Consumptive Water Use Research Articles

Comparing the success and failure of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan's water recovery programs

AbstractThe Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) Plan is held up by some as an exemplar for world‐leading water policy, whilst others have called it a failure. Total proposed recovery was to return 3200 GL of consumptive (e.g. namely irrigation) water use to non‐consumptive (e.g. environmental) use in the MDB, making it one of the largest planned reallocations of water resources in the world. As of June 2023, over AUD$13 billion was committed financially from the Australian government to Basin water reform, with AUD$7.7 billion spent to date on water recovery programs. The implementation of the Plan has been mired in controversy, and it missed its first water recovery targets that had been set for 2024, requiring substantial legislation amendments. This study provides a qualitative policy overview comparison of the success and failure of the two main water recovery programs implemented—buyback of water entitlements from willing sellers and subsidising irrigation infrastructure (on and off‐farm) projects. It concludes that contrary to the popular view held by many, the buyback water recovery program has been a success—achieving the majority of the water recovered to date, at the least cost, with the least negative externalities—in comparison to infrastructure programs.Points for practitioners Assessing success and failure of MDB water recovery programs requires establishing effectiveness, efficiency and equity criteria. Greater work on the benefits of water reallocation downstream and cultural water is needed. A comparison of MDB buyback water recovery programs with irrigation infrastructure programs found higher net benefits for buyback programs. Use first‐best policy to address each water policy objective, not one policy aimed at addressing multi‐objectives. Overall, the Plan.s overall success is still to be determined, given the difficulty in judging environmental outcome success that is intrinsically linked with other external factors.

Comparative analysis of FAO dual Kc, Priestley‐Taylor and flux variance similarity methods in partitioning evapotranspiration from flood‐irrigated rice fields

AbstractAccurate quantification of evapotranspiration (ET) and its bifurcation into productive transpiration (T) and unproductive evaporation (E) are essential for the successful implementation of sustainable irrigation practices. This study compares the performances of three distinct methods for partitioning ET into E and T fluxes from flood‐irrigated rice fields. These methods include: i) the FAO dual Kc‐ETo model, which utilizes Penman–Monteith (PM) estimates of reference ET and crop‐specific scaling factors; ii) the Priestley‐Taylor (PT) method, which relies on radiation‐driven energy balance at the canopy surface; and iii) the flux variance similarity (FVS) method, which utilizes high‐frequency eddy covariance (EC) measurements of carbon and water vapour fluxes. Meteorological, phenological and hydrological parameters were monitored over two winter seasons in a paddy field, replicating site‐specific management strategies. The cumulative ETs obtained from the PM, PT and FVS methods were 445 mm, 300 mm and 356 mm, respectively, for season 1 and 428 mm, 321 mm and 375 mm, respectively, for season 2. The accuracy of the ET estimation and partition methods was assessed against independent measurements of ET and E using a lysimeter and a microlysimeter. The results demonstrated that the EC‐based FVS method offers superior accuracy in both quantifying (R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 0.70 mm) and partitioning (R2 = 0.51, RMSE = 0.76 mm) ET fluxes, followed by the PM‐based FAO dual Kc‐ETo and PT methods. Evaporation accounted for 29 ± 5% of consumptive water use, highlighting an opportunity for the implementation of water‐saving strategies, particularly during vegetative and transplantation stages. The findings of the path analysis indicate that vegetative and radiation factors influence ET variation, while meteorological and soil factors significantly impact T variation.

Determining Consumptive Water Use for Corn Cultivation at High Altitudes: A Comparative Study of Three Methods

A desirable water supply in agriculture requires quantitative methods to determine crop requirements. De-termination of hydric request of maize Var INIAP 102 is promising, mainly at altitudes over 2000 meters above sea level. This study analyzed three methods (lysimeter, evaporimeter tank, and empiric formula FAO) to determine Chimborazo province's hydric requirements for Var INIAP 102. Vegetative and yield variables were recorded, and the effect of different water films on the vegetative growth of maize was de-termined. When water was more available in the soil, the vegetative growth, yield, and pod weight per plant of maize Var INIAP 102 were higher. This study is of great importance because determining the hydric requirement of maize Var INIAP 102 was done for the first time in Chimborazo province and will support farmers in better water use for irrigation. Keywords: irrigation sheet, lysimeter, sweet corn, water requirements, evaporation tank

Determining Consumptive Water Use for Corn Cultivation at High Altitudes: A Comparative Study of Three Methods.

