Canal Water Research Articles

Nitrogen and Sulphate removal from Jawahar Lal Nehru Canal water by Floating Treatment Wetlands in monoculture and mixed culture

Nitrogen and Sulphate removal from Jawahar Lal Nehru Canal water by Floating Treatment Wetlands in monoculture and mixed culture

Seed Germination and Vegetative Growth of Petunia (Petunia hybrida) Genotypes to Salt Stress

Salinity is a brutal threat to sustainability of crop production and exhibits injurious effect on major plant processes including protein synthesis, cell division and photosynthetic activity. Germination and early growth of plants are most susceptible to salinity effect in comparison to other growth stages. In this context, the seed emergence and early vegetative growth of flowers needs to be tested properly. The pot based study was conducted in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates at Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam. The goal of this investigation was to explore the performance of petunia plants to salt stress environment at early growth stage. Two petunia varieties (V1= Prism blue, V2= Hala lop petunia rose) were evaluated against six levels of salt stress (T1 = Canal irrigation water [Control], T2 = 3 dS m-1, T3 = 5 dS m-1, T4 = 7 dS m-1, T5 = 9 dS m-1, T6 = 11 dS m-1).The results showed that there was an inverse effect of salt stress on all the traits examined and with each increased level of salinity in irrigation water; the values of petunia plant traits were significantly decreased. The petunia grown in pots given only canal water (control) revealed better performance for germination and growth attributes. It was further noted that that salt stress up to 3 dS m-1 level was generally tolerated by petunia. Among petunia varieties, Hala lop petunia rose performance was better and showed relative tolerance to salt stress over Prism blue, but in most cases the differences were insignificant (P>0.05).

Analysis of diversity and antibiotic susceptibility profile of bacterial strains isolated from freshwater canal of Lahore, Pakistan

The key objective of current study was to analyse the bacterial diversity of canal water of Lahore, Pakistan. Members of Enterobacteriaceae were targeted that may pose serious health issues to human health. Total 50 bacterial strains were isolated by using Eosin Methylene Blue agar and MacConkey agar. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 30 strains confirmed the final taxonomic status of bacterial strains. The results manifested that strains belong to genera of Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas and Vogesella. Antibiotic susceptibility profile of isolates was evaluated against 13 different antibiotics. E. coli SCE-1 showed highest resistant against majority of the antibiotics. Whereas all strains were sensitive to Amikacin (30 µg). Aeromonas hydrophila SD-6 exhibited highest sensitivity against all antibiotics except ampicillin (10 µg) and amoxicillin (25 µg). None of the bacterial strain was completely resistant or susceptible to all antibiotics. Except E. coli all strains were sensitive to Amikacin (30 µg), Gentamycin (30 µg) and Norfloxacin (10 µg). Most of the strains showed intermediate and resistant antibiotic profile towards Nitrofurantoin (300 µg). Latex agglutination test was performed for the screening of E. coli O157 that showed negative results for this serotype. The detection of potential human pathogens like E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and A. hydrphila in canal water indicates that it is not suitable for domestic purposes, recreational activities, and irrigation

Characterization and spatial mapping of irrigation water quality and their effects on soil properties in Hathin Block of Palwal district, Haryana

Aim: Characterization and spatial mapping of irrigation water quality of Hathin block, District Palwal, Haryana. Methodology: In order to assess the ground water quality for irrigation suitability and their effect on soil chemical properties, 68 ground water samples were collected, and analyzed for pH, EC, anions (CO32-, HCO3-, Cl-, SO42- and NO3-) and cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+). Water quality indices [(Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC)] were also computed. Results: The pH and EC of water samples ranged from 6.69-8.35 and 0.77 -11.99 dSm-1 with mean value of 7.48 and 4.21 dSm-1, respectively. The cations and anions followed the order: Na+> Mg2+> Ca2+> K+, and Cl- > SO42-> HCO3−> CO32−>NO3−. RSC and SAR ranged from Nil - 5.40 me l-1 and 5.64 - 19.98 (mmol l-1)1/2, respectively. According to All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) classification, out of total water samples, 17.6 % were found as good, 22.1 % as marginal saline, 4.4 % as saline, 48.5 % as high SAR saline, and 7.4 % as higher alkali. Interpretation: The soluble ions were found higher under higher saline conditions as compared to the locations had good quality irrigation water, which altered soil nutrient status. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of such water, it is advised that brackish or saline groundwater be used to irrigate field crops by diluting it with canal (good quality) water. Key words: Residual sodium carbonate, Soluble ions, Sodium absorption ratio, Water quality indices

