Drip irrigation effect on seed yield, quality, and water use of Artemisia sphaerocephala

Adoption of drip irrigation method offers opportunity for efficient use of water and higher economic yield of cotton under irrigated conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. A field experiment was carried out at the Soil Research Farm of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during 2014 for evaluating the different methods of irrigation for enhancing water use efficiency in cotton. The experiment was consisted of three methods of irrigation (drip, furrow and flood irrigation) and four cultivars of cotton viz., Bt (MRC-7017), Bt (RCH-134), American (H-1236) and Desi (HD-123). The results indicated that drip irrigation significantly increased plant height, number of bolls per plant, boll weight, and number of monopods and sympods per plant. The application of irrigation with drip and furrow methods resulted in increase in seed cotton yield over flood method. The seed cotton yield was recorded highest of 2671 kg/ha of American (H-1236) followed by 2510 kg/ha of Bt (MRC-7017), 2287 kg/ha of Desi (HD-123) and 2151 kg/ha of Bt (RCH-134) in drip irrigation. The water use efficiency (WUE) was found highest in drip irrigation as compared to other methods in all the four cotton cultivars. The highest WUE of 0.58 kg/m3 was found in American (H-1236), followed by Bt (MRC-7017), Desi (HD-123) and lowest in Bt (RCH-134). The results conclude that drip irrigation has potential to increase the seed cotton yield and water use efficiency in arid and semi-arid region of the state.

Fruit yield and water use efficiency of eggplant (Solanum melongema L.) as influenced by different quantities of nitrogen and water applied through drip and furrow irrigation

Moistube irrigation (MTI) is a new subsurface irrigation technology where the water emits from a semi-permeable membrane at a slow rate depending on applied pressure and soil water potential. There is lack of information on how various crops respond to MTI. This study determined growth, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) under varying water regimes under MTI and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), using field and glasshouse experiments in summer and winter of 2018, respectively. A split-plot design arranged in randomized complete blocks, replicated 3 times, with SDI as the control experiment was used. The main plot was irrigation type while the sub-plots were the water regimes. The water treatments consisted of full irrigation (100% of crop water requirement (ETc)), and deficit irrigation (DI) of 70% ETc and 40% ETc. Water deficit had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on time to flowering; plants under 40% ETc flowered 14 days earlier than plants at 100% ETc. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in yield components. Grain yields were 1 280 kg∙ha-1, 2 401 kg∙ha-1 and 3 189 kg∙ha-1 for 40% ETc, 70% ETc and 100% ETc, respectively, but no significant (p > 0.05) differences were recorded between SDI and MTI. However, at 40% ETc, SDI had 15% higher yield than MTI. Biomass varied significantly (p < 0.05) with irrigation type and water treatment. Grain WUE varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the water regimes. The highest WUE was achieved under SDI at 70% ETc but was not significantly different from that under MTI at 70% ETc. In conclusion, performance of cowpea was similar under the two irrigation systems under moderate DI but was better for SDI under severe DI with respect to biomass and WUE for the summer trial. Moderate DI improved the grain WUE while all the DI conditions improved the biomass WUE.

Moistube irrigation (MTI) is a new subsurface irrigation technology where the water emits from a semi-permeable membrane at a slow rate depending on applied pressure and soil water potential. There is lack of information on how various crops respond to MTI. This study determined growth, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) under varying water regimes under MTI and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), using field and glasshouse experiments in summer and winter of 2018, respectively. A split-plot design arranged in randomized complete blocks, replicated 3 times, with SDI as the control experiment was used. The main plot was irrigation type while the sub-plots were the water regimes. The water treatments consisted of full irrigation (100% of crop water requirement (ETc)), and deficit irrigation (DI) of 70% ETc and 40% ETc. Water deficit had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on time to flowering; plants under 40% ETc flowered 14 days earlier than plants at 100% ETc. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in yield components. Grain yields were 1 280 kg∙ha-1, 2 401 kg∙ha-1 and 3 189 kg∙ha-1 for 40% ETc, 70% ETc and 100% ETc, respectively, but no significant (p > 0.05) differences were recorded between SDI and MTI. However, at 40% ETc, SDI had 15% higher yield than MTI. Biomass varied significantly (p < 0.05) with irrigation type and water treatment. Grain WUE varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the water regimes. The highest WUE was achieved under SDI at 70% ETc but was not significantly different from that under MTI at 70% ETc. In conclusion, performance of cowpea was similar under the two irrigation systems under moderate DI but was better for SDI under severe DI with respect to biomass and WUE for the summer trial. Moderate DI improved the grain WUE while all the DI conditions improved the biomass WUE.

