A Comparison of Irrigation-Water Containment Methods and Management Strategies Between Two Ornamental Production Systems to Minimize Water Security Threats

Andrew Ristvey,Bruk Belayneh,John Lea-Cox

doi:10.3390/w11122558

Abstract

Water security in ornamental plant production systems is vital for maintaining profitability. Expensive, complicated, or potentially dangerous treatment systems, together with skilled labor, is often necessary to ensure water quality and plant health. Two contrasting commercial ornamental crop production systems in a mesic region are compared, providing insight into the various strategies employed using irrigation-water containment and treatment systems. The first is a greenhouse/outdoor container operation which grows annual ornamental plants throughout the year using irrigation booms, drip emitters, and/or ebb and flow systems depending on the crop, container size, and/or stage of growth. The operation contains and recycles 50–75% of applied water through a system of underground cisterns, using a recycling reservoir and a newly constructed 0.25 ha slow-sand filtration (SSF) unit. Groundwater provides additional water when needed. Water quantity is not a problem in this operation, but disease and water quality issues, including agrochemicals, are of potential concern. The second is a perennial-plant nursery which propagates cuttings and produces field-grown trees and containerized plants. It has a series of containment/recycling reservoirs that capture rainwater and irrigation return water, together with wells of limited output. Water quantity is a more important issue for this nursery, but poor water quality has had some negative economic effects. Irrigation return water is filtered and sanitized with chlorine gas before being applied to plants via overhead and micro-irrigation systems. The agrochemical paclobutrazol was monitored for one year in the first operation and plant pathogens were qualified and quantified over two seasons for both production systems. The two operations employ very different water treatment systems based on their access to water, growing methods, land topography, and capital investment. Each operation has experienced different water quantity and quality vulnerabilities, and has addressed these threats using a variety of technologies and management techniques to reduce their impacts.

Highlights

Framing the IssuesOrnamental production systems are typically very intensive, with high plant densities and fast growth rates, which typically require high inputs of resources, time, and labor [1,2]
With periodic droughts, urbanization, and increasing restrictions on water use, producers are faced with increasing water security issues, even in “water-rich” mesic regions
Overall water use by the nursery industry remained the same, but 12% more of that water came from groundwater resources [3]

Summary

Introduction

Ornamental production systems are typically very intensive, with high plant densities and fast growth rates, which typically require high inputs of resources, time, and labor [1,2]. Access to reliable sources of good quality water is a principal requirement for most of these ornamental operations, and is essential for container production in greenhouses and nurseries. This is especially true where daily application of irrigation is required, even when supplemented by rainfall. Water 2019, 11, 2558 production systems are often initially chosen because of access to good water resources and adequate rainfall. With periodic droughts, urbanization, and increasing restrictions on water use, producers are faced with increasing water security issues, even in “water-rich” mesic regions.

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion