Soil surface water repellency induced by treated wastewater irrigation: physico-chemical characterization and quantification

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) is commonly practiced in Israel to relieve freshwater (FW) shortages. We hypothesized that the organic matter (OM) originating from TWW irrigation alters the physico-chemical properties of the soil, induces water repellency in the soil’s top layer, and consequently alters water distribution in the soil profile. In measurements taken in an avocado orchard on a clayey soil, water repellency was found in TWW-irrigated plots. In addition, smaller wetted surface areas were recorded around the drippers in comparison with FW drippers. Drier zone below soil surface was observed in TWW-emitting drippers. OM extraction from the different plots exhibited differences in quantity and quality of organic substances between TWW- and FW-irrigated soils, with a higher quantity of hydrophobic substances in the TWW-irrigated soil extract.     

Impact of treated wastewater irrigation on water repellency of Mediterranean soils

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) is gaining importance due to declining water availability in dry regions. TWW irrigation has various potential adverse effects on soil quality such as hydrophobic effects on soil surfaces, reducing initial sorptivity and promoting the formation of preferential flow paths. In May and June 2010, in situ infiltration measurements using mini disk tension infiltrometer were deployed in five different orchard plots in Israel to assess the impact of different irrigation water qualities on the soil water repellency index R. In most plantations, long-term test sites were accessed to compare adjacent plots irrigated with fresh water (FW) or TWW. Topsoil samples were analyzed for selected physical and chemical characteristics. The mean R values increased at all TWW sites, from +15 up to +55 % compared with FW sites. The water drop penetration time (WDPT) increased up to 30 fold at three of five TWW sites compared with FW sites. Subsequent U tests and multilevel analysis indicated an impact of the type of irrigation water on R and WDPT. Moreover, soil electrical conductivity and exchangeable sodium percentage were consistently higher at all TWW sites. These results show that irrigation water quality clearly influences physical and chemical properties of the soil.     

灌溉水质和灌水方式对红壤斥水性及其理化性质的影响

以蒸馏水为对照,选取再生水和稀释2,4,6倍再生水等4种低质水,采用连续灌溉和再生水-蒸馏水交替灌溉等2种灌溉方式对红壤进行1年的处理,以此探明灌溉水质和灌水方式对酸性土壤斥水性、pH、盐分及有机质质量比的影响.结果表明:2种灌溉方式下红壤均产生亚临界斥水性,连续灌溉下红壤接触角比交替灌溉平均增加了23.1°;2种灌溉方式均使红壤酸性增强,盐分和有机质质量比增加,其中连续灌溉下的增长率大于交替灌溉下增长率;连续灌溉下红壤斥水性、pH、盐分和有机质质量比随灌溉水质的变化均可用二次函数来描述,决定系数均在0.9以上;交替灌溉下,红壤斥水性和盐分与灌溉水质的关系可用二次函数来表示,决定系数均在0.9以上,而土壤pH和有机质质量比与灌溉水质相关性不明显;2种灌溉方式下,红壤斥水性与pH呈负相关,与盐分质量比呈正相关,与土壤有机质质量比在连续灌溉下表现为正相关,而交替灌溉下则相反.采用再生水-蒸馏水交替灌溉方式能抑制土壤斥水性的产生.     

Ameliorating water repellency under turfgrass of contrasting soil organic matter content: Effect of wetting agent formulation and application frequency

