that our results are typical for poorly-drained irrigated lowlands in Asia, and that ASNS can reduce water use up to 15% without affecting yield when the shallow groundwater stays within about 0–30 cm. A hydrological characterization and mapping of Asia’s rice area is needed to assess the extent and magnitude of potential water savings.     

Climatic water balance,probable rainfall,rice crop water requirements and cold periods in AER 12.0 in India

In this study an analysis was made on spatial variation of climatic water balance, (water surplus, actual evapotranspiration), probabilistic monthly monsoon rainfall and mapping of cold periods in agro-ecological region (AER) 12.0 of India using GIS and models. Since, rice is the dominant crop of the region, crop water requirements of rice was also spatially analyzed in different agro-ecological subregions (AESRs) of the AER 12.0 using CROPWAT 4.0 model and GIS. Study found that as per climatic water balance, large to moderate water surplus (520–70 mm) was available in AESR 12.1. The rainfall surplus of 220–370 mm was computed in AESR 12.2 and 370–520 mm in AESR 12.3 mm. Since winter rainfall is meagre and erratic, this amount of rainfall may be harvested and utilized for providing supplemental irrigation to winter crops or during dry spell of rainy season crops. Study also reveals that at 80% probability level (highly assured) in first month of southwest monsoon (June) 98–156 mm rainfall occurs in AESR 12.1, 103–144 mm in AESR 12.2 and 93–132 mm in AESR 12.3. These amounts of rainfall are sufficient to prepare land and sowing of direct seeded crops like maize, groundnut, blackgram, greengram, pigeonpea, cowpea, etc. that may be done from 24th standard week onwards (11th–7th June) after onset of southwest monsoon in the region. Based on existence of favorable temperature, among different AESRs, cold requiring crops may be tried in the districts of AER 12.1, but before cultivation of these crops, economic feasibility should be properly assessed. In normal rainfall year 450–550 mm, 600–720 mm and 775–875 mm crop water requirement was computed using CROPWAT 4.0 model for autumn rice, winter rice and summer rice, respectively in different AESRs of AER 12.0.     

Response of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) to saline soils and irrigation: I. Consumptive water use

Salt-tolerant crops can be grown with saline water from tile drains and shallow wells as a practical strategy to manage salts and sustain agricultural production in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) was grown in previously salinized plots that varied in average electrical conductivity (EC_e) from 1.8 to 7.2 dS m⁻¹ (0–2.7 m depth) and irrigated with either high quality (EC_i<1 dS m⁻¹) or saline (EC_i=6.7 dS m⁻¹) water. One response of safflower to increasing root zone salinity was decreased water use and root growth. Plants in less saline plots recovered more water on average (515 mm) and at a greater depth than in more salinized plots (435 mm). With greater effective salinity, drainage increased with equivalent water application rates. Seed yield was not correlated with consumptive water use over the range of 400–580 mm. Total biomass and plant height at harvest were proportional to water use over the same range. Safflower tolerated greater levels of salinity than previously reported. Low temperatures and higher than average relative humidity in spring likely moderated the water use of safflower grown under saline conditions.     

The effect of degradation of phalaris + white clover pasture on soil water regimes of a Brown Chromosol on the Northern Tablelands of NSW,Australia

