Water flow and salt transport in cracking clay soils of the Imperial Valley, California

The principles of irrigation and drainage in cracking soils differ markedly from non-cracking soils, and are not thoroughly understood. This paper presents a conceptual model to simulate water and salt flows in cracking soils of the Imperial Valley, CA, in the presence of ground water that contributes partially to ET demand of crops. A salt reactivity function is introduced in the model to account for mineral precipitation (salt deposition) and mineral dissolution (salt pick up). The conceptual water flow model assumes that surface irrigation water moves into the cracks, infiltrates horizontally to wet the soil profile and a fraction bypasses below the root zone into the shallow ground water and is retained for later crop extraction via upflow. Then, water drains vertically through the soil profile step by step, and root water extractions are calculated. When ET exceeds available water upflow of ground water is calculated. Provision for reclamation leaching before the next crop is also made. The associated conceptual salt transport model involves complete mixing of invading and resident soil water. Salt concentration from ET is subjected to a salt reactivity function to obtain salt deposition of calcite and gypsum to obtain salt concentration after precipitation. This reactivity function is also used in the inverse when two or more waters mix to transform salt after precipitation to salt concentration after ET. The flow of salts follows the water transport algorithum. The model has been applied to a point in the Imperial Valley and observed data from Bali et al. (2001) was used for calibration. Simulated point data from four successive years of alfalfa, reclamation leaching, wheat and lettuce are evaluated in this paper.     

Simulated crop production under saline high water table conditions

Summary Many irrigated lands in semi-arid regions of the world are underlain with saline high water tables. Water management is critical to maintain crop productivity under these conditions. A multi-seasonal, transient state model was used to simulate cotton and alfalfa production under various irrigation management regimes. The variables included in-season water application of 1.0 or 0.6 potential evapotranspiration (PET), and 18 or 33 cm pre-irrigation amounts for cotton. The water table was initially at a 1.5m depth and a 9 dS/m salinity. A impermeable lower boundary at 2.5 m depth was imposed. Irrigation water salinity was 0.4 dS/m. Climatic conditions typical to the San Joaquin Valley of California were used for PET and precipitation values. The simulations were for no-lateral flow and also lateral flow whereby the water table was raised to its initial level prior to each irrigation event. Uniform application of 1.0 PET provided for relative cotton lint yields and alfalfa yields of 95% or more for at least 4 years. In-season irrigation of cotton with 0.6 PET had higher yields when associated with a 33 cm rather than an 18 cm pre-irrigation. Lateral flow provided for higher cotton lint yields production than the no-lateral flow case for each pre-irrigation treatment. The beneficial effects of lateral flow diminished with time because of the additional salt which accumulated and became detrimental to crop production. Substantial alfalfa yield reductions occurred after the first year when irrigation was set at 0.6 PET regardless of other conditions. Evaporation losses from the soil during the cotton fallow season were higher when the soil water content entering the fallow season were higher.Research was supported by the University of California Salinity/ Drainage Task Force     

Cyclic and blending strategies for using nonsaline and saline waters for irrigation

Summary Large quantities of saline water frequently exist in irrigated areas of the world. Various strategies have been proposed to use these saline waters. Blending involves mixing saline water with good quality water to an acceptable salinity and then using this water to irrigate crops. The cyclic strategy uses waters of various salinities separately either during one season or in a crop rotation as a function of the crop's salt tolerance. A multi-seasonal transient state model, known as the modified van Genuchten-Hanks model, was used to investigate the effects of cyclic or blending application of irrigation waters of two salinity levels on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and on a corn (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) crop rotation. Simulated alfalfa yields were similar for the cyclic and blending strategies that applied the same amount of salt and water. The cyclic strategy produced higher simulated yields of salt-sensitive corn than the blending strategy, whereas the simulated salt-tolerant cotton yield was not affected by the two strategies. The beneficial effects of the cyclic strategy on corn production decreased under deficit irrigation.     

