EVALUATION OF RESIDENTIAL WATER UTILIZATION UNDER AN EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAM

Depletion and contamination of traditional water supplies and population pressures are straining the water resources of the United States. This has placed increased emphasis on the need for water conservation through all phases of the use cycle. Objectives of this research were to: 1) Determine water use in residential, commercial, and institutional landscapes; 2) Evaluate landscape irrigation system performance; and 3) Evaluate feasibility of landscape irrigation scheduling. Beginning in 1991, water meters on 18 test sites in Lincoln, NE were read on a weekly basis. Water meter readings during the winter were used to develop a baseline on non-landscape water use. The “can test” method was used to evaluate landscape irrigation system precipitation rate and distribution efficiency. Four recording weather stations were used to estimate daily potential evapotranspiration (ETp). Lysimeters (20 cm dia. × 31 cm deep) were installed in two Kentucky bluegrass and one tall fescue landscape to estimate water use coefficients for calculating landscape evapotranspiration. Irrigation system Christiansen coefficients of uniformity ranged from .43 to .87 with scheduling coefficients ranging from 1.31 to over 15.14. Poor irrigation system performance characteristics made it difficult to schedule irrigation on estimated water use.

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Periodic Versus Real-time Adjustment of a Leaching Fraction-based Microirrigation Schedule for Container-grown Plants

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci14402-19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 83-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jeff B. Million ◽

Thomas H. Yeager

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Real Time ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Irrigation Schedule ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Leaching Fraction ◽

Reduced Water ◽

Irrigation Practices

Two experiments were conducted to determine if a leaching fraction (LF)-guided irrigation practice with fixed irrigation run times between LF tests (LF_FX) could be improved by making additional adjustments to irrigation run times based on real-time weather information, including rain, using an evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling program for container production (LF_ET). The effect of the two irrigation practices on plant growth and water use was tested at three target LF values (10%, 20%, and 40%). For both Viburnum odoratissimum (Expt. 1) and Podocarpus macrophyllus (Expt. 2) grown in 36-cm-diameter containers with spray-stake microirrigation, the change in plant size was unaffected by irrigation treatments. LF_ET reduced water use by 10% compared with LF_FX in Expt. 2 but had no effect (P < 0.05) on water use in Expt. 1. Decreasing the target LF from 40% to 20% reduced water use 28% in both experiments and this effect was similar for both irrigation practices. For the irrigation system and irrigation schedule used in these experiments, we concluded that an LF-guided irrigation schedule with a target LF of 10% resulted in plant growth similar to one with a target LF of 40% and that the addition of a real-time weather adjustment to irrigation run times provided little or no improvement in water conservation compared with a periodic adjustment based solely on LF testing.

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An Integration of GIS and Simulation Models for a Cost Benefit Analysis of Irrigation Development

Sustainable Agriculture Research ◽

10.5539/sar.v5n4p58 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 58

Author(s):

Monika Ghimire ◽

Art Stoecker ◽

Tracy A. Boyer ◽

Hiren Bhavsar ◽

Jeffrey Vitale

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Net Present Value ◽

Cost Benefit Analysis ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Yield Response ◽

Hydrological Simulation ◽

Irrigation Development

This study incorporates spatially explicit geographic information system and simulation models to develop an optimal irrigation system. The purpose of the optimized irrigation system was to save depleted ground water supplies. ArcGIS was used to calculate the area of potential irrigable soils, and EPANET (a hydrological simulation program) was used to calculate energy costs. Crop yield response functions were used to estimate the yield of cotton to the amount of irrigation and the accumulation of soil salinity over a 50-year period. Four irrigation designs (A, B, C, and D) were analyzed with different irrigation schedules.Design A allowed all producers to irrigate simultaneously at 600 gallons per minute (gpm) or 2,271 liters per minute (lpm) while designs B and C divided the irrigable areas into two parts. Design D divided the areas into four parts to allow producers to irrigate one part at a time at 800 gpm (3,028 lpm). Irrigation scheduling not only lessened the water use and cost, but also amplified the profitability of the irrigation system. In design A, if all producers adopted 600 gpm (2,271 lpm) pivots and operated simultaneously, the cost of the 360,000 gpm (1363,000 lpm) pipeline would be prohibitive. In contrast, designs B, C, and D increased net benefits and lowered the breakeven price of cotton. The 50-year net present value for designs A, B, C, and D was profitable over 75, 70, 70, and 65 cents of cotton price per pound (454 g), respectively. Thus, this study endorses irrigation scheduling as a tool for efficient irrigation development and management, and increases water conservation.

