Soil water conservation under cultivated fallows in clay soils of south-western Queensland

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (81) ◽  
pp. 564 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Pressland ◽  
GN Batianoff
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Deep Profile ◽  
A Site ◽  
Summer Fallow

Three field experiments to study the effect of time and method of cultivation during fallow on soil moisture accretion and crop growth were established at a site near Charleville, Queensland. The soil was a grey-brown cracking clay (46 per cent clay) typical of the Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) downs. In the first experiment, soil moisture accretion was followed on plots cultivated in November 1966 with either a disc plough or scarifier or not cultivated. Soil moisture was increased in the 90 cm deep profile by cultivation, but remained almost constant for the duration of the summer fallow. There was no difference in soil moisture under the disced and scarified plots. The remaining experiments were designed to study the effect of cultivations during fallow on soil moisture at the time of sowings. One early summer cultivation resulted in soil moisture levels similar to that gained from two or more ploughings. However, crop yields were highest following three cultivations. It is concluded that two or three cultivations during fallow decreases loss of soil water through transpiration of weeds and should increase the number of years a forage crop can be expected in south western Queensland.

scholarly journals Enhancing Soil Water Content for Increased Food Production in Semi-Arid Areas of Kenya Results From an On-Farm Trial in Mwala District, Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Karuma ◽  
Peter Mtakwa ◽  
Nyambilila Amuri ◽  
Charles K. Gachene ◽  
Patrick Gicheru
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Tillage Methods

Soil water conservation through tillage is one of the appropriate ways of addressing soil moisture deficit in rainfed agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of tillage practices on soil moisture conservation and crop yields in Mwala District, Eastern Kenya during the long rains (LR) and short rains (SR) of 2012/13. Six tillage systems: Disc plough (MB), Disc plough and harrowing (MBH), Ox-ploughing (OX), Subsoiling – ripping (SR), Hand hoe and Tied Ridges (HTR) and Hand hoe only (H) and, three cropping systems namely, sole maize, sole bean and maize - bean intercrop, were investigated in a split-plot design with four replicates. Data on soil water content was monitored at different weeks after planting and the crop yields at end of each growing season. A three-season average shows that soil water content and crop yields were higher in conventional tillage methods compared to the conservation tillage methods. Long term tillage experiments are thus required at different locations, under various environmental and soil conditions to validate the study findings.

scholarly journals Optimisation of Irrigation Regime for Early Potatoes, Late Cauliflower, Early Cabbage and Celery

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 139-152
Author(s):  
Zavadil Josef
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Actual Evapotranspiration ◽  
Suction Pressure ◽  
Irrigation Regime ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Moisture Balance ◽  
Seasonal Irrigation ◽  
Soil Moisture Balance

The paper deals with optimisation of threshold suction pressure of soil water on light soils for early potatoes, early cabbage, late cauliflower and celery on the basis of results of small-plot field experiments with differentiated irrigation regime. Experiments were conducted in 2003–2005. Threshold suction pressures of soil water were identical for all crops: 15 kPa in treatment I, 30 kPa in treatment II, 60 kPa in treatment III, and 120 kPa in treatment IV. Precipitation, air temperature and relative humidity, global solar radiation, wind speed and direction were measured by an automated meteorological station. Reference and actual evapotranspiration was determined for the experimental crops according to FAO Paper No. 56 and by means of a biological curve (BC) in 2003–2005. To compare these two methods of calculation of actual evapotranspiration the soil moisture balance was found out. Based on the influence on marketable yield and proportion of the crop quality grades it is possible to determine the optimum threshold suction pressure on light loamy-sand soils in early potatoes, late cauliflower and cabbage 30 kPa and in celery 15 kPa. 80% of available soil water capacity (ASWC) corresponds to the threshold suction pressure 30 kPa, and as much as 96% of ASWC corresponds to 15 kPa. The seasonal irrigation depths determined on the basis of soil moisture balance, in which the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is calculated either according to FAO 56 or by the BC, are substantially different from the really achieved irriga­tion depths in the treatments where optimal suction pressure is maintained. For potatoes, the really achieved values of seasonal irrigation depths are nearer to the depths calculated by the BC, while for the other vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage and celery) they are more similar to the depths calculated by FAO 56 methodology. The theoretical irrigation depths calculated by the BC method sometimes differ substantially from those based on FAO 56. These differences are at maximum for cauliflower and celery and at minimum for cabbage and decrease with the decreasing irrigation depths.