The soil water regimes of a Brown Chromosol in response to drying and wetting are reported under three pastures types that were grazed all year long. The study was conducted at the Big Ridge 2 site near Armidale, on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales (NSW) between 1994 and 1998. The three pasture types were degraded pasture (dominated by annual species), a phalaris dominant pasture, and an improved pasture containing phalaris + white clover. This study was conducted to assess the hydrological implications of losing perennial pasture species from the high rainfall (summer dominant) zone of south-eastern Australia. Pasture active rooting depth, water use and extraction during drying periods, and the ability of the soil profile to store water during wet periods were evaluated for each pasture type.Pasture active rooting depth, which affects water use, varied with season and water availability. During a typical autumn drying period between 1 and 22 March 1996, the phalaris + white clover pasture with an active rooting depth down to 100 cm used 46 ± 3.9 mm of water, with 16% of this extracted from the 55–130 cm zone. In the same period, the degraded and the phalaris pasture with active rooting depths of ≤60 cm used 30.7 ± 5.2 and 23.6 ± 7.9 mm of water, respectively, all from the surface 0–55 cm zone. However, under extreme drought conditions such as those in spring and early summer 1997 and autumn 1998, no differences in water use were detected between pastures.Pasture water use during dry periods affects the amount of water that can be stored in the soil profile and the potential amount of water loss during subsequent wet periods. In any wet period, the increase in soil water storage was greater in the 0–55 cm depth than in the 55–130 cm zone. For example, between 24 January and 14 February 1997 with total rainfall of 203 mm, water storage in the 0–55 cm zone was increased by 104.4 ± 6.7 mm under the phalaris + white clover pasture compared with 86.4 ± 4.3 and 84.4 ± 3.3 mm for the degraded and the phalaris pastures, respectively. The water storage increase in the 55–130 cm zone was not different between pastures (<12 mm).It was concluded that without appropriate grazing management and the presence of the legume component, the phalaris based pasture became unstable and failed to persist. The decline in the phalaris pasture caused invasion of annual species and weeds resulting in low water use, similar to that of the degraded pasture. In contrast, the combination of white clover and phalaris pasture showed a greater potential to maintain the phalaris component and a greater total biomass, and so was able to extract more water and from deeper parts of the soil profile. The vigorous phalaris + white clover pasture has greater potential to store more water than the degraded pasture and the phalaris pasture without legumes in the summer dominant rainfall area of temperate Australia. Therefore, maintaining pasture in good condition should be the main objective for sustainability of a grazing system in this region.     

Modeling net water requirements for wetlands in semi-arid regions

Wetlands in arid and semi-arid regions often experience water shortage problems due to interrupted water supply. Rapid population growth and economic development have caused deterioration or total destruction of many wetlands in such regions. Protection or restoration of these wetlands require a good understanding of the relationship between water supply and the soil wetness. This paper presents a model simulation study of such a relationship based on weather and soil data from Xi’an, China. The study area has an average annual precipitation of 600 mm and evaporation of 1200 mm. The simulation results showed that, to produce a certain wet condition, the required amount of water supply varied with recharging time due to different evapotranspiration rates. To maintain a consecutive water table depth within 30 cm (1) for 5% of the growing season, water requirements varied from 7 cm to 16 cm for different recharging months; (2) for 12.5% of the growing season, water requirement varied from 9 cm to 20 cm; and (3) for 25% of the growing season, water requirements varied from 13 cm to 27 cm. The highest water requirement occurred in summer when the air temperature is the highest of the year. Simulation results also showed that the timing of recharge not only has an important effect on the threshold water requirement, but also on the overall soil wetness of a year. Recharging at earlier time of the growing season produced longer wet periods, but the overall water table remained low during the rest of the growing season. Later inflow only influenced the water table for a small portion of the growing season, but it maintained a generally high water table in winter months and the early part of the next growing season.     

Estimation of evapotranspiration,transpiration ratio and water-use efficiency from a sparse canopy using a compartment model

Using the Shuttleworth and Wallace (S–W) model, evapotranspiration (ET); transpiration ratio (T/ET), which is the ratio of transpiration (T) to ET; and water-use efficiency (WUE) were estimated for a sparsely planted sorghum canopy that was well irrigated. That model is designed to estimate separately the evaporation from soil and transpiration from crops.The evapotranspiration estimates for both short- and long-term measurement periods coincided closely with the Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) measurements. The transpiration ratios were affected by the canopy resistances and the soil surface resistances during the day. The regression curve between leaf area index (LAI) and transpiration ratio suggests that LAI, less than 1.6, determined the transpiration ratio in the absence of water stresses by soil water drought and extreme weather condition. The WUEs for transpiration (WUEt) and evapotranspiration (WUEet), which are the total dry matter (TDM) production for 1 kg T and ET, reached the peaks of 9.0 and 4.5 g kg⁻¹ H₂O, respectively, in the end of July when the total dry matter increasing rate was greatest. These two WUEs degraded to less than zero in the end of August when the plant biomass decreased due to drying and death. The WUEs are largely affected by the TDM seasonal increment rate.Thus, in a sparse crop, the crop growth properties (i.e. LAI and TDM increment) mainly determine the crop water uses (i.e. the transpiration ratio and water-use efficiency) in the absence of water stresses.     

