scholarly journals Effect of Super Absorbent Polymer and Irrigation Deficit on Water Use Efficiency, Growth and Yield of Cotton

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid-Reza FALLAHI ◽  
Reza TAHERPOUR KALANTARI ◽  
Mahsa AGHHAVANI-SHAJARI ◽  
Mohammad-Ghasem SOLTANZADEH

Sustainable use of water resources in agriculture is a necessity for many arid countries. In order to investigate the effect of water deficit, irrigation after 120 (control), 155 (moderate water stress) and 190 mm (sever water stress) pan evaporation and super absorbent polymer rates (SAP) (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha-1) on growth, yield and water use efficiency of cotton, an experiment was conducted as split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Moreover, the effect of water quality (distilled water and solutions of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 1.25% NaCl) was investigated on water holding capacity by SAP. Results revealed that moderate water stress (irrigation intervals of aprox. 15 days) along with 60 kg ha-1 SAP application was the best treatment in terms of growth and yield indices of cotton. The results for plant height, plant dry weight, boll number per plant and fiber yield in this treatment were 16, 28, 42 and 10% higher than control treatment, respectively. Water deficit and SAP application improved the water use efficiency (WUE) of cotton. The amount of WUE in moderate water stress treatment along with consumption of 60 or 90 kg ha-1 SAP was 26% higher than for control treatment. In addition, water holding capacity by SAP in distilled water treatment was 7 times higher than in the case of 1.25% NaCl solution. The overall results showed that irrigation deficit and SAP application are two appropriate strategies for crop production in areas affected by drought stress, especially if low saline water sources are used.

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid-Reza FALLAHI ◽  
Reza TAHERPOUR KALANTARI ◽  
Mahsa AGHHAVANI-SHAJARI ◽  
Mohammad-Ghasem SOLTANZADEH

2012 ◽  
Vol 212-213 ◽  
pp. 578-585
Author(s):  
Zhong Wen Yang ◽  
Jun Ying Jin ◽  
Xin Yi Xu

Water stress is an important approach to use water resources efficiently and remit the agricultural water shortage. Hemarthria compressa is one of perennial grasses, a pasture of high quality, which has abundant species resources in China. To explore the response of the growth, yield and water use efficiency(WUE) of Hemarthria compressa under water stress, this study, adapting pot experiment, imposed three water stress degree (LD, MD and SD) treatments and a control treatment on Hemarthria compressa. The data of growth indicators during control period, yield and total water consumption were obtained. The results show a noticeable inhibitory action of water stress on the growth of Hemarthria compressa. Along with the intensifying of water stress, plant height increment, leaf area, total biomass, dry matter of each organ and yield decreased, and the root-shoot ratio increased firstly and inclined to slump finally. Plants under the middle water stress treatment achieved the greatest WUE of 38.25 kg/m3. The first 10d in the water control period was the most sensitive period of the pasture responding to water stress.


2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 523-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Suresh ◽  
Shiv O. Prasher ◽  
Ramanbhai M. Patel ◽  
Zhiming Qi ◽  
Eman Elsayed ◽  
...  

Abstract. There is a need to develop innovative techniques to effectively use water in agriculture to meet the growing demands for food. Super absorbent polymers (SAPs), or hydrogels, can absorb and retain large amounts of water against gravitational forces and release it on demand to meet plant water requirements. Being an artificially synthesized compound, it is imperative that SAPs should not introduce toxicity to the growing medium or produce. The objectives of this study were to determine whether SAPs can improve water use efficiency (WUE) and the physiological growth of cherry tomatoes ( var. ) without causing soil toxicity. A pot-trial experiment was carried out in 2014 at the Research Greenhouse of McGill University’s Macdonald Campus (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada) in a completely randomized design, with three concentrations of SAP (0%, 0.1%, and 0.5%) and three irrigation intervals (daily, each alternate day, and every third day). The mean yield of the experimental cherry tomatoes was statistically significantly higher where 0.5% SAP was applied, compared to where SAP was not applied (p = 0.0056). The mean WUE was also higher where 0.5% SAP was applied when compared to where SAP was not applied (p = 0.05). To ascertain food safety, the presence of free acrylamide monomer in tomatoes was checked. The acrylamide concentrations were below the detection limit of 5 µg kg-1 in all tomato samples. To assess environmental toxicity, a Microtox toxicology analysis was also conducted on the growing medium, which revealed that the SAP used in the study was not toxic. Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of SAP could increase yield and WUE of greenhouse-grown cherry tomatoes. It also appears that SAP did not introduce toxic side-effects in the soil nor in the tomatoes, as determined by Microtox acute toxicity test and acrylamide residue analysis with LC-MS. Keywords: Acrylamide, Cherry tomatoes, Greenhouse, Microtox, Monomer, Super absorbent polymer, Toxicity, Water use efficiency, Yield.


