Decrease In Water Consumption Research Articles

Optimizing the Environmental Profile of Fresh-Cut Produce: Life Cycle Assessment of Novel Decontamination and Sanitation Techniques

Fresh-cut vegetables, namely those that undergo processes such as washing, sorting, or chopping while keeping their fresh state, constitute an important market element nowadays. Among those operations, the washing step becomes really important due both to the extensive use of water resources and to the utilization of controversial water sanitizing agents, such as chlorine. To ideally eliminate those chlorinated compounds while decreasing water consumption, four novel filtrating technologies (pulsed corona discharge combined with nanofiltration, NF-PCD; classical ultrafiltration, UF; nanofiltration membranes integrating silver nanoparticles, NF-AgNP; and microfiltration with cellulose acetate membranes containing chitin nanocrystals, ChCA) have been proposed to eliminate any contaminating agent in recirculated water. Here, we performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental effects of introducing these new solutions and to compare those impacts with the burden derived from the current strategy. The novel technologies showed a decreased environmental burden, mainly due to the enhanced water recirculation and the subsequent decrease in energy consumption for pumping and cooling the water stream. The environmental gain would be maintained even if a certain amount of chlorine was still needed. This analysis could serve as an aid to decision-making while evaluating the introduction of new sanitizing techniques.

Consumption of treated water in the cities of Governador Valadares and Teófilo Otoni between 2013 and 2017

The issue of water consumption in Brazil has been increasingly valued as it reduces its availability and quality. The National Sanitation Information System is considered a relevant database with registered information and indicators. Governador Valadares is a municipality located in the Rio Doce basin that suffered from the breach of the bottom dam in November 2015. Teófilo Otoni has Rio de Todos os Santos as the main responsible for the city's water supply. The objective of this work was to identify from the SNIS data or the panorama of water consumption between 2013 and 2017, how to compare the population served with water consumption, the volume produced and the volume treated by the ETAs, or the micro-measured volume with an amount of active residential use of micro-measured water, and the volume of daily water consumption per capita with the reality of each municipality. As statistics shown in the municipality of Governador Valadares show an increase in its total population, also having an increase in the population served with water consumption by SAAE, they had a decrease in water consumption per inhabitant / day from 2015, which coincide with the year of the Fundão dam rupture. Teófilo Otoni also showed a population increase, but COPASA did not keep up with this increase, it showed a reduction in the total population served by him, but there was an increase in the number of years of water consumption per inhabitant / day.

A socio-psychological model of laser levelling impacts assessment

Application of technologies has an important role in agricultural development. Identifying and assessing the impacts of agricultural technologies is necessary. This study aimed at assessing the impacts of laser levelling economically, socially, environmentally, and technically in the viewpoint of the agricultural experts and identifying factors determining their perception of the impacts. The study samples (151 experts) were selected using multi-stage random sampling in Fars Province, Iran. The results revealed that experts considered uniform distribution of water, using conservation tillage, facilitating agricultural activities, decreased water consumption and decrease of water wasting as the most important technical impacts of laser levelling technology. The most environmentally important impacts were the decrease of soil erosion and retention of crop residues. Experts stated the most significant social impacts as improvement in villages living conditions and sense of belonging to rural areas. Besides, an increase of income and reduction of inputs costs were among the economic impacts of laser levelling technology. According to the results, attitude towards water and soil resources conservation and environmental beliefs had the highest direct effect on individual perception toward impacts. Practical recommendations have been presented based on the results of the study.

Climate indicators of changes in hydrological characteristics (a case of the Psyol river basin)

