The effect of improved pastures and grazing management on soil water storage on a basaltic plains site in south-west Victoria

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Bird ◽  
T. T. Jackson ◽  
G. A. Kearney ◽  
G. R. Saul ◽  
R. A. Waller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Gravelly Soil ◽  
The Impact

Soil salinity of non-irrigated farmlands in Australia has been largely attributed to tree clearing and their replacement by annual pasture and crop species. This paper deals with the effects of sowing perennial ryegrass and greater inputs of fertiliser, and the effect of grazing management, on water use and the potential to improve recharge control on a gravelly soil derived from basalt.In 1991, neutron access tubes were inserted into plots on a project established in 1989 to examine the impact of upgrading the pasture on sheep productivity. These plots were subdivided in 1996 to examine the impact of grazing management (tactical v. set-stocking) and pasture type (pastures dominated by annual species v. upgraded pastures) on productivity. Neutron probe readings were taken periodically from tubes in each plot, at depth intervals of 25 cm (December 1991–March 1995) or 20 cm (August 1995–April 1999) to 170 cm. There was no effect of treatment on soil moisture. Data for 2 wet years (1995 and 1996) indicate that the effective soil-water storage capacity to 170 cm depth for these pastures was a mean of 125 mm of water. This represents the potential buffer before winter rainfall exceeds the water use by the pasture, fills the soil profile to capacity and then either runs off or allows deep drainage to occur.We did not achieve a significant reduction in soil-water storage, and therefore potential recharge of groundwater, by re-sowing the pasture with perennial ryegrass and applying more fertiliser, or by altering the grazing management to a form of rotational grazing. Compared with set-stocked annual pasture, the impact of such treatments was to reduce soil-water storage to a depth of 170 cm in autumn by less than 20 mm/year. There was no association between total herbage production and soil-water storage, however an increased percentage of perennial ryegrass in the pasture was associated with a small reduction in soil-water storage in 1 year. Greater use of soil-water may depend upon using deeper-rooted perennials or maintaining a higher proportion of perennial species in the sward (the perennial ryegrass in the re-sown pastures declined from 53% in October 1996 to 4% in October 1998).

The impact of wheat stubble on evaporation from a sandy soil

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 730 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Ward ◽  
K. Whisson ◽  
S. F. Micin ◽  
D. Zeelenberg ◽  
S. P. Milroy
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Adjacent Area ◽  
Stubble Retention ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Wheat Stubble ◽  
The Impact

In Mediterranean-type climates, dryland soil water storage and evaporation during the hot and dry summer are poorly understood, particularly for sandy-textured soils. Continued evaporation during summer, and any effects of crop stubble management, could have a significant impact on annual components of the water balance and crop yield. In this research, the effect of wheat stubble management on summer evaporation and soil water storage was investigated for a sandy soil in south-western Australia, during the summers of 2005–06 and 2006–07. Treatments comprised: retained standing stubble; retained flattened stubble; removed stubble; and removed stubble followed by burying the crowns with topsoil from an adjacent area. Under ‘dry’ conditions, evaporation continued at ~0.2 mm/day. In contrast to previous results for finer textured soil types, stubble retention did not decrease the rate of evaporation, but marginally (10–30%) increased evaporation on 7 out of 14 days when measurements were taken. Significant differences due to stubble management were observed in two successive summers, but only for relatively dry soil conditions. There were no significant differences observed for several days after irrigation or rainfall. Under dry conditions in the absence of rainfall, total decrease in water storage during a 90-day summer period could be ~20 mm, but differences attributable to stubble management are likely to be a few mm.

scholarly journals Soil-Water Storage Predictions for Cultivated Crops on the Záhorská Lowlands

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Miroslava Jarabicová ◽  
Peter Minarič
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Reference Period ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Upper Boundary

Abstract The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact of climate change on the soil-water regime of the Záhorská lowlands. The consequences of climate change on soil-water storage were analyzed for two crops: spring barley and maize. We analyzed the consequences of climate change on soil-water storage for two crops: spring barley and maize. The soil-water storage was simulated with the GLOBAL mathematical model. The data entered into the model as upper boundary conditions were established by the SRES A2 and SRES B1 climate scenarios and the KNMI regional climate model for the years from 2071 to 2100 (in the text called the time horizon 2085 which is in the middle this period). For the reference period the data from the years 1961-1990 was used. The results of this paper predict soil-water storage until the end of this century for the crops evaluated, as well as a comparison of the soil-water storage predictions with the course of the soil-water storage during the reference period.