Water productivity analysis of irrigated crops in Sirsa district,India

Water productivity (WP) expresses the value or benefit derived from the use of water, and includes essential aspects of water management such as production for arid and semi-arid regions. A profound WP analysis was carried out at five selected farmer fields (two for wheat–rice and three for wheat–cotton) in Sirsa district, India during the agricultural year 2001–02. The ecohydrological soil–water–atmosphere–plant (SWAP) model, including detailed crop simulations in combination with field observations, was used to determine the required hydrological variables such as transpiration, evapotranspiration and percolation, and biophysical variables such as dry matter or grain yields. The use of observed soil moisture and salinity profiles was found successful to determine indirectly the soil hydraulic parameters through inverse modelling.Considerable spatial variation in WP values was observed not only for different crops but also for the same crop. For instance, the WP_ET, expressed in terms of crop grain (or seed) yield per unit amount of evapotranspiration, varied from 1.22 to 1.56 kg m⁻³ for wheat among different farmer fields. The corresponding value for cotton varied from 0.09 to 0.31 kg m⁻³. This indicates a considerable variation and scope for improvements in water productivity. The average WP_ET (kg m⁻³) was 1.39 for wheat, 0.94 for rice and 0.23 for cotton, and corresponds to average values for the climatic and growing conditions in Northwest India. Including percolation in the analysis, i.e. crop grain (or seed) yield per unit amount of evapotranspiration plus percolation, resulted in average WP_ETQ (kg m⁻³) values of 1.04 for wheat, 0.84 for rice and 0.21 for cotton. Factors responsible for low WP include the relative high amount of evaporation into evapotranspiration especially for rice, and percolation from field irrigations. Improving agronomic practices such as aerobic rice cultivation and soil mulching will reduce this non-beneficial loss of water through evaporation, and subsequently will improve the WP_ET at field scale. For wheat, the simulated water and salt limited yields were 20–60% higher than measured yields, and suggest substantial nutrition, pest, disease and/or weed stresses. Improved crop management in terms of timely sowing, optimum nutrient supply, and better pest, disease and weed control for wheat will multiply its WP_ET by a factor of 1.5! Moreover, severe water stress was observed on cotton (relative transpiration < 0.65) during the kharif (summer) season, which resulted in 1.4–3.3 times lower water and salt limited yields compared with simulated potential yields. Benefits in terms of increased cotton yields and improved water productivity will be gained by ensuring irrigation supply at cotton fields, especially during the dry years.     

Seasonal water use by winter wheat grown under shallow water table conditions

Techniques for estimating seasonal water use from soil profile water depletion frequently do not account for flux below the root zone. A method using tensiometers for obtaining evapotranspiration losses from the root zone and water movement below it is discussed. Soil water flux below the root zone is approached by a sequence of pseudo steady state solutions of the flow equation. Upward soil water flux contributed 36 to 73% to the total water requirement of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) whereas soil water depletion accounted for 11 to 19% only. Water use efficiency with one irrigation during an early stage of plant development is greater than with no or three irrigations. This is the result of both decrease of resistance due to soil moistening and better root development. Tensiometer readings were also interpreted to estimate root zones, water table depths and soil moisture contents. Methods described in this paper can be used in determining seasonal water use by growing crops, replacing or supplementing lysimeter or meteorology approaches to this problem.