Crop Yield and Water Use Efficiency as Affected by Different Soil-Based Management Methods for Variable-Rate Irrigation in a Semi-Humid Climate

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 1915-1922
Author(s):  
Xiumei Li ◽  
Weixia Zhao ◽  
Jiusheng Li ◽  
Yanfeng Li

Abstract. To improve the management of variable-rate irrigation (VRI) systems in semi-humid climates, three different soil-based irrigation management methods were evaluated on their potential for reducing irrigation water use and maximizing crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) during the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons of summer maize in the North China Plain. The three irrigation management methods evaluated were soil water balance modeling (SWB), measured soil water content (SWC), and a combination of SWB and the rain forecast for the next three days (RF). The experiments were implemented on four management zones delineated by available soil water holding capacity of a center-pivot VRI system. A similar irrigation trigger point (70% of field capacity) was used for the three irrigation management methods in the four management zones. In the two seasons, the total water application in the SWC treatments varied in a larger range among the management zones, and the irrigation water applied was 22% and 21% less than in the SWB and RF treatments, respectively. Similar yields were obtained among the irrigation management methods in both seasons. The maximum WUE was always observed with the SWC treatments for the four management zones in the 2017 season. The WUE with the SWC treatments was 36% and 23% higher than with the SWB and RF treatments, respectively. Considering the amount of irrigation water applied, yield, and WUE, our results demonstrated that the SWC method was more suitable for VRI management than the SWB and RF methods in this semi-humid climate. Keywords: Center pivot, Soil water balance, Soil water content, Rain forecast, Summer maize, Yield.

Irriga ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Rossi Vicente ◽  
Everardo Chartuni Mantovani ◽  
ANDRÉ LUÍS TEIXEIRA FERNANDES ◽  
FÁBIO TEIXEIRA DELAZARI ◽  
EDMILSON MARQUES FIGUEREDO

EFEITO DE DIFERENTES LÂMINAS DE IRRIGAÇÃO NAS VARIÁVEIS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E PRODUÇÃO DO CAFEEIRO IRRIGADO POR PIVÔ CENTRAL  MARCELO ROSSI VICENTE1; EVERARDO CHARTUNI MANTOVANI2; ANDRÉ LUÍS TEIXEIRA FERNANDES3; FÁBIO TEIXEIRA DELAZARI4 E EDMILSON MARQUES FIGUEREDO5 1 Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas Gerais, Salinas, MG, [email protected] Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, [email protected] Universidade de Uberaba, Uberaba, MG, Fábio Teixeira Delazari, [email protected] Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, [email protected] Bahia Farm Show, Luís Eduardo Magalhães, BA, [email protected]  1      RESUMO O presente trabalho foi conduzido com objetivo de avaliar o efeito de diferentes lâminas de irrigação nas variáveis de produção, estádios maturação de frutos e eficiência no uso da água pela cultura do cafeeiro irrigado por pivô central equipado com emissores LEPA, na região Oeste da Bahia. Realizou-se o trabalho na fazenda Café do Rio Branco, localizada em Barreiras - BA em cafeeiros adultos da variedade Catuaí IAC 144. O experimento obedeceu ao delineamento de blocos casualizados, composto de cinco tratamentos correspondentes à 70, 85, 100, 125 e 150% da lâmina de irrigação determinada pelo software Irriplus. As produtividades, os estádios de maturação dos frutos e eficiência no uso da água do cafeeiro foram submetidos à análise de variância e regressão, em que os modelos foram escolhidos baseados na significância dos coeficientes de regressão utilizando-se o teste t de 1 a 10% de probabilidade. Diante dos resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que, a produtividade da cultura do café foi expressivamente dependente da lâmina de água aplicada, sendo que a maior produtividade (60 sc ha-1) foi alcançada com a lâmina de irrigação acumulada de 661 mm ano-1, correspondente à 96% da lâmina de irrigação determinada pelo software Irriplus. A lâmina que proporcionou a máxima porcentagem de frutos cereja (44,1%) foi de 723 mm ano-1 (105%). A lâmina que proporcionou a maior eficiência no uso da água foi de 480 mm ano-1 (70%). Palavras-Chave: Coffea arabica, manejo da irrigação, emissor LEPA, uso eficiente da água.  VICENTE, M. R.; MANTOVANI, E. M.; FERNANDES, A. L. T.; DELAZARI, F. T.; FIGUEREDO, E. M.EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF IRRIGATION DEPTHS   ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTION VARIABLES OF COFFEE UNDER CENTER PIVOT  IRRIGATION     2        ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different irrigation depths on yield, ripening stages and water use efficiency by the   coffee crop irrigated by center pivot with LEPA emitters in western Bahia. The experiment was carried out at the Café Rio Branco farm, in Barreiras city, Bahia state, using  adult coffee trees of cv. Catuaí IAC 144. A completely randomized block design was used with five treatments consisting of 70, 85, 100, 125 and 150 % of ETc, determined by the Irriplus software.  Data of yield, fruit ripening stage and water use efficiency were evaluated   using analyses of variance  and regression. Models were chosen based on level of significance of   regression coefficients using the Student´s t-test, 1 to  10% probability.  Based on the results,  coffee crop yield was highly dependent on  the water depth applied. The highest yield (3.6 ton/ha) was achieved  using accumulated irrigation depth of 661 mm year -1 (96 % of Etc).  Water depths of   723 mm year-1 (105 %) and 480 mm year-1 (70% ETc)  provided the highest percentage of cherry fruit (44.1%) and the highest water use efficiency, respectively. Keywords: Coffea arábica, irrigation management, LEPA emitter, water use efficiency.