Assessment of irrigation and environmental quality at the hydrological basin level: I. Irrigation quality

Irrigated agriculture notably increases crop productivity, but consumes high volumes of water and may induce off-site pollution of receiving water bodies. The objectives of this paper were to diagnose the quality of irrigation and to prescribe recommendations aimed at improving irrigation management and reducing the off-site pollution from a 15,500 ha irrigation district located in the Ebro River Basin (Spain). Three hydrological basins were selected within the district where the main inputs (irrigation, precipitation, and groundwater inflows) and outputs (actual crop's evapotranspiration, surface drainage outflows, and groundwater outflows) of water were measured or estimated during a hydrological year. The highest volume of water (I = 1400 mm/year) was applied in the basin with highly permeable, low water retention, flood irrigated soils where 81% of the total surface was planted with alfalfa and corn. This basin had the lowest consumptive water use efficiency (CWUE = 45%), the highest water deficit (WD = 5%) and the highest drainage fraction (DF = 57%). In contrast, the lowest I (950 mm/year), the highest CWUE (62%), and the lowest WD (2%) and DF (37%) were obtained in the basin with 60% of the surface covered with deep, high water retention, alluvial valley soils, where 39% of the cultivated surface is sprinkler irrigated and with only 48% of the surface planted with alfalfa and corn. We concluded that the three most important variables determining the quality of irrigation and the volume of irrigation return flows in the studied basins were (i) soil characteristics, (ii) irrigation management and irrigation system, and (iii) crop water requirements. Therefore, the critical recommendations for improving the quality of irrigation are to (i) increase the efficiency of flood-irrigation, (ii) change to pressurized systems in the shallow and highly permeable soils, and (iii) reuse of drainage water for irrigation within the district. These management strategies will conserve water of high quality in the main reservoir and will decrease the crop water deficits and the volume of irrigation return flows, therefore, minimizing the off-site pollution from this irrigation district.     

Assessment of irrigation and environmental quality at the hydrological basin level: II. Salt and nitrate loads in irrigation return flows

Irrigation return flows may induce salt and nitrate pollution of receiving water bodies. The objectives of this study were to perform a salt and nitrogen mass balance at the hydrological basin level and to quantify the salt and nitrate loads exported in the drainage waters of three basins located in a 15,500 ha irrigation district of the Ebro River Basin (Spain). The main salt and nitrogen inputs and outputs were measured or estimated in these basins along the 2001 hydrological year. Groundwater inflows in the three basins and groundwater outflow in one basin were significant components of the measured mass balances. Thus, the off-site impact ascribed solely to irrigation in these basins was estimated in the soil drainage water. Salt concentrations in soil drainage were low (TDS of around 400–700 mg/l, depending on basins) due to the low TDS of irrigation water and the low presence of salts in the geologic materials, and were inversely related to the drainage fractions (DF = 37–57%). However, due to these high DF, salt loads in soil drainage were relatively high (between 3.4 and 4.7 Mg/ha), although moderate compared to other areas with more saline geological materials. Nitrate concentrations and nitrogen loads in soil drainage were highest (77 mg NO₃⁻/l and 195 kg N/ha) in basin III, heavily fertilized (357 kg N/ha), with the highest percentage of corn and with shallow, low water retention flood-irrigated soils. In contrast, the lowest nitrate concentrations and nitrogen loads (21 mg NO₃⁻/l and 23 kg N/ha) were found in basin II, fertilized with 203 kg N/ha and preponderant in deep, alluvial valley soils, crops with low N requirements (alfalfa and pasture), the highest non-cropped area (26% of total) and with fertigation practices in the sprinkler-irrigated fields (36% of the irrigated area). Thus, 56% of the N applied by fertilization was lost in soil drainage in basin III, as compared to only 16% in basin II. In summary, a low irrigation efficiency coupled to an inadequate management of nitrogen fertilization are responsible for the low-salt, high-nitrate concentrations in soil and surface drainage outflows from the studied basins. In consequence, higher irrigation efficiencies, optimized nitrogen fertilization and the reuse for irrigation of the low-salt, high-nitrate drainage waters are key management strategies for a better control of the off-site pollution from the studied irrigation district.     