Screening of mustard (Brassica juncea) varieties under different quality of saline water irrigation in semi-arid conditions of Haryana

Aim: Screening mustard varieties under saline water irrigation, and to evaluate the salt tolerant mustard varieties for semi-arid conditions of Haryana. Methodology: This study was conducted in permanent pucca plots measuring 2m x 2m with six mustard varieties (Kranti; NC, Kranti; Filler, CS2005-143,Giriraj,CS-54, and CS-60) and four quality of irrigation water, i.e., ECiw 0.36, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 dS m-1 in a Completely Randomised Design with three replications in sandy loam soil. Results: The data on seed yield, straw yield and other physiological parameters indicated decrease with increasing salinity of irrigation water. The interaction between varieties and saline water irrigation was in significant. Among six mustard varieties, variety CS 2005-143 showed significantly higher seed and straw yield (24.47 and 74.37 q ha-1) as compared to the remaining varieties. However, the variety Kranti (NC) attained the lowest seed and straw yield (15.47 and 45.53 q ha-1). The overall mean reduction in seed and straw yield at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 dS m-1 was 3.69, 12.42, 24.89 and 4.16, 14.85, 27.54% as compared to canal water (0.36 dS m-1), respectively. Physiological parameters like chlorophyll content, chlorophyll stability index (%), relative water content (%), assimilation rate declined under salinity stress. The maximum reduction was noticed at higher salinity level (7.5 dS m-1). Variety CS 2005-143 benefited higher among other varieties at each salinity levels. Interpretation: Among the six mustard varieties, CS 2005-143 performed better in terms of seed yield, straw yield, and other physiological parameter at higher salinity levels (7.5 dS m-1). Key words: Chlorophyll content, Mustard varieties, Saline water, Semi-arid areas

Water Use Efficiency and Productivity of Irrigated Rice Cultivation in Nigeria: An Application of the Stochastic Frontier Approach

In the face of declining water resources and low agricultural water productivity, it is vital to increase agricultural production efficiency and efficiency of water usage. The efficacy of irrigating rice fields in Nigeria is evaluated here using a stochastic frontier analysis. This is a parametric frontier that is assumed to have half-normal distribution, allowing the model to be separated from normal errors in a composite error model. Samples of 382 surveys were used in the study; out of the total number, 361 surveys were retrieved and used for the analysis. The analytical tools used in the study are: gross margin, water productivity analysis, and stochastic frontier approach. The results indicate an average yield of 4.69 and 4.94 tons/hectare, and net farm income of $415 and $364 for the farmers using canal irrigation and farmers using tube wells, respectively. The results also showed physical and economic water productivity of 0.51 kg/m3 and $0.11/m3 for canal water users, and 0.568 kg/m3 and $0.10/m3 for tube well users. The canal water users had a mean irrigation water use efficiency of 0.76, compared to 0.70 for the tube well users. The study recommends that effective extension services and their coverage be enhanced to provide adequate training to rice farmers on water use efficiency and the transfer of innovations and farming technologies to farmers.

