Irrigation Water Use Research Articles

Evaluation of Deficit Irrigation on Potato Yield and Water use Efficiency in Gedeo Zone, South Region

Increased water scarcity necessitates the implementation of water-conserving irrigation management practices tosustain crop production, especially in water-limited areas. A two-year field study was conducted during 2020 and 2021 to evaluate the effect of deficit irrigation on potato yield and water use efficiency. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with four irrigation levels (100% ETc (crop evapotranspiration), 85% ETc, 70% ETc, and 55%ETc). The results showed that, deficit irrigation level have a significant difference in number of tuber per plant, marketable, total yield and water use efficiency. Potato yield significantly reduced with deficit irrigation level. Next to full irrigation the maximum yield was obtained under 85% ETc and 70%ETc with better crop and irrigation water use efficiency. Maximum crop and irrigation water use efficiency was obtained under 55% ETc. The partial budget analysis showed that the maximum acceptable MRR was obtained from 70%ETc and the highest net benefit was obtained under full irrigation. Therefore, in area where sufficient amount of water is available full irrigation is recommended to obtain maximum yield, but in water scarce area applying 85%ETcand 70%ETc is recommended with 17.5% and 23.2% yield reduction respectively with acceptable economical benefit.

Evaluation of date palm fruits quality under different irrigation water salinity levels compared to the fruit available in the market

IntroductionThe date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major component of the agro-food systems of the arid regions. Since it is an indigenous tree, it is an integral part of the local cultural heritage and social and economic life. Date palm cultivation in the region is challenging due to various factors such as water scarcity and soil and water salinity.MethodsThis research study was conducted to evaluate the quality of commonly sold date palm varieties in the UAE market and grown using saline water at the ICBA research station in Dubai. The study involved measuring physical parameters like fruit weight, size, dimensions, color, volume, Brix, protein, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sugars, phenols, sodium, and potassium, as well as analyzing how consumers perceive the fruit’s quality attributes produced under varying salinity levels. The study evaluated Tamar dates’ texture, flavor, aroma, taste, color, and appearance using a five-point scale from very poor to excellent.Results and discussionThe study found that fruit quality is affected by salinity, and there is a significant interaction between variety and salinity treatments. Salinity affects date palm traits, but low to moderate levels do not affect fruit quality. Khalas, Sukkari, and Ajwa-Tul-Madinah are the least affected varieties. High salinity negatively impacts some varieties, leading to decreased fruit quality. However, it is also worth noting that salinity stress can increase the sugar concentration in fruit for specific varieties, as demonstrated in this study on fruit sugar content under such conditions. Among the tested dates, Sukkari from the market, Ajwa-Tul-Madinah irrigated with 5 and 10 dS m−1 have the highest sugar content and many other desirable characteristics. Hierarchical k-means clustering reveals that each genotype performs better under a specific level of salinity, allowing for targeted selection of genotypes for salinity mitigation. Sugar content is crucial in assessing date fruits irrigated with saline water. It should be included in the evaluation criteria to promote the use of saline water for date palm irrigation and save freshwater resources. The study provides valuable insights into different date palm varieties’ behavior under varying salinity levels, enabling farmers to optimize production and establish new evaluation criteria.

Production-water user association performance nexus in mediterranean irrigated agriculture: The case of banana in Türkiye

In this study, the relationship between the increasing banana production in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye and the performance of Water User Associations (WUAs) is investigated. The increase in banana production due to economic incentives and nutrient demand has triggered a complex nexus of challenges and opportunities in the context of water resource management. The effect of banana production areas on performance of WUAs has not been studied in the region in terms of statistical evaluation. Principle component analysis sheds light on several critical dimensions, including irrigation water use, methods, management, operation and maintenance costs, production value, and water supply ratio, all of which are affected by the expansion of banana cultivation. The findings underline the urgency of adaptive strategies and sustainable practices within the scope of WUAs to meet the growing demand for irrigation water, promote water-efficient technologies, and mitigate economic and environmental consequences. As a result of the research, it has been observed that increasing banana production areas ensures more efficient use of water, improves performances related to production value, and reduces operating, maintenance, and management costs per unit service area.