The effect of a change in irrigation water quality on the salt load of the deep percolate of a saline sodic soil — a computer simulation study

Summary Recent studies conducted in the Breë River Valley in South Africa, have indicated that the return flow from the flood irrigated soils (using saline borehole water) add substantially to the salt load of the receiving river. In the present study an irrigation return flow model, developed at the USBR, was used to predict what the effect of a change in irrigation water quality would have on the chemical composition of the deep percolate of a saline-sodic soil. Three scenarios were investigated, i.e. irrigation with saline borehole water (TDS = 1,279 mg/1), irrigation with low electrolyte water (TDS=91 mg/1), and irrigation with the low electrolyte water in the presence of surface applications of gypsum. The results indicate that the present flood irrigation practices lead to deep percolation losses of ca. 155 mm/ha/a. In the case of the borehole water the TDS content of the deep percolate ranges between 5,500 and 6,400 mg/l, equivalent to salt loads of 8.59 and 9.98 t/ha/a respectively. By replacing the saline borehole water with the low electrolyte water the TDS content of the deep percolate will, over a five year period, be reduced to 2,100 mg/1, and the salt load to 3.3 t/ha/a. Surface applications of gypsum to prevent clay dispersion and hydraulic conductivity failures will, when compared to the low electrolyte scenario, increase the salt load by 1.2 t/ha/a. However, it will still be 4.84 t/ha/a less than is presently the case. It is concluded that by using the better quality irrigation water in combination with gypsum applications, the salt load in the receiving river attributable to irrigation return flow, can be reduced by approximately 10%.     

Modeling the effects of saline water use in wheat-cultivated lands using the UNSATCHEM model

Waters of poor quality are often used to irrigate crops in arid and semiarid regions, including the Fars Province of southwest Iran. The UNSATCHEM model was first calibrated and validated using field data that were collected to evaluate the use of saline water for the wheat crop. The calibrated and validated model was then employed to study different aspects of the salinization process and the impact of rainfall. The effects of irrigation water quality on the salinization process were evaluated using model simulations, in which irrigation waters of different salinity were used. The salinization process under different practices of conjunctive water use was also studied using simulations. Different practices were evaluated and ranked on the basis of temporal changes in root-zone salinity, which were compared with respect to the sensitivity of wheat to salinity. This ranking was then verified using published field studies evaluating wheat yield data for different practices of conjunctive water use. Next, the effects of the water application rate on the soil salt balance were studied using the UNSATCHEM simulations. The salt balance was affected by the quantity of applied irrigation water and precipitation/dissolution reactions. The results suggested that the less irrigation water is used, the more salts (calcite and gypsum) precipitate from the soil solution. Finally, the model was used to evaluate how the electrical conductivity of irrigation water affects the wheat production while taking into account annual rainfall and its distribution throughout the year. The maximum salinity of the irrigation water supply, which can be safely used in the long term (33 years) without impairing the wheat production, was determined to be 6 dS m^?1. Rainfall distribution also plays a major role in determining seasonal soil salinity of the root zone. Winter-concentrated rainfall is more effective in reducing salinity than a similar amount of rainfall distributed throughout autumn, winter, and spring seasons.     

Minimizing salt in drain water by irrigation management — Leaching studies with alfalfa

An alfalfa experiment was conducted in the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District of Southwest Arizona to determine the potential for minimizing the salt load in irrigation return flow by decreased leaching. Three leaching treatments of 5, 10, and 20%, replicated five times, were imposed on a 2-ha field. The crop was irrigated with Colorado River water (electrical conductivity of 1.3 dS m^?1) through a lateral-move, spray-type irrigation system. Results were compared with those of an adjacent area irrigated with level basin flooding.The average annual evapotranspiration during the 4-year study was 1930 mm. Several indirect measures of the leaching fractions attained gave average values of 6.4, 9.3, and 13.1% for the three leaching treatments. Mean annual yields were 21.5 and 22.9 Mg ha^?1 for 1977 and 1978 in the experimental plots, with no significant differences among leaching treatments, and 25.7 and 20.8 Mg ha^?1 in the adjacent flooded check. The results suggest that full yields could be attained with as little as 5% leaching.Estimates based on average on-farm irrigation efficiency for alfalfa in the District in 1979, indicate that 5% leaching, if attainable, would reduce the salt load in the irrigation return flow by 39 000 Mg year^?1 on 8 000 ha of alfalfa.     

再生水灌溉对紫花苜蓿产量和品质的影响

[目的]探究再生水灌溉不同因素对紫花苜蓿产量和品质的影响.[方法]通过三因素三水平正交试验,利用极差分析和方差分析,研究了再生水灌溉不同因素的主次顺序、显著性、各因素影响趋势及最优组合.[结果]灌溉定额对紫花苜蓿株高、茎粗、一级分枝数、干草产量、粗脂肪、粗纤维、酸性洗涤纤维、中性洗涤纤维、相对饲喂价值、氮、磷、钾和钙影...     

