scholarly journals Drip Irrigation Management by TDR Monitoring of Soil Water and Solute Distribution

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shmuel Dasberg ◽  
Jan W. Hopmans ◽  
Larry J. Schwankl ◽  
Dani Or
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
High Water ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Parametric Modelling

Drip irrigation has the potential of high water use efficiency, but actual water measurement is difficult because of the limited wetted volume. Two long-term experiments in orchards in Israel and in California and several field crop studies supported by this project have demonstrated the feasibility of precise monitoring of soil water distribution for drip irrigation in spite of the limited soil wetting. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) enables in situ measurement of soil water content of well defined small volumes. Several approaches were tried in monitoring the soil water balance in the field during drip irrigation. These also facilitated the estimation of water uptake: 1. The use of multilevel moisture probe TDR system. This approach proved to be of limited value because of the extremely small diameter of measurement. 2. The placement of 20 cm long TDR probes at predetermined distances from the drippers in citrus orchards. 3. Heavy instrumentation with neutron scattering access tubes and tensiometers of a single drip irrigated almond tree. 4. High resolution spatial and temporal measurements (0.1m x 0.1m grid) of water content by TDR in corn irrigated by surface and subsurface drip. The latter approach was accompanied by parametric modelling of water uptake intensity patterns by corn roots and superimposed with analytical solutions for water flow from point and line sources. All this lead to general and physically based suggestions for the placement of soil water sensors for scheduling drip irrigation.

scholarly journals Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) for Enhanced Water Distribution: SDI - Seepage Hybrid System

EDIS ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincoln Zotarelli ◽  
Libby Rens ◽  
Charles Barrett ◽  
Daniel J. Cantliffe ◽  
Michael D. Dukes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
High Water ◽  
Subsurface Drip Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Seepage Irrigation ◽  
Subsurface Drip

In terms of water use efficiency, the traditional seepage irrigation systems commonly used in areas with high water tables are one of the most inefficient methods of irrigation, though some irrigation management practices can contribute to better soil moisture uniformity. Subsurface drip irrigation systems apply water below the soil surface by microirrigation, improving the water distribution and time required to raise the water table for seepage irrigation. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Lincoln Zotarelli, Libby Rens, Charles Barrett, Daniel J. Cantliffe, Michael D. Dukes, Mark Clark, and Steven Lands, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1217

Modelling water uptake by a mature apple tree

Soil Research ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Green ◽  
I. Vogeler ◽  
B. E. Clothier ◽  
T. M. Mills ◽  
C. van den Dijssel
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Apple Tree ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Richards Equation ◽  
Mature Apple

We report the results from a field experiment in which we examined the spatial and temporal patterns of water uptake by a mature apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh., 'Splendour') in an orchard. Time domain reflectometry was used to measure changes in the soil's volumetric water content, and heat-pulse was used to monitor locally the rates of sap flow in the trunk and roots of the tree. The tree's distribution of root-length density and supporting data to characterise the soil's hydraulic properties were determined for the purpose of modelling soil water movement in the root-zone under an apple tree. Experimental data are compared against the output from a numerical model of the soil water balance that uses Richards' equation for water flow, and uses a distributed macroscopic sink term for root uptake. In general, there was a very good agreement between the measured and modelled results. The apple trees consumed some 70 L of water per day during the middle of summer. The daily water use declined to about 20 L per day with the onset of autumn, coinciding with a reduced evaporative demand and an increasing number of rain days. Water movement in the root-zone soil was dominated by the water uptake via surface roots. Large changes in soil water content were also associated with each irrigation event. Our experimental data support the contention that more frequent irrigation in smaller doses will result in less water percolating through the root-zone. Such an irrigation strategy should make more efficient use of water by minimising the leaching losses. It will also be helpful for environmental protection by reducing the percolation losses of water and solute beyond the grasp of the roots.