A desirable water supply in agriculture requires quantitative methods to determine crop requirements. De-termination of hydric request of maize Var INIAP 102 is promising, mainly at altitudes over 2000 meters above sea level. This study analyzed three methods (lysimeter, evaporimeter tank, and empiric formula FAO) to determine Chimborazo province's hydric requirements for Var INIAP 102. Vegetative and yield variables were recorded, and the effect of different water films on the vegetative growth of maize was de-termined. When water was more available in the soil, the vegetative growth, yield, and pod weight per plant of maize Var INIAP 102 were higher. This study is of great importance because determining the hydric requirement of maize Var INIAP 102 was done for the first time in Chimborazo province and will support farmers in better water use for irrigation. Keywords: irrigation sheet, lysimeter, sweet corn, water requirements, evaporation tank

Midpoint characterization factors to assess impacts of turbine water use from hydropower production

Abstract Purpose Life cycle assessment (LCA) distinguishes three types of water use: (1) consumptive water use, (2) degradative water use, and (3) in-stream water use. When it comes to assessing the impact of turbine water use (TWU, major source of in-stream water use) in LCA, so far, no method exists to quantify the related environmental impacts. Here, we developed the first midpoint characterization factors (CFs) with global coverage for turbine water use of storage and pumped storage hydropower power plants. Methods The midpoint CF at the basin scale describes the hydropower regulation potential (HRP) [HDOR·y] per TWU [m3]. The HRP indicates the probability of how strongly the natural flow regime of a river is potentially affected by all upstream reservoir operation, calculated as the quotient between reservoir volume [m3] and the annual river discharge [m3/y]. The hydropower degree of regulation (HDOR) thereby equals the unitless m3/m3 fraction. The TWU depends on the electricity production [kWh] and the turbine efficiency [m3/kWh]. We tested the sensitivity of the input data on the calculated CFs for four parameters (discharge, turbine efficiency, multipurpose allocation, and plant type). Furthermore, we performed a case study to analyze if consumptive and TWU impacts of producing 1 kWh are correlated or not. Results and discussion The calculated CFs for the 342 basins vary from 1.13E-13 HDOR·y/m3 to 3.28E10-7 HDOR·y/m3. The HDOR values range from 0.0015 to 16.66, and the TWU varies between 0.0030 km3 and 2824 km3. A HDOR ≥ 0.02 can be interpreted as affected basin, and only 23 out of 342 basins have a HDOR below this threshold. This confirms that TWU of hydropower production can have important environmental impacts. The sensitivity analyses revealed that discharge and turbine efficiency are the most sensitive parameters because they are influencing almost all basins. The results of the case study showed that a high consumptive water-use impact does not automatically lead to a high TWU impact and vice versa (R2 values of 0.0081 and 0.003). Conclusion Our study highlights that it is important to account for the environmental impacts of in-stream water use in LCA, as otherwise, the environmental impact can be underestimated, which could lead to wrong conclusions. However, the CFs are not meant to replace a local risk assessment of hydropower reservoir operation and should only be used for relative comparison between basins. The CF application in LCA will represent a step forward towards more sustainable hydropower development.

The Ecological Footprint of the National University of the Altiplano, Peru: A Tool for Sustainable Management

One of the ways in which sustainable development can be understood is through the efficient management and systematization of indicators. For this reason, the study of ecological footprints is important, given that this concept integrates the different types of environmental indicators and, from the results and their interpretation, explains the total environmental impact generated through the development of daily human activities. The objective of this research was to quantify the total ecological footprint of the National University of the Altiplano in 2023. An application-type quantitative approach was considered, and the study utilized a descriptive, non-experimental design in which source data were used. The data were obtained from a primary sample through applying a survey to teachers, students, and administrative staff. The questionnaire included questions about the operations and functioning of the university, allowing us to calculate and analyze the components of its ecological footprint. It was determined that, in 2023, the university entity generated 4721.20 t CO2 in carbon dioxide emissions due to the use and operation of infrastructure, buildings, mobility, electricity consumption, paper consumption, and water consumption. The findings indicate that the university’s operations require approximately 915.67 hectares of forest annually to offset its carbon emissions and that it has an ecological footprint (in global hectares) of 1172.06 hag/year, suggesting important sustainability challenges. Finally, it was determined that the ecological footprint per capita at the National University of the Altiplano in 2023 was 0.04 ha/person/year and 0.06 hag/person/year, due to CO2 emissions, thus generating a greater ecological footprint of the university. These results underline the need to improve sustainable practices and review policies at the university level in order to better align with the objectives of sustainable development.

