Irrigation Period Research Articles

Compounding effects of human activities and climatic changes on coexistence of oasis-desert ecosystems: Prioritizing resilient decision-making for a riskier world

Water-salt balance is critical for the stable coexistence of salt-affected and groundwater-fed oasis-desert ecosystems. Yet, a comprehensive investigation of how soil salinization and groundwater degradation threaten the coexistence of oasis-desert ecosystems is still scarce, especially under the compounding effects of human activities and climatic changes. Here, we assessed the impacts of irrigated agriculture on hydrological regimes in oasis-desert systems, investigated the spatio-temporal variations of soil salinization in irrigated cropland, and evaluated the implications of the interplays of soil salinization and groundwater degradation on the coexistence of oasis-desert ecosystems in northwestern China, based on meaningful modelling approaches and comprehensive measurements over 1995–2020. The results showed that the irrigation return flow coefficient decreased sharply from 0.21 ± 0.09 in the traditional irrigation period to 0.09 ± 0.01 in the water-saving irrigation period. The continuous drop in groundwater tables and significant degradation of groundwater quality are occurring throughout this watershed. The eco-environmental flows are reaching to their limit with watershed closures (i.e., the drainage from the oasis region into the desert region is being weakened or even eliminated), although these progressions were largely hidden by regional precipitation and streamflow variability. The process of salt migration and accumulation across different landscapes in oasis-desert system is being reshaped, and soil salinization in water-saving agricultural irrigated lands is accelerating with a regional average annual growth rate of 18%. The vegetation in this watershed is degrading, and anthropogenic disturbance accelerates this trend. Our results highlight that environmental stress adaptation strategies must account for resilience maintenance to avoid accelerating catastrophic transitions in oasis-desert ecosystems. Determining the optimal oasis scales and formulating the best irrigation management plans are effective and resilient decision-making ways to maintain the coexistence relationship of oasis-desert ecosystem in drylands.

The impact of maize irrigation intervals and potassium fertiliser rates on mealybug populations, vegetative growth, and resulting yield

The mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), is one of the main pests attacking maize plants in Egypt. Field trials were carried out in the maize field to assess the influence of irrigation periods and potassium fertiliser rates on the mealybug ( P. solenopsis) population estimates, vegetative growth, resulting yield, and its components for the maize cultivar (‘Single-Hybrid 168 Yellow’) in the Luxor Governorate, Egypt. Results revealed that unfertilised plants irrigated every seven days had higher pest population densities than other treatments over the two seasons. The fertilised treatments at 114 kg K 2O∙ha –1 that received water every 10 days had the smallest population of P. solenopsis in every season. Data during the two seasons (2021 and 2022) revealed that the maize to which potassium fertiliser was added by 114 kg K 2O∙ha –1 and irrigated every 10 days had vegetative growth (plant height, diameter, and number of green leaves per plant), yield and its components (average ear length, ear weight, number of grains per ear, weight of 1000 grains, and grain yield) significantly increased as compared to those of the plants that were irrigated every 7 days and without adding fertiliser. A higher dose of potassium fertiliser reduces the infestation of P. solenopsis but causes an increment of maize vegetative growth. This affects the final yield. This information aids farmers in comprehending the good agronomic techniques of maize plants to decrease the infestation of mealybugs and increase the yield.

Effect of landscape pattern on river water quality under different regional delineation methods: A case study of Northwest Section of the Yellow River in China

Study regionA typical arid irrigation area of the Yellow River, Ningxia, Northwest China. Study focusAt present, few studies have evaluated the effects of nested watershed and runoff process on the relationships between landscape patterns and water quality. In this study, we aimed to quantify the relationships between landscape pattern and river water quality using two delineation methods. One method involved a water quality monitoring site only corresponding only to its own sub-watershed, while the other method involved a water quality monitoring site corresponding to all of its upstream sub-watersheds. New hydrological insights for the regionWe collected water quality monitoring data, including DO, CODMn, NH3-N, TP, TN, pH for the irrigation period (May, 2021 – August, 2021) and the non-irrigation period (December, 2021 – March, 2022) for seven sub-watersheds. Our results revealed that when a water quality monitoring site corresponded to all the sub-basins involved in the runoff process, the correlations between landscape composition and water quality parameters were stronger. Additionally, the degree to which landscape configuration explained the overall water quality was greater in such cases. We also found that the buffer zone scale accounted for more than 97.3% of the overall water quality variation. These results highlight the importance of aligning water quality monitoring sites with the corresponding sub-watersheds and emphasize the significance of land-use management in the riparian scale near the Yellow River for water quality protection.