Determination of evapotranspiration from an alfalfa crop irrigated with saline waste water from an electrical power plant

Summary Investigations were carried out in 1989 to determine the evapotranspiration (ET) of alfalfa when irrigated with saline waste water coming from the evaporation of fresh water in the cooling towers of Utah Power and Light Company Electrical Power Plant at Huntington in central Utah, U.S.A. The primary goal is to dispose of the waste water from the power plant by irrigation and to maximize salt deposition in the soil, maximize crop ET, minimize runoff from the soil surface, and minimize leaching to the ground water. Using the Bowen ratio-energy balance method, alfalfa evapotranspiration was measured at an experimental site for each 20-minute period during the 1989 irrigation season. Using a simplified seasonal water balance, the results showed that cumulative irrigation plus rain was less than evapotranspiration for the 1989 irrigation season. This means that for the long term in addition to irrigation and precipitation some water was withdrawn from the soil for alfalfa crop water requirements (ET_a). Short term evaluations showed that because of unforeseen heavy rain (thunder showers) in this mountainous area between irrigations, ET_a was occasionally less than irrigation plus rain. This means the excess water was stored in the soil for later use. The average value for ET_a/ET_p (potential ET) for the 1989 irrigation season was 0.47 but occasionally the ratio was greater than unity. Short-term studies (Hanks et al. 1990 a) indicate that yield and ET_a are likely to decrease only slightly for the coming years if saline irrigation water is applied. This method of investigation can be applied to any industrial processes which produce waste water.     

灌水下限对紫花苜蓿产量、品质及水分利用效率的影响

【目的】提高华北地区紫花苜蓿水分利用效率,兼顾产量与品质。【方法】于2018年4―9月,在河北涿州中国农业大学教学实验场,以紫花苜蓿品种WL363HQ为试验材料,开展紫花苜蓿田间灌溉试验。试验设置3个灌水处理:W1处理,灌水下限45%FC(田间持水率),灌水上限90%FC;W2处理,灌水下限60%FC,灌水上限90%FC;W3处理,根据当地生产经验定额灌溉为39 mm,研究了不同灌水下限对紫花苜蓿生长、产量和品质的影响。【结果】建植第5年的紫花苜蓿,全生长季需水量511.9 mm。苜蓿细根根系主要分布在0~40 cm土层,0~20 cm土层根系密度最高。灌水对第1、第2茬及全年产量没有显著影响(P>0.05),对第3茬产量有显著影响(P<0.05)。第1、第2、第3茬内采用W1处理苜蓿水分利用效率最高。不同灌水处理对苜蓿粗蛋白量没有显著影响(P>0.05),减少灌水量能增加苜蓿相对饲喂价值。【结论】建议华北地区紫花苜蓿第1、第2、第3茬采用45%FC灌水下限,第4茬采用60%FC灌水下限。     

微咸水灌溉下土壤水盐动态及对作物产量的影响

华北平原农业灌溉用水非常紧缺,水资源日益缺乏与粮食需求日益增多之间的矛盾尖锐。充分利用微咸水资源是缓解这一矛盾的重要途径之一。该文以中国农业大学曲周试验站1997－2005年冬小麦和夏玉米微咸水灌溉田间长期定位试验为基础,研究了充分淡水、充分淡咸水、关键期淡水、关键期淡咸水和不灌溉等5个处理下土壤饱和电导率和含盐量的动态变化,探讨了微咸水灌溉对冬小麦和夏玉米产量的影响。结果表明：土壤水盐动态呈受灌溉和降雨影响的短期波动和受季节更替影响的长期波动;在正常降雨年份,使用微咸水进行灌溉是可行的,不会导致土壤的次生盐渍化;微咸水灌溉虽然导致冬小麦和夏玉米产量降低10%～15%,但节约淡水资源60%～75%。如果降雨量达到多年平均水平以及微咸水灌溉制度制订合理,微咸水用于冬小麦/玉米田间灌溉前景广阔。     

Evaluation of water-use in traditional irrigation: An application to the Lemos Valley irrigation district,northwest of Spain