Formulation of the problem. A national climate program, complying with the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, is aimed at long-term adaptation measures to climate change, providing for the development of legislation in the field of environmental protection, sectoral strategies, improving air and water quality. These measures require identification of climatic factors’ impact on hydrological characteristics of water bodies in any area in order to protect and improve them, as well as a comprehensive approach to the rational management of water resources. Analysis of previous research. Using mathematical models of atmospheric circulation allows us to obtain generalized calculations of the average global and regional air temperature, characterized by significant errors in case of different models. Problems of further research. Modern changes in climatic conditions in Ukraine are characterized by locality and rapidity: increasing number of anomalous atmospheric phenomena, frequency of droughts, dry winds which, according to preliminary estimates, may lead to reduction of water resources, changes in internal annual redistribution of water temperature and runoff against the background of increasing thermal resources of the territory. The purpose. The article analyses climatic indicators’ influence on the main hydrological characteristics on the example of the Psyol river basin within Ukraine. Research methods. Research methods are presented by statistical and cartographic analysis (correlation analysis method). The initial information is the results of observations contained in the State Climate Cadastre and the State Water Cadastre for the Dnieper Valley. Presentation of the main research material. Analysis of climate change in the Psyol river basin indicates a decrease in water consumption, both in the main river of the basin and in its main tributaries. In addition to changes in temperature and humidity, the reasons for this process were the shifts that occurred in the nature of the intra-annual distribution of the runoff. During the late XX – early XXI century the share of spring floods decreased due to the reduced period of ice phenomena and corresponding decrease in the thickness of the snow cover on the rivers. As a result, the most important component of the annual runoff of rivers began to decrease rapidly. The role of groundwater in the formation of water runoff increased against the background of a predominant decrease in precipitation. This is especially true for medium-size and small rivers, subject to significant anthropogenic pressure: over-regulation of channels, creation of artificial lakes, their shallowing. Practical value. Based on the main provisions of the national environmental policy of Ukraine on the use of water resources and the implementation of European principles of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60 / EC (ERVD) the study of changes in hydrological regime of rivers is of practical importance for sustainable management. Research results. The study of the impact of changes in climatic indicators on hydrological characteristics makes it possible to determine the reference conditions and classes of ecological status of rivers under conditions of anthropogenic pressure against the background of further changes in climatic indicators that will have different trends.

Non-domestic water consumption in the city of Alicante, Southern Spain (2000-2017): an exploration of trends and users

Since the end of the 1990s, a marked decrease in water consumption has been observed in the main conurbations of developed countries. However, the studies carried out on this topic have traditionally focused on the analysis of domestic use. The aim of this research is to look into the non-domestic water consumption (NDWC) in the city of Alicante, Southern Spain (2000-2017), differentiating between three consumption categories: 1) private users; 2) public use (council and official uses); 3) watering public green areas and cleaning streets. The results obtained show that NDWC has recorded a decrease of 38.9% (2000-2017) in Alicante. However, it should be emphasised that water consumption trend has been different according to the uses linked to the factors that affect them: economic crisis (2008), the real estate boom (1997-2008) and the use of treated water.

Analysis of the driving forces for changes in a regional energy sector's water consumption

Development within the energy sector is notably limited by scarce water resources in the energy bases of northwest China. Analyzing changes to the water consumption within the energy sector and the driving forces behind these changes offers an important way to understand the water-energy nexus and provide recommendation for the stakeholders. Taking the typical energy base of Ningxia in northwest China as an example, an empirical study is performed by analyzing changes in the direct and indirect water consumption of a regional energy sector using the input–output method. The driving forces of changes in the water consumption of the regional energy sector is identified using the LMDI (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index) method. The results reveal the following: (1) In the period of 2011–2016, the water consumption of Ningxia's energy sector exhibited negative growth, and its direct and indirect water consumption decreased by 1.5914 million m3 and 11.664 million m3, respectively. (2) The increase in water-use efficiency in energy production was the primary driving force for the decrease in water consumption, followed by the decrease in total energy production. (3) Energy production restructuring from coal products to petroleum and electric power products resulted in an increase in water consumption. (4) The water-use stress faced by Ningxia's energy sector may be alleviated only by using alternative fuels to generate electric power whenever possible and continuously strengthening the popularization of water conservation techniques in Ningxia's energy sector. The above results provide scientific support for promoting sustainable economic and social development for typical energy bases in northwest China. Furthermore, the study proposes a method for quantitatively analyzing the contribution of multiple factors leading to changes in the water consumption within the energy sector.

Monitoring Organism of Well-Groomed Crop Growing with the Use of Internet of Things (IoT)

Crop cultivation is vital resource of livelihood People in India. It plays most significant role in financial system of country. But now days due to resettlement of people from rural to metropolitan there is interference in agriculture/crop cultivation. Monitoring the ecological aspect is not the absolute way out to increase the yield of crops. There are no of factors that reduce the output to a great extent. For this reason automation is required to be implemented in agriculture to conquer these troubles. The mechanical irrigation system thereby saving time, funds and power of cultivator. The time-honored Farm land irrigation techniques need manual involvement. With the computerized technology of irrigation the human involvement can be minimized. Continuous sensing an monitoring of crops by convergence of sensors with Internet of things (IOT) and making farmers to awake about crops development, return time occasionally and in turn making high output of crops and also ensuring correct delivery of harvest to end, consumers at right place and right time. So to conquer this crisis we go for Monitoring organism of well-groomed crop growing with the use of Internet of things. Farming is an important part of Indian cost-cutting measure. Over all 60% of Indian people based upon farming/agriculture and 1/3 of the returns of population arises from agricultural practices. Hence it plays a very important part in the development of the country. The number of variety group of issues are associated to farming is endlessly hampering the development of the country. Probable answer for these tribulations is to opt for modernized cultivation that comprises of contemporary trends. Hence, cultivation can be made elegant using IoT and other technologies. Smart agriculture increases crop yield, decreases water consumption and unprovoked use of fertilizers.