Evaluation of Soil Water Tension Trigger Levels for Optimizing Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Yield and Irrigation Water Use Efficiency

Irrigation technologies have provided the ability for growers to effectively manage crops. In recent years, soil moisture sensors have provided more precise soil moisture readings for continued improvement of irrigation decisions. Trigger level irrigation research was first performed on corn (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), but southeastern crop growers often include peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in crop rotations. Therefore, research was performed on peanut to determine how differing soil water tension (SWT) trigger levels affected peanut yield. Soil water tension sensors connected to a real-time data logger were used to test irrigation trigger levels in peanut plots during the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons at the University of Georgia (UGA) Stripling Irrigation Research Park (SIRP) in Camilla, Georgia. Nine different treatments were implemented, which included 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 kPa SWT, USDA-ARS Irrigator Pro, UGA Checkbook, 50% UGA Checkbook, and rainfed. Twenty-seven plots were established in a randomized complete block design with three replications. At the conclusion of this study, it was determined that there were no differences on yield within year, but year had an effect on peanut yield (P < 0.05), and treatment within year had a significant effect on irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) (P < 0.05).

ПРИНЦИПЫ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ ПРИ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ И ПРОВЕДЕНИИ ПЛАНИРОВАНИЯ ВОДОПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ НА ОРОСИТЕЛЬНЫХ СИСТЕМАХ

Purpose: development of scientific, methodological and engineering support for the creation and practical application of IT support tools system for water use planning tasks in reclamation systems. Materials and methods. Consideration of the tasks of increasing the efficiency of water use in irrigation systems is an integral part of ensuring the effective operation of the entire national economy. The main tasks of water use are: determining the water needs of water users, determining the amount of water intake from an irrigation source, distributing water among water consumers, ensuring control over the use of irrigation water. Results. As a result of studies conducted in 2022–2023 on the Samur-Derbent irrigation system of the Republic of Dagestan, within the framework of State Contract No. 164/20-GK of July 6, 2021 for the implementation of the applied scientific research, an “Information and computing complex for water use planning during land reclamation and water management systems operation” was developed and implemented. The use of IT support tools in the water management contour in the Samur-Derbent irrigation system, in addition to automating work related to water use, made it possible to provide a systematic approach to the problem, improve the quality and efficiency of decisions made, and apply more accurate methods for calculating and processing measurement results. All this made it possible to increase the efficiency of operation of the reclamation system and its elements as a whole. Conclusion. The analysis of the problems of increasing the efficiency of reclamation systems operation showed that they are largely based on problems associated with water use management. It is water use that determines almost all the problems that must be solved when using irrigated agriculture. Based on the results of the research, a certificate of state registration of the computer program was obtained.

Семеноводство сои на орошении в условиях Левобережья Саратовской области

The article discusses the main stages of soybean cultivation using irrigation in the arid conditions of the Left Bank of the Saratov region. The purpose of the work is to analyze the technology of soybean cultivation under irrigation in the arid conditions of the Saratov region, to establish optimal irrigation periods and norms. A brief technological scheme is presented, including soil preparation, sowing, irrigation, harvesting and post-harvest refinement of soybeans. In the conditions of the Left Bank of the Saratov region, it is necessary to cultivate soybeans for seed purposes using zoned varieties, strictly in accordance with agro technology and irrigation. Compliance with agro technological techniques allows you to obtain stable soybean yields with minimal application of herbicides and rational use of irrigation water. Depending on the conditions of moisture availability of the growing season, from 3 to 5 watering is carried out with a rate of 450‑600 m3 / ha. Watering is usually carried out from mid-June to mid-August. If dry conditions form after germination, the first watering is carried out even earlier – in the phases of formation of 2‑3 nodes on the plant. Critical phases of development for soybeans in terms of sensitivity to lack of moisture are the phases of flowering – bean formation – seed filling, this period lasts the duration of which is 1.5‑2 months. During that period, the soil moisture in the 0.5‑0.7 m layer should be at least 60‑65% the lowest moisture capacity (LC) on light soils, 70% LC on medium and 75‑80% LC on heavy soils. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the depth of groundwater in order to avoid their contact with irrigation water. The total water demand, taking into account the coefficient of water use (CWU) and the efficiency of irrigated areas, is 296‑518 thousand for soybean irrigation m3 per irrigation period, depending on the conditions of moisture availability during the growing season. At the same time, the last watering carried out in the conditions of the Saratov Left Bank in August should be carried out strictly taking into account the predicted weather conditions.

