scholarly journals Environmentally Friendly Soil Water Conservation Techniques

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5513-5520
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Direct Method ◽  
Environmentally Friendly ◽  
Cultivated Plants

The conservation of water resources through their optimal use is a compulsory for countries with water shortages in the arid and semi-arid regions, and it should be in an environmentally friendly manner to avoid the serious consequences of the use of environmentally harmful substances, the implications of which are currently evident from climate change, pollution of water bodies, soils, etc. Since Egypt is one of those countries suffering from water scarcity and uses about 82.5 percent of its water consumption in agriculture, according to data of the Ministry of Irrigation in 2010, so this research is focusing on the use of new methods to increase the efficiency of irrigation water, to achieve high productivity of agricultural crops with less water use that will certainly help to alleviate or solve the water scarcity issue. The study used a physical based model, to simulate the methods used to increase sand soil properties to ensure larger water retention index. Within this work, soil have been sampled from different areas, to simulate the behavior of arid lands, under different water retention techniques. Soil was exposed to different techniques, as it was mixed with soil additives in different quantities and different types. Physical barriers of cohesive soil and polyethylene sheets were used in addition to studying the effect of mulch on water storage capacity in noncohesive soil. Water retention have been measured using the direct method of determination soil water content by oven drying and the volumetric water content (𝞱v ) with time graphs have been plotted in groups, as well as the cultivated plants have been monitored as to measure the influence on plants growing and irrigation efficiency. And the experiment showed that the use of rice straw (RS) and wheat straw (WS) in the powder condition have a significant effect in increasing in the soil water content and even to the plant growth, the WS obtained 𝞱v values approaching the loam soil at times and slightly less in the case of RS, when the percentage of RC and WS was 30% to the sandy soil volume/volume (v/v). Also the use of mulch of RS showed a noticeable increase in 𝞱v and significant improvement of plant growth to that without mulch. These proven technologies can be used in sandy land targeted for reclamation to reduce water use in agriculture.

Evapotranspiration Measurement and Irrigation Scheduling for Several Tropical Fruit Crops Using the EnviroScan System

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 549f-550
Author(s):  
Mongi Zekri ◽  
Bruce Schaffer ◽  
Stephen K. O'Hair ◽  
Roberto Nunez-Elisea ◽  
Jonathan H. Crane
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Tropical Fruit

In southern Florida, most tropical fruit crops between Biscayne and Everglades National Parks are irrigated at rates and frequencies based on experience and observations of tree growth and fruit yield rather than on reliable quantitative information of actual water use. This approach suggests that irrigation rates may be excessive and could lead to leaching of agricultural chemicals into the groundwater in this environmentally sensitive area. Therefore, a study is being conducted to increase water use efficiency and optimize irrigation by accurately scheduling irrigation using a very effective management tool (EnviroScan, Sentek Environmental Innovations, Pty., Kent, Australia) that continuously monitors soil water content with highly accurate capacitance multi-sensor probes installed at several depths within the soil profile. The system measures crop water use by monitoring soil water depletion rates and allows the maintenance of soil water content within the optimum range (below field capacity and well above the onset of plant water stress). The study is being conducted in growers' orchards with three tropical fruit crops (avocado, carambola, and `Tahiti' lime) to facilitate rapid adoption and utilization of research results.

scholarly journals Using an inverse modelling approach to evaluate the water retention in a simple water harvesting technique

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 4265-4306 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Verbist ◽  
W. M. Cornelis ◽  
D. Gabriels ◽  
K. Alaerts ◽  
G. Soto
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Inverse Modelling ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Arid Zones ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Data Set

Abstract. In arid and semi-arid zones runoff harvesting techniques are often applied to increase the water retention and infiltration on steep slopes. Additionally, they act as an erosion control measure to reduce land degradation hazards. Nevertheless, few efforts were observed to quantify the water harvesting processes of these techniques and to evaluate their efficiency. In this study a combination of detailed field measurements and modelling with the HYDRUS-2D software package was used to visualize the effect of an infiltration trench on the soil water content of a bare slope in Northern Chile. Rainfall simulations were combined with high spatial and temporal resolution water content monitoring in order to construct a useful dataset for inverse modelling purposes. Initial estimates of model parameters were provided by detailed infiltration and soil water retention measurements. Four different measurement techniques were used to determine the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) independently. Tension infiltrometer measurements proved a good estimator of the Ksat value and a proxy for those measured under simulated rainfall, whereas the pressure and constant head well infiltrometer measurements showed larger variability. Six different parameter optimization functions were tested as a combination of soil-water content, water retention and cumulative infiltration data. Infiltration data alone proved insufficient to obtain high model accuracy, due to large scatter on the data set, and water content data were needed to obtain optimized effective parameter sets with small confidence intervals. Correlation between observed soil water content and simulated values was as high as R2=0.93 for ten selected observation points used in the model calibration phase, with overall correlation for the 22 observation points equal to 0.85. Model results indicate that the infiltration trench has a significant effect on soil water storage, especially at the base of the trench.