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Development and use of a variable-speed lateral boom irrigation system to define water requirements of 11 turfgrass genotypes under field conditions

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea05157 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 86 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

D. C. Short ◽

T. D. Colmer

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Water Status ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Variable Speed ◽

Leaf Water Status ◽

Area Index ◽

Class A ◽

Irrigation Requirements ◽

Class A Pan

Improved irrigation scheduling is one strategy by which water management can be improved in turfgrass systems. The development and testing of a variable-speed lateral boom irrigation system for use in field-based irrigation trials is reported. Christiansen’s coefficient of uniformity was greater than 92% and the efficiency of irrigator discharge was greater than 90% for application depths (mm/unit land area) of 0.5–13 mm. The minimum irrigation requirements were determined for 11 turfgrass genotypes from a summer irrigation dose–response field trial that applied daily treatments of 100 (control), 80, 60, 40 and 20% of the previous day’s net evaporation measured using a US Class A pan. Responses of several shoot parameters, including clipping production, green leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll and leaf water status were evaluated to define minimum irrigation requirements for the turfgrasses. Minimum irrigation requirements (as defined by declines of 10% in several shoot responses) for C3 and C4 turfgrasses were 64–94% and 32–78% of US Class A pan, respectively. Variability in irrigation requirements within C3 or C4 types was due mainly to variations in estimates based on the different shoot parameters. The results demonstrate the opportunity for water conservation by using C4 rather than C3 turfgrasses in locations with hot dry summers (and mild winters) typical of a Mediterranean-type climate.

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Assessment of Irrigation Water Use Patterns Using Remote Sensing Data in Mexico’s Northeast

10.29007/qz1w ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Saul Arciniega ◽

Jose A. Breña-Naranjo ◽

Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽

Antonio Hernández-Espriú

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Water Use ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Land Surface ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Functional Model ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Sensing Data ◽

Irrigation Water Use

Irrigation water use (IWU) or withdrawal is a key component for the water management of a region since it tends to exceed the crops consumptive water use, especially in water-stressed regions where groundwater is the main source of water. Nevertheless, temporal IWU information is missing in many irrigation areas. Remote sensing (RS) data is commonly used for crop water requirements estimations in areas with lack of data, however, IWU is more complex to approach since it also depends on water use efficiency, irrigation system type, irrigation scheduling, and water availability, among others. This work explores the use of remote sensing data (TRMM, MODIS) and land surface hydrological products (GLDAS 2 and MERRA 2) to obtain insights about the space-time annual IWU patterns across croplands located within Mexico’s northeast region. Reported IWU in three irrigation districts (Don Martín, Región Lagunera and Bajo Río Bravo) was used to obtain a functional model using satellite data derived. Results suggest strong relationship between reported IWU with soil moisture content from GLDAS and the maximum annual EVI from MODIS, where a potential regression shown statistical correlations of 0.83 and 0.77, respectively.

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Nitrate Leaching, Yields, and Water-use Efficiency of Zucchini Squash (Cucubita pepo) under Different Irrigation and Nitrogen Rates and Methods in a Sandy Soil

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.41.4.988b ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 988B-988

Author(s):

Lincoln Zotarelli ◽

Johannes Scholberg ◽

Michael Dukes ◽

Hannah Snyder ◽

Eric Simonne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Control Treatment ◽

N Leaching ◽

Use Efficiency

On sandy soils, potential N contamination of groundwater resources associated with intensively managed vegetables may hamper the sustainability of these systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between irrigation system design/scheduling and N fertilization rates on zucchini production and potential N leaching. Zucchini was planted during Fall 2005 using three N fertilizer rates (73, 145, 217 kg/ha) and four different irrigation approaches. Irrigation scheduling included surface-applied drip irrigation and fertigation: SUR1 (141 mm applied) and SUR2 (266 mm) using irrigation control system (QIC) that allowed time-based irrigation (up to five events per day) and a threshold setting of 13% and 15% volumetric water content (VWC), respectively; Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) using a QIC setting of 10% VWC (116 mm) combined with surface applied fertigation; and a control treatment with irrigation applied once daily (424 mm). Leacheate volumes were measured by drainage lysimeters. Nitrate leaching increased with irrigation rate and N rate and measured values ranged from 4 to 42 kg N/ha. Use of SDI greatly reduced nitrate leaching compared to other treatments. SDI and SUR1 treatments had no effect on yields (29 Mg/ha). However, SDI had a 15% and 479% higher water use efficiency (WUE) compared to SUR1 and the fixed irrigation duration treatment. Application of N in excess of intermediate N-rate (standard recommendation) did not increase yield but yield was reduced at the lowest N-rate. It is concluded that combining sensor-based SDI with surface applied fertigation resulted similar or higher yields while it reduced both water use and potential N leaching because of improved nutrient retention in the active root zone.