Innovative cultivator for cultivating soil and applying liquid fertilizers to reduce the use of irrigation water

In the course of these scientific studies, a cultivator of the KR 3-25 type was developed to stimulate the root system of cotton and apply liquid fertilizers to increase its yield. In the course of scientific work, liquid fertilizer was applied to the root system of cotton using a KR 3-25 cultivator; scientific research was carried out for 3 years. The effect on plant growth, yield and thirst was studied. As a result, this has led to an improvement in the underground balance of moisture and nutrients in the soil where the roots of the cotton plant are located, leading to significant savings in water consumption and an increase in cotton yield. This also helped reduce soil salinity. This paper presents the results of many years of scientific research on the effect of an innovative top-dressing cultivator on reducing water consumption and increasing crop yields.

Effect of Deficit Irrigation on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Yield and Water Use Efficiency in the Semi-Arid Region of Awash Basin, Ethiopia

Crop production is largely limited by water availability in arid and semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Changing climate conditions and declining water resources demand appropriate approaches to improve crop yield and water use efficiency through a reduced and more reliable water supply. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of limited irrigation water use on bread wheat production and water use efficiency under the semi-arid climate conditions of Awash basin of Ethiopia. Five irrigation levels, that is, full irrigation (100% ETc/control), 85% ETc, 70% ETc, 55% ETc, and 40% ETc, were evaluated using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates. Statistical analysis has shown a significant effect of irrigation levels on wheat grain yield, water use efficiency, economic profit, wheat grain quality, and aboveground biomass. The highest grain yield (5,085 kg ha−1) was obtained from 100% ETc irrigation application (i.e. 417.2 mm of water), and the lowest grain yield was obtained from 40% ETc (i.e. 223.7 mm of water) application. A deficit level of 85% ETc resulted in a yield that was comparable to that of full irrigation. Compared to other treatments, the 70% ETc application produced the highest water use efficiency (1.42 kg m−3). Using the saved water obtained from 70% ETc deficit irrigation application, 23.4% more wheat could be produced on 1.38 ha of land, resulting in the highest profit (US$2,563.9) and higher MRR (137%). The yield response factor and crop-water production function indicated that maintaining irrigation at optimal levels can prevent potential yield reductions. Consequently, a 70% ETc deficit irrigation application was found to be optimal for increasing wheat grain yield, water use efficiency, and economic benefits from irrigated wheat production. These results suggest that deficit irrigation for wheat under semi-arid climatic conditions is a viable irrigation management option for enhancing water use efficiency.

Changing Climate Threatens Irrigation Benefits of Maize Gross Primary Productivity in China

