Water-use efficiency of sorghum and groundnut under traditional and current irrigation in the Gezira scheme, Sudan

In the Gezira irrigation scheme in central Sudan, serious symptoms of water waste have been identified in the last two decades, especially in sorghum and groundnut fields. To quantify losses, water-use efficiencies and related parameters were obtained for these two food crops under the traditional attended daytime water application and the newly evolved unattended continuous watering method. In this on-farm research, the neutron scattering method was used to determine the actual soil water deficits of the two crops. A simple Penman equation was used for approximating reference crop evapotranspiration and evaporation losses from standing water and wet soil surface. An updated approach using the Penman-Monteith equation was additionally applied. The study revealed wastage of irrigation water in both irrigation methods but at different rates and also differently for each crop. In the attended field, the average seasonal over-irrigation, which is the difference between average application depth Q and average soil moisture deficit SWD, was observed to range between 0.4 and 1.5 of SWD (0.3 and 0.6 of Q) and the corresponding values in the unattended field were 0.6 and 3.2 of SWD (0.4 and 0.8 of Q). Higher values are shown by the groundnut subplots, which crop also suffers from excess water, and by the drier year as well as in the unattended fields. A first approximation is given, still including readily available water at harvest, of minimum water requirements in attended watering for maximum yields. In the drier year, when more irrigation water was applied, an amount equal to 30-50% of these minimum water requirements was lost in evaporation from standing water/wet surface, which is the main unproductive water. More frequent land levelling aiming at minimum standing water in better attended irrigation and farm management (e.g. weeding) are priority measures proposed. The quantitative on-farm water waste determinations represent the innovative content of this paper. Knowing precisely how large the problem is and being able to quantify its components will contribute much to the arguments of those who wish to take the proposed measures.     

Irrigation planning in cotton through simulation modeling

Experiments were undertaken at CCS Haryana Agricultural University Farm, Sirsa (India) to estimate the optimum irrigation schedule for cotton resulting in minimum percolation losses. The sprinkler line source technique was adopted for creating various irrigation regimes at different crop growth stages. The SWASALT (Simulation of Water And SALT) model after calibration and validation provided water balance components. The wa-ter management response indicators (WMRI's) such as transpiration efficiency E_t/(Irr + P), relative transpiration E_t/E_tp, evapotranspiration efficiency ET/(Irr + P), soil moisture storage change ΔW/W_int (deficit/excess) and percolation loss Perc/(Irr. + P) were evaluated using water balance components as estimated by the simulation study. Under limited water supply conditions, the optimum irrigation depth was found to be 57 mm at crop growth stages with pre-sowing and 1^st irrigation of 120 mm and 80 mm respectively for sandy clay loam underlain by sandy loam soil (Type I). The corresponding values of relative transpiration, transpiration efficiency and evapotranspiration efficiency were 0.65, 0.65 and 0.89 respectively. The crop yield varied linearly with increasing irrigation depth which was evident from increase in relative transpiration with increasing depth of water application. However, increased depth of irrigation resulted in less moisture utilisation from soil storage (20% depletion at 40 mm depth and 4.4% moisture built up at 100 mm depth). The extended simulation study for sandy soil underlain by loamy sand (Type II) indicated that two pre-sowing irrigations each 40 mm and subsequent irrigations of 40 mm at an interval of 20 days depending upon rainfall were optimum. This irrigation scenario resulted in zero percolation loss accompanied by 74% relative transpiration and 14 per cent soil moisture depletion. Received: 20 November 1995     