The technology, management, and culture of water in ancient Iran from prehistoric times to the Islamic Golden Age

Despite Iran’s longstanding reputation for sustainable water management, the country currently faces mounting water-related challenges caused by population growth, industrial development, urban sprawl, lifestyle changes, climate change, territorial conflicts, poor management, and insufficient public participation. Since past and present water-related challenges share similar origins and patterns, addressing the past is imperative. After gathering, contextualizing, verifying, clustering, coding, and corroborating sources, we conducted a historical study to examine the relationship between water and Iranians from prehistoric times to the Islamic Golden Age (1219 AD). According to the findings, in prehistoric Iran, drought, flooding, river course changes, and the absence of a central government severely impacted water development. Despite doubts about the qanat’s origin, archaeological investigations indicate in the proto-historical period, qanat systems existed in Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. In 550 BC, the Achaemenids initiated a fundamental transformation in Iran’s water history by building dams, qanats, and water canals under a centralized administration. After a slump during the Seleucids (312–63 BC) and the Parthians (247 BC–224 AD), Iranians practiced water governance reborn under the Sassanids (224–651 AD). The Sassanids, like the Achaemenids, formed a powerful statement of unity, cooperation, and support among people for implementing their major water-related plans after enhancing institutions, laws, and communications. Chaotic Iran, however, endured severe water-related weaknesses in the Late Sassanids. Throughout the Islamic Golden Age, Iranians successfully traded water knowledge with other nations. As seen today in Iran, the Iranians have been unable to thrive on their resources since the Mongol invasion due to weak water governance, political tensions, and poor public support. The water sectors face more severe challenges when ancient water systems are ignored, applied without enhancement, or blindly adopted from other nations. Therefore, before current problems worsen, it is essential to integrate traditional and modern water cultures, technology, and management techniques.

Estimation of the economic value of irrigation water in canal and tube well command areas

AbstractIn recent years, inequality in the distribution of tube wells and non-availability or non-accessibility of canal water during the rabi season leads to a lack of economic value fixation of irrigation water to crops. The main objective of this paper is to calculate the economic value of irrigation water for major crops in the Paliganj distributary of the Sone canal system and the Nalanda corridor site of tube well irrigation, Bihar, India using the Residual Value Method (RVM). Results revealed that the average irrigation water economic value on the basis of applied irrigation through the canal and tube well in the Paliganj distributary for rice, kharif maize, wheat, lentil, khesari, gram, rabi maize, potato, onion, and green gram crops was assessed as 3.73, 22.60, 11.67, 21.50, 27.42, 23.27, 14.75, 98.06, 84.92, and 27.17 Rs./m3, respectively. In the Nalanda corridor, the average irrigation water economic value of rice, kharif maize, wheat, lentil, gram, pea, mustard, potato, rabi maize, and green gram crops was assessed as 12.54, 24.61, 18.71, 44.15, 39.53, 37.85, 32.35, 96.93, 15.44, and 30.25 Rs./m3, respectively.

International manufacturing and trade in colistin, its implications in colistin resistance and One Health global policies: a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study.