Multifunctional irrigation for viticulture adaptation to climate change: a case study in northern Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Masseroni ◽  
Lucio Brancadoro ◽  
Riccardo Guidetti ◽  
Roberto Beghi ◽  
Davide Bianchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Experimental Activity ◽  
Related Stress

<p>The last decades have been characterized by an important development of viticulture in Italy, especially in Lombardy, where this sector is focusing on improving grapevine production, by enhancing quantity and, even more, quality. The increasing frequency of extreme meteorological events that has been observed in recent years has started raising concerns about the risks for grapevine quality and production, caused by summer heat waves and late spring frosts. The role of over-vine sprinklers in frost protection is well known; less so is their effect on heat stress protection. In fact, recent studies have shown that evaporation of sprayed water in the canopy layer during heat waves can reduce local air temperature through latent heat absorption by water evaporation. Moreover, in order to minimize the temperature-related stress, water spraying can be combined with the control of soil water content through drip irrigation, to lower soil temperature and enhance turgor maintenance.</p><p>The ADAM project (http://www.adam-disaa.eu/IT/DEFAULT.ASP#) fits into this research framework. The objective of the project is to develop a multifunctional irrigation strategy combining controlled soil water content and protection from temperature-related stress conditions. An experimental activity has started in the 2019 season in a Chardonnay vineyard located in the Colli Morenici area (Lombardy, northern Italy). Four irrigation management strategies have been compared, namely: no irrigation (NI); farmer’s drip irrigation (IT); automated drip irrigation, based on tensiometer measurements (IG); automated drip plus over-vine micro-sprinkler irrigation based on tensiometer measurements, temperature measurements and short-term forecast (IS). In the latter case, irrigation is activated before heat wave occurrence, based on 5days-ahead temperature forecasts (with 3 h refresh period).</p><p>At the end of the first year of experiment, we have obtained interesting preliminary results: while the first three strategies did not lead to significant differences in grape quality (in terms of sugars content, acidity and pH of musts), differences were found in all three parameters for the IS strategy. Specifically, pH and acidity are higher and sugars content is lower. Further analysis, including micro-vinification, are ongoing in order to assess the effects on wine quality. The experimental activity will continue in 2020 and 2021 with the aims of: collecting enough data to define a preliminary protocol for multi-functional irrigation management; assess the irrigation water requirements and the energy consumptions; test the effectiveness of VIS/NIR techniques for the quick measurement of crop conditions; verify the sustainability of the different strategies, both at the farm and district scale.</p>

scholarly journals Modelling the Impact on Root Water Uptake and Solute Return Flow of Different Drip Irrigation Regimes with Brackish Water

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fairouz Slama ◽  
Nessrine Zemni ◽  
Fethi Bouksila ◽  
Roberto De Mascellis ◽  
Rachida Bouhlila
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Return Flows ◽  
Semi Arid

Water scarcity and quality degradation represent real threats to economic, social, and environmental development of arid and semi-arid regions. Drip irrigation associated to Deficit Irrigation (DI) has been investigated as a water saving technique. Yet its environmental impacts on soil and groundwater need to be gone into in depth especially when using brackish irrigation water. Soil water content and salinity were monitored in a fully drip irrigated potato plot with brackish water (4.45 dSm−1) in semi-arid Tunisia. The HYDRUS-1D model was used to investigate the effects of different irrigation regimes (deficit irrigation (T1R, 70% ETc), full irrigation (T2R, 100% ETc), and farmer’s schedule (T3R, 237% ETc) on root water uptake, root zone salinity, and solute return flows to groundwater. The simulated values of soil water content (θ) and electrical conductivity of soil solution (ECsw) were in good agreement with the observation values, as indicated by mean RMSE values (≤0.008 m3·m−3, and ≤0.28 dSm−1 for soil water content and ECsw respectively). The results of the different simulation treatments showed that relative yield accounted for 54%, 70%, and 85.5% of the potential maximal value when both water and solute stress were considered for deficit, full. and farmer’s irrigation, respectively. Root zone salinity was the lowest and root water uptake was the same with and without solute stress for the treatment corresponding to the farmer’s irrigation schedule (273% ETc). Solute return flows reaching the groundwater were the highest for T3R after two subsequent rainfall seasons. Beyond the water efficiency of DI with brackish water, long term studies need to focus on its impact on soil and groundwater salinization risks under changing climate conditions.