The approval of the National Irrigation Plan (NIP) in Spain in 2001 accelerated the improvement and modernisation of the irrigated areas. The first step towards the implementation of performance of the actions envisaged in the plan is to analyse water-use in traditional irrigation. Moreover, the social impacts of irrigation on rural areas must be evaluated, and the common irrigation practices must be determined. This paper presents the results of a study conducted in the Lemos Valley irrigation district (NW of Spain). Irrigation evaluations were conducted in nine trial sites, representing the existing soil types. A sample of irrigation users were interviewed to gather information about water-use, land tenure and irrigation socioeconomics. This irrigation district is characterised by low water-use efficiency, significant losses in the distribution network, fragmented land ownership and a poor use of the available infrastructure. Yet, water availability and an important distribution network render the modernisation of this traditional irrigated land a challenging task that must be faced.     

Modeling a Rotation Supply System in a Pilot Pressurized Irrigation Network in the Jordan Valley, Jordan

Many farmers in the Jordan Valley have switchedfrom traditional surface irrigationto pressurized irrigation systems. Inorder for these pressurized irrigationmethods to be effective, farmers must have adequate flow andpressure at each FarmTurnout Assembly (FTA). No on-demandirrigation concept has yet been implemented inthe Jordan Valley, and the rotation concept is still in use today. The JordanValley Authority (JVA) is the agency responsiblefor the distribution of water to farmers in the Valley. JVA engineers wereused to implement the irrigation rotationschedule, without any attention being paid to itseffect on the pressure in the network. Using MS Excel, a computer spreadsheet model was createdto examine the effect of selected rotation on thepressure in the network. This model was called theTurnout Pressure Simulation Program (TPSP).The TPSP model was used to map and identifyfarms that will incur pressure problems with any of the selected rotation schedules. This modelwas tested in the northern part of a pilotpressurized irrigation network known as TO2,and included 131 irrigated farm units (400 ha)located in Adassiyeh at the northern end of the Jordan Valley. The TPSP model was also usedto study illegal openings and the effect of these on the pressure in the network. The effect of four, eight, and 12 illegal openings was studied for a selectedrotation schedule, and an average reduction in pressure of 12%, 30%, and 44% was noted compared to when there were no illegal openings.     

咸淡水交替灌溉对土壤盐分分布及夏玉米生长的影响

为了研究不同咸淡交替灌溉制度对各层土壤盐分含量、夏玉米生长的影响,采用3种矿化度(1、3、5 g/L)微咸水和3种不同生育期(壮苗期、拔节期、灌浆期)咸淡交替灌溉方式("咸淡淡"、"淡咸淡"、"淡淡咸")开展避雨盆栽试验研究。结果表明,全生育期灌溉淡水处理(CK)各层土壤盐分含量最低,随着灌溉微咸水矿化度增加,各层土壤盐分含量增大,相同矿化度下,同一深度土壤盐分含量由大到小依次为"淡淡咸"、"淡咸淡"、"咸淡淡"。3 g/L和5 g/L"淡淡咸"处理的土壤含盐量由大到小依次为下层、上层、中层,其他处理由大到小依次为下层、中层、上层。不同生育期灌溉微咸水对夏玉米的株高、叶面积及产量的抑制程度由大到小依次为拔节期、壮苗期、灌浆期,即"淡咸淡"、"咸淡淡"、"淡淡咸",抑制作用随灌溉微咸水矿化度增加而增大,5 g/L"淡咸淡"处理与CK相比减产最多,减产率为34.85%。在滨海地区进行夏玉米种植,应考虑在生育后期灌溉微咸水,同时利用非生育期淡水灌溉降低土壤次生盐碱化的风险。     

Water balance of centre pivot irrigated pasture in northern Victoria, Australia

The irrigated dairy industry in Australia depends on pasture as a low-cost source of fodder for milk production. The industry is under increasing pressure to use limited water resources more efficiently. Pasture is commonly irrigated using border-check but there is growing interest amongst dairy irrigators to explore the potential for overhead sprinklers to save water and/or increase productivity. This paper reports on a detailed water balance study that evaluated the effectiveness of centre pivot irrigation for pasture production. The study was conducted between 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 on a commercial dairy farm in the Shepparton Irrigation Region in northern Victoria. More than 90% of supplied water (irrigation plus rainfall) was utilized for pasture growth. Deep drainage of respectively 90 and 93 mm was recorded for the two observation seasons. During the 2004/2005 season, deep drainage resulted from large unseasonal summer rainfall events. Over the 2005/2006 season, deep drainage resulted from excess irrigation. The cumulative pasture dry matter (DM) production was 15.5 and 11.3 tonnes DM ha⁻¹ for the two irrigation seasons, with an agronomic water use efficiency (WUE) of 16 and 12 kg DM ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ respectively. The farmer's intuitive irrigation scheduling was found to be very effective; the pattern of irrigation application closely matched measured pasture water use, prevented water stress and resulted in high irrigation efficiency.     