Consumptive Water Use and Efficiency of Irrigated U.S. Corn: Learning From Hundreds of Site‐Management‐Year Observations

AbstractGrain yield response to consumptive water use a.k.a. evapotranspiration (ETc) is a critical dimension of food‐water nexus in irrigated agroecosystems. With the largest water footprint, irrigated corn production in the U.S. must be assessed for its ETc and water use efficiency (WUE) at a scale meaningful for producers and water managers. Field experiments significantly inform our understanding of how corn yield responds to ETc at the field/plot‐level, but their collective synergism remains untapped. This analysis uses a literature synthesis of existing measured data from nationwide experiments that measured corn ETc, to build models that elucidate and predict corn ETc and WUE under diverse environment and on‐farm management. The resulting synthesis (n = 1,362) captured wide ranging conditions of mean aridity, environmental variability, management, and crop outcomes, providing an unprecedented opportunity to train data‐driven models. Random forest models effectively predicted seasonal total ETc and seasonal mean WUE using a handful of environmental and management‐based predictors, demonstrating RMSEs of 33 mm (5.1%) and 0.28 kg m−3 (10.4%), respectively. Irrigation depth was the most important followed by total precipitation received during the growing season in determining ETc and WUE. Trained on the largest compilation of experimental data sets of corn ETc, these data‐driven models represent nuanced corn water production functions that also account for weather and agronomy besides describing economic yield‐ETc response.

Individual or successiveseed priming with nitric oxide and calcium toward enhancing salt tolerance of wheat crop through early ROS detoxification and activation of antioxidant defense

Despite the considerable efforts reported so far to enhance seed priming, novel ideas are still needed to be suggested to this sustainable sector of agri-seed industry. This could be the first study addressing the effect of nitric oxide (NO) under open field conditions. The impacts of seed redox-priming using sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and osmo-priming with calcium chloride (CaCl2), both applied individually or successively, were investigated under salinity stress conditions on wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.). Various parameters, including water relations, growth, yield, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant activities (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), were recorded to assess the outcomes of these priming agents on mitigating the negative impacts of salinity stress on wheat plants. Water consumptive use (ETa) and irrigation water applied (IWA) decreased with seeds priming. Successive priming with SNP + CaCl2 induced the greatest values of crop water productivity (CWP), irrigation water productivity (IWP), seed index, grain yield and grain nitrogen content.Under salinity stress, the dry weight of plants was decreased. However, hydro-priming and successive chemical priming agents using combinations of calcium chloride and sodium nitroprusside (CaCl2 + SNP & SNP + CaCl2) preserved growth under salinity stress.Individual priming with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) resulted in the lowest recorded content of sodium in the shoot, with a value of 2 ppm. On the other hand, successive priming using CaCl2 + SNP or SNP + CaCl2 induced the contents of potassium in the shoot, with values of 40 ppm and 39 ppm, respectively. Malondialdehyde decreased in shoot significantly withapplicationof priming agents. Successive priming with CaCl2 + SNP induced the highest proline contents in shoot (6 µg/ g FW). The highest value of phenolics and total antioxidants contents in shoot were recorded under successive priming using CaCl2 + SNP and SNP + CaCl2.Priming agents improved the activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase enzymes. The successive priming improved water relations (ETa, IWA, CWP and IWP) and wheat growth and productivity under salinity stress more than individual priming treatments.