A simple numerical model to estimate water availability in saline soils

Soil Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi ◽  
Mahnaz Khataar
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Weighting Function ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
Irrigation Water Salinity ◽  
Evapotranspiration Rate

We developed a numerical model to predict soil salinity from knowledge of evapotranspiration rate, crop salt tolerance, irrigation water salinity, and soil hydraulic properties. Using the model, we introduced a new weighting function to express the limitation imposed by salinity on plant available water estimated by the integral water capacity concept. Lower and critical limits of soil water uptake by plants were also defined. We further analysed the sensitivity of model results to underlying parameters using characteristics given for corn, cowpea, and barley in the literature and two clay and sandy loam soils obtained from databases. Results showed that, between two irrigation events, soil salinity increased nonlinearly with decreasing soil water content especially when evapotranspiration and soil drainage rate were high. The salinity weighting function depended greatly on the plant sensitivity to salinity and irrigation water salinity. This research confirmed that both critical and lower limits (in terms of water content) of soil water uptake by plants increased with evapotranspiration rate and irrigation water salinity. Since the presented approach is based on a physical concept and well-known plant parameters, soil hydraulic characteristics, irrigation water salinity, and meteorological conditions, it may be useful in spatio-temporal modelling of soil water quality and quantity and prediction of crop yield.

Measuring Soil Water Content With Time Domain Reflectometry

Soil Science ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 175 (10) ◽  
pp. 469-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoqiang Ju ◽  
Xiaona Liu ◽  
Tusheng Ren ◽  
Chunsheng Hu
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry

scholarly journals A thermodynamic formulation of root water uptake

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 3441-3454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Hildebrandt ◽  
Axel Kleidon ◽  
Marcel Bechmann
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Bound Water ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Flow Path ◽  
Thermodynamic Evaluation ◽  
Entire Flow ◽  
Soil Water Distribution

Abstract. By extracting bound water from the soil and lifting it to the canopy, root systems of vegetation perform work. Here we describe how root water uptake can be evaluated thermodynamically and demonstrate that this evaluation provides additional insights into the factors that impede root water uptake. We derive an expression that relates the energy export at the base of the root system to a sum of terms that reflect all fluxes and storage changes along the flow path in thermodynamic terms. We illustrate this thermodynamic formulation using an idealized setup of scenarios with a simple model. In these scenarios, we demonstrate why heterogeneity in soil water distribution and rooting properties affect the impediment of water flow even though the mean soil water content and rooting properties are the same across the scenarios. The effects of heterogeneity can clearly be identified in the thermodynamics of the system in terms of differences in dissipative losses and hydraulic energy, resulting in an earlier start of water limitation in the drying cycle. We conclude that this thermodynamic evaluation of root water uptake conveniently provides insights into the impediments of different processes along the entire flow path, which goes beyond resistances and also accounts for the role of heterogeneity in soil water distribution.

scholarly journals Construction and calibration of TDR probes for volumetric water content estimation in a Distroferric Red Latosol

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 919-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosimaldo Soncela ◽  
Silvio C. Sampaio ◽  
Marcio A. Vilas Boas ◽  
Maria H. F. Tavares ◽  
Adriana Smanhotto
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Volumetric Water Content ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Calibration Model ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Disturbed Soil ◽  
Red Latosol ◽  
The Time Domain

The determination of volumetric water content of soils is an important factor in irrigation management. Among the indirect methods for estimating, the time-domain reflectometry (TDR) technique has received a significant attention. Like any other technique, it has advantages and disadvantages, but its greatest disadvantage is the need of calibration and high cost of acquisition. The main goal of this study was to establish a calibration model for the TDR equipment, Trase System Model 6050X1, to estimate the volumetric water content in a Distroferric Red Latosol. The calibration was carried out in a laboratory with disturbed soil samples under study, packed in PVC columns of a volume of 0.0078m³. The TDR probes were handcrafted with three rods and 0.20m long. They were vertically installed in soil columns, with a total of five probes per column and sixteen columns. The weightings were carried out in a digital scale, while daily readings of dielectric constant were obtained in TDR equipment. The linear model θν = 0.0103 Ka + 0.1900 to estimate the studied volumetric water content showed an excellent coefficient of determination (0.93), enabling the use of probes in indirect estimation of soil moisture.

Development of a soil water dispersion index (SOWADIN) for testing the effectiveness of soil-wetting agents

Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Sawada ◽  
LAG Aylmore ◽  
JM Hainsworth
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Soil Column ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Dispersion Index ◽  
Soil Columns ◽  
Water Dispersion ◽  
Soil Wetting

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.

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