Water conservation strategies are being developed in regions of the world expected to experience decreases in water resources due to changing climates. Strategies advocated for improving water-use efficiency may increase the incidence of soil water repellency in sandy-textured soils. We evaluated the effect of soil wetting agent formulation, and application frequency, on water repellency in sandy soil with two contrasting organic matter (OM) contents under kikuyugrass [Pennisetum clandestinum (Holst. Ex Chiov)], and irrigated at 60% replacement of net evaporation in a climate subject to hot, dry summers. The randomized plot design included two turfgrass ages [established from 20 week (7.7% OM) or 20 year old (30% OM) turfgrass in 2005, the latter included a 50 mm ‘mat’ layer], two soil wetting agent formulations (granular or liquid); two application frequencies (one or two applications per irrigation season); and plots of both turfgrass ages that did not receive any wetting agent (nil control). Both wetting agent formulations contained the same active ingredient (propylene oxide-ethylene oxide block polymer), and all wetting agent treatments received the same rate (69 L active ingredient ha⁻¹). Water repellency in the surface soil (0-5 mm), measured using the molarity of ethanol droplet test (MED), ranged from 1.09 M to 4.32 M during the irrigation season, and was more severe in the soil with high OM (average MED, 3.3 M) than low OM content (average MED, 2.7 M). Applying one application of either granular or liquid soil wetting agent at the commencement of the irrigation season decreased the severity of soil water repellency by up to 30% in the high OM soil and by up to 60% in the low OM soil during the summer, and without the need for a second application. The decline in soil water repellency in response to soil wetting agent application was not matched by an increase in soil VWC in summer, and turfgrass quality was considered acceptable throughout the study. The soil wetting agents were less effective at treating water repellent sand containing a significant amount of OM than sand with low OM content.     

Effects of irrigation using treated wastewater on table grape vineyards: dynamics of sodium accumulation in soil and plant

The effect of using treated wastewater for irrigation of table grapes (Vitis vinifera cv. Superior Seedless) was studied for six seasons. The experimental vineyard was grown on clay loam soil in a semi-arid area. Treated wastewater (5.83 meq L^?1 Na⁺) with (TWW + F) and without (TWW) fertilizer, and fresh water with fertilizer (FW + F, 2.97 meq L^?1 Na⁺), were each applied at three irrigation levels (80, 60 and 40 % of crop evapotranspiration before harvest). Root zone (0–60 cm soil depth) soil saturated paste extract Na⁺ concentrations and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values fluctuated over the years, but generally decreased in the order TWW > TWW + F > FW + F for each irrigation level. Both Na⁺ concentrations and SAR values developed faster and to a greater extent at higher irrigation. Adding fertilizer to TWW decreased Na⁺ and SAR only at the high irrigation level. Na⁺ concentrations in the trunk wood, bark and xylem sap of the TWW and TWW + F irrigated vines were significantly higher than those in the FW + F-irrigated vines. Leaf petiole Na⁺ content increased with time and its maximum value in TWW and TWW + F irrigated vines exceeded 6,500 mg kg^?1, threefold higher than in FW + F irrigated vines. We conclude that in clay soils under relatively high irrigation, Na⁺ may pose a greater potential risk to plants and soil rather than Cl^? or salinity per se. However, significant effects on yield were not recorded during this six-year study probably due to the high salinity tolerance of the ‘Paulsen’ rootstock used in the experiment.     

Biological and chemical fouling in drip irrigation systems utilizing treated wastewater

A major constraint on the use of treated wastewater (TWW) in microirrigation systems is the potential for fouling. This research aimed to assess the occurrence of fouling in drip irrigation systems applying TWW and determine the quantity and chemical characteristics of the fouling. A field survey was performed to determine the incidence of chemical and biological fouling in irrigation systems and its influence on system performance. Dripper flow rate, total and volatile solids, chemical composition, and diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra of the fouling material were determined. Fouling was found in all of the drip irrigation systems sampled under a variety of conditions. The fouling contained a high percentage of organic matter (OM), except for two instances where the material was mainly inorganic. Identification of the functional groups using DRIFT showed that the OM found is essentially of aliphatic and amide origin. Comparing the spectra obtained from the various sites revealed considerable similarity in the material properties. This suggests a common mechanism in all irrigation systems tested, but a different accumulation rate. A high correlation was found between total phosphorus concentration, the sum of Ca and Mg concentrations and the TWW pH, and the content of total and organic carbon in the fouling. In addition, the correlation between equipment age and the amount of accumulated total solids was high for systems containing high quantities of fouling. The concentration of volatile solids was highly correlated with the age of the irrigation system.     