Water use efficiency and fruit quality of table grape under alternate partial root-zone drip irrigation

Drip irrigation (DI) has been widely utilized for crops and its water-saving effect has been confirmed by numerous studies. However, whether this technology can save so much water under the field scale during practical application is still uncertain. In order to answer this question, evapotranspiration (ET), soil water content, transpiration and evaporation over the DI and border irrigation (BI) in an arid area of NW China were continuously measured by two eddy covariance systems, micro-lysimeters, the packaged stem sap flow gauges and CS616 sensors during 2014–2018 growing seasons. The results showed that the DI averagely increased crop water use efficiency (CWUE) by 11% per year against BI. The deep drainage under DI treatment was lower than BI by 8% averagely for the five-year period. While for the ET, the DI averagely decreased ET by 7% and 40mm per year against the traditional BI. The decrease in ET was mainly due to the significant reduction in soil evaporation instead of transpiration. Oppositely, we found that DI may increase maize (Zea mays L.) transpiration in some year for the better preponderant growth of crop. Thus, the accelerating effect on transpiration of DI and its reducing effect on soil evaporation should be considered simultaneously. In our experiment, DI only improved CWUE and WUE (water use efficiency) by 11% and 15% on average in a large farmland scale, unable to always be more than a 20% improvement, as concluded by many other field experiments. Consequently, the water-saving effect of DI should not be overestimated in water resource evaluation.

Jujube tree yields in dryland saline soils are restricted by water shortages and soil salinity. Converting traditional flood irrigation to drip irrigation would solve water deficit and salt stress. The root distribution reacts primarily to the availability of water and nutrients. However, there is little information about the response of jujube roots to the change from flood irrigation to drip irrigation. In this context, a two–year experiment was carried out to reveal the effects of the change from long–term flood irrigation to drip irrigation on soil water, root distribution, fruit yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of jujube trees. In this study, drip irrigation amounts were designed with three levels, i.e., 880 mm (W1), 660 mm (W2), 440 mm (W3), and the flood irrigation of 1100 mm was designed as the control (CK). The results showed that replacing flood irrigation with drip irrigation significantly altered soil water distribution and increased soil moisture in the topsoil (0–40 cm). In the drip irrigation treatments with high levels, soil water storage in the 0–60 cm soil layer at the flowering and fruit setting, and fruit swelling stages of jujube trees increased significantly compared with the flood irrigation. After two consecutive years of drip irrigation, the treatments with higher irrigation levels increased root length density (RLD) in 0–60 cm soil depth but decreased that in the 60–100 cm depth. In the horizontal direction, higher irrigation levels increased RLD in the distance of 0–50 cm, while reducing RLD in the distance of 50–100 cm. However, the opposite conclusion was obtained in W3 treatment. Additionally, in the second year of drip irrigation, W2 treatment (660 mm) significantly improved yield and WUE, with an increasing of 7.6% for yield and 60.3% for WUE compared to the flood irrigation. In summary, converting flood irrigation to drip irrigation is useful in regulating root distribution and improving WUE, which would be a promising method in jujube cultivation in arid regions.