VARIATION OF SUNFLOWER GROWTH, SOIL MOISTURE AND SOIL TEMPERATURE IN RELATION TO PLANTING PATTERNS AT A HIGH LATITUDE SITE

2001 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Long ◽  
H. Eiszner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Hyperbolic Model ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
Deep Soil

HALLE-WITTENBERG, HALLE(SAALE), GERMANY Received: 13 June, 2001; accepted: 6 August, 2001 Field experiments were conducted at a high latitude site for sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production in central Germany (51 o 24' N, 11 o 53' E) in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The responses of sunflower development to various planting patterns differed in the duration from emergence to the middle of the linear growth period as calculated via a tangent hyperbolic model F(t)=(. +ß)×tanh[. ×(t–.)]. Final dry matter accumulation showed few differences among the planting patterns: 12 plants m –2 at 50 cm row spacing at 75 cm row spacing (RS2PD2) and 4 plants m –2 at 100 cm row spacing (RS3PD1). The actual and simulated values for final dry matter were close to 1200 g m –2 . The responses of soil moisture and temperature to planting patterns changed from the upper to the deep soil layers. In a normal year, e.g. 1997, the soil water to 150 cm depth was sufficient for sunflower growth. In a drought year, e.g. 1998, soil water deeper than 150 cm was used by sunflower crops. The soil temperature was mostly lower in RS1PD3 and RS2PD2 than in RS3PD1, particularly in the upper soil, at depths of 5 and 20 cm. The most important factor defining the responses of soil moisture and temperature to planting patterns seems to be the amount of radiation penetrating the ground, which may depend on latitude, wind and row orientation.

Comparative soil water, pasture production, and crop yields in phase farming systems with lucerne and annual pasture in Western Australia

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Latta ◽  
L. J. Blacklow ◽  
P. S. Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil Content ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Grain Protein ◽  
Pasture Production

Two field experiments in the Great Southern region of Western Australia compared the soil water content under lucerne (Medicago sativa) with subterranean clover (Trifolium subterranean) and annual medic (Medicago polymorpha) over a 2-year period. Lucerne depleted soil water (10–150 cm) between 40 and 100 mm at Borden and 20 and 60 mm at Pingrup compared with annual pasture. There was also less stored soil water after wheat (Triticum aestivum) and canola (Brassica napus) phases which followed the lucerne and annual pasture treatments, 30 and 48 mm after wheat, 49 and 29 mm after canola at Borden and Pingrup, respectively. Lucerne plant densities declined over 2 seasons from 35 to 25 plants/m2 (Borden) and from 56 to 42 plants/m2 (Pingrup), although it produced herbage quantities similar to or greater than clover/medic pastures. The lucerne pasture also had a reduced weed component. Wheat yield at Borden was higher after lucerne (4.7 t/ha) than after annual pasture (4.0 t/ha), whereas at Pingrup yields were similar (2 t/ha) but grain protein was higher (13.7% compared with 12.6%) . There was no yield response to applied nitrogen after lucerne or annual pasture at either site, but it increased grain protein at both sites. There was no pasture treatment effect on canola yield or oil content at Borden (2 t/ha, 46% oil). However, at Pingrup yield was higher (1.5 t/ha compared to 1.3 t/ha) and oil content was similar (41%) following lucerne–wheat. The results show that lucerne provides an opportunity to develop farming systems with greater water-use in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and that at least 2 crops can be grown after 3 years of lucerne before soil water returns to the level found after annual pasture.