Effects of burning on soil-water content and water use in a Paspalum quadrifarium grassland

2001 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina M Sakalauskas ◽  
José L Costa ◽  
Pedro Laterra ◽  
Liliana Hidalgo ◽  
Luis A.N Aguirrezabal
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Use

Retrieving soil-water retention curve at the wet part by remote sensing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zampela Pittaki-Chrysodonta ◽  
Per Moldrup ◽  
Bo V. Iversen ◽  
Maria Knadel ◽  
Lis W. de Jonge
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Spectral Data ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Soil Water Retention Curve ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Retention Curve

<p>The soil water retention curve (SWRC) at the wet part is important for understanding and modeling the water flow and solute transport in the vadose zone. However, direct measurements of SWRC is often laborious and time consuming processes. The Campbell function is a simple method to fit the measured data. The parameters of the Campbell function have been recently proven that can be predicted using visible-near-infrared spectroscopy. However, predicting the SWRC using image spectral data could be an inexpensive and fast method. In this study, 100-cm<sup>3</sup> soil samples from Denmark were included and the soil water content was measured at a soil-water matric potential from pF 1 [log(10)= pF 1] up to pF 3. The anchored Campbell soil-water retention function was selected instead of the original. Specifically, in this function the equation is anchored at the soil-water content at pF 3 (θ<sub>pF3</sub>) instead at the saturated water content. The image spectral data were correlated with the Campbell parameters [θ<sub>pF3</sub>, and the pore size distribution index (Campbell b). The results showed the potential of remote sensing to be used as a fast and alternative method for predicting the SWRC in a large-scale.</p>

On-farm measurement of the water use and productivity of maize

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Greenwood ◽  
G. N. Mundy ◽  
K. B. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Crop Coefficients

Maize, as a C4 species, is likely to use water more productively than the perennial ryegrass and white clover pastures typically grown for dairy cows in northern Victoria. However, only estimates of water use by irrigated maize crops are available for this region. We measured the growth and water use of three commercial maize crops used for silage in northern Victoria. Crops under centre pivot irrigation were monitored in 2003–04 (Spray 1) and 2004–05 (Spray 2). A border-check irrigated crop (Border-check) was monitored in 2004–05. The Spray 1 crop was irrigated 30 times and received 782 mm of rainfall and irrigation. The crop yielded 22 t DM/ha, giving a water productivity of 28 kg DM/ha.mm (including irrigation, rainfall and change in soil water content). In the cooler, wetter summer of 2004–05, the water productivity was 34 kg DM/ha.mm for the Spray 2 crop and 30 kg DM/ha.mm for the Border-check crop. Crop evapotranspiration was estimated from weather data and a daily soil water balance was computed according to FAO 56. The estimated and measured changes in soil water content were in good agreement and indicated that the basal crop coefficients in the model (Kcb = 1.15 during the mid-season, before correction for non-standard humidity and wind speed) were appropriate to local conditions. Maize grown for silage in northern Victoria has higher water productivity than pastures. However, high yields are required to make it economically viable compared with alternative forages for dairy cows. These data will assist dairy farmers to select the optimum forage mix for their enterprises.

Respond of Plant Growth and Soil Water-Salt to Different Irrigation Amounts in Little Thickness Aeration Zone in the Hinterland of Taklimakan Desert

2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 3872-3876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Jun Jin ◽  
Jing Long Fan ◽  
Bo Xu ◽  
Bing Wen Li ◽  
Xin Wen Xu
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Taklimakan Desert ◽  
Water Condition ◽  
Sustainable Water Supply ◽  
Water Salt

In order to clarify the influence of saline water irrigation to plant growth and distribution ofsoil water-salt, and providing theoretical basis for sustainable water supply of ecological constructionin desert area, the data of soil water-salt and plant growth was observed at Tarim Desert HighwayShelter-forest Ecological Project No. 17 well. The law of soil water and salt spatial distribution wasanalyzed, and the responses of plant growth to 4 different irrigation amounts were studied by singleelement variance analysis. The results were as follows: the soil water content reaches or is close tosaturation in layer of 100~120cm under the 420mm irrigation water condition; The soil water contentreaches or is close to saturation in layer of 160~180cm under the 233.1mm irrigation water condition;The soil water content reaches or is close to saturation in layer of 180~200cm under the 285.6mm irrigation water condition; The soil water content reaches or is close to saturation in layer of160~180cm under the 201.6mm irrigation water condition. The vertical distribution law of soilssalinity is that the soil salt can enter groundwater after 3 days of irrigation, and be gathered in 0~30cmsoil layer. There were no significant differences except the Tamarix plant height in plant growthindexes among 4 different irrigation quantities treatments.

scholarly journals Water Use, Growth, and Fruit Yield of `Hosui' Asian Pears under Deficit Irrigation

1994 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst W. Caspari ◽  
M. Hossein Behboudian ◽  
David J. Chalmers
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Growth ◽  
Volume Measurements ◽  
Pyrus Serotina ◽  
Return Bloom

Five-year old `Hosui' Asian pear (Pyrus serotina Rehder) trees growing in drainage lysimeters and trained onto a Tatura trellis were subjected to three different irrigation regimes. Weekly water use (WU) was calculated using the mass-balance approach. Soil-water content of control lysimeters was kept at pot capacity, while deficit irrigation was applied before [regulated deficit irrigation (RDI)] and during the period of rapid fruit growth [late deficit irrigation (LDI)]. Soil-water content was maintained at ≈50% and 75% of pot capacity for RDI and LDI, respectively. Deficit irrigation reduced mean WU during RDI and LDI by 20%. The reduced WU was caused by lower stomatal conductance (gs) on deficit-irrigated trees. RDI trees had more-negative diurnal leaf water potentials (ψl). The ψl, gs, and WU remained lower for 2 weeks after RDI was discontinued. RDI reduced shoot extension and summer pruning weights, whereas winter pruning weights were not different between treatments. Except for the final week of RDI, fruit growth was not reduced, and fruit from RDI grew faster than the control during the first week after RDI. In contrast, fruit volume measurements showed that fruit growth was clearly inhibited by LDI. Final fruit size and yield, however, were not different between treatments. Return bloom was reduced by RDI but was not affected by LDI.

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