土壤酶活性对微咸水与再生水混合滴灌的响应与评估

为了探讨淡水资源不足地区微咸水与再生水的合理利用方式,通过盆栽试验,以当地地下水灌溉为对照(CK),研究了3种不同比例微咸水与再生水混合灌溉(再生水灌溉T1,5 g/L微咸水与再生水等量混合灌溉T2,5 g/L微咸水灌溉T3)对土壤水盐、水溶性离子离子以及土壤酶活性的影响,并利用第2代生物综合响应(IBRv2)指数法评估土壤酶活性对微咸水与再生水混合灌溉效应的响应.结果表明,(1)随着微咸水与再生水混合液中微咸水占比提升,土壤含水率和含盐量越高.(2)微咸水-再生水混合灌溉处理对土壤酶活性的影响不同,土壤碱性磷酸酶和脲酶活性较微咸水和再生水灌溉处理均有所提升,土壤蔗糖酶活性较再生水灌溉略低,但却高于微咸水灌溉.(3)基于IBRv2指数法,与CK相比较,处理T1引起的酶活性偏差最低,IBRv2值为2.12;处理T2次之,值为2.42;处理T3最高,值为2.92.处理T3中S-AKP/ALP,S-SC,S-UE活性均受到抑制;处理T2对S-AKP/ALP,S-UE活性具有诱导作用,但对S-SC略有抑制;处理T1对S-AKP/ALP,S-SC活性具有诱导作用,但对S-UE活性具有一定的抑制.因此,基于IBRv2,并综合考虑土壤酶活性指标以及再生水资源量量大、日排放量小等自身局限性,在干旱缺水地区,可以考虑用再生水与微咸水配合使用.     

Feasibility of long-term irrigation as a treatment method for municipal wastewater using natural soil in Kuwait

Passing treated wastewater through soil is a natural and economic means to improve the quality of wastewater. The United Agricultural Production Company (UAPCO) farm located in the Sulaibiya area of Kuwait has been irrigated with tertiary treated wastewater since 1976. A field investigation at the farm has been conducted by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) to assess the applicability of the natural soil treatment method, in the long term, to improve the quality of the treated wastewater under the conditions prevailing in Kuwait. The collected data have been analyzed to assess the degree of improvement in quality of the infiltrated water with respect to the tertiary wastewater used for irrigation. The data analysis indicates that in spite of low clay content of the soil, improvement in the quality of the tertiary treated wastewater through soil aquifer treatment by the removal of ammonia (>90%), iron (>80%), organic carbon (>90%), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (100%) and bacteria (50-100%, depending on its type), can be expected over a long-term period. Soil leaching, however, tends to increase the total dissolved solids of the infiltrated water and the nitrification process increases the nitrate content.     

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.     

石羊河流域咸水灌溉对土壤物理性质的影响

为揭示咸水灌溉对土壤水力特性的影响机制,探求西北内陆干旱地区的合理灌溉模式,对石羊河流域中游地区开展制种玉米咸水灌溉田间试验,通过设置4种灌溉水矿化度水平(0.71,3.00,6.00,9.00 g/L),研究土壤盐分对土壤容重、孔隙度、质地和饱和导水率的影响.研究结果表明:对土壤进行咸水灌溉会引起土壤容重、孔隙度的改变,从而改变土壤饱和导水率.随着灌水次数的增多,各个处理土壤容重都越来越大,孔隙度越来越小,从而使得饱和导水率越来越小.此外咸水灌溉还会引起土壤质地的改变,特别是黏粒含量的增大,会使土壤饱和导水率减小.研究成果对咸水资源的高效利用及农业的可持续发展,具有重要的理论意义和实用价值.     

Influence of irrigation water quality on soil infiltration

The quality of municipal waste water is affected by its chemical composion and by the process used to treat it. If suspended solids limit infiltration, their removal by the municipal treatment facility is a factor to consider in the planning and management of water resources. The effect of water quality and sprinkler water application rate on bare soil infiltration was investigated. Treated wastewater and clean water were applied to a bare soil at two different application rates, 25 mm/hr and 100 mm/hr. The change in each soil infiltration rate after eight runs for each water quality was determined. The results showed that the reduction in infiltration rate was greatest for the soil under the treated wastewater application due to the effect of accumulation of suspended solids at the soil surface.     