AbstractIntensive irrigation has been proven to profoundly impact climate through the surface energy budget. However, the impacts of irrigation and climate interactions on gross primary productivity (GPP) in maize cultivated areas remain uncertain. Here we quantified the irrigation effects on maize GPP (∆GPP) across China by combining a land surface model and a light‐use efficiency model and using satellite‐based irrigation water use. We show that irrigation significantly contributed to an increase in maize GPP by an average of 430 gC · m−2 · yr−1, equivalent to 28% of the irrigated maize GPP in China. These benefits (∆GPP) were attributed to irrigation effects (water supply, surface cooling) and climate interactions based on a machine learning framework (eXtreme Gradient Boosting model‐SHapley Additive exPlanations). Irrigation water supply and surface cooling explained 54% ± 19% and 23% ± 20% of ∆GPP respectively, the rest being due to strong climate interactions with irrigation through water and energy balance. Assuming business‐as‐usual irrigation levels, changing climate both increases and decreases ΔGPP over different regions, driven primarily by temperature changes. The irrigation benefits in those areas under heat stress are greatly threatened due to changing climate. The roles of climate change on ∆GPP are reversed from beneficial to detrimental in the North China Plain, dominated by different warming levels of future scenarios. Our analysis provides new insights into assessing irrigation potential with the climate interactions and future irrigation priority regions.

Estresse salino e adubação potássica no desempenho agronômico da cultura do amendoim

ABSTRACT In semi-arid regions, the use of brackish water for irrigation can reduce crop yields. However, the use of mineral fertilizer has been tested to mitigate salt stress. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of salt stress at different phenological stages on the yield of peanut under potassium fertilization. The experiment was carried out from August to November 2021, in the experimental area of the Universidade da Integração da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), Redenção, Ceará, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized (CRD), in a 6 × 3 factorial scheme, with 6 replicates. Six strategies of irrigation with brackish water were applied from the following stages: vegetative (S1); flowering (S2); gynophore appearance (S3); pod formation (S4); fruiting (S5) and without salt stress (S6), and three doses of potassium: 0, 50 and 100% of the recommended dose. The use of brackish water in the vegetative stage led to lower pod length, pod mass, number of pods, number of marketable pods and yield. The dose corresponding to 100% of the recommended potassium dose mitigated salt stress in the pod formation and flowering stages, promoting a greater number of marketable pods, number of non-marketable pods, total number of pods and pod mass. The use of water with lower salinity throughout the cycle promoted greater pod mass, number of marketable pods and yield.

Application of fulvic acid and potassium fertilization to reduce the harmful effect of salt water stress on growth, productivity and nutritional status of tomato plants

Water is a key resource for sustainable agricultural development in Egypt. The scarcity of fresh water resources in Egypt has led to the use of salt water for irrigation. Therefore, the aim of the research was to study the effect of potassium fertilization and spraying with fulvic acid on tomato plants irrigated with salt water and grown in sandy soil during two successive growing seasons. Different rates of the potassium fertilization combined with different concentrations of fulvic acid foliar application. The rates of K fertilization were 150, 200 and 300 Kg K2O per hectare of the recommended fertilizer unit (300 kg K2O ha-1). While, the concentrations of fulvic acid were 500, 1000 and 2000 mgl-1. Increasing the spraying concentration of fulvic acid from 500 to 2000 ppm resulted in a significant improvement in the parameters of growth, quantity and quality yield of tomato plants with an increase in potassium fertilization rates from 150 to 300 K2O kg ha-1with the use of saline irrigation water. Increasing the concentration of fulvic acid spraying led to the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in tomato leaves increased with an increase in potassium fertilization rates.Therefore, it can be said that spraying fulvic acid with the use of potassium fertilization is one of the successful solutions in reducing the effect of irrigation with salt water on the growth and yield of tomato plants.

Peróxido de hidrogênio na atenuação do estresse salino em gravioleira

ABSTRACT In semi-arid regions, the use of saline water for irrigation has become an increasingly frequent reality due to the qualitative and quantitative scarcity of water sources occurring most of the year. Thus, the use of hydrogen peroxide can be a strategy capable of mitigating the deleterious effects of salt stress on plants and guaranteeing the agricultural production of crops such as soursop. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of foliar application of hydrogen peroxide on the physiological and growth indices of soursop plants cv. Morada Nova irrigated with waters of different salinity levels. The treatments were distributed in a randomized block design, in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to four levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water and four concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, with three replicates. Foliar application of hydrogen peroxide at concentrations of 12, 18 and 15 µM, respectively, attenuated the effects of salt stress on stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation rate and chlorophyll a synthesis of soursop, at 780 days after transplanting. The 30 µM hydrogen peroxide concentration intensified salt stress on gas exchange, variable fluorescence and electrolyte leakage in the leaf blade of soursop plants cv. Morada Nova, 780 days after transplanting.

