Drainage water quality and end-member identification in La Violada irrigation district (Spain)

Irrigation districts play a decisive role in Portuguese agriculture and require the adaptation to the new water management paradigm through a change in technology and practices compatible with farmers’ technical know-how and economic sustainability. Therefore, improvement of water management, focusing on water savings and increasing farmers’ income, is a priority. In this perspective, an applied research study is being carried out on the gravity-fed Lis Valley Irrigation District to assess the performance of collective water supply, effectiveness of water pumping, and safety of crop production due to the practice of reuse of drainage water. The water balance method was applied at irrigation supply sectors, including gravity and Pumping Irrigation Allocation. The average 2018 irrigation water allocated was 7400 m3/ha, being 9.3% by pumping recharge, with a global efficiency of about 67%. The water quality analysis allowed identifying some risk situations regarding salinization and microbiological issues, justifying action to solve or mitigate the problems, especially at the level of the farmers’ fields, according to the crops and the irrigation systems. Results point to priority actions to consolidate improved water management: better maintenance and conservation of infrastructure of hydraulic infrastructures to reduce water losses and better flow control; implementation of optimal operational plans, to adjust the water demand with distribution; improvement of the on-farm systems with better water application control and maintenance procedures; and improvement of the control of water quality on the water reuse from drainage ditches. The technological innovation is an element of the modernization of irrigation districts that justifies the development of multiple efforts and synergies among stakeholders, namely farmers, water users association, and researchers.

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The Use of Water Quality Index Technique to Assess Ground Water and Drainage Water for Irrigation in Al-yusufyiah Area – Baghdad Governorate –Central Iraq

Iraqi Journal of Science ◽

10.24996/ijs.2017.58.4a.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 58 (4A) ◽

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Ground Water ◽

Water Quality Index ◽

Quality Index ◽

Drainage Water

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Impact of Fertigation versus Controlled-release Fertilizer Formulations on Nitrate Concentrations in Nursery Drainage Water

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.21.2.176 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 176-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

P. Chris Wilson ◽

Joseph P. Albano

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Controlled Release ◽

Drainage Water ◽

Plant Production ◽

Fertilization Program ◽

Median Concentration ◽

Nitrate N ◽

Production Area ◽

Foliage Plant ◽

Production Areas

Nitrate-nitrogen (N) losses in surface drainage and runoff water from ornamental plant production areas can be considerable. In N-limited watersheds, discharge of N from production areas can have negative impacts on nontarget aquatic systems. This study monitored nitrate-N concentrations in production area drainage water originating from a foliage plant production area. Concentrations in drainage water were monitored during the transition from 100% reliance on fertigation using urea and nitrate-based soluble formulations (SF) to a nitrate-based controlled-release formulation (CRF). During the SF use period, nitrate-N concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 322.0 mg·L−1 with a median concentration of 31.2 mg·L−1. Conversely, nitrate-N concentrations during the controlled-release fertilization program ranged from 0 to 147.9 mg·L−1 with a median concentration of 0.9 mg·L−1. This project demonstrates that nitrate-N concentrations in drainage water during the CRF program were reduced by 94% to 97% at the 10th through 95th percentiles relative to the SF fertilization program. Nitrate-N concentrations in drainage water from foliage plant production areas can be reduced by using CRF fertilizer formulations relative to SF formulations/fertigation. Similar results should be expected for other similar containerized crops. Managers located within N-limited watersheds facing N water quality regulations should consider the use of CRF fertilizer formulations as a potential tool (in addition to appropriate application rates and irrigation management) for reducing production impacts on water quality.

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Impact of Controlled Drainage and Subirrigation on Water Quality in the Red River Valley

Water ◽

10.3390/w13030308 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 308

Author(s):

Kristen Almen ◽

Xinhua Jia ◽

Thomas DeSutter ◽

Thomas Scherer ◽

Minglian Lin

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Surface Water ◽

Surface Water Quality ◽

Drainage Water ◽

River Valley ◽

Red River ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Controlled Drainage ◽

Red River Valley ◽

The Impact

The potential impact of controlled drainage (CD), which limits drainage outflow, and subirrigation (SI), which provides supplemental water through drain tile, on surface water quality are not well known in the Red River Valley (RRV). In this study, water samples were collected and analyzed for chemical concentrations from a tile-drained field that also has controlled drainage and subirrigation modes in the RRV of southeastern North Dakota from 2012–2018. A decreasing trend in overall nutrient load loss was observed because of reduced drainage outflow, though some chemical concentrations were found to be above the recommended surface water quality standards in this region. For example, sulfate was recommended to be below 750 mg/L but was reported at a mean value of 1971 mg/L during spring free drainage. The chemical composition of the subirrigation water was shown to have an impact on drainage water and the soil, specifically on salinity-related parameters, and the impact varied between years. This variation largely depended on the amount of subirrigation applied, soil moisture, and soil properties. Overall, the results of this study show the benefits of controlled drainage on nutrient loss reduction from agricultural fields.

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