Effect of crop sequence,soil sample location and depth on soil water holding capacity under center pivot irrigation

This study was carried out to investigate the changes that may occur to the soil water holding capacity under center pivot irrigation systems when grown with different crop patterns over a long period of time. The changes of water holding capacity were checked as affected by crop location and depth. The study was carried out in a dominantly sandy loam soil irrigation scheme, north of Saudi Arabia in 1999. The field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP) were determined by the pressure membrane method. The general trend of the results showed that crop sequences that were fallow or had cereal crops in their rotation before sampling period considerably affected FC and PWP. This is represented by crop sequences 6, 5 and 2 which produced the highest means of FC at 14.75, 12.79 and 12.68%, respectively. Moreover, the lowest means of FC were produced with alfalfa dominating the crop rotation prior to the sampling period. This is represented by crop sequences 7, 3 and 4 at FCs of 9.56, 9.74 and 10.28%, respectively. Crop sequences 1,4,5 and 6 gave the highest values of PWP, while the lowest one was in crop sequence 7 (4.79%). The highest means of available water (AW) were found in crop sequences 6, 2, 5 at 8.65, 6.87 and 6.35%, respectively. While the lowest value of AW was found in crop sequence 4 at 3.69%. The results showed that the soil samples collected from inside center pivots, for all crop sequences, produced higher means of FC at 12.87%, PWP at 6.53 and 6.34% compared with soil samples collected from outside the center pivot. The relative decrease of FC, PWP and AW due to increasing the soil sample depth from 0–15 to 60–90 cm was 21.55, 22.52 and 20.53%, respectively. The measured values of FC, PWP and AW showed that the highest values of standard deviation (S.D.) and coefficient of variation (CV), for FC, PWP, and AW were found in soil sample depth followed by soil sample location and crop sequence respectively. The interaction effect of crop sequences and soil sample depths on PWP and AW was significant.     

Distribution and dynamics of soil water and salt under different drip irrigation regimes in northwest China

A 2-year experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different drip irrigation regimes on distribution and dynamics of soil water and salt in north Xinjiang, China. Five treatments—F7 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), B7 (4.68 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), S7 (7.42 dS m^?1 + Once every 7 days), F10 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 10 days) and F3 (0.24 dS m^?1 + Once every 3 days)—were designed. For all treatments, additional 150-mm fresh water was applied on 10th November in 2009 (winter irrigation) to leach the accumulated salt. The results revealed that irrigation frequency and water quality had significant effects on the spatial distribution and change of soil water content, soil salt and the crop water consumption rate, but had a limited impact on the seasonal accumulative water consumption, and the cotton yield decreased with the decrease in irrigation frequency and water quality on the whole. During the cotton growing season, results showed that the salt mainly accumulated in the 0- to 60-cm soil layer, while the soil salt in 60- to 100-cm layer changed slightly, indicating that the drip irrigation could not leach the soil salt out of the root zone under the irrigation regimes. Therefore, salt leaching was necessary to maintain the soil water–salt balance and to prevent excessive salt accumulation in the root zone. After the 150-mm winter irrigation and subsequent thawing, soil salts were leached into the deeper layers (below 60 cm), and the soil salt content (SSC) (EC_1:5) in root zone in the next year was about 0.2 dS m^?1. Moreover, compared to 2009 season, the SSC within the root zone did not increase even the EC of the irrigation water was up to 7.42 dS m^?1. Additionally, it is important to note that the results were concluded based on the data of the 2-year experiment; further studies are need to optimize winter irrigation amount and assess the sustainability of saline water irrigation since long-term utilization of saline water may lead to soil degradation.     