ВОДОПОТРЕБЛЕНИЕ, УРОЖАЙНОСТЬ И КАЧЕСТВО ЛУКА РЕПЧАТОГО В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ГУМИНОВЫХ УДОБРЕНИЙ ПРИ КАПЕЛЬНОМ ПОЛИВЕ В САРАТОВСКОМ ЗАВОЛЖЬЕ

Purpose: to study the features of humic fertilizer impact on water consumption, yield and quality of onions under drip irrigation in the dry-steppe zone of Saratov Trans-Volga region. Materials and methods. Field studies were carried out on dark chestnut soils in 2019–2022. The objects of the study were the zoned Chalcedony variety and fertilizers based on humic acids. Related observations and studies of water consumption, productivity formation and yield quality were carried out using generally accepted methods. Results. Research has shown that when maintaining a drip irrigation regime, which involves watering when soil moisture is reduced to 80 % of the lowest moisture capacity in the 0–30 cm layer, the total water consumption of onions on average over the years of the study amounted to 4102 cub. m/ha, average daily – 31 cub. m/ha. The humic fertilizer application contributed to a more economical use of moisture and irrigation water, as evidenced by a decrease in the water consumption coefficient by 7.1–23.3 %, and the cost of irrigation water to form a unit of marketable output by 15.9–24.0 %. Humic fertilizers also provided a significant yield increase – 4.9–15.31 t/ha (10–31 % higher than the control – without fertilizers). Conclusions: the humic fertilizer application, which have stimulating and adaptogenic features, when growing onions under the arid conditions of the Saratov Trans-Volga region with drip irrigation, is an effective technique that ensures more economical use of water resources and increases the yield of one of the leading vegetable crops – onions.

Irrigation Response, Water Use, and Lint Yield of Upland Cotton Cultivars

Highlights In-season crop water use and canopy temperatures after first square did not differ among cultivars. Lint yield was significantly affected by cultivar in all study years. Cultivar effects on lint yield were significant only at higher irrigation levels. Crop water productivity increased with increasing irrigation in two of the three study years. Abstract. Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production requires less irrigation compared with other crops and thus provides an opportunity to reduce risk and maintain profitability in areas where water is limited. Water use, canopy temperature, lint yield, and crop water productivity were evaluated for four early to medium maturity upland cotton cultivars under three levels (100%, 66%, and 33%) of alternate furrow subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in a thermally limited environment. Crop evapotranspiration (ET) across cultivars and years averaged 627, 547, and 467 mm for the 100%, 66%, and 33% irrigation levels, respectively, and did not differ among cultivars (P > 0.05). Changes in stored soil water within each irrigation level were similar among cultivars, with significant differences occurring infrequently. Measured canopy temperatures from first white flower to two weeks after cutout did not significantly differ among cultivars (P > 0.10) within each irrigation level. Crop water use during boll maturation, as inferred from the developed crop coefficient curve, was considerably less than reported by other studies, signifying that irrigation could be terminated earlier without reducing lint yield. The cultivar effect on lint yield was significant in all study years (P < 0.001), but only at the 66% and 100% irrigation levels, with one cultivar exceeding the average yields of all evaluated cultivars by 13% across the three study years. Medium maturity cultivars usually yielded less than early maturity cultivars, especially for a year with less accumulation of thermal energy. Crop selection and late season irrigation water management were both key to improving cotton water productivity. Keywords: Upland cotton, Subsurface drip irrigation, Water productivity, Root water uptake, Canopy temperature.