Introduction: North of the Khouzestan is one of the most important citrus production center. Usually border irrigation is used to irrigate citrus in this area. This system has generally low application efficiency. Several investigations in other arid region have demonstrated in addition to improved irrigation efficiency with low-volume pressurized irrigation systems, citrus trees have adapted with these new irrigation systems. However limited information exists on the performance of mature orchards converted from border surface irrigation to pressurized irrigation systems. Therefore, the current research was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of converting surface irrigation to pressurized irrigation systems on mature citrus trees in climate conditions of North Khouzestan. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted during three years at Safiabad Agricultural Research Center to evaluate the yield of citrus trees and the quality of fruits for two Marss and Valencia varieties which grow 7 years previously with surface irrigation and converted to pressurized irrigation systems. The treatments consisted of six irrigation methods including Overhead sprinkle irrigation (OHSI), Under tree sprinkle irrigation(UTSI), Trickle irrigation(TI)(six 8 L/h Netafim emitters), Microjet irrigation (MI)(two 180 microjet were located under canopy near of the trunk at opposite sides of trunk),Bubbler irrigation(BI)(a single located under the canopy of each tree)andSurface irrigation(SI) method.Soil texture was clay loam well drained without salinity(ECe=0.69ds m-1), with 1.25 percent organic carbon. The experimental design was completely randomized design. The trees were irrigated during spring and summer seasons. For calculating irrigation water depth in TI, MI and BI systems, daily evaporation from a class A evaporation pan of the Safiabad weather station (nearby the experimental field) was collected, and evapotranspiration of the citrus trees was calculated applying a pan coefficient of 0.8. During the growth season, soil moisture content was measured before irrigation in root zone depth using weighing method at two points of the beginning and the end of the garden to obtain an average showing changes of the field moisture content. Applied water were measured with flow meter for OHSI, UTSI,TI, MI and BI methods and WSC flume for SI treatment. In middle January after fruit ripening, fruit yield was determined by harvesting all the fruits from six trees located in the center of each plot. Weight of fruits from every tree was recorded. Then, 3kilogram fruits per tree were randomly separated and peel thickness, diameter, weight, juice solid percent, total dissolved solids(TSS) and Citric acid were measured. Results Discussion: The annual precipitation was 385,345, and 336 mm for 2004, 2005, and 2006 years, respectively. The mean temperature of June, July and August (the warmest months) for 2004, 2005, and 2006 was 45.6, 45.2 and 45.8°C. Higher temperature in third year caused to increase heat stress, so fruit yield decreased. Irrigation water consumption in OHSI and UTSI were among 15000 to 17000 m3ha-1. Continues contact of irrigation water contacting with leaves in OHSI causes the accumulation of salts on the leaf surface and leaf drop in harvest season. Consumed water in BI, MI and TI compared with SI method reduced by as much as 48.6%, 57.2%, and 58.4%, respectively. Because soil wetted area in BI, MI and TI methods were low and about 30 to 50 percent of soil area. There were significant differences in citrus yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and quality in 1% and 5%, so that comparison of means in Mars variety showed that the yield of trees in TI and SI methods were significantly higher than UTSI method. On the other hand, fruit yield was similar in OHSI, MI, TI and SI methods. Valencia variety fruit yield was similar for in BI, MI, TI and SI methods in all 3 years, and significantly more than OHSI and UTSI although BI, MI, TI used only 48% to 58% of irrigation water compared with SI method. WUE under BI, MI and TI methods was enhanced by 2 to 3 times more than SI,OHSI and UTSI methods because consumed water decreased in BI, MI and TI about 50%. Fruit size and fruit weight of Marss variety in the OHSI and fruit size and fruit weight of Valencia variety in the OHSI, MI and SI were better than other systems and had a significant difference in 1% probability. Conclusion: Overall results of this study indicated that it is possible to convert SI to BI, MI and TI methods in northern khouzestan orchards without decreasing in fruit yield and quality of citrus trees. Salt accumulation on leaf surface in OHSI method was caused to drop leaves in harvest season.

Optimizing water-fertilizer integration with drip irrigation management to improve crop yield, water, and nitrogen use efficiency: A meta-analysis study

An experiment was conducted in wooden boxes to assess flood, surface and sub-surface drip irrigation on biomass production, nutrient content and water use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.). Four levels of irrigation treatments were applied: (i) SD1 = Drip irrigation pipe was set up on the surface of the soil ; (ii) SSD2 = Drip irrigation pipe was buried up to 5 cm depth; (iii) SSD3 = Drip irrigation pipe was buried up to 7.5 cm depth and (iv) FI = Flood irrigation was practiced without any drip irrigation pipe. Leaf area, leaf area index and biomass production of maize were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in SSD3 than SSD2 and FI treatments. Biomass production was 37.2, 41.1, 54.2 and 35.2 g in SD1, SSD2, SSD3 and FI treatments, respectively. Water use efficiency (WUE) was also significantly (p < 0.05) higher in surface and sub-surface drip irrigation than flood irrigation. Values for WUEs were 0.248, 0.298, 0.430 and 0.156 kg/m3 in SD1, SSD2, SSD3 and FI treatments, respectively. As a result, all three drip irrigation treatments enhanced water use efficiencies than flood irrigation. Comparing the three drip irrigation treatments, significantly (p < 0.05) higher nitrogen was found both in leaf and stem (3.3 and 3.8%) in sub-surface drip irrigation at 7.5 cm depth than flood irrigation (2.2 and 1.4%). Although, potassium contents in leaf and stem were not significantly different between the treatments, but had a tendency to be higher in drip irrigation treatments. Above all, drip irrigation performed better with higher water use efficiency.
 Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 22(1): 47-54, 2013 (January)

Effect of drip irrigation on squash ( Cucurbita pepo) yield and water-use efficiency in sandy calcareous soils amended with clay deposits