不同滴灌灌溉制度对绿洲棉田土壤水热分布及产量的影响

【目的】探究不同滴灌灌溉制度对绿洲棉田土壤水热分布状况及对产量的影响。【方法】于2017年在策勒地区开展田间试验,设置了2种灌水模式:基于计算机模型的预报灌溉与基于土壤墒情的灌溉,每种灌水模式设置2种灌溉梯度:充分灌溉(100%)和非充分灌溉(75%的充分灌溉)。【结果】预报灌溉的土壤含水率和贮水量在花蕾与花铃期显著高于墒情灌溉;不同灌溉制度各剖面的土壤温度变化趋势一致,整个生育期的表层土壤平均温度表现为墒情亏缺最高,预报充分最低。作物产量在一定范围内随灌溉量的增加而增加,预报充分的产量较预报亏缺,墒情充分,墒情亏缺分别提高13.7%、12.1%、47.6%。水分利用效率表现为预报亏缺最高,且产量与预报充分的产量无显著差异。【结论】在策勒绿洲地区,预报亏缺灌溉可达到节水增产的目的。     

水分调亏对地下滴灌夏玉米田水热动态的影响

通过北京地区地下滴灌夏玉米田间试验,研究了前期不同程度水分亏缺对土壤水热和夏玉米冠层温度、株高、叶面积指数及产量的影响。结果表明:在20～60 cm土层,除重度亏水处理外,其他处理的土壤含水率均在高位平稳变化;在60～100 cm土层,丰水处理的土壤含水率最大;对不同深度的土层,轻度与中度亏水处理两者间的土壤含水率差异较小。受作物覆盖度和亏水程度的影响,拔节期各处理间土壤温度和冠层温度有明显差异;在较浅土层(距地表30 cm和50 cm处)中,拔节期之前丰水处理的土壤温度较低,拔节期之后各处理间差异逐渐减小;在较深土层(距地表80 cm处)中,水分亏缺程度越大,土壤温度越高。轻度亏水处理能获得较高的产量,中度亏水处理能提高水分利用效率。     

调亏灌溉下酿酒葡萄耗水特性及水分生产函数研究

为了确定酿酒葡萄的水分生产函数,以酿酒葡萄"梅鹿辄"为供试品种,采用滴灌的方式,以不同生育期土壤水分水平为试验因素,对酿酒葡萄不同生育期进行亏水处理,测定不同生育期土壤含水率、耗水量、产量及水分利用效率,研究了不同生育期、不同土壤水分状况对酿酒葡萄耗水量和产量的影响。结果表明,土壤水分对酿酒葡萄产量的影响规律为浆果膨大期最大,其次是开花期、着色成熟期、抽蔓期,萌芽期最小;通过对Jensen模型与Blank模型进行计算比较,发现在该试验中Jensen模型更为合理,且得出不同生育期水分生产函数的敏感指数为:浆果膨大期开花期着色成熟期抽蔓期萌芽期,与酿酒葡萄耗水规律一致;在萌芽期、抽蔓期及着色成熟期的土壤水分保持在田间持水率的60%~65%左右不会造成酿酒葡萄减产,而在浆果膨大期进行充分供水,既可获得高产,也使水分利用效率达到较高水平。     

Comparison of flooded and furrow-irrigated rice on clay

In some situations, potential water savings or relatively steep slopes make furrow irrigation a useful management practice for rice (Oryza sativa L.). Furrow-irrigated and flooded rice were compared in a field study conducted during three growing seasons: 1990, 1991, and 1992, at the University of Arkansas Northeast Research and Extension Center, Keiser, Ark., USA on a Sharkey silty clay soil. Excessive levee seepage greatly affected the water-use data for flooded rice production; however, there appeared to be potential for water savings on the Sharkey soil with furrow irrigation. Yields for flooded production consistently exceeded those for furrow-irrigated, with 3-year averages of 7.04, 6.02, and 5.88 Mg ha^-1 for flooded and two furrow-irrigated treatments, respectively. The yield difference appeared due to greater individual grain weight for the flooded treatment. Attempts to compensate for the yield reduction through additional nitrogen applications were unsuccessful. These results are consistent with findings of reduced rice grain yield associated with sprinkler irrigation. Furrow irrigation at an estimated 19 mm soil water deficit had a 3-year average of 11 kg ha^-1 of rice produced per mm of irrigation water applied.     