Numerical Investigation of Techno-Economic Multiobjective Optimization of Geothermal Water Reservoir Development: A Case Study of China

Renewable geothermal utilization is a significant approach for residential heating with two principal modes, direct geothermal district heating systems (DGDHSs) and indirect geothermal district heating systems (IGDHSs). The key principle of geothermal development design is to prevent premature thermal breakthrough, which could result in low efficiency of geothermal heating systems. In this paper, a new approach considering building heating demand, geothermal water resource protection, and optimal economic benefits is presented systematically. The results simulated by OGS software show that well spacing, reinjection temperature, and production rate are the most significant parameters affecting thermal breakthrough in geothermal reservoirs. In addition, production rate and reinjection temperature have a huge effect on the payback period of investment. Comparing IGDHS to DGDHS, the investment in construction of geothermal wells and the annual water consumption decrease by up to 10% and 50%, respectively. Additionally, electricity costs increase by 5% to 30%. The indirect geothermal district heating system with a well spacing of 300 m, a production rate of 100 m3/h, and a reinjection temperature of 301.15 K is much better for this case, both technically and economically. The systematic calculation approach can be reasonably applied to other regions with geothermal energy utilization.

Polymer‐clay nanocomposite hydrogels for molecular irrigation application

ABSTRACTNovel nanocomposite hydrogel pipes on the basis of polyvinyl alcohol and montmorillonite (MMT) clay were prepared via a cyclic freezing–thawing technique and designed for subsurface irrigation in the agricultural sector with extraordinarily reduced water consumption. The results showed that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel pipes had an exfoliated morphology with improved mechanical and thermal properties. It was shown that the gel contents of nanocomposite hydrogel pipes were increased by increasing the loading level of MMT and, in contrast, the swelling and drying abilities decreased. The water permeation and irrigating performances of the prepared pipes were investigated at the laboratory scale by taking into account the effects of the MMT loading levels in nanocomposite hydrogels and the thickness of pipes. The results indicated a significant decrease in water consumption in nanocomposite hydrogel pipes compared to the pure hydrogel pipe. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48631.

Selected aspects of water and sewage management in Poland in the context of sustainable urban development

Abstract Effective water and sewage management is one of the most important enablers of sustainable urban development. In Poland, water and sewage management has been undergoing systematic transformation since the 1990s. This process intensified with Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004. The aim of the work is to analyse and evaluate water and sewage management in cities in Poland in terms of sustainable development. This was made possible by selecting seven variables from which a summative index (SI) was calculated. The analysis revealed a number of positive changes that have occurred in this field. These were mainly: a decrease in water consumption in households and industry, and an increased share of wastewater treated biologically or using enhanced nutrient removal in total wastewater. An increase in SI was found in 98% of the researched cities. The largest improvement in water and sewage management took place in cities of populations below 100,000 and little industry, and in three large cities, namely Warsaw and Szczecin.

Effects of cultivation management on the winter wheat grain yield and water utilization efficiency

