Leaching requirement for salinity control I. Wheat,sorghum, and lettuce

Crop productivity and water use efficiency when saline irrigation water is used are highest when efficient irrigation systems are managed to meet the crop's leaching requirement. The objective of this experiment was to establish the leaching requirement. The objective of this experiment was to establish the leaching requirements for frequently irrigated wheat, grain sorghum, and head lettuce. The 4-year study in field plots consisted of six replicated leaching fraction treatments. The plots were pulse-irrigated daily with water having a total dissolved salts concentration of 1350 mg/l.The leaching requirements are 0.08 for wheat and sorghum, and 0.26 for lettuce. The respective evapotranspiration during each crop's growing season coincident with the leaching requirements was 440, 550, and 245 mm. A pan factor of 0.7 was consistent among these three crops at their respective leaching requirements. With daily irrigation, 90% of the crop's water uptake occurred above a soil depth of 0.6 m, independent of leaching fraction.