Evaluation of the influence of irrigation methods and water quality on sugar beet yield and water use efficiency

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have increased the pressure on limited existing fresh water to meet the growing needs for food production. Two immediate responses to this challenge are the efficient use of irrigation technology and the use of alternative sources of water. Drip irrigation methods may play an important role in efficient use of water but there is still limited information on their use on sugar beet crops in arid countries such as Iran. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of irrigation method and water quality on sugar beet yield, percentage of sugar content and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). The irrigation methods investigated were subsurface drip, surface drip and furrow irrigation. The two waters used were treated municipal effluent (EC = 1.52 dS m⁻¹) and fresh water (EC = 0.509 dS m⁻¹). The experiments used a split plot design and were undertaken over two consecutive growing seasons in Southern Iran. Statistical testing indicated that the irrigation method and water quality had a significant effect (at the 1% level) on sugar beet root yield, sugar yield, and IWUE. The highest root yield (79.7 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using surface drip irrigation and effluent and the lowest root yield (41.4 Mg ha⁻¹) was obtained using furrow irrigation and fresh water. The highest IWUE in root yield production (9 kg m⁻³) was obtained using surface drip irrigation with effluent and the lowest value (3.8 kg m⁻³) was obtained using furrow irrigation with fresh water. The highest IWUE of 1.26 kg m⁻³ for sugar was obtained using surface drip irrigation. The corresponding efficiency using effluent was 1.14 kg m⁻³. Irrigation with effluent led to an increase in the net sugar yield due to an increase in the sugar beet root yield. However, there was a slight reduction in the percentage sugar content in the plants. This study also showed that soil water and root depth monitoring can be used in irrigation scheduling to avoid water stress. Such monitoring techniques can also save considerable volumes of irrigation water and can increase yield.     

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.     

农村生活再生水灌溉调控对稻田养分的影响

选择符合农田灌溉水质要求的3种灌溉水源(农村生活污水一级处理水R1、二级处理水R2、河道清水R3),3种灌溉水位调控(低水位W1蓄污(雨)上限为50～70 mm,中水位W2蓄污(雨)上限为50～100 mm,高水位W3蓄污(雨)上限为50～150 mm),用以开展不同灌溉水源和水位调控对稻田土壤氮素和有机质养分的影响研究.研究结果表明,农村生活污水再生灌溉稻田0～40 cm土层土壤氮素以NH₄⁺-N为主,NO₃-N含量较低,NH₄⁺-N相对比较稳定,且呈此消彼长的变化趋势,NO₃^--N更易于随水分向下迁移和累积;农村生活污水一级处理水灌溉可以显著提高土壤有机质含量;不同水位调控对60～80 cm土层NO₃^--N含量变化影响具有统计学意义(P<0.05),不同水源灌溉对0～20 cm土层土壤有机质含量影响具有统计学意义(P<0.05);再生水灌溉能显著提高水稻产量,R1水源灌溉条件...     

Soil water storage and surface runoff as influenced by irrigation method in arid soils with surface crust

The effects of irrigation methods, application rates and initial moisture content on soil water storage and surface runoff were studied in soils liable to surface crust formation during 1995–1996 at the University of Jordan Research Station near Al-Muwaqqar village. Four irrigation methods were tested (sprinkler, furrow, basin and trickle) and four application rates (6.2, 14.4, 24.4 and 28.4 mm/h). Two runs were performed (soil initially dry and soil initially wet). Basin irrigation provided the highest application efficiency followed by trickle, sprinkler and furrow irrigation methods. Entrapping water by the basin borders increased soil water storage by allowing more water to infiltrate through the surface crust. Decreasing the application rate from 28.4 to 6.2 mm/h increased soil water storage significantly in all 150 mm layers to a depth of 600 mm. If the soil was already wet, soil moisture storage decreased owing to siltation during the prewetting and formation of a surface crust and low soil water storage capacity. A sedimentary crust formed at the bottom of the furrows in the furrow irrigation treatment, which reduced soil water storage and increased surface runoff significantly owing to the reduction in infiltration. Increasing the application rate from 6.2 to 28.4 mm/h in the furrow surface irrigation treatment increased the runoff discharge 10-fold. Even with the lowest application rate the runoff coefficient under sprinkler irrigation was 20.3% indicating high susceptibility of Al-Muwaqqar soils to surface crust formation.     