EFFECT OF IRRIGATION SCHEDULING UNDER SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACELOCALIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON BEAN PRODUCTIVITY

The sustainable agricultural development strategy relies on optimizing field irrigation water use through modern systems that align with Egypts goal of efficient water utilization. Given limited water resources and the governments push for modern irrigation in existing farmland, this approach promises improved economic returns and better irrigation management regarding timing and quantity. To enhance water resource utilization for local bean crops in Egyptian conditions, our research aims to improve both subsurface and surface localized irrigation systems. Addressing water scarcity, especially in older farmlands, calls for transitioning from traditional surface localized irrigation to modern methods. We conducted a 2022-2023 open field experiment on clay soil at Giza Governorate. The research objectives were studying the impact of two irrigation methods surface localized irrigation method and subsurface localized irrigation method with three different levels of irrigation water applications, on moisture distribution, water productivity and some physiological indicators of crop plant length, number of branches, number of horns, number of seeds, plant weight and productivity. The results showed no significant difference between the treatment of surface localized irrigation with 100% water requirements and subsurface localized irrigation with 80% water requirement. Consequently, using subsurface localized irrigation with only 80% of irrigation requirements will achieve almost the same results with less irrigation water consumption. On the same regard, results showed that, the highest water productivity was obtained in the treatments A80 (4.7 kg/m³) compared to the treatments B80, C80 and A100where the water productivity were 4.5 kg/m³ 4.4 kg/m³ and 4.3 kg/m³ respectively, meanwhile the lowest water productivity was obtained in the treatment C100 which was 3.5 kg/m³.

Exploration of the cropping pattern based on the irrigation water–energy–food and carbon emission nexus

AbstractThis study examined the existing cropping patterns, yield, irrigation water and energy use and carbon emission responses to explore the best cropping pattern based on the optimum water–energy–food and carbon emission nexus. The study consisted of field visits, questionnaire surveys among 510 farmers, 10 key informant interviews, one focused group discussion and subsequent analysis of collected data. The result of the research indicated that the best existing cropping pattern was rice–wheat–no crops with a net benefit of USD 491 ha⁻¹, benefit–cost ratio: 1.33, water use: 8830 m3 ha⁻¹, energy use: 43 GJ ha⁻¹ and carbon emission: 2420 kg CO2‐eq ha⁻¹. This study found spring rice to be the most appropriate agricultural commodity in the third season of the crop calendar and rice–wheat–spring rice, as the recommended cropping pattern in the selected area based on maximum production: 13.3 t ha⁻¹, the largest net income: USD 668 ha⁻¹, the highest benefit‐cost ratio: 1.27 and the least use of energy 802 GJ ha⁻¹ with release of3840 kg CO2‐eq ha⁻¹ of carbon. After applying the recommended cropping pattern of this study, there will be significant growth in the benefit per unit use of water and energy and a substantial reduction in carbon emission per tonne of food production.

Accelerated integrated watershed management enhances agricultural carbon sequestration and water use efficiency in an endorheic basin

With the continuous promotion of integrated river basin management (IRBM) in endorheic watersheds, the oasis surface processes have undergone significant changes. However, these underlying surface characteristics have not been well integrated into models for simulating carbon-water flux thus far. In this work, a regional SWAT-TECO model was constructed by coupling the modified TECO simulator with irrigation, film mulching, and soil hydraulic redistribution processes within the SWAT framework. The results indicated that the carbon sequestration and water use efficiency (WUE) showed an increasing trend after IRBM implementation in Heihe endorheic basin. WUE was projected to improve under future climate change and can be further enhanced by a maximum of 6.37 % through improving irrigation water use efficiency by 20 %, maintaining existing planting scale, increasing film mulching by 20 %, and reducing fertilizer application by 10 %. These findings can guide the formulation of high-water efficiency agricultural management strategies in global endorheic basins.

