scholarly journals Modelling soil water content variations under drought stress on soil column cropped with winter wheat

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szilveszter Csorba ◽  
Andrea Raveloson ◽  
Eszter Tóth ◽  
Viliam Nagy ◽  
Csilla Farkas

Abstract Mathematical models are effective tools for evaluating the impact of predicted climate change on agricultural production, but it is difficult to test their applicability to future weather conditions. We applied the SWAP model to assess its applicability to climate conditions, differing from those, for which the model was developed. We used a database obtained from a winter wheat drought stress experiment. Winter wheat was grown in six soil columns, three having optimal water supply (NS), while three were kept under drought-stressed conditions (S). The SWAP model was successfully calibrated against measured values of potential evapotranspiration (PET), potential evaporation (PE) and total amount of water (TSW) in the soil columns. The Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (N-S) for TWS for the stressed columns was 0.92. For the NS treatment, we applied temporally variable soil hydraulic properties because of soil consolidation caused by regular irrigation. This approach improved the N-S values for the wetting-drying cycle from -1.77 to 0.54. We concluded that the model could be used for assessing the effects of climate change on soil water regime. Our results indicate that soil water balance studies should put more focus on the time variability of structuredependent soil properties.

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong He ◽  
Yilin Shi ◽  
Hao Liang ◽  
Kelin Hu ◽  
Lingling Hou

The impact of soil nutrient depletion on crop production is a thoroughly researched issue; however, robust assessments on the impact of climate change on water and N fluxes in agroecosystem are lacking. The complexity of soil water and N fluxes in response to climate change under agroecosystems makes simulation-based approaches to this issue appealing. This study evaluated the responses of crop yield, soil water, and N fluxes of a wheat–maize rotation to two Representative Concentration Pathways climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) at Tai’an, a representative site on the North China Plain (NCP). Results showed that the mean air temperature and accumulated precipitation for both winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) growing seasons changed in both magnitude and pattern under various climate scenarios. The temperature increases shortened the growth periods of these two crops by more than 13 days and decrease summer maize yields (P < 0.05). These results are illustrated by lower yield results associated with RCP4.5 (20.5%) and RCP8.5 (19.3%) climate scenarios, respectively. During the winter wheat growing season, water drainage examined in the climate scenarios was significantly higher (more than double) than the baseline, and there was no significant change to nitrate leaching and denitrification. In the summer maize growing season, with continuously rising temperatures, the ranking for evaporation was in the order baseline < RCP4.5 < RCP8.5, however, the opposite ranking applied for transpiration and evapotranspiration. The increase in water drainage was 1.4 times higher than the baseline, whereas the nitrate leaching in soil significantly decreased. Our simulation results provide an opportunity to improve the understanding of soil water and N fluxes in agroecosystems, which can lead to deficient or excess N under future climate conditions.


Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Sawada ◽  
LAG Aylmore ◽  
JM Hainsworth

Computer-assisted tomography (CAT) applied to gamma-ray attenuation measurements has been used to develop an index termed the soil water dispersion index (SOWADIN), which describes quantitatively the amount and distribution of water in soil columns. The index, which is determined by classifying pixels in a scanned slice into three categories according to their attenuation coefficients, contains two numerical values. The first value corresponds to the water content of the scanned slice and the second value is a measure of the dispersion of the water throughout the slice. Artificially wetted zones were created in soil columns to give one-third of the scanned layer wetted with various patterns of wetted-area distribution. The SOWADIN values obtained accurately reflected the differences in water distribution associated with the different patterns. Application of SOWADIN to columns of a water-repellent sand before and after treatment with a soil-wetting agent clearly illustrates both the increase in water content and improvement in water distribution in the soil column following treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (16) ◽  
pp. 4658-4676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A Gambetta ◽  
Jose Carlos Herrera ◽  
Silvina Dayer ◽  
Quishuo Feng ◽  
Uri Hochberg ◽  
...  

Abstract Water availability is arguably the most important environmental factor limiting crop growth and productivity. Erratic precipitation patterns and increased temperatures resulting from climate change will likely make drought events more frequent in many regions, increasing the demand on freshwater resources and creating major challenges for agriculture. Addressing these challenges through increased irrigation is not always a sustainable solution so there is a growing need to identify and/or breed drought-tolerant crop varieties in order to maintain sustainability in the context of climate change. Grapevine (Vitis vinifera), a major fruit crop of economic importance, has emerged as a model perennial fruit crop for the study of drought tolerance. This review synthesizes the most recent results on grapevine drought responses, the impact of water deficit on fruit yield and composition, and the identification of drought-tolerant varieties. Given the existing gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying grapevine drought responses, we aim to answer the following question: how can we move towards a more integrative definition of grapevine drought tolerance?