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Combination of indicators for increasing irrigation sustainability. Definition of a Hydrosustainable Index.

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10096 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alejandro Galindo ◽

Mireia Corell ◽

María Jose Martín-Palomo ◽

Teresa Carrillo ◽

Ignacio Girón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Wide Range ◽

Definition Of ◽

Water Scarce ◽

Different Levels

The scarcity of natural resources around the world has obligated to consider the concept of sustainability in all human activities. Agriculture is not an exception, it is the activity where sustainability is more important, mainly in irrigated orchards. Sustainable water uses are commonly associated with a low water footprint. Water footprint works conclude that the main differences are in the water management at the orchard level. The olive orchard is located at an arid, water scarce location where irrigation water needs are very high and therefore the water footprint. However, an efficient, sustainable water use could be performed in these situations. The aim of this work is the design of an index (Hydrosustainable index, HydroSOS) to estimate the olive grower&#8217;s effort at orchard level for improving the sustainability of irrigated olive groves. HydroSOS marks a wide range of field activities link to irrigation management. All these are grouped into hydraulic and agronomic components. Each component has different levels and marks according to its relation to the increase in water sustainability. Irrigation scheduling components are the most valued in the index, though others such as water use efficiency, irrigation system, or soil management are also included.&#160; Four different levels are considered in relation to the final mark. HydroSOS is designed as a dynamic index to improve the objectivity in the evaluation of grower&#8217;s effort in irrigation optimization. Two cases of study are presented in two superhigh density olive orchards. Although both orchards are very similar in applied water and climatic conditions, HydroSOS index separated in two very different classifications.

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Determination of optimum irrigation scheduling for sorghum in Benna-Tsemay Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

International Journal of Agricultural Research Innovation and Technology ◽

10.3329/ijarit.v11i2.57261 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 95-102

Author(s):

TM Lebiso ◽

MM Mada

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Furrow Irrigation ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Small Scale ◽

Use Efficiency

Scarcity of water is the most severe constraint for sustainable development of agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas. Hence, novel irrigation water application systems need to be developed so that high crop yield and water productivity per unit of land can be increased. Thus, the field experiment was conducted with the objective of determining the effect of different soil moisture depletion levels on yield and water use efficiency of sorghum crop in Benna-Tsemay woreda at Enchete kebele, Southern Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2019-2020). It was arranged in RCBD with three replications and treatment was rated for five levels of available soil moisture depletion (ASMD), where T1 = 60%, T2 = 80%, T3 = 100%, T4 = 120%, and T5 = 140% of ASMD. Analysis of variance has shown that yield and water use efficiency of sorghum crop was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by irrigation scheduling. As observed in this study, the most economically attractive and environmentally accepted for small scale farmers with tolerable cost of production and higher net benefit was obtained by application of T3 (100% ASMD) under conventional furrow irrigation system. Therefore, for this particular sorghum crop (teshale variety), it could be concluded that increased water saving and water productivity through irrigation at 100% ASMD under conventional furrow irrigation system can solve the problem of water shortage and would ensure the opportunity of further irrigation development in the study area and similar agro-ecology. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 11(2): 95-102, Dec 2021

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Effect of Deficit Irrigation under Different Crop on Crop Productivity and Water Use Efficiency- A Review

Journal of Engineering Research and Reports ◽

10.9734/jerr/2020/v18i217204 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 30-37

Author(s):

Dessie Gieta Amare ◽

Zigijit Kassa Abebe

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Deficit Irrigation ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Irrigation Level ◽

Use Efficiency

Deficit irrigation is a strategy which could be applied to utilize water efficiently. The goal of the article was to review and examine different irrigation deficit to compare its crop morphological characters, yield, water productivity and water use efficiency under different crop type. The overall idea and results are very actual and useful over the world in the semi-arid and arid area interms of water managment and better economic return per applied water.The maximum production in dryland, tomato should be irrigated using drip irrigation system with 100%ETc watering amount [17]. On the other hand 85%, 75% and 30% are also effective in terms of water saving and yield. 85%ETc irrigation level water applied system appears to be a promising alternative for water conservation and labor saving with negligible trade-off in yield of maize [15]. The application of deficit irrigation (75%ETc) could be adopted in lettuce production [16]. Form the review I have seen that The WP increased as the irrigation level reduced.