A field test of a conceptual computer simulation model for predicting water and salt distribution

Summary The unsaturated flow and unsaturated chemistry submodels of a conceptual computer simulation model, developed at the United States Bureau of Reclamation to predict water and salt behaviour in soils, were tested under field conditions. The comparison of results was done with data obtained from an irrigation trial with alfalfa over a period of four years. The model simulated the actual physical and chemical processes taking place in the soil to a fair degree of accuracy. The predicted moisture contents compared reasonably well with ob served data, especially in the soil layers between 480 and 1200 mm (Figs. 1 and 2, Tables 3 and 4). The simulation of moisture distribution was more accurate for plots receiving a high irrigation frequency than for plots given a low irrigation frequency. On a depth-weighted-mean scale, the predicted salt concentration of the soil layers shallower than 1200 mm was within 11% of the observed data. However when the salt content of the soil layers between 1200 and 1920 mm was taken into account, the percentage error increased to about 40% (Table 6). The results indicate that this simulation model can be extremely useful in predicting the long and short term effect of irrigation water on the root zone of a soil. Field data are however at all times needed to calibrate the unsaturated flow model for specific soil types.     

华北典型区冬小麦区域耗水模拟与灌溉制度优化

以经校验Aquacrop模型模拟了不同土壤条件下冬小麦水分与产量响应关系,结合北京大兴区土壤分布及其冬小麦实际种植情况,对模型模拟结果进行区域尺度拓展,以此为基础分析了研究区不同灌溉制度下冬小麦耗水量、产量及水分生产率的变化规律,并推荐了与华北地区水资源实际情况相适宜的冬小麦亏缺灌溉制度。结果表明:应用Aquacrop模型能较好模拟冬小麦生育期内土壤墒情和冠层覆盖度的动态变化过程及其生物量与产量情况,可利用经校验后的模型进行冬小麦水分与产量响应关系研究。灌溉定额在300 mm范围内,随着灌溉量增加,耗水量增大;在灌水次数相同条件下,灌溉日期不同,因蒸腾量变化导致耗水量差异显著。在相同处理下总体上降水多年份产量较高,而不同处理之间随着灌溉量增加产量增大;在灌水次数相同情况下,灌溉关键生育时段选择对冬小麦产量形成及水分生产率提高至关重要。以冬小麦增产提效为原则,在灌1水情况下重点保障拔节-抽穗阶段的需水;灌2水情况下重点保障返青-拔节、抽穗-乳熟阶段需水;灌3水情况下重点保障返青-拔节、拔节-抽穗、抽穗-乳熟阶段需水。针对华北水资源严重短缺实际,建议北京大兴区冬小麦采用灌2水的亏缺灌溉制度,较灌4水情况下的灌溉量与耗水量分别减少140、65 mm,能确保75%产量。可见,在与华北类似的资源性缺水区域,选择适宜亏缺灌溉制度,能大幅降低区域灌溉量与耗水量,在稳定区域冬小麦产量及涵养地下水源方面具有重要的现实意义。     

A new stochastic optimization model for deficit irrigation

Deficit irrigation has been suggested as a way to increase system benefits, at the cost of individual benefits, by decreasing the crop water allocation and increasing the total irrigated land. Deterministic methods are common for determining optimal irrigation schedules with deficit irrigation because considering the inherent uncertainty in crop water demands while including the lower and upper bounds on soil moisture availability is a hard problem. To deal with this, a constraint state formulation for stochastic control of the weekly deficit irrigation strategy is proposed. This stochastic formulation is based on the first and second moment analysis of the stochastic soil moisture state variable, considering soil moisture as bounded between a maximum value and a minimum value. As a result, an optimal deficit irrigation scheduling is determined using this explicit stochastic model that does not require discretization of system variables. According to the results, if irrigation strategy is based on deterministic predictions, achievement of high, long-term expected relative net benefits by decreased crop water allocation and increased irrigated land may have a higher failure probability.     