PERFORMANCE OF UMAR-SRIMAT ON SOIL WATER CONSERVATION AND WEED CONTROL IN SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umar Mohammed ◽  
Aimrun Wayayok ◽  
Mohd Amin Mohd Soom ◽  
Khalina Abdan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
System Of Rice Intensification ◽  
Planting Geometry ◽  
Rice Intensification

Weed emergence is among the most important problems in system of rice intensification (SRI) due to extensive planting geometry of at least 25 × 25 cm and moist environment, thereby leading to water loss by means of evaporation from the broad space as a result of the extensive planting geometry, and transpiration by the weeds. This reduces the additional water saving which affect the potential of SRI water productivity.  It also reduces rice crop yields up to 70% if there is no weed control attempted. Nowadays, weed is being controlled by manual weeder which is labour demanding, while motorized weeders overcome the problem but still, it able to remove the weeds before rice canopy closure or 30 days after transplanting (DAT). This research was designed to evaluate the performance of UMAR-SRImat on soil moisture conservation and weed control. UMAR-SRImat was made using flaked rice straw and biodegradable adhesive. The design was laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three treatments [without soil cover (T1), SRImat (T2), UMAR-SRImat (T3)] and three replications. The analysis was conducted using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Volumetric moisture content (VMC) was determined at 18 and 25 DAT.  Weeds were observed and recorded to determine the weed dry weight and weed control efficiency at 20, 40 and 60 DAT. Plant height per hill was measured at 30 and 50 DAT, likewise, the number of tillers were counted at 30 and 50 DAT. The result of VMC showed that UMAR-SRImat significantly conserved water higher than the control treatment at 18 and 25 DAT of 3100.0a and 2680.0a m3/ha, respectively. The effectiveness of UMAR-SRImat mulched was 100% at 20 DAT 99.64% at 40 DAT and 97.99% at 60 DAT. This research revealed that UMAR-SRImat mulch could retain soil moisture and suppressed weeds up to 60 DAT.

Water in the circular economy: using recycled water for sub-irrigation purposes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruud P. Bartholomeus ◽  
Marjolein H.J. van Huijgevoort ◽  
Arnaut van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Groundwater Availability

<p><span>Agricultural crop yields depend largely on soil moisture conditions in the root zone. Climate change leads to more prolonged drought periods that alternate with more intensive rainfall events. With unaltered water management practices, reduced crop yield due to drought stress will increase. Therefore, both farmers and water management authorities search for opportunities to manage risks of decreasing crop yields. Available groundwater sources for irrigation purposes are increasingly under pressure due to the regional coexistence of land use functions that are critical to groundwater levels or compete for available water. At the same time, treated wastewater from industries and domestic wastewater treatment plants are quickly discharged via surface waters towards sea. Exploitation of these freshwater sources may be an effective strategy to balance regional water supply and agricultural water demand. We present results of a pilot study in a drought sensitive region in the Netherlands, concerning agricultural water supply through reuse of industrial treated wastewater. The Bavaria Beer Brewery discharges treated wastewater to the surface water. Nevertheless, neighboring farmers invest in sprinkler irrigation to maintain their crop production during drought periods. Doing so, increasing pressure is put on the regional groundwater availability. Within a pilot study, a sub-irrigation system has been installed, by using subsurface drains, interconnected through a collector drain, and connected to an inlet control pit for the treated wastewater to enter the drainage system. Sub-irrigation is a subsurface irrigation method that can be more efficient than classical, aboveground irrigation methods using sprinkler installations. Additionally, sub-irrigated water that is not used for plant transpiration recharges the groundwater. We combine both process-based modeling of the soil-plant-atmosphere system and field experiments to i) investigate the amount of water that needs to be and that can be sub-irrigated, and ii) quantify the effect on soil moisture availability and herewith reduced needs for aboveground irrigation from groundwater.</span></p>

POTASSIUM STATUS OF IRRIGATED BROWN CHERNOZEMIC SOILS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA

1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 877-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. MaCKAY ◽  
J. M. CAREFOOT
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Soil Moisture Stress ◽  
Exchangeable K ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Intensive Cropping ◽  
Yield Responses