The growth of winter wheat consumes a substantial amounts of water, and precipitation in most years cannot meet the water demand for the normal growth of winter wheat. The unsuitable irrigation strategies waste a large number of water resource, and the low water use efficiency has become the main factor limiting wheat yields. This research explored the effects of different cultivation managements on water consumption characteristics, water utilization efficiency, and grain yields of winter wheat. A field experiment, in which 4 cultivation managements including traditional cultivation management (T1), optimized cultivation management compared with T1 (T2), super high-yield cultivation management (T3) and optimized cultivation management compared with T3 (T4), was conducted during 2008–2010 to measure the above parameters. The results showed that different cultivation managements had significant effects on the total water consumption amounts and water source compositions. Total water consumption amounts in T1 and T3 managements were significantly higher than that in T2 and T4 managements, possibly from irrigation water. T2 and T4 managements remarkably increased the uptake and utilization of soil storage water and precipitation amounts. T3 and T1 managements increased and decreased water consumption in upper (0–40 cm) and lower (60–100 cm) soil layers, respectively, while effectively increased the consumption of storage water in middle and lower soil layers (60–100 cm) and yield water use efficiency (WUEY), precipitation water use efficiency (WUEP), soil water use efficiency (WUES), irrigation water use efficiency (WUEI), and irrigation efficiency (IE) in T4 and T2 managements were higher than those in T3 and T1, respectively. Total water consumption amounts markedly raised in T1 and T3 managements, whereas their soil storage water amounts utilization declined. T2 and T4 managements reduced irrigation water amounts and optimized the water and fertilizer supplies, resulting in significant increase in WUES and WUEI. Collectively, our results suggest that synergetic improving the water uptake and utilization of irrigation water and soil storage water can be the primary means to increase the grain yields and WUE.

Preoperative Fasting Times for Patients Undergoing Caesarean Delivery: Before and After a Patient Educational Initiative.

Prolonged preoperative fasting may lead to dehydration, hypoglycaemia, ketoacidosis and delayed recovery. We hypothesised that a patient educational initiative would decrease our preoperative fasting periods for elective caesarean delivery. This was an observational quality improvement impact study. Elective caesarean patients who delivered during our study period were included in the study, 40 patients in the pre-intervention and 40 patients in the post-intervention groups. Only English-speaking patients were included. We developed a patient educational pamphlet outlining preoperative fasting and analgesic expectations for caesarean delivery that was given to every patient at her preoperative anaesthesia consultation. The pamphlet included the American Society of Anesthesiologists' preoperative fasting and enhanced recovery carbohydrate drink recommendations. The primary outcome measure was intended fasting duration for liquids (defined as time from last reported liquid consumption to scheduled caesarean delivery) before and after the patient educational initiative. Secondary outcomes included solid fasting time, types of liquids and solids consumed. The intended median (interquartile range) fasting time for liquids decreased from 10 (8.9-12) h to 3.5 (2.5-10) h (p<0.001). The fasting period for solids was not significantly different: 12.5 (10.5-14) h pre- versus 12.4 (10.6-14) h post-pamphlet introduction (p=0.384). Despite the recommendation, only 22.5% consumed a carbohydrate-containing drink with a modest decrease in water consumption (87.5% before and 67.5% after; p=0.009). A patient educational pamphlet significantly reduced fasting time for clear liquids. Future studies are needed to determine what barriers limited adherence to the recommended carbohydrate-containing drink consumption.

Wheat Straw Biochar Increases Potassium Concentration, Root Density, and Yield of Faba Bean in a Sandy Loam Soil

ABSTRACTA greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of different irrigation levels (100%, 75%, and 50% of water requirement) and wheat straw biochar levels (0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 3.75%, and 5% w/w) on faba bean yield, water productivity, root length density, and different ions concentration in soil solution, using a factorial arrangement in complete randomized design with three replications. Results showed that application of high level of biochar (5% w/w) destroyed the plants before they reached maturity. The maximum yield was obtained in 1.25% w/w biochar under full irrigation, while the maximum water productivity was obtained in 2.5% w/w biochar and 50% of water requirement. Further, the root length density in soil top layer (0–8 cm) was significantly more than those in 8–16 cm, due to holding more water content in top layer and no drainage from the pots. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions’ concentrations in soil solution were significantly increased by increasing biochar levels; however, the rate of increase in potassium was higher than other ions due to high potassium concentration in biochar in comparison with the soil. In conclusion, application of biochar in the level of 1.25% w/w is suggested as a suitable agent to decrease water consumption and improving the crop performance.

Grape Rootstock Response to Salinity, Water and Combined Salinity and Water Stresses

Diminishing availability of non-saline water in arid and semiarid regions is of concern to all irrigated agricultural producers, including wine and grape producers. Grapes are not a salt tolerant crop and producers often face the choice of either limiting fresh water application, using alternative saline waters or a combination of both. We examined the salt tolerance and effect of restricted water application on three purported salt tolerant rootstocks grafted to Cabernet Sauvignon scion in a 4-year replicated field experiment. ANOVA indicated significant effects of salinity water stress and rootstock on fruit yields. The 140 Ruggeri scion was the top producer across all treatments including control, followed by Salt Creek, with St. George significantly less productive than 140 Ruggeri across all treatments. In terms of salt tolerance, Salt Creek and 140 Ruggeri were not statistically different but St. George was significantly less tolerant than Salt Creek. In terms of drought tolerance (relative yield), there were no statistical differences among rootstocks. Soil salinity profiles and soil moisture sensors indicated reduced water consumption under high salinity, thus no matric stress under 60% of optimal water application when high salt stress was present. The multiplicative stress model where salt and water stress are individually evaluated did not satisfactorily predict yield under combined salinity and reduced water application, likely due to decreased water consumption under saline conditions. Short term (one year) experiments underestimate salt damage to grape vines as salt tolerance decreased over the 4-year experiment.