Impact of irrigation with treated low quality water on the heavy metal contents of a soil-crop system in Serbia

Water availability for irrigation is a limiting factor for agriculture in Mediterranean countries. An upcoming strategy for increasing water supply is to use treated wastewater for irrigation. A principal drawback of irrigating with wastewater is the potential heavy metal accumulation in soil and foodstuff.Accumulation of heavy metals in soil and potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) irrigated with treated low quality surface water was studied in a three years experiment. The low quality surface water used for irrigation experiments contained a significant proportion of urban sewage and was spiked with selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb) and arsenic before treatment for years 2 and 3.The experiments were carried out during the growing seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008 on a humogley soil of a commercial vegetable farm, 10 km north of Belgrade, Serbia. The growing seasons started in April/May and finished in August. Irrigation water was treated using (1) a conventional sand filter treatment, and (2) a sand filter combined with a specific filter for heavy metal removal treatment.Irrigation water composition was highly variable and cases both of enrichment and depletion of the measured inorganic trace elements were observed in the treated water, compared to the low quality feed water.In spite of this variability of the irrigation water composition, the soil contents in inorganic elements at the end of the three irrigation years are similar to the initial state. After the third harvest, no impact of the irrigation water on potato quality could be detected except for total sugar and sugar in total solids. Statistical tests (ANOVA) were performed to assess similarities between the different set of samples.The principal conclusion of this investigation is that, when appropriately treated, low quality feed waters with high heavy metal contents can be used for irrigation over several years without significant degradation of soil and produces. Even though, long-term cumulative effects in other pedologic and hydroclimatic settings, irrigation and cropping conditions cannot be excluded.     

喷灌条件下茶园土壤肥力与茶叶品质指标

在喷灌条件下水分调控的基础上,采用田间试验研究了茶园土壤肥力指标(包括土壤氮素、土壤温度)与茶叶品质指标(包括氨基酸、茶多酚)的动态变化规律.研究结果表明,喷灌条件下茶园表层土壤总氮(TN)含量最高,随着土层深度的增加,TN含量呈递减趋势,喷灌处理各土层TN含量略高于常规处理,速效氮含量变化呈现与TN含量变化相同趋势,对比常规处理,喷灌处理各土层土壤TN平均含量增加3.3%~22.2%,速效氮平均含量增加7.1%~24.7%;喷灌处理表层土壤与20 cm土层土壤温度均高于常规处理,表层土壤温度在5:00最低,比常规处理提前1 h,在14:00最高,与常规处理同步,20 cm土层土壤温度在8:00最低,比常规提前2 h,在17:00最高,比常规处理提前近2 h;此外,氨基酸含量变化呈现出先降低后增加的趋势,茶多酚含量变化呈现出先增加后降低的趋势,喷灌处理氨基酸、茶多酚含量均高于常规处理,氨基酸含量提高12.21%,茶多酚含量提高17.03%.     

Yield response of a semi-dwarf wheat variety to irrigation on a calcareous brown flood plain soil of Bangladesh

Field studies were conducted to determine the yield performance of a semi-dwarf high yielding variety of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. ‘Sonalika’) in response to irrigation provided at various critical stages of growth. Determination of an irrigation schedule for most efficient water management was attempted. The study, conducted on a calcareous brown flood plain soil, comprised a randomized block design experiment with eight irrigation treatments applied at critical growth stages.The yield of wheat was the highest and the irrigation efficiency maximum, when two irrigations, totalling 9.5 cm, were given at tillering and booting stages. The quantity of irrigation water applied was calculated on the basis of deficit from field capacity level of soil water content. The lowest grain yields were obtained in treatments receiving either no irrigation or only one irrigation at the grain-filling stage. The percent increase over control (no irrigation) in grain yield, due to various irrigation treatments, ranged from 21 to 92%. The data revealed that the depletion of soil water increased as the amount of irrigation water increased.The results indicate that the present yield levels of wheat in Bangladesh can easily be increased by 50–100% by irrigating with only one-third to one-half of the water currently being used, provided it is scheduled and managed efficiently, keeping in view the need of the crops as well as the soils.