The emergence of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales is a global public health concern, yet colistin is still widely used in animals that are used for food as treatment, metaphylaxis, prophylaxis, and growth promotion. Herein, we investigate the effect of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales in Pakistan, global trade of colistin, colistin use at the farm level, and relevant socioeconomic factors. We conducted a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli in humans, animals, and the environment and international trade and knowledge of colistin in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, China, India, and Viet Nam. We collected backyard poultry cloacal swabs, commercial broiler cloacal swabs, cattle and buffalo rectal swabs, human rectal swabs, wild bird droppings, cattle and buffalo meat, sewage water, poultry flies, chicken meat, and canal water from 131 sites across Faisalabad, Pakistan, to be tested for mcr-1-positive and mcr-3-positive Escherichia coli. We recruited new patients admitted to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, with abdominal pain and diarrhoea for rectal swabs. Patients with dysentery and those who were already on antibiotic treatment were excluded. Data for colistin trade between 2017 and 2020, including importation, manufacturing, and usage, were accessed from online databases and government sources in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. We recruited participants from poultry farms and veterinary drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed using a structured questionnaire. International manufacturing, import, and export data; value analysis; and trade routes of colistin pharmaceutical raw material (PRM), feed additive, and finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs) were accessed from 2017-21 export data sets. We collected 1131 samples between May 12, 2018, and July 1, 2019: backyard poultry cloacal swabs (n=100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (n=102), cattle and buffalo rectal swabs (n=188), human rectal swabs (n=200), wild bird droppings (n=100), cattle and buffalo meat (n=100), sewage water (n=90), poultry flies (n=100), chicken meat (n=100), and canal water (n=51). We recruited 200 inpatients at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, between Nov 15, 2018, and Dec 14, 2018, for rectal swabs. We recruited 21 participants between Jan 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2020, from poultry farms and drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed. 75 (7%) of 1131 samples contained mcr-1-positive E coli, including wild bird droppings (25 [25%] of 100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (17 [17%] of 100), backyard poultry cloacal swabs (one [1%] of 100), chicken meat (13 [13%] of 100), cattle and buffalo meat (two [2%] of 100), poultry flies (eight [8%] of 100), sewage water (six [7%] of 90), and human rectal swabs (three [2%] of 200). During 2017-20, Pakistan imported 275·5 tonnes (68·9 tonnes per year, 95% CI 41·2-96·6) of colistin as PRM, all sourced from China, 701·9 tonnes (175·5 tonnes per year, 140·9-210·1) of colistin as feed additives from China and Viet Nam, and 63·0 tonnes (15·8 tonnes per year, 10·4-21·1) of colistin as FPPs from various countries in Asia and Europe. For Bangladesh and Nigeria, colistin PRM and FPPs were imported from China and Europe. Colistin knowledge and usage practices in Pakistan and Nigeria were unsatisfactory in terms of understanding of the effects on human medicine and usage other than for treatment purposes. China is the major manufacturer of PRM and feed additive colistin and exported a total of 2664·8 tonnes (666·2 tonnes per year, 95% CI 262·1 to 1070·2) of PRM and 2570·2 tonnes (642·6 tonnes per year, -89·4 to 1374·5) of feed additive in 1330 shipments during 2018-21 to 21 countries. Regardless of 193 countries signing the UN agreement to tackle antimicrobial resistance, trading of colistin as PRM, FPPs, and feed additive or growth promoter in low-income and middle-income countries continues unabated. Robust national and international laws are urgently required to mitigate the international trade of this antimicrobial listed on WHO Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council and INEOS Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research TRANSLATION: For the Urdu translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Study of Sedimentation Rate at Irrigation Area Baluase Sigi Biromaru Regency as a Watershed Damage Identification

The high sediment contained in the canals causes changes in the dimensions of the canals. It can reduce the cross-sectional capacity of the canals. The Baluase Irrigation Area is located in Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, with a functional area of 94 Ha. This study aims to determine the rate of sedimentation in the Baluase Irrigation Secondary canals, which is expressed in the correlation coefficient (R), which is the relationship between Sediment Discharge (Qs) and Water Discharge (Qw). Primary data were collected by direct measurements at the location by measuring canals dimensions, water level, velocity and water samples to test sediment concentration. Sediment samples were taken at 2 distances of flow depth, namely 0.2 h and 0.8 h with 8 cross sections in the longitudinal direction of the canal. From the research results, the average sedimentation rate in the Ramba secondary canal is 3,574 kg/day, while the Baluase secondary canal is 5,675 kg/day. The correlation coefficient (R) value at 0.2 h was 0.6994 and 0.8229 for a depth of 0.8 h. This shows that the relationship between sediment discharge (Qs) and water discharge (Qw) has a positive relationship between 0.6 < R < 1.0

Traditional environmental knowledge and transport efficiency of a communal canal network, Tafilalt oasis, Morocco: A historical GIS analytics perspective