Author(s):  
Welson L. Simões ◽  
Anderson R. de Oliveira ◽  
Alessandra M. Salviano ◽  
Jucicléia S. da Silva ◽  
Marcelo Calgaro ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of leaching fraction on the biometric and production characteristics and technological quality of the juice of sugarcane varieties grown in saline soil in the Brazilian semiarid region. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with three repetitions, in a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial scheme, corresponding to two sugarcane cultivation cycles: plant cane and ratoon cane; three sugarcane varieties: RB72454, SP943206 and VAT90212; and, three leaching fractions of irrigation water: 0; 9.1; and 16.6%. Number of living leaves, number of internodes, leaf area, stem diameter, plant height, number of tillers, yield, total soluble solids content (°Brix), percentage of industrial fiber, juice purity, juice Pol%, cane Pol% and total recoverable sugar were evaluated. At the end of the two crop cycles, water use efficiency was determined. The varieties SP943206 and VAT90212 showed higher yield under leaching fraction of irrigation water of 9.1% in both cycles, and higher water use efficiency values were observed for the variety VAT90212. Application of leaching fractions to reduce soil salinity does not promote changes in the technological quality of the sugarcane varieties RB72454, SP943206 and VAT90212.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1535-1547
Author(s):  
Manuel A. Andrade ◽  
Susan A. O’Shaughnessy ◽  
Steven R. Evett