Soil Research ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
HS Acharya

In experimental methods for determination of soil water diffusivity using the water distribution from horizontal infiltration into a soil column, hand smoothing of the experimentally obtained distribution introduces uncertainties in the calculations. A method of calculation involving techniques of quadratic programming has been used to minimize the possible errors caused by inhomogeneous packing of the horizontal soil columns. Examples are given to illustrate the method of calculations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 5692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhriti Kapoor ◽  
Savita Bhardwaj ◽  
Marco Landi ◽  
Arti Sharma ◽  
Muthusamy Ramakrishnan ◽  
...  

Plants are often exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions, for instance abiotic stresses, which dramatically alter distribution of plant species among ecological niches and limit the yields of crop species. Among these, drought stress is one of the most impacting factors which alter seriously the plant physiology, finally leading to the decline of the crop productivity. Drought stress causes in plants a set of morpho-anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes, mainly addressed to limit the loss of water by transpiration with the attempt to increase the plant water use efficiency. The stomata closure, one of the first consistent reactions observed under drought, results in a series of consequent physiological/biochemical adjustments aimed at balancing the photosynthetic process as well as at enhancing the plant defense barriers against drought-promoted stress (e.g., stimulation of antioxidant systems, accumulation of osmolytes and stimulation of aquaporin synthesis), all representing an attempt by the plant to overcome the unfavorable period of limited water availability. In view of the severe changes in water availability imposed by climate change factors and considering the increasing human population, it is therefore of outmost importance to highlight: (i) how plants react to drought; (ii) the mechanisms of tolerance exhibited by some species/cultivars; and (iii) the techniques aimed at increasing the tolerance of crop species against limited water availability. All these aspects are necessary to respond to the continuously increasing demand for food, which unfortunately parallels the loss of arable land due to changes in rainfall dynamics and prolonged period of drought provoked by climate change factors. This review summarizes the most updated findings on the impact of drought stress on plant morphological, biochemical and physiological features and highlights plant mechanisms of tolerance which could be exploited to increase the plant capability to survive under limited water availability. In addition, possible applicative strategies to help the plant in counteracting unfavorable drought periods are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9451
Author(s):  
Xiaowen Wang ◽  
Huanjie Cai ◽  
Liang Li ◽  
Xiaoyun Wang

Deficit irrigation strategy is essential for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions. A two−year deficit irrigation field experiment was conducted to study the water dynamics of winter wheat under deficit irrigation in Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China. Three irrigation levels were implemented during four growth stages of winter wheat: 100%, 80% and 60% of actual evapotranspiration (ET) measured by the lysimeter with sufficient irrigation treatment (CK). The agro−hydrological model soil−water−atmosphere−plant (SWAP) was used to simulate the components of the farmland water budget. Sensitivity analysis for parameters of SWAP indicated that the saturated water content and water content shape factor n were more sensitive than the other parameters. The verification results showed that the SWAP model accurately simulated soil water content (average relative error (MRE) < 21.66%, root mean square error (RMSE) < 0.07 cm3 cm−3) and ET (R2 = 0.975, p < 0.01). Irrigation had an important impact on actual plant transpiration, but the actual soil evaporation had little change among different treatments. The average deep percolation was 14.54 mm and positively correlated with the total irrigation amount. The model established using path analysis and regression methods for estimating ET performed well (R2 = 0.727, p < 0.01). This study provided effective guidance for SWAP model parameter calibration and a convenient way to accurately estimate ET with fewer variables.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Smith ◽  
S. Hegazy

Reuse of treated wastewater in irrigation is gaining recognition as a vital element in the water resources management plan of developing countries, especially those situated in arid and semi-arid regions. An understanding of the transport of residual pollutants from treated wastewater, such as bacteria, in soil as a result of irrigation is critical to assessing health risks and the possible contamination of limited groundwater resources. In this work, retention of E. coli is evaluated for a soil that is irrigated by treated wastewater for growth of non-food crops near Egypt's Red Sea coast. In particular, the effects of soil organic fraction (SOF) and hydraulic loading rate (HLR) were investigated in laboratory soil columns. The matrix of experiments included three HLRs and three SOFs. The retention of bacteria by adsorption was observed at HLRs of 5 and 13 cm/h, with the magnitude of the adsorption increasing proportionally to the SOF. The impact of SOF was greater for the lower HLR. At the lowest HLR investigated (5 cm/h), filtration was also observed for the two higher SOFs (0.674 and 2.04 per cent). At a high HLR (66 cm/h) simulating flood irrigation, retention of bacteria was minimal regardless of the SOF. Since the bacterial solution is applied to a dry soil column to simulate field conditions, E. coli breakthrough after two pore volumes of throughput (vs. one) provided a meaningful comparison of bacterial retention as a function of HLR and SOF.


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