Corn Production: A Subsurface Drip Irrigation Approach

Jilin Provincial Academy of Agricultural Machinery initiated studies in 2000 to develop the methodology for successful application of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) for corn production on the deep silt loam soils of the northeast plains, China. Irrigation water use for corn can be reduced by 37–52% when using SDI compared with more traditional forms of irrigation in the region. Irrigation frequency has not been a critical issue when SDI is used for corn production on the deep silt loam soils of the region. A dripline spacing of 1.5 m has been found to be most economical for corn grown in 0.76 m spaced rows. Nitrogen fertigation was a very effective management tool with SDI, helping to maximize corn grain yield, while obtaining high efficiencies of nitrogen and water use. The research SDI systems have been utilized since 2000 without replacement or major degradation. SDI systems lasting 10–20 years are cost competitive for corn production with the more traditional forms of irrigation in the northeast plains for certain field sizes.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of Shallow Subsurface Drip Irrigation for the Production of Acorn Squash

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.26.4.436 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 436-443 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Timothy Coolong

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Block Design ◽

Irrigation Treatment ◽

Subsurface Drip Irrigation ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Set Point ◽

Irrigation Water Use ◽

Subsurface Drip ◽

The Impact

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has been increasingly used for the production of numerous agronomic crops and a limited number of vegetable crops. To determine the impact of SDI compared with surface drip irrigation (SUR), a study was conducted in 2011 and 2012 with ‘Table Queen’ acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo var. turbinata) with irrigation initiated at 75% and 50% plant available water (PAW). The study was arranged as a factorial randomized complete block design and plants were grown with two irrigation types (SUR or SDI) and two tensiometer-controlled irrigation regimes. Results from 2011 suggested that SDI used less water compared with SUR at each irrigation set point. However, in 2012, significantly more water was used in all treatments due to warmer temperatures and less rainfall. In 2012, SDI used more water than SUR treatments at the same irrigation set point. In 2012, yield was affected by irrigation treatment. Plants grown using SUR irrigating at 75% PAW had greater numbers of fruit compared with other treatments. Furthermore, the highest yielding treatment had more than twice the number of irrigation events than the other treatments though the average lengths of irrigation events were shorter. Although overall yields were greater in 2012, irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) was lower than in 2011 due to increased water use. These results suggest that while SDI may have some advantages over traditional SUR, environmental factors during growth can significantly impact the efficiency and productivity of each system.

Download Full-text

Effect of New Irrigation Technology on the Physiology and Water Use Efficiency of Potato by Reclaimed Water Irrigation

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.726-731.3035 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 726-731 ◽

pp. 3035-3039 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xue Bin Qi ◽

Zong Dong Huang ◽

Dong Mei Qiao ◽

Ping Li ◽

Zhi Juan Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Root Zone ◽

Subsurface Drip Irrigation ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Root Weight ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Subsurface Drip

Agriculture is a big consumer of fresh water in competition with other sectors of the society. The agricultural sector continues to have a negative impact on the ecological status of the environment. The worlds interest in high quality food is increasing. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of subsurface drip irrigation on physiological responses, yield and water use efficiency, Soil nitrogen, Root weight density of potato in the semi-humid region of middle China using subsurface drip irrigation. The experiment used second-stage treated wastewater with and without addition of chloride, and both subsurface drip and furrow irrigations were investigated. Results indicated that the alternate partial root-zone irrigation is a practicable water-saving strategy for potato. The drip with chlorinated and non-chlorinated water improved water use efficiency by 21.48% and 39.1%, respectively, and 44.1% in the furrow irrigation. Partial root zone drying irrigation stimulates potato root growth and enhances root density. The content of the heavy metal in the potato tubers is no more than the National Food Requirements, and it is consistent with National Food Hygiene Stands.

Download Full-text