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Estimating Daily Water Use of Two Petunia Cultivars Based on Plant and Environmental Factors

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.46.9.1287 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 46 (9) ◽

pp. 1287-1293 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jongyun Kim ◽

Marc W. van Iersel ◽

Stephanie E. Burnett

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Irrigation System ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Ornamental Plant ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Data Logger ◽

Daily Light Integral ◽

Daily Water ◽

Light Integral

Many ornamental plant growers water excessively to reduce the risk of drought stress. Scheduling irrigation in greenhouses is challenging because there is little quantitative information about ornamental plant water requirements and how water use changes when plants are grown in varying greenhouse environmental conditions. Models to estimate the daily water use (DWU) of greenhouse crops may provide a useful tool to conserve irrigation water. Our objective was to develop a model to predict DWU based on plant age and easily acquirable environmental data. Two petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) cultivars, Single Dreams Pink and Prostrate Easy Wave Pink, were grown in different sized containers (diameter = 10, 12.5, and 15 cm) to quantify their DWU for 6 weeks. The substrate water content (θ, v/v) was maintained at 0.40 m3·m−3 using an automated irrigation system with capacitance soil moisture sensors. Every irrigation event was recorded by a data logger, and this information was used to calculate the DWU of the plants. On overcast days early in the experiment, plants used only 4.8 to 13.8 mL·d−1. The maximum DWU of ‘Single Dreams Pink’ was 63, 96, and 109 mL·d−1 in 10-, 12.5-, and 15-cm containers, respectively. Late in the experiment, ‘Prostrate Easy Wave Pink’ petunia used more water than ‘Single Dreams Pink’ because of their more vigorous growth habit. DWU was modeled as a function of days after planting (DAP), daily light integral (DLI), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), temperature, container size, and interactions between these factors and DAP (R2 = 0.93 and 0.91 for ‘Single Dreams Pink’ and ‘Prostrate Easy Wave Pink’, respectively). Days after planting and container size were the most important factors affecting DWU and are indicative of plant size. Daily light integral was the most important environmental factor affecting DWU. These models, describing the DWU as a function of the DAP and environmental conditions, may be used as guidelines for accurately watering petunias in greenhouses and may improve irrigation scheduling.

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Influence of Rootstock and Irrigation Methods on Water Use, Mineral Nutrition, Growth, Fruit Yield, and Quality in ‘Gala’ Apple

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.22.6.731 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 731-737 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Esmaeil Fallahi

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Tree Growth ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

The United States ◽

Irrigation Scheduling ◽

Mineral Nutrients ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

World Population ◽

Irrigation Methods ◽

Yield And Quality

The increasing trend in the world population and decreasing trend in the suitable land for fruit production, combined with a shortage of water, mandate the use of efficient methods of irrigation and establishment of high-density orchards that require size-controlling rootstocks. Method of irrigation and vigor of rootstock are among the most important factors affecting uptake of mineral nutrients, and thus tree growth and fruit yield and quality attributes of apple (Malus domestica). In a long-term experiment, effects of two irrigation methods and four rootstocks on water use, tree growth, fruit quality, and leaf mineral nutrients were studied in ‘Pacific Gala’ apple. The experiment was conducted in southwestern Idaho, which represents the high desert conditions of the Intermountain West region of the United States. Evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling (ETc), adjusted by percentage of ground shading, was used for sprinkler and drip systems. Significantly lower volume of water was applied to the trees with drip irrigation than those with sprinkler irrigation system. Leaf calcium (Ca) decreased but leaf potassium (K) increased with rootstock vigor, resulting in the greatest leaf Ca but lowest leaf K in trees on ‘Budagovsky 9’ (B.9). Fruit weight and yield per tree in ‘Pacific Gala’ on ‘Nic 29’ (RN29) rootstock was higher than those on B.9 and ‘Geneva 30’ (G.30) rootstocks. ‘Pacific Gala’ on B.9 rootstock had smaller trees and fruit size but higher fruit starch degradation pattern (SDP), suggesting earlier fruit maturity on this rootstock. On average, ‘Pacific Gala’ trees with drip irrigation had larger fruit and higher leaf magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn) but less fruit color and firmness and lower leaf Ca, K, zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) than those with sprinkler system.

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