The provision of water in the arid Tafilalt – the largest natural oasis in Morocco – changed little over a span of centuries, though the network of surface canals and khettara (qanats) gradually expanded to yield more water to a growing oasis. The introduction of newer water technologies (pumped wells and dams) in the 1970s reduced the availability of water to the oasis but has not diminished reliance on the traditional canal network. All agriculture in this Sahara oasis is irrigated and most water is still distributed through an intricate system of earthen canals incrementally built over centuries and maintained to this day. Here, a traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) and transportation GIS framework is used to explore the efficacy of this common property canal network. Aerial photographic and field survey, interviews with users and managers of canal waters, and GIS network analysis were employed to examine the functional characteristics and communal issues inherent in the canal system, and to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the traditional system as a water delivery network. GIS analytics employed to assess the distributive utility of the canal network include the Detour Index, Alpha Index, Beta Index, Gamma Index, and Network Density. The first four indices address the efficiency and connectivity of the complex canal network while Network Density assesses the effectiveness of the system in distributing water throughout the oasis. Results demonstrate the strength and adaptability of local TEK, revealing that the historic canal system was incrementally but not haphazardly constructed, and the system that evolved exhibits an efficiency of water distribution closely approximating the efficiency that could be obtained using advanced design and modern planning methods.

Assessment and zoning of self-cleaning ability of urban inner canal group in Ho Chi Minh City

The rapid urbanization of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a huge pressure upon the surface water quality as well as its self-cleaning capacity. Every day, a large amount of domestic wastewater is discharged directly into the canal system with concentrations of toxic pollutant components. The assessment of the quality and self-cleaning capacity of canal water by the oxy declining process is a basic foundation for the planning and management of waste water drainage and treatment system in the City. With the application of oxy declining and osmotic experiential coefficient formulas into the oxidation process equation (Streeter-Phelpse), the self-cleaning capacity are determined and classified at any time and positions. The self-cleaning capacity depended on the hydraulic and quality condition of canals. The research of self-cleaning capacity is implemented for urban inner canal system of HCMC in the period 2012 – 2021. Based on the assessment’s results, the distribution of self-cleaning capacity levels is mapped to analyse the changes and zone. The zoning maps expressed suitability the distribution levels of self-cleaning capacity with high visualization. And they are a valuable basis for planning and decision making on the solutions to improve environment quality of the relative management agencies of HCMC.

Effective Decolorization and Turbidity Removal of Canal Water using Activated Carbon Prepared from Local Agricultural Wastes

Effective Decolorization and Turbidity Removal of Canal Water using Activated Carbon Prepared from Local Agricultural Wastes

Application of the XBeach-Gravel Model for the Case of East Adriatic Sea-Wave Conditions

Croatia’s coast located on the eastern Adriatic is rich with small gravel beaches with limited fetch. This leads to a specific low-energetic wave climate compared to most other beaches, while their gravel composition makes them unique. Most management of these beaches is performed without understanding the sediment transport occurring on the beaches. XBeach-Gravel is a numerical model capable of simulating bed-level change on gravel beaches, but lacks validation in the case of low significant wave height (under 2.5 m) and low peak periods (under 6 s), conditions that are present on the eastern Adriatic. Based on measurements performed in both laboratory conditions in a water canal in Hannover and actual storm wave conditions on Ploče beach, calibration of the model is performed. Model results are compared between laboratory conditions and field conditions for comparable wave conditions. XBeach-Gravel can simulate low-energetic events resulting in berm formation and berm buildup with a high Brier skill score if calibrated. Simulation of laboratory conditions requires high transport coefficient values and shows more sediment transport than similar wave conditions in the field. Calibration for field conditions is dependent on geodetic survey data capable of isolating wave events with dominant cross-shore transport, but once calibrated, XBeach-Gravel can achieve good to excellent Brier skill score values in simulating sediment change in low-energetic wave conditions on the eastern Adriatic.