Lake Maggiore: geomorphological genesis, lake-level evolution, and present and future ecosystems importance

Lake Maggiore, the second deeper and larger south alpine lake, was selected as a model system to detect the potential damages on water resources, biodiversity and ecosystem health caused by different water levels during the lake-level regulation period (March to November). With a drainage basin exceeding an altitude difference of 4400 m, Lake Maggiore fills a deep valley floor whose bedrock reaches up to 700 m below the present sea level. The cryptodepression occupied by the lake was probably formed during the end of the Miocene and the Pliocene and was shaped successively during the Pleistocene glaciations. Lake Maggiore originated following the Last Glaciation, when it reached its maximum lake-level and extension just after its deglaciation. The mean secular lake-level progressively decreased throughout the Holocene, causing a gradual shrinkage of the lake because of the constant depositional input that created the fluvio-deltaic plains at the mouth of the main tributaries of the lake. The regime of the tributaries is of mixed type, with a spring maximum mainly due to snowmelt and an autumn maximum exclusively of pluvial origin. Water levels naturally tend to reflect the amount of rain or snow precipitation and are expressed through a double cycle: winter and summer characterised by low waters, and spring and autumn by high waters. In 1943, the need to use the waters of the great lakes to have water available in the less favourable periods, led to the construction of a dam at the Lake Maggiore outlet. This structure allows to store water during heavy rainfall or snowmelt periods. The accumulated water is then supplied during the irrigation periods to agriculture (spring and summer) and to industrial users (mainly in autumn and winter). The geomorphological genesis and the ecosystems description was focused on riparian, fluvio-deltaic, and ephemeral systems. For these ecosystems, their evolution considering the hydrological regime of the tributaries, the anthropogenic activities in the watershed and the effects of lake-level management since 1943, was also described. Considering the summer increase, between April and July, to +1.25 m (with possible peaks to +1.50 m) experimentally tested between 2015 and 2020, and the approval of the proposal to continue the test for the next five-year period (2022-2026), we finally emphasise the potential further reduction of reeds and natural habitats and the subsequent loss of biodiversity related to the plan of raise the lake-level to +1.50 m all year round.

Effect of Different Irrigation Managements on Infiltration Equations and Their Coefficients

The main aim of this paper was to analyze the sensitivity of the five infiltration equations (Kostiakov, Kostiakov–Lewis, Philip, Horton and SCS) and their coefficients to various ponding depths and initial soil moisture under different irrigation managements. The treatments included three qualities of water (electrical conductivity = 6, 3 and 0.6 dS/m), two managements of irrigation (intermittent irrigation and daily irrigation) and three irrigation periods (100, 45 and 8 days). The HYDRUS-1D model was calibrated to simulate infiltration in various initial soil moistures and ponding depths. Evaluating the performance of infiltration equations showed that the Horton and Kostiakov–Lewis had better accuracy and Kostiakov and SCS had less accuracy than the other equations. The empirical coefficients of SCS and Kostiakov had the most and least sensitivities, respectively. Furthermore, Horton was the most sensitive equation, while SCS was the least sensitive one. The output parameters under daily management were the most sensitive to variations in infiltration coefficients, especially when the salinity and sodium contents of water and soil were higher. The results also showed that the effect of the initial soil moisture on the infiltration coefficient in high permeable soil (arising from daily management) was greater; but in low permeable soil (arising from intermittent management), the ponding depth was more effective. It is concluded that the infiltration equations (specifically the SCS equation) and their coefficients (specifically coefficient c) should be calibrated relative to the initial soil moisture, ponding depth, soil solution and water irrigation quality. Particularly in areas with high permeable soil (in the daily management), the calibration of the infiltration equation should be conducted with the initial soil moisture. In these areas, the irrigation period should be controlled. In areas with low permeable soil (in intermittent management), calibration should be carried out relative to the ponding depth. In these areas, the inflow rate should be controlled.