Assessing impacts of surge-flow irrigation on water saving and productivity of cotton

To improve water saving and conservation in irrigated agriculture, a range of field evaluation experiments was carried out with various furrow irrigation treatments in cotton fields to estimate the possibilities of improving furrow irrigation performances under conditions of Central Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan. The research consisted in comparing surge and continuous-flow in long furrows and adopting alternate-furrow irrigation. The best results were achieved with surge-flow irrigation applied to alternate furrows. Field data allowed the calibration of a surface irrigation model that was used to identify alternative management issues. Results identified the need to better adjust inflow rates to soil infiltration conditions, cut-off times to the soil water deficits and improving irrigation scheduling. The best irrigation water productivity (0.61 kg m⁻³) was achieved with surge-flow on alternate furrows, which reduced irrigation water use by 44% (390 mm) and led to high application efficiency, near 85%. Results demonstrated the possibility for applying deficit irrigation in this region.     

Accuracy of project-wide water uses from a water balance: a case study from Southern California

A detailed water balance was conducted on the Imperial Valley in Southern California for the years 1987 to 1996. The area included all lands within the boundaries defined, including farms, towns, road, etc. This analysis included surface and subsurface inflows, rainfall, surface and subsurface outflows, evaporation, evapotranspiration, municipal and industrial uses, etc. Total water consumption was computed as the remainder in the water balance. The accuracy of this quantity was determined from standard statistical procedures based on the accuracy of the input data. For the Imperial Valley, total water consumption was estimated to within ±4.5%. The various sources of water and destinations were partitioned so that the accuracy of each component could be determined. The method also determines the source of uncertainty through the variance of each measurement. Subsystems were defined so that other quantities of interest could be determined. A canal subsystem water balance was used to determine more accurate estimates of water delivered to farms. A drainage/river subsystem water balance was used to determine the amount of irrigation return flows. Finally, the destinations of irrigation water were delineated and the Irrigation Consumptive Use Coefficient (ICUC) was calculated. The confidence interval, as a 10-year average, was 0.64?<?ICUC?>?0.70. It was shown that the uncertainty of rainfall and how that water is partition has a significant influence on the accuracy of the estimated water consumption and ICUC.     

塔里木灌区棉田的水盐动态和水盐平衡问题探讨

利用2004年在极端干旱的塔里木盆地绿洲棉田灌溉试验数据,对常规地面沟灌和膜下滴灌棉田在不同灌溉定额下水盐动态进行了研究,对节水灌溉与农田水盐平衡问题进行了深入探讨。主要结论包括:①在2700m3/hm2灌溉定额时,常规地面沟灌和膜下滴灌棉田在生育期0~60 cm土层积盐,膜下滴灌的积盐率(12.4%)要高于常规地面沟灌的积盐率(3.4%);②在小于6000 m3/hm2的4种不同灌溉定额条件下,生育期棉田1 m土体上总体表现为积盐;③对于土壤初始含盐量高的新垦荒地,灌溉淋洗的作用要好于土壤盐分本底值低的土壤;④为了保持农田的水盐平衡,在极端干旱区需要进行非生育期以淋洗盐分为目的的灌溉。     

锡林河流域人工牧草灌溉定额优化研究

对锡林河流域的青贮玉米和紫花苜蓿需水量进行了试验研究,结果表明：青贮玉米需水高峰值出现在7月上旬至8月中旬,其需水强度最大可达5.4mm/d;紫花苜蓿需水高峰值出现在7月初和8月中旬,其需水强度最大可达5.2mm/d。根据人工牧草产量与灌溉定额间表现为二次抛物线型关系,以追求产量、生产效率和生产弹性系数最大为目标,确定人工牧草的合理灌溉定额,该成果为节水灌溉制度的制定和灌溉预报等提供了科学依据。