Effects of Irrigation Approaches and Mulching on Greenhouse Melon Production and Water Use in Northern China

To explore the effects of different irrigation approaches, mulching, and their interaction on greenhouse melon (Cucumis melo L.) production and water use, a field experiment was conducted in Northern China using four treatments: mulching drip irrigation (MDI), mulching furrow irrigation (MFI), drip irrigation (DI), and furrow irrigation (FI; CK). The plant biomass, yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency (WUE) of melons were measured at different growth stages. The results showed that mulching has significant positive impacts on the growth as well as the fruit yield of melons. However, the water use characteristics of the plant were more greatly determined by the various irrigation approaches, and there was a significant interaction between the irrigation approach and mulching for both the total water consumption and WUE of the greenhouse melon. Of these treatments, MDI resulted in the highest yield of 38.49 t/hm2, which was significantly higher than the yields obtained with DI (32.36 t·hm−2) and FI (CK, 30.34 t·hm−2). In addition, the water consumption under MDI was 45.80% lower than FI (CK), which resulted in the promotion of WUE under MDI. The WUE range of the greenhouse melon is as follows: MDI (334.77 kg·mm−1·hm−2) > DI (244.84 kg·mm−1·hm−2) > MFI (189.78 kg·mm−1·hm−2) > FI (CK; 142.94 kg·mm−1·hm−2). The findings of this study indicate that mulching can boost melon yield, and drip irrigation can limit water consumption. This study provides a reference point for policymakers, indicating that drip irrigation with plastic mulching could be a feasible adaptation strategy for increasing greenhouse melon production in Northern China, as well as other agriculture regions that suffer from water shortages.

Estimating crop coefficients and water use of a full-bearing mango orchard in north-eastern South Africa using the fraction of vegetation cover and a dual source evapotranspiration model

In semi-arid countries like South Africa, commercially produced mango (Mangifera Indica L.) are grown entirely under irrigation. However, there is little accurate quantitative information on the water use of mango orchards, and few accurate water use models currently exist. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the FAO 56 method of estimating crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and a dual source water use model against measurements of actual consumptive water use of a commercial mango orchard. The FAO approach calculates ETc as the product of a crop coefficient (Kc) and the reference evapotranspiration (ETo). We derived Kc for well-watered orchards from readily available data including the fraction of vegetation cover, average tree height, and a stomatal control coefficient. The dual-source model calculated orchard evapotranspiration as the sum of tree transpiration and orchard floor evaporation derived from the modified Shuttleworth and Wallace model. Actual evapotranspiration was measured using an open path eddy covariance system, while tree transpiration was measured using the heat ratio method of monitoring sap flow. Data were collected in a mature ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango orchard grown with micro-sprinkler irrigation in north-eastern South Africa. Results show that the reference evapotranspiration explained most of the variation in orchard transpiration (R2 ∼ 0.78) compared to the solar radiation (R2 ∼ 0.66) and the vapour pressure deficit of the air (R2 ∼ 0.66). Compared with field measured water use data, the FAO method gave relatively accurate estimates of transpiration (R2 = 0.74, NRMSE = ±18.00 %, NMAE = ±15.00 %, NSE = 0.70) and evapotranspiration (R2 = 0.58, NRMSE = ±19.00 %, NMAE = ±16.00 %, NSE = 0.55). NSE is the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency. The dual-source model yielded slightly less accurate estimates of transpiration (R2 = 0.61, NRMSE = ±22.00 %, NMAE = ±20.00 %, NSE = 0.39) and evapotranspiration (R2 = 0.52, NRMSE = ±23.00 %, NMAE = ±25.00 %, NSE = 0.51). The basal crop coefficient (Kcb) showed small seasonal fluctuations, varying between 0.40 and 0.60 throughout the year. In contrast, Kc showed clear seasonality varying between 0.59–0.64 at flowering and fruit set and rising to 0.81–0.90 during the fruit growing phase. Estimates of the annual total transpiration (686 mm) from the FAO method were within 5 % of the actual measured values (677 mm) while the dual source model estimated 612 mm of transpiration, which was almost 10 % lower than the measured values. The results highlight that even though the FAO method requires fewer input parameters, it is potentially more accurate in estimating water use in mango orchards than the dual-source model.