Water use of sunflower crops

1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (97) ◽  
pp. 233 ◽  
Author(s):  
WK Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Sowing Time ◽  
Small Component ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Use Efficiencies

The potential, or energy-limited evapotranspiration, and the actual, or soil water-limited evapotranspiration functions of sunflower were estimated by lysimetry and field soil water measurements. The functions show that peak water demand by the crop is in the immediate post-anthesis period and that sunflower is capable of restricting its water use when some 70% of the maximum available water remains in the root zone. With the aid of these functions, weekly estimates were made of the water use of thirteen commercial sunflower crops in northern New South Wales. Estimated water use ranged from 150 to 320 mrn and water use efficiencies from 1.9 to 10.5 kg seed mm-1 water used. Highest yields and water use efficiencies were associated with a combination of high total water supply (soil water at sowing plus rainfall during growth of 380 mm or more) high water use (220 mm or more) and low evaporative demand (below 780 mm of pan evaporation). Based on the water use characteristics of the crop the optimal sowing time in most areas is mid summer. However, spring sowings may be preferable for winter rainfall areas where soil water storage capacity is high and there is only a small component of summer rain. Crops sown in spring, even with high stored soil water (up to 200 mm) failed to yield as well as those sown in summer with much lower soil water storage.

scholarly journals Two soil hydrology formulations of ORCHIDEE (version Trunk.rev1311) tested for the Amazon basin

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-129
Author(s):  
M. Guimberteau ◽  
P. Ciais ◽  
A. Ducharne ◽  
J. P. Boisier ◽  
S. Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Budget ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Diffusion Scheme ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. This study analyzes the impact of the two soil model parameterizations of the Land Surface Model ORCHIDEE on their estimates of Amazonian hydrology and phenology for five major sub-basins (Xingu, Tapajós, Madeira, Solimões and Negro), during the 29 yr period 1980–2008. The two soil models are a simple 2 layer soil scheme with a bucket topped by an evaporative layer vs. an 11 layer soil diffusion scheme. The soil models were coupled with a river routing module and a process model of plant physiology, phenology and carbon dynamics. The simulated water budget and vegetation functioning components were compared with several datasets at sub-basin scale. The use of the 11 layer soil diffusion scheme did not significantly change the Amazonian water budget simulation when compared to the 2 layer soil scheme (+3.1 and −3.0% in evapotranspiration and river discharge, respectively). However, the higher water holding capacity of the soil and the physically based representation of runoff and drainage in the 11 layer soil diffusion, resulted in higher dynamics of soil water storage variation and improved simulation of the total terrestrial water storage when compared to GRACE satellite estimates. The greater soil water storage within the 11 layer soil diffusion scheme resulted in increased dry-season evapotranspiration (+0.5 mm d−1, +17%) and river discharge in the southeastern sub-basins such as the Xingu. Evapotranspiration over this sub-basin was sustained during the whole dry season with the 11 layer soil diffusion model, whereas the 2 layer soil scheme limited it at the end of the dry season. Lower plant water stress simulated by the 11 layer soil diffusion scheme, led to better simulation of the seasonal cycle of photosynthesis (GPP) when compared to a GPP data-driven model based upon eddy-covariance and satellite greenness measurements. Simulated LAI was consequently higher with the 11LAY (up to +0.4) but exhibited too low a variation when compared to a satellite-based dataset. The dry-season length between 4 and 7 months over the entire Amazon basin was found to be critical in distinguishing differences in hydrological feedbacks between the soil and the vegetation cover simulated by the two soil models. Overall, the 11 layer soil diffusion scheme provided little improvement in simulated hydrology on average over the wet tropical Amazonian sub-basins but a more significant improvement over the drier sub-basins. However, the use of the 11 layer soil diffusion scheme might become critical for assessments of future hydrological changes, especially in southern regions of the Amazon basin where longer dry season and more severe droughts are expected in the next century.

scholarly journals The relationship between the soil water storage and water-use efficiency of seven energy crops

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Podlaski ◽  
S. Pietkiewicz ◽  
D. Choluj ◽  
T. Horaczek ◽  
G. Wisniewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Energy Crops ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Soil water storage and groundwater behaviour in a catenary sequence beneath forest in central Amazonia: I. Comparisons between plateau, slope and valley floor

1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Hodnett ◽  
I. Vendrame ◽  
A. De O. Marques Filho ◽  
M. D. Oyama ◽  
J. Tomasella
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Valley Floor ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Shallow Water Table

Abstract. Soil water storage was monitored in three landscape elements in the forest (plateau, slope and valley floor) over a 3 year period to identify differences in sub-surface hydrological response. Under the plateau and slope, the changes of storage were very similar and there was no indication of surface runoff on the slope. The mean maximum seasonal storage change was 156 mm in the 2 m profile but it was clear that, in the dry season, the forest was able to take up water from below 3.6 m. Soil water availability was low. Soil water storage changes in the valley were dominated by the behaviour of a shallow water table which, in normal years, varied between 0.1 m below the surface at the end of the wet season and 0.8 m at the end of the dry season. Soil water storage changes were small because root uptake was largely replenished by groundwater flow towards the stream. The groundwater behaviour is controlled mainly by the deep drainage from beneath the plateau and slope areas. The groundwater gradient beneath the slope indicated that recharge beneath the plateau and slope commences only after the soil water deficits from the previous dry season have been replenished. Following a wet season with little recharge, the water table fell, ceasing to influence the valley soil water storage, and the stream dried up. The plateau and slope, a zone of very high porosity between 0.4 and 1.1 m, underlain by a less conductive layer, is a probable route for interflow during, and for a few hours after, heavy and prolonged rainfall.

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