Irrigation Water Use Payments and Policies in Developing Countries

Nowadays, water tariffs in economic developing countries are considered one of the important factors and it is not a secret that one of the reasons for the water crisis in Central Asian Countries is the growing demand for water resources. The resource is becoming scarce like in other continent of earth. It is measured as the most important natural resource and abundant liquid on earth. In this study irrigation water charging case of Uzbekistan and foreign practices, model of tariffs for water services and pricing elements have been analyzed. Irrigation water charging methods in different countries are used in different ways.

Efficacy Of Single Drip Lateral Design For Two Plant Rows Of Grain Maize In Konya-Kadinhani-Kolukisa Province, Turkey

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of trickle irrigation on grain-corn production as well as soil wetting geometry under single drip lateral design for two plants rows at Konya-Kadınhanı-Kolukısa province of Turkey under farmer’s practices. The seasonal applied water varied from 416.78 to 441.98 mm in research farms. The grain yield was found between 14200 and 16750 kg/ha in those study farms. Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, IWUE, varied from 3.21 and 3.93 kg/m3. The both the lateral and vertical wetting front was around 50 cm under 140 cm lateral space. The field inspection clearly showed that it is impossible to obtain sufficient wetted soil volume by use of one trickle lateral design, 140 cm, for two plant rows so one drip lateral design,70 cm, for each crop row was strongly recommended for facilitating better wetted soil volume within plant rooting depth consequently increasing grain production. Maize plant is very sensitive to the water deficiency so water amount should be met enough in soil rooting environment during the whole plant growing cycles.

Decision of Straw Deep Burial and Aluminum Sulfate Drip Irrigation in Soda Saline Soil Based on Grey Relation Analysis and TOPSIS Coupling

To investigate the impact of combining aluminum sulfate with straw and irrigation water to enhance soil quality in soda saline–alkali soil, in this study a field experiment was conducted in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. With beet IM1162 as the indicator crop, four levels of aluminum sulfate dosage (30, 60, 90, 120 g m−2) and four levels of drip irrigation water quota (225, 270, 315, 360 m3 ha−1) were set. The study examined the impact of varying levels of aluminum sulfate and irrigation water on soil water salt and crop yield. Next, using a comprehensive evaluation method, the optimal quantities of aluminum sulfate and irrigation water needed for effective soil improvement were determined. The research findings indicate that the most effective treatment (W2S3) involved an aluminum sulfate dosage of 90 g m−2 and an irrigation quota of 270 m3 ha−1. This treatment resulted in significant improvements compared to the control (CK) group. Specifically, in the 0–50 cm soil layer, the following improvements were observed: the water storage capacity (SWS) increased by 51.7%; evapotranspiration (ET) increased by 16.2%; water use efficiency (WUE) increased by 55.0%; and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) increased by 98.1% (p < 0.05). These results emphasize the importance of optimizing the combination of aluminum sulfate dosage and irrigation water quota to improve soil conditions and crop performance. It is worth nothing that this study highlights the potential for enhancing water use efficiency and crop yield in agricultural practices, which can contribute to sustainable and efficient farming practices. The study results revealed significant improvements in soil quality and crop yield when compared to the control group (CK). Specifically, in the 0–50 cm soil layer: the soil salt content decreased by 19.8%, soil pH increased by 8.7%, and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) decreased by 34.0%. Moreover, the crop yield in the treatment group increased significantly, by 32.1%. These findings indicate the positive impact of the intervention on soil health and agricultural productivity. The study employed the game theory combination weighting method to comprehensively evaluate soil water, salt, and various yield indicators. The results showed that the sustainability weight for crop yield reached 0.116, emphasizing the aim of soil improvement: the sustainable enhancement of crop yield. This approach underscores the importance of balanced soil management practices to ensure long-term agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. The comprehensive evaluation results of grey relation analysis and the TOPSIS coupling model showed that the soil improvement effect score was the highest when the dosage of aluminum sulfate was 61.7–120.0 g m−2, and the irrigation quota was 250.4–319.4 m3 ha−1, which was the recommended range for the local area. The research findings discussed in the provided sources contribute to the theoretical basis for soil improvement in soda–saline–alkali land.