Effect of deficit irrigation and partial rootzone drying on the water consumptive use, growth and yield of faba bean (vicia faba L.) in a gypsiferous soil

Iraq’s farming sector is under increasing pressure to improve water use productivity as a result of the recent drought, environmental concerns regarding sustainable river ecosystems, and government policies on water metering and allocations. To cope with scarce supplies, deficit irrigation, and partial rootzone drying, defined as the application of water below full crop-water requirements, is an important tool to achieve the goal of reducing irrigation water use. It is necessary to develop new irrigation scheduling approaches, not necessarily based on full crop water requirement, but ones designed to ensure the optimal use of allocated water. These two methods of irrigation are one way of maximizing water use efficiency (WUE) for higher yields per unit of irrigation water applied: the crop is exposed to a certain level of water stress either during a particular period or throughout the whole growing season. The expectation is that any yield reduction will be insignificant compared with the benefits gained through diverting the saved water to irrigate other crops. This paper reviews the yield response of the faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The deficit of irrigation on gypsiferous soils is not known. A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of deficit irrigation and partial drying of the root system on the growth and yield of the bean Randomized Complete Blocks (RCBD) design in gypsiferous soil in the fields of the College of Agriculture- Tikrit University, which is located on Latitude 49° 40ʹ 34˝ North and Longitude 40° 38ʹ 43˝ East At an altitude of 129 m above sea level. The study included seven treatments of full irrigation, deficit irrigation, 25, 50 %, and fixed, alternating partial drying. The seeds of the Barcelona variety were sown for the season on 16/10/2021 and harvested on 2/4/2022. The results showed that the full irrigation treatment gave the highest water consumption use of 635 mm, while the alternative partial root drying decreasing 50% gave the lowest water consumption use of 245 mm and gave the highest crop water use efficiency of 2.0 kg m-3. Treatment full irrigation gave the highest seed yield of 5186.3 kg.ha-1, While the 50% deficit irrigation treatment gave the highest dry weight of the root system, which was 25.6 gm.plant-1.

Spatial Patterns of Water Supply and Use in California

Spatial and temporal patterns of water supply and consumptive water use were analyzed from 475 Detailed Analysis Units by County (DAUCOs) spatial units across California during 2002 through 2016 to evaluate spatial and temporal variability and how it might associate with precipitation variability and other factors. Many, but not all, DAUCOs have relatively low total water supply variability compared to that of state-wide precipitation. Such low variability, in DAUCOs having sufficient diversity of water supply sources, is the result of switching between sources as needed to maintain a reliable total water supply. We used multiple approaches to explore these variations which involved four categories of water supply (local, groundwater, imported, and other) and two categories of water use (agricultural and urban). First, a cluster analysis of the volumetric water balance data identified a small set of clusters having similar magnitudes and proportions of water supply sources and water use—some of them composed of only a few DAUCOs but accounting for a disproportionate amount of the state’s water use. Second, a principal components analysis identified leading modes of anomalous water supply and water use among the 475 DAUCOs, capturing most of the time variation during 2002 to 2016. The most prominent mode exhibits a multi-year trend, most strongly involving increasing groundwater supply and agricultural water use, and decreasing urban water use and imported water supply. Over the study period, trends in both supply and use were pronounced, but differed considerably across California DAUCOs. One predominant subset of DAUCOs grew their agricultural water use with increased groundwater supply; in contrast to a widespread group of DAUCOs which reduced their urban water use. An important result for planners is our finding that variation in precipitation—itself important—is amplified by the human response to water supply availability and regulatory policy.

Intercrop and drip irrigation effects on growth, yield, water-use efficiency and economics of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius)

A field experiment was conducted during 2012–13 and 2013–14 at Bhubaneswar, Odisha to study the effects of intercrop and drip irrigation on growth, corm yield, water-use efficiency as well as economics of production of elephant foot yam [Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson]. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 5 replications, keeping elephant foot yam + green gram and elephant foot yam sole crop in the main plots and surface irrigation, drip irrigation at 100% cumulative pan evaporation (CPE), drip irrigation at 80% CPE and drip irrigation at 60% CPE in the sub-plots. The results revealed that, drip irrigation at 60–80% CPE resulted in higher green gram seed yield (630 kg/ha). Elephant foot yam + green gram intercropping system recorded better growth, yield attributes and yield than sole elephant foot yam. Drip irrigation at 100% and 80% CPE realized better growth, yield attributes and yield compared to other treatments. Surface irrigation resulted in higher consumptive use of water (204 cm) than drip irrigation (50, 41 and 30 cm at 100, 80 and 60 CPE respectively). The highest water-use efficiency was noticed in elephant foot yam + green gram intercropping with drip irrigation at 60% CPE (1080 kg/ha-cm). The highest net returns was recorded with elephant foot yam + green gram intercropping with drip irrigation at 100% CPE (309 × 103 /ha), which was statistically at par with elephant foot yam + green gram intercropping with drip irrigation at 80% CPE (307 × 103 /ha). Thus, elephant foot yam and green gram can be grown as an intercrop profitably with application of drip irrigation at 80% CPE to harvest greater yield and realize more returns.