Use of sub-hourly soil water content measured with a frequency-domain reflectometer to schedule irrigation of cabbages

Laboratory and field measurements of soil water content were obtained using gravimetric and Theta-Probe methods, the latter a frequency-domain reflectometry method. We obtained real-time in situ measurements of soil water content at depths of 30, 80, 160, 240 and 350 mm to evaluate irrigation practice. A datalogger recording the change in soil water content (and cumulative irrigation) at 20-min intervals was used, with appropriate calculations and graphical presentation, to predict the time and amount of irrigation water required for soil water content to reach field capacity. Measurements at three instead of five depths yielded a different depth-averaged soil water content under relatively dry conditions (less than 0.273 m³ m⁻³), and predicted a later start for irrigation and early crop water stress. Investing in additional sensores for scheduling irrigation would be compensated by financial resources saved through avoiding excess or deficit irrigation, and the associated application cost, loss of nutrients and soil due to deep percolation and erosion, and loss of crop production.     

调亏灌溉条件下秦王川灌区苜蓿种植效益初步分析

从高产、优质和高效的三重目标出发,在甘肃秦王川灌区通过大田试验初步分析了调亏灌溉条件下苜蓿的种植效益。结果表明:在轻度水分亏缺下,即土壤含水率为60%~65%田间持水量时苜蓿的产量和经济效益较充分灌溉(土壤含水率为65%~70%田间持水量)没有显著差异(P>0.05),而苜蓿的水分利用效率、粗蛋白含量与其余各处理间存在显著差异(P<0.05),且值均达到了最大,分别达2.10 kg/m3和13406.7 ug/g。     

The effect of deficit irrigation with treated wastewater on sweet corn: experimental and modelling study using SALTMED model

This study investigated the impact of using treated wastewater and deficit irrigation on yield, water productivity, dry matter and soil moisture availability. The experiment included six treatments of deficit irrigation with treated wastewater during the 2010 and 2011 seasons and two deficit irrigation treatments combined with 3 organic amendment levels during the 2012 season. The experimental and SALTMED modelling results indicated that regulated deficit irrigation when applied during vegetative growth stage could stimulate root development, increase water and nutrient uptake and subsequently increase the yield. The organic amendment has slightly improved yield under full irrigation but had relatively small effect under stress conditions. The SALTMED model results supported and matched the experimental results and showed similar differences among the different treatments. The model proved its ability to predict soil moisture availability, yield, water productivity and total dry matter for three growing seasons under several deficit irrigation strategies using treated wastewater. The high values of the coefficient of determination R ² reflected a very good agreement between the model and observed values. The SALTMED model results generally confirm the model’s ability to predict sweet corn growth and productivity under deficit irrigation strategies in the semi-arid region.     

Irrigation application efficiency and deep drainage potential under surface irrigated cotton

Furrow irrigation events conducted under usual farmer management were analysed to determine the irrigation application efficiencies being attained, and the magnitude of the irrigation contribution to deep drainage under surface irrigated cotton in Queensland. Application efficiencies were shown to vary widely from 17 to 100% and on average were a low 48%. Losses to deep drainage were substantial, averaging 42.5 mm per irrigation. This has the potential for significant environmental harm and also represents an annual loss of up to 2500 m³/ha (2.5 Ml/ha) of water that could be beneficially used to grow more cotton. Simulations of each event using the simulation model SIRMOD illustrated simple ‘recipe’ strategies that would lead to gains in efficiency and reductions in the deep drainage losses. Additional simulations of selected events showed that further significant improvements in performance can be achieved by the application of more advanced irrigation management practices, involving in-field evaluation and optimisation of the flow rate and irrigation time to suit the individual soil conditions and furrow characteristics. Application efficiencies in the range 85–95% are achievable in all but the most adverse conditions. The dependency between deep drainage and irrigation management was demonstrated, confirming that substantial reductions in deep drainage are possible by ensuring that irrigation applications do not exceed the soil moisture deficit.     