Short-term effect of reclaimed wastewater quality gradient on soil microbiome during irrigation

To investigate the effect of wastewater (WW) treatment on soil bacterial communities, water of different quality was used to irrigate eight lettuces per tank: raw municipal wastewater (RWW), WW treated with an aerated constructed wetland (CWW) and WW treated with a membrane bioreactor (MBW), and tap water (TW). The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics (quality indicators) of these water types were characterized, and the water and soil bacterial communities were monitored by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Despite marked differences in microbial load and diversity of waters, soil communities remained remarkably stable after irrigation. Microbial biomass was increased only in soils irrigated with RWW. At the end of the irrigation period (day 84), soil and water shared a large fraction of their bacterial communities, from 43 % to 70 %, depending on the water quality, indicating a transfer of bacterial communities from water to soil. Overall, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria was increased and that of Actinobacteria was decreased in soils irrigated with MBW, CWW and even more with RWW. Multivariate ordination clearly separated soils in three groups: soils irrigated with the cleanest water (TW), with treated WW (MBW and CWW), and with untreated WW (RWW). Nitrifying, denitrifying, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria were quantified by qPCR targeting amoA, narG, and nifH, respectively. Nitrifying bacteria were the most affected by the water quality, as indicated by amoA copy number increase in RWW-irrigated soil and decrease in CWW-irrigated soil. Overall, the abundance of all three genes was positively influenced by RWW treatment. In conclusion, the 84 days of irrigation influenced the soil microbial communities, and the impact depended on the quality of the used water.

Influence of Irrigation on Vertical Migration of Soil Organic Carbon in Arid Area of Inland River

Soil organic carbon is very important to increase crop yield. Understanding the composition changes and migration characteristics of SOC under different irrigation conditions in arid oasis areas is of great significance for the sustainable development of agro-ecosystem and the estimation of carbon balance of farmland ecosystem in arid areas. In this paper, classical statistics and geostatistics were used to study the leaching characteristics and migration laws of soil organic carbon under different irrigation conditions in Minqin Oasis, and the leaching amount and loss process and mechanism of SOC under different irrigation conditions were quantified. The research results showed that: (1) Irrigation increased the average 0–100 cm SOC content. After irrigation, SOC content decreased first and then increased with the increase in soil depth, with the maximum value of 8.56 g/kg and the minimum value of 1.82 g/kg. Compared with that before irrigation, SOC content in 0–30 cm surface layer was in leaching state, SOC content in 30–70 cm surface layer was accumulated, and SOC content in 70–100 cm surface layer had no obvious change. (2) Water was an important factor affecting soil carbon. The greater the irrigation amount, the higher the carbon leaching rate and the greater the migration amount. The SOC content in 0–30 cm soil layer was most significantly affected by irrigation, and the migration amount of SOC gradually decreased with the increase in soil depth. The maximum leaching rate of SOC was 36.8%, the minimum leaching rate was 13.5%, and its average leaching rate was 23.4%. (3) Due to the influence of soil infiltration rate under water, SOC content in different irrigation periods showed that the greatest SOC occurred in the 0–70 cm layer, and SOC content in soil was basically the same as that in non-irrigated areas on the fifth day after irrigation. (4) Precipitation, plastic film mulching, soil physical and chemical properties and other environmental factors were important factors affecting the migration and change in SOC content.

Effect of Scheduling Irrigation Water and Adding Organic Matter and Bio-Fertilizer on the Concentration of some Nutrients in Wheat Plant (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was applied during the agricultural season 2021-2022 in one of the farms located in Al-Muthanna Governorate. In order to study the effect of scheduling irrigation water and adding organic matter and bio-bacterial fertilizer on the concentration of some nutrients in the wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.), the experiment was carried out by distributing split plates using a randomized complete block design R.C.B.D. With three replications, the experiment included three factors, as the coefficients of irrigation periods for the first factor were set in the main panels at two levels (50 and 75%) of the field capacity, and the factors of organic and biological fertilization in the secondary panels, the organic fertilizer treatments included the use of three The levels are (0 and 40 and 80 tons ha-1), while the biofertilization treatments were at two levels, namely (adding the bacterial vaccine and not adding it). The results indicated that the treatment of adding organic fertilizer at the third level, O2, was significantly superior to the rest of the treatments, and the highest values were recorded in nitrogen and phosphorous and potassium concentration in the vegetative total, achieving an increase of (12.05% and 81.08 % 23.74%) sequentially, and the phosphorous concentration in the grains (86.11%), while there was no significant increase for the treatments of adding organic matter in affecting the nitrogen and potassium content of the grains. Also, the biofertilization treatments showed a significant effect in some of these, and the highest values were recorded in both the nitrogen and phosphorous concentration in the vegetative total, with an increase of (5.51% and 13.68%), and the nitrogen and phosphorous concentration in the grains (29.86% and 17.11%) sequentially but regarding as for the potassium concentration in vegetative total and grains, it was not significantly affected by the treatments of adding the bacterial vaccine to it. While the irrigation periods showed a significant effect only on the adjective phosphorous concentration in the grains