The effects of lodging infrastructure development in the environmental quality and natural resource management in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines

PurposeThis study aims to determine the effects of lodging infrastructure development (LID) on Cordillera Administrative Region’s (CAR) environmental quality and natural resource management and its implication to globally responsible leadership. Specifically, this study sought to determine the contribution of LID to environmental deterioration and natural resource degradation in the CAR. As a result, a mathematical model is developed, which supports sustainability practices to maintain the environmental quality and natural resource management in CAR, Philippines.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a descriptive research design using a mixed-methods approach. Self-structured interview and survey were used to gather the data. The population of this study involved three groups. There were 6.28% (34) experts in the field for the qualitative data, 70.24% (380) respondents for the quantitative data and 23.47% (127) from the lodging establishments. 120 respondents from the Department of Tourism – CAR (DOT-CAR) accredited hotels. Nonparametric and nonlinear regression analysis was used to process the data.FindingsThe effects of LID on the environmental quality and natural resource management in CAR as measured through carbon emission from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electricity and water consumption in the occupied guest rooms revealed a direct correlation between the LID. Findings conclude that the increase in tourist arrival is a trigger factor in the increase in LID in the CAR. The increase in LID implies a rise in carbon emission in the lodging infrastructure. Any increase in tourist arrivals increases lodging room occupancy; the increased lodging room occupancy contributes to carbon emissions. Thus, tourism trends contribute to the deterioration of the environmental quality and degradation of the natural resources in the CAR. A log-log model shows the percentage change in the average growth of tourist arrival and the percentage increase in carbon emissions. Establishments should observe standard room capacity to maintain the carbon emission of occupied lodging rooms at a minimum. Responsible leadership is a factor in the implementation of policy on standard room capacity.Practical implicationsThe result of the study has some implications for the lodging businesses, the local government unit (LGU), the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the CAR. The study highlights the contribution of the lodging establishments to CO2 emission, which can degrade the quality of the environment, and the implication of responsible leadership in managing natural resources in the CAR. The direct inverse relationship between energy use and CO2 emission in hotels indicates that increased energy consumption leads to environmental degradation (Ahmad et al., 2018). Therefore, responsible leadership among policymakers in the lodging and government sectors – LGU, DOT and DENR – should abound in the CAR. Benchmarking on the model embarked from this study can help in designing and/or enhancing the policy on room capacity standardization, considering the total area with its maximum capacity to keep the carbon emission at a lower rate. Furthermore, as a responsible leader in the community, one should create programs that regulate the number of tourists visiting the place to decrease the number of overnight stays. Besides, having the political will to implement reduced room occupancy throughout the lodging establishments in CAR can help reduce the carbon emissions from the lodging businesses. After all, one of the aims of the International Environment Protection Organization is to reduce CO2 emissions in the tourism industry. Hence, responsible leadership in environmental quality preservation and sustainable natural resource management must help prevent and avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Originality/valueMost studies about carbon emission in the environment tackle about carbon dioxide emitted by transportation and factories. This study adds to the insights on the existing information about the carbon emission in the environment from the lodging establishments through the use of LPG, electricity and water consumption in the occupied guest rooms. The findings of the study open an avenue for globally responsible leadership in sustaining environmental quality and preservation of natural resources by revisiting and amending the policies on the number of room occupancy, guidelines and standardization, considering the total lodging area with its maximum capacity to keep the carbon emission at a minimum, thus contributing to the lowering of GHG emissions from the lodging industry.