The water and nitrogen use efficiency of alfalfa is very low in the arid region of Northwest China currently. In this field experiments in 2022 and 2023, the effects of traditional flood irrigation (FI-12, 1200 mm; FI-8, 880 mm), sprinkler irrigation (SI-8, 880 mm; SI-5, 520 mm), and subsurface drip irrigation (DI-5, 520 mm; DI-8, 880 mm)) on alfalfa yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were studied. The results showed that the DI and SI treatments, especially DI-5, increased alfalfa seed yield by increasing the number of inflorescences and pods compared with the FI treatments. The DI and SI treatments, especially DI, reduced water loss during the first two crops in each growing season compared with the FI treatments, improving the WUE. The DI treatments had the lowest root/shoot ratio (R/S), which facilitated the distribution of photosynthetic products to the reproductive organs and inhibited the overgrowth of the root system. The small R/S in the late growth stage of the DI-5 treatment also helped to achieve high WUE. Besides, the DI treatments also had the largest root length density, which promoted the uptake and utilization of water and nitrogen by alfalfa. The DI treatments increased the nitrogen accumulation of plants, and reduced the soil nitrate (NO3 --N) leaching and NH3 volatilization at maturity stage compared with the SI and FI treatments, improving the NUE. In summary, the subsurface drip fertigation, especially DI-5, coordinated the vegetative and reproductive growth, and reduced the water loss, nitrate leaching, and NH3 volatilization, improving the seed yield, WUE, and NUE of alfalfa. This study will advance understanding of the mechanism of subsurface drip irrigation regulating alfalfa root growth and water and nitrogen use, and provide a scientific basis for the application of subsurface drip fertigation in arid and semi-arid areas.

Assessment of drip and flood irrigation on water and fertilizer use efficiencies for sugarbeets

Transplanted short-season cotton followed by winter wheat is widely cultivated in the North China Plain (NCP). However, data and guidelines on irrigation water management for the short-season cotton cultivation are lacking. In order to determine optimal irrigation practices for transplanted cotton in the NCP, a field experiment with surface drip and border irrigation was conducted in 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. Four irrigation treatments, namely full drip (DT), full border (BT), deficit drip (DDT) and deficit border (DBT) irrigation treatments, were evaluated on the basis of vegetative growth, evapotranspiration (ET), cotton yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and fiber quality. Results showed that the average seasonal ET ranged from 358 to 449 mm. Compared to the border irrigation, the drip irrigation improved vegetative growth, and the deficit irrigation inhibited vegetative growth compared with the full irrigation. DT produced the highest seed cotton yield of 3164 kg ha−1, while the minimum seed cotton yield of 2459 kg ha−1 was produced in the DBT. On average, DDT produced the largest WUE of 0.83 kg m−3, while the smallest in BT. On average, 33.4 % of the irrigation water was saved by DT compared to BT, and drip irrigation increased seed cotton yield by 11.5 %. In addition, drip irrigation tended to increase the fiber length and optimize the micronaire value. Deficit irrigation significantly decreased the fiber strength and reduced the fiber length. Overall, the DT is recommended as the optimal irrigation strategy for the short-season cotton in the NCP.

In sub-humid Northeast China, plastic film mulching (PFM) is increasingly used with drip irrigation system in maize (Zea mays L.) to cope with seasonal droughts and low temperatures during seedling stage. Although there were several studies showing the benefits of PFM on maize production in the region, quantification of the effects of PFM in sub-humid Northeast China are still lacking. Hybrid-Maize model has a special version that can not only simulate the effects of PFM on reduction of soil evaporation and rise of topsoil temperature, but also simulate the effects of PFM on crop development and other physiological processes. This paper reports how to verify the Hybrid-Maize model against observations and then applying the model to quantify effects of PFM on grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) under irrigated scenarios. The Hybrid-Maize model was added the heating effects of PFM on rising surface-soil temperature and promoting subsequent crop development by establishing equations between surface-soil temperature and air temperature before V6 stage. A 3-year field experiment including maize growth and yield data measured at a drip-irrigated field in Heilongjiang Province was used to serve the model calibration. The simulated results indicated that the Hybrid-Maize model performed well in simulation of seasonal soil water storage and in-season aboveground dry matter in three years, but overestimated the leaf area index (LAI) for both treatments and underestimated the final aboveground dry matter at maturity for mulched treatments. Although the Hybrid-Maize model overestimated the grain yield and WUE, it did still reflect the effects of PFM on increasing grain yield and WUE during the three growing seasons. The average simulated grain yield and WUE for mulched treatments were 8% and 13% greater compared to non-mulched treatments using 30 years weather data, which were in agreement with observations that average grain yield and WUE was 11% and 14% increased by PFM, respectively. For evapotranspiration (ET), the average simulated ET for mulched treatments was 22 mm less than non-mulched treatments mainly due to less soil evaporation. For simulated irrigation requirements, at most 69 mm of irrigation water could be saved by PFM. In conclusion, PFM with drip irrigation could improve irrigated maize production in sub-humid Northeast China. Keywords: film mulch, maize yield, water use efficiency, Hybrid-Maize model, drip irrigation, Northeast China DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20171005.2799 Citation: Liu Y, Yang H S, Li Y F, Yan H J, Li J S. Modeling the effects of plastic film mulching on irrigated maize yield and water use efficiency in sub-humid Northeast China. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(5): 69–84.