高产高效冬小麦节水喷灌模式研究

采用田间试验和数学模拟相结合的方法研究了喷灌条件下冬小麦田间水分转化规律，以喷灌水量无效消耗（土面蒸发＋深层渗漏）最小为目标，提出了节水型合理喷灌定额为４０～６０ｍｍ。以此为基础，结合田间土壤墒情和麦田苗情，总结出高产高效冬小麦节水喷灌模式。经过两年度田间示范试验，取得了高产（６９３０ｋｇ／ｈａ）、高效（水分生产效率达２．４３ｋｇ／ｍ３）的效果     

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.     

Yield performance of spring wheat improved by regulated deficit irrigation in an arid area

A field experiment was conducted in 2003 and 2004 growing seasons to evaluate the effects of regulated deficit irrigation on yield performance in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) in an arid area. Three regulated deficit irrigation treatments designed to subject the crops to various degrees of soil water deficit at different stages of crop development and a no-soil-water-deficit control was established. Soil moisture was measured gravimetrically in the increment of 0–20 cm every five to seven days in the given growth periods, while that in 20 increments to 40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm depth measured by neutron probe. Compared to the no-soil-water-deficit treatment, grain yield, biomass, harvest index, water use efficiency (WUE), and water supply use efficiency (WsUE) in spring wheat were all greatly improved by 16.6–25.0, 12.4–19.2, 23.5–27.3, 32.7–39.9, and 44.6–58.8% under regulated deficit irrigation, and better yield components such as thousand-grain weight, grain weight per spike, number of grain, length of spike, and fertile spikelet number were also obtained, but irrigation water was substantially decreased by 14.0–22.9%. The patterns of soil moisture were similar in the regulated deficit treatments, and the soil moisture contents were greatly decreased by regulated deficit irrigation during wheat growing seasons. Significant differences were found between the no-soil-water-deficit treatment and the regulated soil water deficit treatments in grain yield, yield components, biomass, harvest index, WUE, and WsUE, but no significant differences occurred within the regulated soil water deficit treatments. Yield performance proved that regulated deficit irrigation treatment subjected to medium soil water deficit both during the middle vegetative stage (jointing) and the late reproductive stages (filling and maturity or filling) while subjected to no-soil-water-deficit both during the late vegetative stage (booting) and the early reproductive stage (heading) (MNNM) had the highest yield increase of 25.0 and 14.0% of significant water-saving, therefore, the optimum controlled soil water deficit levels in this study should range 50–60% of field water capacity (FWC) at the middle vegetative growth period (jointing), and 65–70% of FWC at both of the late vegetative period (booting) and early reproductive period (heading) followed by 50–60% of FWC at the late reproductive periods (the end of filling or filling and maturity) in treatment MNNM, with the corresponding optimum total irrigation water of 338 mm. In addition, the relationships among grain yield, biomass, and harvest index, the relationship between grain yield and WUE, WsUE, and the relationship between harvest index and WUE, WsUE under regulated deficit irrigation were also estimated through linear or non-linear regression models, which indicate that the highest grain yield was associated with the maximum biomass, harvest index, and water supply use efficiency, but not with the highest water use efficiency, which was reached by appropriate controlling soil moisture content and water consumption. The relations also indicate that the harvest index was associated with the maximum biomass and water supply use efficiency, but not with the highest water use efficiency.     

膜下滴灌调亏对加工番茄产量和水分利用效率的影响

通过加工番茄不同生育期膜下滴灌水分调亏试验,研究了水分调亏对土壤水分、株高、干物质积累、经济产量及水分利用效率和灌溉水利用效率的影响。结果表明,在苗期占田间持水率55%的水分调亏滴灌,可以在降低灌溉水量、耗水量和移栽前后土壤水分的同时,显著(p<0.05)增加番茄单株果数、单株果质量、产量、灌溉水利用效率和水分利用效率,而花期和盛果期分别施以上述水分调亏则结果相反,其中以花期表现最为显著(p<0.05),其次为盛果期。全生育期不进行水分调亏和仅在采收期施以水分调亏,虽产量显著(p<0.05)增加,但水分利用效率和灌溉水利用效率却显著(p<0.05)降低。     

小麦中后期田间微喷灌土壤水分运移模拟分析

针对小麦中后期微喷灌湿润区域分布特点,探讨了小麦专用微喷带在不同灌溉影响因素下小麦中后期根区土壤水分运移与分布规律。通过试验测量了微喷带在不同灌溉压力下灌水强度,将有效湿润区域划分为4个子区域,得出不同灌水强度作为灌溉边界条件。考虑小麦根系吸水情况下,建立微喷灌土壤水分运动方程及求解条件。利用HYDRUS-2D模型进行微喷灌数值模拟,通过对比分析模拟结果和试验数据,证明数值模拟能够有效反应土壤含水率分布情况。对微喷带在不同灌溉压力、不同灌水下限和不同铺设间距影响因素下进行模拟分析,结果表明:在灌溉压力0.15 MPa时,有效湿润区域大且水分分布满足小麦根系需求;以田间持水量的60%作为小麦灌水下限,有利于降低微喷带铺设成本、节约灌溉水量和提高灌水利用率;在铺设间距440 cm时,根部土壤水分分布呈一条均匀带状且均匀度都在90%左右。本研究可为小麦专用微喷带铺设与运行提供合理作业参数,同时为小麦节水灌溉提供理论参考。      

Simulation of furrow irrigation practices (SOFIP): a field-scale modelling of water management and crop yield for furrow irrigation

Because of the spatial and temporal variabilities of the advance infiltration process, furrow irrigation investigations should not be limited to a single furrow irrigation event when using a modelling approach. The paper deals with the development and application of simulation of furrow irrigation practices (SOFIP), a model used to analyse furrow irrigation practices that take into account spatial and temporal variabilities of the advance infiltration process. SOFIP can be used to compare alternative furrow irrigation management strategies and find options that mitigate local deep-percolation risks while ensuring a crop yield level that is acceptable to the farmer. The model is comprised of three distinct modelling elements. The first element is RAIEOPT, a hydraulic model that predicts the advance infiltration process. Infiltration prediction in RAIEOPT depends on a soil moisture deficit parameter. PILOTE, a crop model, which is designed to simulate soil water balance and predict yield values, updates the soil moisture parameter. This parameter is an input of a parameter generator (PG), the third model component, which in turn provides RAIEOPT with the data required to simulate irrigation at the scale of an N-furrow set. The study of sources of variability and their impact on irrigation advance, based on field observations, allowed us to build a robust PG. Model applications show that irrigation practices must account for inter-furrow advance variability when optimising furrow irrigation systems. The impact of advance variability on deep percolation and crop yield losses depends on both climatic conditions and irrigation practices.     

春小麦免储水灌全膜覆盖穴播与保水剂配合节水技术研究

通过对甘肃河西地区春小麦免储水灌全膜覆盖穴播与保水剂配合节水技术的试验研究,测定了春小麦地土壤水分变化规律、小麦耗水规律及产量效应,分析配套施用保水剂对春小麦地土壤水分的影响。研究结果表明,在河西地区,小麦采用免储水灌全膜覆盖施用保水剂穴播技术能有效地减少农田在休闲期的土壤蒸发量,提高农田的水分利用效率,可减少首次灌水量30mm,全生育期耗水量减少80.0mm,节水16.60%,增产4.37%,水分利用效率提高21.70%。