Crop coefficients of natural wetlands and riparian vegetation to compute ecosystem evapotranspiration and the water balance

AbstractWetlands, namely the riparian ones, play a major role in landscape and water resources functionalities and provide enormous opportunities for ecosystems services. However, their area at globe scale is continuously decreasing due to appropriation by the riverain communities or by allocation of water resources to other uses, namely irrigation, in prejudice of natural wetlands. Due to the high competition for water, namely for agricultural irrigation, the calculation of the vegetation evapotranspiration (ETc), i.e. the consumptive water use of the wetland ecosystems, is mandatory for determining water supply–demand balance at various scales. Providing for the basin and local levels the reason for this review study on ETc to be presented in an irrigation focused Journal. The review also aims to make available adequate Kc values relative to these ecosystems in an ongoing update of FAO guidelines on evapotranspiration. The review on ETc of natural wetlands focused on its computation adopting the classical FAO method, thus the product of the FAO-PM grass reference ETo by the vegetation specific Kc, i.e., ETc = Kc ETo. This approach is not only the most common in agriculture but is also well used in natural wetlands studies, with Kc values fully related with vegetation ecosystems characteristics. A distinction was made between riparian and non-riparian wetland ecosystems due to differences between main types of water sources and main vegetation types. The Kc values are tabulated through grouping wetlands according to the climate since the variability of Kc with vegetation, soil, and water availability would require data not commonly available from the selected studies. Tabulated values appear to be coherent and appropriate to support field estimation of Kc and ETc for use in wetlands water balance when not measured but weather data may be available to compute the grass reference ETo. ETc and the water balance could then be estimated since they are definitely required to further characterization and monitoring of wetlands, defining measures for their protection, and assessing ecosystems’ services.

Deficit water management practices influence on water use efficiency, consumptive use and economics of rabi maize (Zea mays L.)

Deficit water management practices influence on water use efficiency, consumptive use and economics of rabi maize (Zea mays L.)

Challenges on Water Footprint (WF) Accounting of Batik Production: A Reflection from the Study on Batik SMEs in Jarum Village, Klaten Regency, Indonesia

Indonesian batik has been a cultural product for a hundred years. Its recognition as an intangible heritage has led its production to bring benefits in economic terms. However, there are environmental problems indicated by its production, and one of which is the water use. It is common to find information regarding the pollution caused by batik production. However, studies on water footprint of batik could bring insight that batik problem in relation to water doesn’t limit solely to pollution, but also to the huge volume of water consumed during batik production. In this understanding, the WF approach, both consumptive and degradative water use, is important. Although studies on batik WF have been conducted, it is still limited. This paper discusses the challenges faced in exploring batik WF based on field experience. An understanding of batik itself and batik SME characteristics are required because they are closely related to the WF of the process. Finally, this paper explains the conceptual and technical challenges that will be faced during the study of batik WF.

Effect of Sowing Dates and Seed Priming on Agrometeorological Indices and Soil Moisture Regimes of Chickpea in North Central Plateau Zone NCPZ of Odisha

Background: field experiment entitled “Effect of sowing dates and seed priming on agrometeorological indices and soil moisture regimes of Chickpea in NCPZ of Odisha” was conducted at RRTTS, Keonjhar, Odisha, during the Rabi season for two consecutive years i.e., 2021-22 and 2022-23. Method: The field experiment was laid out in factorial RBD design with three replications and two factors. There were 3 dates of sowing in Factor A (D1-25 November, D2-5 December, D3- 15 December) and 5 moisture conservation practices in Factor B (M1- Control, M2- Seed priming with water for 8 hours, M3- Osmopriming (Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @0.5% for 8 hours), M4- Straw mulch@ 5t/ha and M5- Straw mulch@ 5t/ha +Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @0.5% for 8 hours). Seed priming controls the hydration of seeds that helps in the pre germinative metabolic activity of the seeds. So even if the soil has less moisture that will not affect the uniform and proper germination of the seeds. All together there were 15 treatment combinations. The test crop variety taken was JAKI-9218. Among the three dates of sowing, D2 (5th Dec) sowing recorded the tallest plants (41.47 cm). but were recorded in D1 (25 Nov) sowing. Early sowing on 25th November recorded the maximum number of primary and secondary branches and required a greater number of days to 50% flowering (41.8 days) and days to physiological maturity (101.1 days). Results: Among the moisture conservation practices, M5 (Straw mulch@ 5 t/ha+Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @ 0.5% for 8 hours) recorded the tallest plants, maximum number of primary and secondary branches, maximum number of days taken to 50% flowering (40.7 days) and days taken to physiological maturity (100.1 days), maximum number of pods per plant (44) and number of seeds per pod (3.62), grain yield (1812 kg/ha) and straw yield (218 kg/ha). This treatment recorded the minimum consumptive use of water (203.5 mm) and rate of moisture use (1.36 mm/day) but the moisture use efficiency was maximum (12.34 kg/ha-mm). Treatment M5 recorded the maximum growing degree days (2182°C day), heliothermal unit (15077°C day hrs), photothermal unit (22595°C day hrs) and heat use efficiency (0.94 kg/ha/°C) to reach maturity. Chickpea when combined with suitable date of sowing and moisture conservation practices for proper utilization of carry-over residual soil moisture in the rice fallows gives higher yield.