Water Quality Assessment of Brahma Sarovar: A Sacred Lake at Kurukshetra (India)

Brahama Sarovar, in Kurukshetra city (India), is an ancient sacred lake where devotees perform various religious activities/offerings on daily basis, and on special occasions of solar and lunar eclipses, millions of pilgrims all over the country have mass bathing (holy-dip) for internal and external purity. Along with religious importance, this artificial lake also acts as a sacred grove/wetland that serves as an important wintering and stopover site for migratory birds from the Palearctic region. The study was carried out with the objective to analyze the improvement in water quality status after the provision of a closed conduit for the supply of fresh water to the lake and additional measures required for public health safety. For this, the water quality of this sacred lake has been spatially analyzed and compared with Indian standards prescribed for ‘Designated Best Use Class-B: Outdoor Bathing (Organised)’ in the present study. Though the parameters – pH (7.94 within the limits of 6.5-8.5), turbidity (3.63 &lt; 5 NTU), TDS (222.33 &lt; 500 mg/L), TSS (100.25 mg/L) and MPN (239.25 ≤ 500 per 100 ml) were observed to be within the permissible limits, but DO (4.7 ≤ 5.0 mg/L) and BOD (3.54 ≥ 3.0 mg/L) of the lake water were found beyond the permissible limits. Thus, making the lake water unfit for human use for bathing. The comparison with the previous two studies revealed that the lake’s water quality has improved in the last couple of years through the provision of a closed conduit, in place of an open channel, for the supply of fresh canal water to the lake. A couple of additional measures have also been suggested to maintain the water quality standards in the lake so as to protect the human health of the devotees and pilgrims.

Effects of saline water and N levels on eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit yield, water productivity, and nitrogen use efficiency by drip and surface flood irrigation

Due to a scarcity of freshwater resources, agriculture is dependent on the use of poor quality water for irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions. Hence, the effective use of poor quality water requires pioneering water management and nitrogen fertilizer practices for increasing yield and resource efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of saline water levels, nitrogen fertilizer, and irrigation methods on eggplant yield, water productivity, NPK uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency. The experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020 under drip (IM1) and surface flood irrigation (IM2). The treatments included three saline water levels i.e. canal water (SW1), ECiw=2.5 dS/m (SW2), and ECiw=5.0 dS/m (SW3) along with the three nitrogen levels of 75% (N1), 100% (N2), and 125% (N3) of the recommended dose of nitrogen. Application of saline water using IM1 reduced the ECe by 41.8% (SW2) and 34% (SW3) over IM2. The fruit yield, water productivity (WP), NPK uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was increased by 22%, 127.6%, 39.8%, 16.6%, 11.8%, and 23.8% under IM1 over IM2, respectively. A high saline water level under IM2 can cause more reduction in fruit yield, NPK uptake, and water use. Applying saline water through IM1 improves fruit yield, WP, and NUE by 13-32.8%, 104.1-147.3%, and 10.5-35.2% as compared to IM2. We found that saline water and N applied by drip improved eggplant yield, water productivity, and NPK uptake. It is concluded that irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer consumption are optimized when saline water is applied through drip irrigation.

Moderation of nitrogen availability through the application of pyrolyzed and unpyrolyzed organic materials in saline water irrigated soil

Soil application of pyrolyzed biomass (biochar) has been proposed as an effective strategy for managing degraded land, but its limitations as a sole nutrient supplier discourage its widespread application as a soil amendment. Excessive use of saline water for irrigation leads to buildup of salts and other toxic ions, which cause a decline in the availability of essential nutrients due to negative effects on the mineralization process. Therefore, a long-term incubation experiment was conducted for 52weeks to study the individual or combined impact of pyrolyzed [biochar derived from rice residue (RB)] and unpyrolyzed organic materials [rice residue (RR) and animal manure (AM)] on nitrogen (N) dynamics in soil irrigated with water of varying electrical conductivity (EC) (EC0.3 [non-saline canal water), EC10, and EC15 dS m-1 (saline)]. Increasing salinity had an adverse effect on N mineralization, reducing it by 20-70% during the incubation period. Irrespective of the EC, soil amended with AM showed greater and faster N mineralization than unamended control, while individual application of RB or RR showed immobilization of N during the early period of incubation. However, conjoint application of pyrolyzed (RB) and unpyrolyzed organic materials (RR or AM) showed enhanced mineralized N content (26-96%) compared with the sole biochar-amended soil irrigated with water of different EC levels. It was most likely due to the synergic effect of unpyrolyzed materials on the mineralization rate of biochar. On the other hand, the high cation exchange capacity, large surface area, and greater total porosity of the biochar may cause stronger adsorption of free NH4+-N released from the labile organic amendments, thereby moderating the N mineralization process under saline conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that biochar be used in conjunction with AM or RR to ensure the prolonged availability of N in a saline environment.