HighlightsThe ARSPivot software facilitates variable-rate irrigation management of a center pivot irrigation system.The software embodies a system capable of generating site-specific prescription maps based on weather, plant, and soil water information.ARSPivot’s graphical user interface (GUI) incorporates easy-to-use geographic information system (GIS) tools that help its users to make irrigation management decisions.Abstract. The ARSPivot software was developed for the seamless operation of a complex network consisting of a variable-rate irrigation (VRI) center pivot system and an Irrigation Scheduling Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ISSCADA) system that interfaces with weather, plant, and soil water sensing systems. ARSPivot’s graphical user interface (GUI) incorporates a built-in geographic information system (GIS) that maps a center pivot system and facilitates the analysis of data relevant to its operation. The GIS was developed following a minimalistic approach with the objective of making its geospatial data analysis tools accessible to a wide range of users (farmers, irrigation consultants, and researchers). The post-harvest analyses of two experiments carried out in the Texas High Plains during the summers of 2016 and 2017 using a three-span VRI center pivot are presented to illustrate the advantages of using ARSPivot as a decision support tool and how its GIS tools help its users make better informed decisions regarding irrigation management. In these experiments, the north-northwest (NNW) portion of a field planted with corn (Zea mays L.) was irrigated using VRI zone control, and the south-southeast (SSE) portion was irrigated using VRI speed control. Experimental plots in the NNW portion were assigned one of three irrigation levels (80%, 50%, or 30% replenishment of soil water depletion to field capacity in the top 1.5 m), and their irrigation was scheduled using either a plant stress-based algorithm implemented in the ARSPivot software or manual weekly neutron probe (NP) readings. Plots in the SSE portion were assigned a single irrigation level of 80%, and their irrigation was scheduled using either the plant stress method or a two-step hybrid approach in which soil water sensing was combined with the plant stress method to determine irrigation depths. Soil water sensing data for the ISSCADA system were provided by NP readings during the 2016 season and by sets of time-domain reflectometers (TDRs) installed at depths of 15, 30, and 45 cm during the 2017 season. No significant differences were found during either season in terms of mean dry grain yield and crop water productivity (CWP) obtained from plots irrigated at the 80% level in both sides of the field, regardless of the irrigation scheduling method or the type of VRI application method used for irrigation. No significant differences were found during either season between mean dry grain yield and CWP of plots in the NNW portion irrigated using the plant stress-based method and NP readings at the 80% irrigation level. The lack of significant differences documented the potential of the ARSPivot system as a plant and soil water sensing-based decision support software for site-specific irrigation management of corn using a VRI center pivot system. Keywords: Center pivot irrigation, Decision support system, Geographic information system, Precision agriculture, Software.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1207-1215
Author(s):  
Ruixiu Sui ◽  
Susan A. O’Shaughnessy ◽  
Steven R. Evett ◽  
Alejandro Andrade-Rodriguez ◽  
Jonnie Baggard

HighlightsAn Irrigation Scheduling Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ISSCADA) system was tested against a soil electrical conductivity (EC) based method for variable-rate irrigation (VRI).Soil EC was used to create irrigation prescription in EC-based VRI.ISSCADA generated VRI prescriptions using canopy temperature, soil water content, and weather data.ISSCADA-based VRI reduced irrigation water use and increased irrigation water productivity.Abstract. Use of variable-rate irrigation (VRI) technology has the potential to improve irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). VRI hardware is commercially available and can be implemented in any center pivot or lateral move irrigation system. However, practical methods and algorithms for creating VRI prescriptions have become the bottleneck in accelerating the adoption of VRI. An Irrigation Scheduling Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ISSCADA) system for VRI was evaluated for two years in a humid region in the Mississippi Delta. The ISSCADA system was used to manage irrigation of soybeans for two seasons. In field practice, the ISSCADA system scanned the field for canopy temperature and collected soil water data from time domain reflectometers and weather data from a nearby weather station. The ISSCADA system automatically generated VRI prescription maps. The maps were modified to include plots managed using soil electrical conductivity (EC) based VRI prescriptions. Test results indicated that there was no difference in crop yield between EC-based VRI and ISSCADA-based VRI management. However, ISSCADA-based VRI management reduced irrigation water use and increased irrigation water productivity in comparison with EC-based VRI. There is great potential for the use of ISSCADA for VRI in humid regions. Keywords: Canopy temperature, Soil electrical conductivity, Soil moisture sensor, Soil water sensor, Soybean, Variable rate irrigation.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yufeng Zou ◽  
Hao Feng ◽  
Shufang Wu ◽  
Qin’ge Dong ◽  
Kadambot H. M. Siddique

