Saline Drainage Water For Irrigation Research Articles

Drainage water use options for a regional irrigation system

The use of saline drainage water for irrigation is a management practice that results in fresh water savings and also addresses the problem of drainage water disposal. However, environmental and economic restrictions need to be considered in order to design a sustainable system. An optimisation routine is proposed here that aims to estimate the quantities of drainage water that could be used for irrigation. The proposed routine incorporates crop–water production functions to simulate a crop's performance under a saline environment. The area of implementation was the regional irrigation network of Agoulinitsa in western Greece, a coastal region with a shallow aquifer. Scenarios under different prices of fresh water and salinity values of drainage water were examined.

Alfalfa production using saline drainage water

AbstractA three‐year study investigated the use of saline (EC < 6 dS m−1) drainage water for irrigation of salt‐tolerant alfalfa in the presence of shallow saline groundwater. The irrigation treatments included: (1) irrigating twice between cuttings with nonsaline water, (2) irrigating twice with moderately saline water between cuttings, and(3) once between cuttings with moderately saline water. Yield data demonstrated an approximately 30% reduction in total yield over 3 years as a result of using the saline water for irrigation compared to irrigating with the nonsaline water. The overall alfalfa quality improved when irrigated with saline water compared to the non‐saline water. However, both boron and chloride progressively accumulated in alfalfa plant tissue during each growing season when irrigated with saline water. The plant tissue boron and chloride values returned to previously low levels by the start of the next growing season due to the influence of winter rainfall and irrigating with low‐salinity water at the break of dormancy. There was measurable accumulation of salt in the soil profile and in the shallow groundwater as a result of using saline drainage water for irrigation. A gradual decrease in depth to the shallow groundwater was observed as result of the lack of drainage capability. Electromagnetic induction proved adequate for characterizing root zone salinity with time. Published in 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Strategy for long term use of saline drainage water for irrigation in semi-arid regions

In arid and semi-arid regions, effluent from subsurface drainage is often saline and in the absence of a natural outlet, its disposal is a serious environmental threat. A field experiment was conducted for 7 years using drainage water of different salinity levels (EC iw=6, 9, 12 and 18.8 dS/m) for irrigation of wheat during the dry winter season. The objective was to find whether crop production would still be feasible and soil salinity would not be increased unacceptably by this practice. The experimental crop was wheat during the winter season and pearl-millet and sorghum in the rainy season, grown on a sandy loam soil provided with subsurface drainage system. All crops were given a pre-plant irrigation with non-saline canal water and subsequently, saline drainage water of different salinity levels was used for the irrigation of wheat as per the treatment. On an average, the mean yield reduction in wheat yield at different EC iw was 4.2% at 6, 9.7% at 9, 16.3% at 12 and 22.2% at 18.8 dS/m. Pearl-millet and sorghum yields decreased significantly only where 12 dS/m or higher salinity water was applied to previous wheat crop. The high salinity and sodicity of the drainage water increased the soil salinity and sodicity in the soil profile during the winter season, but these hazards were eliminated by the subsurface drainage during the ensuing monsoon periods. The results obtained provide a promising option for the use of poor quality drainage water for the irrigation of winter wheat without undue yield reduction and soil degradation.

A CROPPING SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IMPROVING WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN SEMI-ARID IRRIGATED PRODUCTION AREAS

Sustainable alternatives for saline drainage water management in areas such as California's San Joaquin Valley are needed. Previous work has demonstrated the short-term potential for reuse of saline drainage water for irrigation in this area. Results from our 6-year cyclic drainage reuse study, however, indicate that soil structural problems may occur which can greatly reduce stand establishment and crop yields in periodically salinized soils. To prevent these problems, we are evaluating the effectiveness of winter cover crop incorporation and gypsum applications relative to conventional fallows, for improving/maintaining soil physical properties and crop productivity in cyclically salinized soils. Six winter cover crop/fallow treatments have been imposed upon a rotation of tomatoes, tomatoes and cotton as summer crops. By monitoring water use, relevant soil physical and chemical properties as well as crop performance during the course of this 3-year rotation study, we are assessing the potential benefits and constraints of using winter cover crops in drainage water reuse systems.

Tomato Fruit Yields and Quality under Water Deficit and Salinity

Effects of deficit irrigation and irrigation with saline drainage water on processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. UC82B) yields, fruit quality, and fruit tissue constituents were investigated in two field experiments. Deficit irrigation reduced fruit water accumulation and fresh fruit yield, but increased fruit soluble solids levels and' led to higher concentrations of hexoses, citric acid, and potassium. Irrigation with saline water had no effect on total fresh fruit yield or hexose concentration, but slightly reduced fruit water content, which contributed to increased inorganic ion concentrations. Fruit set and marketable soluble solids (marketable red fruit yield × percent soluble solids) were generally unaffected by either irrigation practice. Water deficit and salinity increased starch concentration during early fruit development, but, at maturity, concentrations were reduced to < 1%, regardless of treatment. Higher fruit acid concentrations resulted from water deficit irrigation and from irrigation with saline water relative to the control in one year out of two. These results support the contention that deficit irrigation and irrigation with saline drainage water may be feasible crop water management options for producing high quality field-grown processing tomatoes without major yield reductions. Appropriate long-term strategies are needed to deal with the potential hazards of periodic increases in soil salinity associated with use of saline drainage water for irrigation.

Use of saline drainage water for irrigation: Imperial Valley study

It is contended that there is potential to expand irrigated agriculture through the increased use of saline waters for irrigation. Two kinds of evidence are given to support this contention. Literature is cited to document the successful use of saline waters for irrigation around the world, even when conventional management was employed. Results of a field test are presented to document the feasibility of facilitating the use of saline water for irrigation through the development of new crop/water management strategies and practices.