Spectroscopic Analysis and Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Carbon from an Oil Palm Plantation Peatland

Drainage following conversion of peatlands to oil palm plantations is always associated with carbon (C) loss, one of which is dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Analytical procedure commonly used to determine DOC is the high-temperature combustion (HTC) method, which requires an expensive instrument. An alternative low-cost method has been developed. The objectives of this research were to determine and validate the most suitable UV-Vis spectrophotometer’s wavelength for estimating DOC concentration and evaluating its dynamics from an oil-palm plantation Indonesian-peatland. The DOC concentrations were measured on ground water and canal water samples at wavelengths of 254, 270, and 350 nm and the analytical results were then validated against those reference values resulted from the use of HTC method using Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC Analyzer), based on simple regression analysis. The results showed that the most suitable wavelength for estimating DOC concentration using UV-Vis spectrophotometer was 350 nm. The DOC concentration in groundwater (35.67 ± 8.40 mg L-1) were around two times greater than in canal water (16.26 ± 4.15 mg L-1). The DOC flux from the research area were at the range of 0.66 ˗ 1.15 g C m-2 month-1, with an average of 0.85 g C m-2 month-1.

Traditional Rain Water Harvesting in the State of Rajasthan

Water has been harvested in Rajasthan since antiquity, by our ancestors perfecting the art of water management. Many water harvesting structures and water conveyance systems, specific to the eco-regions and culture have been developed. Water conservation is a practice needed for daily uses of man, animals, vegetation and agriculture. In Rajasthan, various techniques are used to save water, which are practical and nature friendly. Even from before the age of Kalibangan civilization, till today many practices are seen in different parts of Rajasthan. There are many traditional practices used for conserving rain water; e.g. forts surrounded by water canals for protection from enemies (ikjs[k nqxZ). The civilians of state continue to build structures to collect and store the monsoon rain. Some unique water conservation techniques are still practiced in state and are efficient. These are sometimes better than the present-day water-saving techniques. The paper summarizes the transformation over the years in the construction and advancements of water conservation practices in Rajasthan. In dry regions, these practices have helped people survive tough times. Traditional methods may have a few challenges to overcome, but they have proven to be sustainable over a long period of time. In order to fight environmental degradation of the present and future, it is important to develop holistic and sustainable strategies, especially in vulnerable regions.

Assessment of Heavy Metal(oid)s Accumulation in Eggplant and Soil under Different Irrigation Systems

Heavy metal(oid)s (HMs) contamination in soil directly related to food contamination and human health. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of HMs accumulation in eggplant irrigated through different water sources. Water samples were collected from three distinct sources, namely urban and rural sewage, urban and rural canal water, and urban and rural tube well water. A total of 20, 9, and 6 samples were obtained from each respective source. Soil samples were collected, with three replications each, from two layers i.e., 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depth. Results depicted that, in irrigation water samples, turbidity was in this order: sewage water &gt; canal water &gt; tube well samples, while average total dissolved solids TDS) was in this order: canal water &gt; sewage water &gt; and tube well water. The overall HMs concentrations in all three sources of irrigation water samples were above the permissible limits of Punjab Environmental Quality Standards PEQs). The level of HMs in vegetables varies by the ability of plants to selectively translocate from the contaminated soil to the plant’s fruit (eggplant). Overall, the translocation factor of HMs in plant samples was in this order: Cadmium (Cd) &gt; Zinc (Zn) &gt; Nickel (Ni) &gt; Iron (Fe) &gt; Lead (Pb). On the basis of this study, it is concluded that irrigation source, especially sewage, is a major source of heavy metal contamination in eggplant. The study highlights the need for further research on gaps in the implementation of policies for irrigation water quality.