Historical Self-Comparison of Water Consumption as a Water Demand Management Tool

This study aimed to identify effective presentation methods used for historical self-comparisons of residential water consumption that will lead to the efficient use of water. To compare each household’s current and previous water consumption, illustrations of water droplets were used as feedback every other week for five months, with the number of water droplets indicating an increase or decrease in water consumption. When only using the same blue water droplets, there was no change in water consumption. However, when using yellow and red droplets in cases of increased water use, we observed that water consumption declined. By improving the method of communication, historical self-comparisons of water consumption can realize an efficient use of water at all consumption levels.

Bilateral renal denervation does not prevent the kidney damage caused by a high fat diet in rats

One of the hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome (MS) is the increase of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), which leads to the upregulation of the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS). Interestingly, the sympathetic hyperactivity in the kidney of obese humans often occurs in absence of overt systemic hypertension. The stimulation of RSNA contributes to the glomerular lesions and the progressive loss of nephron functionality, resulting in acute renal injury (AKI) and, in the long term, chronic kidney disease (CKD), which represent the most common complication of MS. Clinical evidence and animal models of MS have shown that renal sympathetic denervation (RSDN) induces a transient attenuation of the hypertensive symptoms, while the markers of kidney damage continue worsening. Therefore, it is likely that the renal derangement in MS might also depend on the metabolic impairment, such as the upregulation of plasma leptin and insulin, independently from the RSNA. To investigate this issue, we explored the effect of MS over blood pressure and kidney functionality, in intact and renal denervated rats. For that, animals were either fed with a standard diet (SD) or a high‐fat diet for 12 weeks (HFD), with or without bilateral renal denervation performed at the beginning of protocol (n = 6). Results indicate that, as expected, HFD in intact animals promotes fat accumulation, glucose intolerance and hypertension, but also decreases water consumption and induces marked proteinuria from week 7, slight hematuria from week 9, with respect to SD rats. Remarkably, the renal denervation prevents the changes that HFD triggered in blood pressure and renal parameters only in the short and medium term, but it is ineffective in the long term. On the bases of these results, we suggest that the hypertension associated to MS is not only due to hyperactivation of RSNA, but it could involve hormonal/hemodynamic factors, typical of metabolic impairment, which could contribute to renal injury.Support or Funding InformationCONACYT‐CB‐243298This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Declining water consumption in the hotel industry of mass tourism resorts: contrasting evidence for Benidorm, Spain

ABSTRACTWater consumption may be declining in tourist centres and cities of the Western Mediterranean. The paper presents data showing the decrease of water consumption in the mass tourism resort of Benidorm, Spain, between 2005 and 2014, estimates the influence of factors such as hotel size and hotel category in this reduction, and attempts to discern to what extent this decline reflects conscious conservation actions taken by the hotel industry through a questionnaire for all the 129 hotels of Benidorm. The questionnaire (with 22 valid responses) included 50 questions on water consumption and was administered together with an interview with hotel managers. The goal was to discern whether conservation measures played a role in reducing water consumption during the study period. Reductions in water use seemed to be related to hotel category; with 3 star hotels (the most common in Benidorm) observing the largest decreases and four- and five-star hotels experiencing the opposite trend. We note the tension between efforts ant conserving water and the continuous expansion of water-related amenities. This may help to explain why despite the application of conservation efforts, consumption is not decreasing in all hotel categories, although it is decreasing for Benidorm as a whole.