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ КАПЕЛЬНО-ДОЖДЕВАЛЬНОГО ОРОШЕНИЯ И ИМПУЛЬСНОГО ДОЖДЕВАНИЯ НА РОСТ, РАЗВИТИЕ И ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ ЯБЛОНЬ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЮГА КАЗАХСТАНА

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as in many countries located in the arid zone, ag-riculture is fundamental in economic development. Increasing water deficit requires reduction of water consumption in irrigated agriculture through introduction of technologies providing optimal conditions for growth and development of agricultural crops. Drip irrigation and sprinkling are promising technologies for optimizing the conditions for plant development. 
 Drip-sprinkler irrigation technology is aimed at increasing of irrigation water use effi-ciency under the main drip irrigation method and during high air temperatures (more than 25oC) to improve micro- and phytoclimate parameters in the period of additional sprinkling irrigation. 
 Impulse sprinkling improves the microclimate in the apple-trees development environment, water regime indicators of plants within day time in comparison with periodical regular sprinkling and increases the productivity of apple-trees.

Sustainable Use of Treated Municipal Wastewater after Chlorination: Short-Term Effects on Crops and Soils

Due to the scarcity of fresh water for crop irrigation in semi-arid areas, sustainable use of treated municipal wastewater is essential. Chlorine for wastewater disinfection added in wastewater treatment plants may be toxic for crops and can degrade cultivated soils. This study evaluates the crop and soil response to irrigation with treated municipal wastewater (with or without chlorination) in comparison to clear water. Small plants of tomato and cabbage and young bergamot trees were irrigated in pots throughout two months. The use of chlorinated or non-chlorinated wastewater did not significantly change biomass growth, morphological parameters and the efficiency of energy transfer. Significant reductions (40–50%) in the stem diameter of tomato and bergamot plants and differences (−25% to 53%) in all physiological parameters were measured for tomato immediately after the irrigation start. A decrease (−55%) in stomatal conductance and transpiration rate together with an increase (+80%) in water use efficiency were also recorded in bergamot after 30 days of irrigation. This type of irrigation water did not induce significant changes in soil properties, except for a decrease in pH (−20%) in bergamot soils after the irrigation start and in electric conductivity (EC, −40%) at the end of the irrigation period for all species. Irrigation of plants with chlorinated wastewater increased the weight of the fresh biomass (+56%) of leaves and the stem diameter (−60%) of tomato and decreased water use efficiency (+67%) in bergamot after the irrigation start. After two months, decreases in stomatal conductance and transpiration rate in cabbage (over 50%) and increases in water use efficiency in cabbage and bergamot (by 40% and 70%, respectively) were evident. Among the studied soil properties, land application of chlorinated wastewater only reduced electrical conductivity (−47%). Overall, this study demonstrated that the use of treated municipal wastewater (with or without chlorination) does not have detrimental impacts on both plant growth (at least for tomato, cabbage and bergamot) and soil health in the short term.

Adaptability of Maize Farmers to Drought and the Selection of Irrigation Period—A Survey of Irrigation Behavior of Farmers in the Three Provinces of Huang-Huai-Hai, China

The summer maize area of Huang-Huai-Hai is the main summer maize production area in China, droughts occur frequently during the growth period of summer maize and irrigation water resources are scarce in this region. This paper studied the adaptability of maize farmers to drought and the selection of irrigation period in the three provinces of Huang-Huai-Hai. The adaptability index of irrigation at different growth stages was analyzed by establishing an extended C-D production function model, while the marginal income of irrigation in each growth period was calculated based on the estimation results of adaptability index model. The results showed that: (1) The growth period with the largest adaptability index in the three provinces of Huang-Huai-Hai was milk ripening stage. The adaptability index in milk ripening stage in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong was 1.063, 1.081, and 1.053, respectively. (2) The maize key growth periods of water sensitivity in the three provinces of Huang-Huai-Hai were tasseling period and milk ripening period, and in most cases, the irrigation period of farmers was consistent with the key growth period of water sensitivity. (3) In Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces, the marginal benefits of irrigation were greater than the marginal costs in each growth period. The marginal income of irrigation during tasseling period in the three provinces was relatively large, and tasseling period was the preferred irrigation period of most farmers. To optimize future irrigation water allocation, farmers should prioritize ensuring sufficient water supply during tasseling stage and milk ripening stage in Hebei and Shandong, and during big bell mouth stage and tasseling stage in Henan.

Regional Climate Effects of Irrigation under Central Asia Warming by 2.0 °C

There has been a severe shortage of water resources in Central Asia and agriculture has been highly dependent on irrigation because of the scarce precipitation in the croplands. Central Asia is also experiencing climate warming in the context of global warming; however, few studies have focused on changes in the amount of irrigation in Central Asia under future climate warming and their regional climate effects. In this study, we adopted the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to design three types of experiments: historical experiments (Exp01); warming experiments using future driving fields (Exp02); and warming experiments that involved increasing the surface energy (Exp03). In each type of experiment, two experiments (considering and not considering irrigation) were carried out. We analyzed the regional climate effects of irrigation under the warming of Central Asia by 2.0 °C through determining the differences between the two types of warming experiments and the historical experiments. For surface variables (irrigation amount; sensible heat flux; latent heat flux; and surface air temperature), the changes (relative to Exp01) in Exp03 were thought to be reasonable. For precipitation, the changes (relative to Exp01) in Exp02 were thought to be reasonable. The main conclusions were as follows: in Central Asia, after warming by 2.0 °C, the irrigation amount increased by 10–20%; in the irrigated croplands of Central Asia, the irrigation-caused increases (decreases) in latent heat flux (sensible heat flux) further expanded; and then the irrigation-caused decreases in surface air temperature also became enhanced; during the irrigation period, the irrigation-caused increases in precipitation in the mid-latitude mountainous areas were reduced. This study also showed that, in the WRF model, the warming experiments caused by driving fields were not suitable to simulate the changes in irrigation amount affected by climate warming.

Identifying interactions of linked irrigated lake-groundwater system by combining hydrodynamic and hydrochemical method.

During the irrigation period, the interactions between the linked lake-groundwater systems are complicated and change. This is because natural and human activities are happening at the same time, which makes it harder to identify the interactions. This study uses data on water level, hydrochemistry, and hydrogen-oxygen stable isotopes to analyze the hydrodynamics, electrical conductivity (EC), isotopic characteristics, and spatial distribution of lake water and groundwater to reveal lake-groundwater interactions. The results indicate that the hydrochemical type of Chagan Lake and groundwater is dominated by the HCO3-Na type. The key hydrochemical indicator EC obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to reveal the lake-groundwater interaction, and the interaction should be identified by location according to the significant correlation between hierarchical clustering results and regional distribution. The lake body's geographic coefficient of variation for EC and δ18O is small, and irrigation return flow is one factor in the region's surface water's significant spatial variation for EC and δ18O. The three study methods indicate that the groundwater supplies the lake in the vicinity of the Huoling River-Hongzi Pool, while in other sections, the lake water leaks and replenishes the groundwater, exhibiting geographic inconsistency. The isotope method was employed as a support tool to determine that groundwater might recharge the lake at Xinmiao Pool. According to the calculations of the Mix SIAR model, the groundwater recharge contribution rate in the Xinmiao Pool section is approximately 51%, while in the remaining sections, the contribution rate of lake water to groundwater ranges from approximately 25% to 52%. Therefore, the identification of the interaction is crucial for the linked irrigated lake-groundwater system where water sources are scarce and threatened by agricultural pollution.

PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS OF USING LOCAL WATER RESOURCES FOR IRRIGATION IN THE BASINS OF SMALL RIVERS OF THE FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE

On the example of a separate agricultural farm located in the basin of the small Manzhelia River within the Left Bank Forest Steppe, the approaches to the selection of potential sources of irrigation and the specifics of determining the volumes of local water resources intended to be used for irrigation, as well as the areas of possible irrigation in the absence of existing irrigation systems, are given. The results of the research indicate that the prospects for the development of land irrigation on farmland can be mainly provided subject to the combined use of surface runoff accumulated in ponds on the Manzhelia River and groundwater admissible for extraction, taking into account their quality. It was determined that influenced by a complex of anthropogenic factors, the river runoff sharply decreased compared to natural conditions, and the feeding of river course ponds during the entire low water period occurs only due to lateral inflow. Based on calculations it was determined that in average and low-water years, the volumes of surface and ground inflow to the cascade of ponds for the period from June to September are smaller than evaporation losses. Under such conditions, the use of the river runoff for irrigation is possible only due to the accumulation of flood and, partially, high water runoff. The calculations of flood runoff volume for March - April at the gate of the lower pond indicate the impossibility of using water from it for irrigation in very low-water years, as well as the dependence of runoff use for irrigation in low-water years on the pre-flood filling level of the ponds. It was determined that up to 0.8 million m3 of water can be used for irrigation in medium-water years, and up to 1.4 million m3 in high-water years, which will provide irrigation on an area of 400 and 700 hectares, respectively (having an irrigation rate of 2000 m3/ha). The possibility of installing at least 40 water intake wells within the territory of the farm with a total flow rate of 20-24 thousand m3/day and a total water intake during the irrigation period of about 1.5 million m3 has been substantiated. This will make it possible to irrigate 750 hectares of land having an irrigation rate of 2000 m3/ha, and at least 1000 hectares having an irrigation rate of 1500 m3/ha. It is focused on the mandatory preliminary investigation of water quality for irrigation, which for many small rivers and aquifers is a limiting factor when using local water resources for the construction of irrigation systems.

AI Based Real-Time Weather Condition Prediction with Optimized Agricultural Resources

Purpose: Unpredictable and rapid change in weather patterns has great impact on agricultural activities, especially for precision agriculture that results in worsened water resources availability, decreased soil fertility, use of pesticide as well as decreased yield productivity. In attempt to alleviate these challenges, this study aims at developing a real-time weather and farm field data driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) system that analyze, manage and schedule irrigation and fertigation as well as enabling farmers to interact with their farms via Smart phone or PCs to optimize energy and water resources.
 Methodology: The system employs weather condition monitoring sensors such as atmospheric pressure, air temperature, air humidity and wind speed for collecting real-time farm field data and uses Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) to predict rainfall rate at farm area for 24 hours period. The system also gathers field data such as soil moisture content and soil nutrient content and uses the Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict the time for irrigation and fertigation. By combining weather and farm field data, the system schedules the irrigation and fertigation activity. In addition, the mobile application is developed for the farmers to interact, control and monitor the farming activities and the data is presented to the farmers in both graphical and numerical formats.
 Findings: The system prototype deployed and tested in the two hectors Maize farm proved that 55% of water, 51% of energy and 20% of fertilizer were saved as well as increases in 20% of Maize yield production compared to previous season.
 Recommendations: Since the current irrigation and fertigation practices are based on predetermined time of the day and threshold values for automatic irrigation, this solution introduced the new concept of real-time and short-term weather forecasting that enables farmers to balance the irrigation period and weather pattern for water and fertilizer resources optimization.

Optimal configuration for multi-purpose mine water quality-classified utilization

ABSTRACT Comprehensive utilization of mine water is of immense significance to avoid water wastage and protect the environment. To maximize the benefit of mine water utilization by calculating the available water in the goaf of Wucun Mine and analyzing the characteristics of water quality, combined with the water requirements of residents, power plants, irrigation, aquaculture, and ecology around the mining area and their water quality requirements, a mathematical model for optimal allocation of water quality-classified utilization in a 718-m3/h mine was constructed and solved using differential evolution algorithm and genetic algorithm, respectively. While the results of seven iterations of genetic algorithm varied between 215.24 and 232.36 China Yuan/h, those of differential evolution algorithm were all 232.36 China Yuan/h. When compared with genetic algorithm, differential evolution algorithm has the advantages of better convergence and stable and reliable calculation results. In the irrigation period, differential evolution algorithm indicated supply of 6.00, 334.95, 353.89, 19.76, and 3.40 m3/h treated mine water for residential usage, power plant, irrigation, aquaculture, and ecology, respectively, whereas in the non-irrigation period, differential evolution algorithm suggested supply of 6.00, 688.84, 0, 19.76, and 3.40 m3/h treated mine water, respectively. The annual income from quality-classified utilization of the mine water was the highest. Thus, the present study provides a model that can be used for reference for rational utilization of mine water resources.