Improving soil water storage with no‐till cover cropping in the Mississippi River Alluvial Basin

AbstractExcessive tillage reduces soil water storage and increases surface runoff. Cover crops can modify the effect of tillage on soil water dynamics, but limited information is available for the Mississippi River Alluvial Basin. This study was conducted to determine whether soil–water dynamics could be manipulated through conservation production systems affecting surface residue management. Effects of tillage (conventional tillage [CT] vs. no‐tillage [NT]) and cover cropping (no cover crop and Austrian pea [Pisum sativum L.] cover crop [CC]) on soil water balance during the CC season in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) crops were modeled using the root zone water quality model for a site near Stoneville, MS, on “Commerce” silty‐loam soil. Capacitance sensors measured soil volumetric water content to 120 cm during CC growth in 2019 and 2020. Field calibration of sensors reduced root mean square error from 0.05 to 0.03 m3 m−3. Pooled across years, NT increased volumetric water content in the 0–40 and 40–120 soil layers by 8.5% and 6.8%, respectively, compared to CT. Regardless of the CC treatment and cropping system, NT reduced surface runoff by 24.5% over its conventional counterpart, while soil water storage increased from 2.35 to 5.23 cm within the 1.2‐m profile, resulting in a 17% increase in consumptive use of water (evapotranspiration). CC treatments did not impact soil water storage and consumptive water use. The results demonstrate that NT systems can affect water dynamics by increasing infiltration and soil water storage in the humid subtropical region of the United States.

Water budgeting for production of hatchlings, fry and fingerlings of Asian catfish, Clarias magur

Studies were conducted to estimate the consumptive water use to produce hatchling (HL), fry (FY), and fingerlings (FL) of magur, Clarias magur in hatchery system. Aeration and water flow rate largely influenced the production of viable and deformed hatchlings in magur. In hatchling production, the HL-6 treatment group with 28 h water flow and 28 h aeration had the highest hatching rate (88%), followed by HL-5 with 28 h water flow (83%), whereas treatments HL-1 and HL-2 with 0 h and 14 h aeration, respectively, with no water flow failed to produce any hatchling. HL-6 had the minimal consumptive water use (CWU) of 530 ± 11 litres for 1000 viable hatchlings production among the treatments. In 2nd study on rearing of larvae to fry with five water exchange schedules (25, 50, 75% daily, 75% in alternate days and 75% in two days once), significant differences in the growth and survival of larvae were observed among the treatments. Survival was significantly higher (98–99%) in the FY-1 and FY-2 treatment group with 25% and 50% water exchange daily, respectively. The most efficient CWU to produce 1000 fry was found to be 1068 litres (935 fry m−3 water) for FY-1 with 25% water exchange daily. The 3rd study was conducted for ten weeks in outdoor tanks to optimize the water requirement for rearing of fry to fingerlings with 10, 20 and 30% water exchange per week. The highest growth (2.34 g) and survival (83%) (P < 0.05) were observed in FL-3 treatment receiving weekly exchange of 30% water. But in terms of water use and better survival rate, FL-2 water exchange (20%) group level showed the better survival rate (70%) and CWU of 5121 L for 1000 fingerlings production suggesting it to be the most water-efficient outdoor fingerling production system for magur.