1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
s Thoma ◽  
S Fukai

Two cultivars of barley and one cultivar of chickpea were grown in both well-watered and water stress conditions in three experiments. Water use efficiency (biomass produced per unit evapotranspiration) was lower in chickpea than in barley, and between two barley cultivars it was higher in early-maturing Corvette than in late-maturing Triumph. These differences in water use efficiency were mostly related to the differences in transpiration efficiency (biomass produced per unit transpiration). The latter appeared to reflect the differences in biomass production under well-watered conditions, as similar differences were found in light use efficiency (biomass produced per unit of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted) among the three crops. Transpiration efficiency was inversely related to vapour pressure deficit of the air. In three experiments soil evaporation accounted for about 55% and 10-30% of total water use for chickpea and barley respectively during observation periods, when rainfall was excluded from the plots. Slow canopy development of chickpea was a reason for such a high proportion of soil evaporation, and this contributed to its lower water use efficiency compared to barley. The amount of radiation transmitted to the soil surface appeared to be an important factor determining soil evaporation, even when soil water was not fully available and limiting soil evaporation.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Ikram Ullah ◽  
Hanping Mao ◽  
Ghulam Rasool ◽  
Hongyan Gao ◽  
Qaiser Javed ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various irrigation water (W) and nitrogen (N) levels on growth, root-shoot morphology, yield, and irrigation water use efficiency of greenhouse tomatoes in spring–summer and fall–winter. The experiment consisted of three irrigation water levels (W: 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), 80%, and 60% of full irrigation) and three N application levels (N: 100%, 75%, and 50% of the standard nitrogen concentration in Hoagland’s solution treatments equivalent to 15, 11.25, 7.5 mM). All the growth parameters of tomato significantly decreased (p < 0.05) with the decrease in the amount of irrigation and nitrogen application. Results depicted that a slight decrease in irrigation and an increase in N supply improved average root diameter, total root length, and root surface area, while the interaction was observed non-significant at average diameter of roots. Compared to the control, W80 N100 was statistically non-significant in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. The W80 N100 resulted in a yield decrease of 2.90% and 8.75% but increased irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) by 21.40% and 14.06%. Among interactions, the reduction in a single factor at W80 N100 and W100 N75 compensated the growth and yield. Hence, W80 N100 was found to be optimal regarding yield and IWUE, with 80% of irrigation water and 15 mM of N fertilization for soilless tomato production in greenhouses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 679-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.Z. IHSAN ◽  
F.S. EL-NAKHLAWY ◽  
S.M. ISMAIL

ABSTRACT Understanding the critical period of weed competition is indispensable in the development of an effective weed management program in field crops. Current experiment was planned to evaluate the critical growth period ofSetaria and level of yield losses associated with delay in weeding in rain-fed drip irrigated wheat production system of Saudi Arabia. Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of weeding interval (07-21, 14-28, 21-35, 28-42 and 35-49 days after sowing) and drought stress (75% and 50% of field capacity) on Setaria growth, wheat yield and water use efficiency. Season long weedy check and wellwatered (100% FC) plots were also maintained for comparison. Weeding interval and drought stress significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the growth and yield of Setaria and wheat. Drought stress from 75% to 50% FC resulted in reductions of 29-40% in Setaria height, 14-27% in Setaria density and 11-26% in Setaria dry biomass. All weeding intervals except 35-49 DAS significantly suppressedSetaria growth as compared with control. Delay in weeding increased weed-crop competition interval and reduced wheat yield and yield contributors. Therefore, the lowest yield of 1836 kg ha-1 was attained for weeding interval of 35-49 DAS at 50% FC. Water use efficiency and harvest index increased with decreasing FC levels but reduced with delay in weeding. Correlation analysis predicted negative association ofSetariadensity with wheat yield and yield contributors and the highest negative association was for harvest index (-0.913) and water use efficiency (-0.614). Early management of Setaria is imperative for successful wheat production otherwise yield losses are beyond economical limits.


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