Experimental Performance Evaluation of a PV-Powered Center-Pivot Irrigation System for a Three-Year Operation Period

High-power diesel-based or grid-connected irrigation systems are being replaced by battery-free, high-power stand-alone Photovoltaic Irrigation Systems (PVIS) that reduce energy costs by up to 80% and for which no experimental performance data are available. The operation of PVIS is affected by various factors, some unrelated to the quality of the PV system itself, that generate losses that affect their performance: losses that vary with the crop and its irrigation period, losses intrinsic to the PVIS design, and losses that happen as a consequence of the behavior of the end-user. To better understand the impact of each type of loss, the traditional performance ratio was factorized. This paper provides the PV community with experimental data on the performance of a battery-free 160 kWp PV-powered constant-pressure center-pivot irrigation system. The system was analyzed over three years of real operation, during which the performance ratio ranged from 49.0 to 53.2%.

Effect of Azospirillum brasilense Addition and Organic Matter on Irrigation Efficiency, NPK Availability and Wheat Yield (Triticum aestivum L.)

For the purpose of studying the effect of adding bio-bacterial fertilizer and levels of organic matter on irrigation efficiency and the available of some nutrients and on the yield of wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.), a field experiment was carried out during the agricultural season 2021-2022 in one of the farms Located in Al-Muthanna Governorate / Al-Majd District, the investigation was applied using the randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D.) according to the system of factorial experiments inside the incision and with three replications, The treatment of irrigation periods in the main panels and the factorial treatments of biological and organic fertilization in Secondary panels, The biological fertilization treatments included the use of two levels (adding the bacterial vaccine and not adding it) and the organic fertilization treatments (buffalo waste) in which three levels were used (0, 40, 80 tons ha-1), while the treatments of the irrigation periods were At two levels (50 and 75%) of the field capacity. The results indicated that the treatment of adding bio-fertilizer was significantly superior to the comparison treatment. The highest values were recorded in each of the concentrations of N.P.K. available in the soil after harvest, achieving an increase of (26.81%, 13.21%, and 12.85%) sequentially, as well as the percentage increase in the number density of A.brasilense bacteria in the soil during the flowering stage was 73.03%, The percentage of increase achieved in each of the characteristics of biological yield and grain yield was (19.80%, 5.17%) respectively. Whereas the levels of organic matter were significantly affected, achieving an increase in the concentration of N.P.K. available in the soil (31.30%, 48.33% and 29.22%), respectively, the numbers of A.brasilense in the soil during the flowering stage 37.33%, biological yield 32.88%, and grain yield 20.09%. As for the irrigation periods, they did not significantly affect the studied Adjectives.

Effect of Irrigation Periods and Spraying with Water Extract of Black Grain Seeds on the Growth and Productivity of Bread Wheat Triticum aestivum L.

A factorial pot experiment was conducted using a completely randomized sector design with three replications in the Tikrit agricultural research department during winter agricultural season 2021 AD to study the effects of four irrigation periods (0, 3, 6 and 12 days) and three level concentrations of water extract of black grain seeds (0%, %5 and 10%) in the growth and yield of the wheat plant. The results showed a significant decrease in all traits with 12 days irrigation, while plants treated with black grain seed extract at a concentration of 10% gave the highest values for plant height, number of tillers per plant, leaf area, dry weight of the vegetative total of the plant, number of spikes per plant, number of grains per spike and biological yield per plant, which reached (52.09 cm), (2.93 tillers.plant-1 ), (28.09 cm2), (19.99 g), (2.94 spike.plant-1 ), (31.23 grain.spike-1) and (53.62 g.plant-1), respectively. As for the interaction between the treatments, it was significant for all traits except for the number of tillers per plant which did not reach the significant level.

Copper Phytoextraction Using Phyllostachys pubescens

The Phyllostachys pubescens macrophyte, known also as Moso Bamboo, was evaluated in laboratory conditions for its potential to renovate copper-polluted soil. Pot experiments were conducted to determine Phyllostachys pubescens’ growth, tolerance and phytoextraction potential capacity to restore copper-contaminated soil in Mediterranean conditions. Data collected evidenced that the Phyllostachys pubescens evolution rate was 0.47 cm/day on average, with a 1.644 mm/d irrigation flow. Moso Bamboo tolerance was tested over a twelve-week irrigation period, while adding copper-polluted water. Copper removal from soil was 51.4% and the quantity of copper per gram of root/rhizome was equal to 1.18 mg Cu/g, while the amount of copper per gram of stem/leaves was 0.50 mg Cu/g, after 12 weeks. The conducted laboratory experiments show that environmental restoration using the phytoextraction technique, and using Phyllostachys pubescens, should be considered for the restoration of copper-contaminated soils.