Water shortage and excessive chemical fertilizers application result in low soil water and nutrient availability and limit crop production in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China. Ammoniated straw incorporation with N fertilization may be an efficient strategy to maintain agricultural sustainability. However, the interactive effects of straw incorporation and N fertilizer on the biomass water use efficiency (WUE) in the winter wheat–summer maize rotation system remain unclear. A 3-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of combining ammoniated straw incorporation and N fertilizer on soil water, biomass yield and biomass water use efficiency (WUE) in an annual summer maize (Zea mays L.)—Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation system. There were three treatments: (i) long straw (5 cm) mulching with N fertilizer (CK), (ii) long straw with N fertilizer plowed into the soil (LP), and (iii) ammoniated long straw with N fertilizer plowed into the soil (ALP). Compared with the CK treatment, LP and ALP led to a similar soil water storage capacity. ALP improved summer maize biomass yield and winter wheat biomass yield at the jointing-maturity stage. ALP improved summer maize WUE at the ten-leaf collar-tasseling stage and winter wheat WUE from the tillering stage to the maturity stage. Also, the ALP treatment increased the total water use efficiency (TWUE) of winter wheat by 4.1–22.0%. Overall, ammoniated straw incorporation produced the most favorable biomass yield and WUE in the summer maize—Winter wheat rotation system in the Loess Plateau of China.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rui Zong ◽  
Huifang Han ◽  
Quanqi Li

Summary Plastic film (PF) mulching is widely applied in agriculture to improve water-use efficiency (WUE) and crop production. However, without efficient recovery, the residual plastic fragments in arable land threaten soil health and food security. Degradable films are generally considered as alternatives to conventional PF to mitigate PF pollution. A 2-year field experiment was conducted in 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the effects of various film mulching treatments (conventional PF mulching, transparent degradable film (TDF) mulching, and black degradable film (BDF) mulching, and no mulching) on soil water availability and summer maize yield in the North China Plain (NCP). Soil moisture, soil water storage, water use, and grain yield were recorded. Below 20 cm depth, soil moisture and soil water storage were higher in film mulching than in no mulching. Conventional PF mulching yielded the best water conservation, especially from sowing to jointing. TDF and BDF were similar in their regulation of soil moisture. Comparing to no mulching, conventional PF and degradable transparent film significantly reduced maize grain yield by 15.4 and 8.0% (average over 2 years), and reduced WUE by 9.4 and 7.8% (average 2 years), respectively. The observed reduction of grain yield in transparent film mulching might be caused by excessive soil temperature, especially at vegetative stages, which potentially accelerates crop senescence. Black film mulching reduced the soil cumulative temperature and prevent crops from being overheated. As consequence, grain yield and WUE of summer maize under BDF covering were significantly increased by 11.1 and 15.6%, respectively, over the 2 years. Therefore, we suggest that BDF can be used to replace conventional plastics to improve crop yield and control environmental pollution in the NCP.


2020 ◽  
Vol 239 ◽  
pp. 106232
Author(s):  
Krishna B. Katuwal ◽  
Youngkoo Cho ◽  
Sukhbir Singh ◽  
Sangamesh V. Angadi ◽  
Sultan Begna ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 540-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Al-Gaadi ◽  
R. Madugundu ◽  
E. Tola

A field study was carried out to investigate the seasonal variations in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) water use efficiency (WUE) using Eddy Covariance (EC) measured CO2 and H2O fluxes, aiming at optimizing the use of irrigation water under hyper arid conditions. The EC system used for this study was installed on a center pivot-irrigated 50 ha alfalfa field. Results revealed that the net EC estimated CO2 uptake ranged from 65,00 kg ha−1 (in winter) to 21,500 kg ha−1 (in summer). While, H2O flux was 4,147 m3 ha−1 (in winter) and 20,157 m3 ha−1 (in summer). This resulted in an estimated alfalfa WUE of 1.57 and 1.07 kg m−3 for winter and summer seasons, respectively. However, the actual WUE of harvested alfalfa was calculated at 0.70 and 0.71 kg m−3 for winter and summer, respectively. Therefore, attaining an actual crop WUE of 33–55% lower than the EC measurement (i.e. more water losses were due to leaching and deep-percolation processes, as the EC system could only estimate evapotranspiration over agricultural fields) emphasizes the need of precision irrigation practices, which will enable farmers to apply irrigation water and agrochemicals more precisely and site-specifically to match soil and plant status and needs.


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