Understanding the impacts of groundwater abstraction through long-term trends in water quality

It is vital to understand long-term trends in water quality parameters when assessing the sustainability of groundwater abstraction. Withdrawal-to-availability analysis is still used widely in groundwater management considering quantities and utilization rates based on in- and outflows. In this study, we took a step further than the water balance approach and carried out a detailed investigation of trends in long-term time series of groundwater quality, in order to analyze the sustainability of groundwater abstraction. We assessed trends, links, and patterns in abstraction, potentiometric surface, and water quality parameters for 28 well fields around Copenhagen, Denmark. Groundwater monitoring data from 1900 until 2014 were investigated for each well field. During this period, the well fields experienced a 2–14 m decrease in the nearby potentiometric surface compared to the first—or pre-pumping—potentiometric surface recordings. Sulfate concentrations increased in 25 out of 27 well fields after the maximum abstraction period, compared to the earliest water quality measurements. The results indicate that in the 1980s, when water consumption (abstraction) and drawdown were at their highest, water abstraction caused a steady increase in sulfate and calcium, which we consider unsustainable. In contradiction, the abstraction in 24 well fields show almost steady sulfate levels in the aquifer after decreased water consumption since 1995. Only four well fields showed more than a 20 mg/L increase in sulfate concentration, which indicates that the recent abstraction does not interfere with sulfate levels in the aquifer. Our method and results show how long-term water quality trends can support the management of aquifer exploitation and evaluate sustainability on the well field scale.

Grazing-induced increases in soil moisture maintain higher productivity during droughts in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau

Grazing is the primary land use practice in alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau. However, it remains unclear how grazing regulates levels of carbon and the water cycle in this ecosystem. A paired set of eddy covariance systems were set in adjacent fenced (FM) and grazed meadows (GM) to explore the grazing effects on alpine meadows. Aboveground biomass removed by grazing caused declines in grass transpiration (T), whereas the evaporation (E) was enhanced because of greater exposure to radiation, which in turn led to higher evapotranspiration (ET) in GM. However, the deep-layer soil moisture remained high because of the effects of mattic epipedon, which worked as a water-resistant layer. Therefore, the deep-layer soil moisture in GM was higher than that in FM because of decreased water consumption caused by the grazing-induced reduction in leaf area in GM. As a consequence, the deep-layer soil in GM could provide more water to help plants endure droughts. Additionally, grazing enhanced the sensitivity of productivity to soil moisture during the wet season in drought years, which could restore grassland productivity more quickly after droughts. Therefore, grazing could help this fragile ecosystem to withstand droughts to some extent and maintain higher productivity. This may provide us with an ecological approach for confronting global climate change.

Canopy pruning as a strategy for saving water in a dry land jujube plantation in a loess hilly region of China

AimsSoil drying has occurred widely in artificial plantations in the semiarid loess region because the water consumption exceeds the rainfall. Jujube (Ziziphus jujube Mill. CV. Lizao) plantations have been planted to improve the economic income since 2000. In order to prevent soil drying and sustain artificial plantation development, we examined the relationships between the canopy size, water consumption, and water use efficiency in a dry land jujube plantation. MethodsSeven treatments were tested comprising native jujube with no pruning and dwarfing jujube under different pruning levels ranging from 1 to 6. Jujube is a popular dwarfing canopy type in this region with a tree height of 2.2 m and this comprised level 1. Jujube received increased intensities of pruning as well as decreases in tree height and canopy size for levels 2–4. Jujube received severe pruning to a tree height of only 1.1 m at level 5, and the canopy was removed with only 30–40 cm of the trunk left for level 6. Soil water was detected using CNC100 neutron tubes. A thermal diffusion probe was used to monitor the sap flow in jujube trees throughout the whole growth period. ResultsDuring our study period, 2014 was a wet year with rainfall of 460.4 mm and 2015 was a dry year with rainfall of only 380.8 mm. Transpiration and water consumption by jujube decreased significantly whereas the soil water content increased as the pruning intensity increased in these two years. Compared with 15-year-old native jujube, the annual soil water consumption by 15-year-old dwarfing jujube (pruned at level 1) was 6.54 mm less and the soil water consumption depth moved upward by 2.2 m. The soil water recovered faster for jujube at level 6 and the soil water restoration depth reached 4.6 m after 3 years, with an annual restoration depth of 153.3 cm. Compared with level 1 jujube, at level 5, the height was halved, the transpiration was about 22.1%, and the water use efficiency was significantly improved by 1.1 times, thereby demonstrating that the water consumption could be regulated by the canopy size. Level 2 jujube had the highest water use efficiency with the optimal pruning level in the local region. ConclusionsWe found that pruning could effectively decrease water consumption, relieve deep soil drying, and improve the water use efficiency in jujube. The pruning level should be determined based on the water consumption rate and average rainfall to obtain high yields.