A series of 10 field experiments conducted over a 4-yr period (1973–1976) on three of the most important Brown Chernozemic soils in the irrigated area of southern Alberta gave no significant yield responses to applied K (at rates of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha −1 in 1973 and 0, 127, 254 and 508 kg ha−1 in the other years), using potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) as the test crop. The experiments included several cultivars, a variety of growing conditions, and diverse cropping histories. In addition, the K concentration of uppermost mature leaf blades obtained at the 10%-bloom stage were only slightly affected by K treatments, except in 1 yr (1975). The increased K uptake in 1975 was related to greater precipitation before irrigation was applied (66, 99 and 94 mm, respectively) during April, May and June in comparison with the long-term average of 32, 54 and 76 mm. The effects of early-season soil moisture stress were partially confirmed in a controlled environment (CE) experiment in which maintenance of soil water potentials between −30 and −20 kPa throughout the season caused greater uptake of added K in comparison with soil moisture stress in the 0–15 cm zone prior to the 10%-bloom stage. Yields of tubers were depressed with the stressed treatment, but there was no yield response to added K. Leaf analyses from the field experiments indicate that the critical K level of 43 g kg−1, which was established earlier for the Russet Burbank cultivar growing on Podzol soils is too high for irrigated Chernozemic soils, and that 30 g kg−1 would be a more valid tentative value. In a second CE experiment, designed to quantify the fate of applied K during intensive cropping, no yield responses to K applications were obtained with alfalfa on a coarse-textured Cavendish sandy loam during a 2-yr period. With no applied K, crop uptake reduced exchangeable K levels throughout the entire profile (66 cm) by about 20%. Thirty percent of the K removed by the crop originated from nonexchangeable soil K. With the highest K rate (450 kg ha−1 applied twice), 50% could be attributed to plant uptake, 15% to increased exchangeable K, and 35% to fixation in the nonexchangeable form. It is concluded that response to applied K on irrigated Brown and Dark Brown Chernozemic soils of southern Alberta is unlikely, even with intensive cropping, for some time in the future. A practical strategy for producers could be to apply moderate rates of K as a conservation measure when economic conditions are favorable and to rely on soil reserves in times of financial pressures. Key words: K-release, K-fixation, leaf analysis, fertilizer K requirements, soil water stress, K deficiency

scholarly journals Sustainable irrigation based on co-regulation of soil water supply and atmospheric evaporative demand

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Zhang ◽  
Kaiyu Guan ◽  
Bin Peng ◽  
Ming Pan ◽  
Wang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Soil Water Deficit ◽  
Irrigation Scheme ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

AbstractIrrigation is an important adaptation to reduce crop yield loss due to water stress from both soil water deficit (low soil moisture) and atmospheric aridity (high vapor pressure deficit, VPD). Traditionally, irrigation has primarily focused on soil water deficit. Observational evidence demonstrates that stomatal conductance is co-regulated by soil moisture and VPD from water supply and demand aspects. Here we use a validated hydraulically-driven ecosystem model to reproduce the co-regulation pattern. Specifically, we propose a plant-centric irrigation scheme considering water supply-demand dynamics (SDD), and compare it with soil-moisture-based irrigation scheme (management allowable depletion, MAD) for continuous maize cropping systems in Nebraska, United States. We find that, under current climate conditions, the plant-centric SDD irrigation scheme combining soil moisture and VPD, could significantly reduce irrigation water use (−24.0%) while maintaining crop yields, and increase economic profits (+11.2%) and irrigation water productivity (+25.2%) compared with MAD, thus SDD could significantly improve water sustainability.

scholarly journals Experimental Study of the Effect of Controlled Drainage on Soil Water and Nitrogen Balance

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 2241
Author(s):  
Niannian Yuan ◽  
Yujiang Xiong ◽  
Yalong Li ◽  
Baokun Xu ◽  
Fengli Liu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Nitrogen Balance ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Ammonia Nitrogen ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Control Water

Field experiments and micro test pit experiments are conducted at the Four Lake Watershed with a shallow groundwater table in the Hubei province of China in order to study the effect of controlled pipe drainage on soil moisture and nitrogen under different experiment scales. Soil moisture and nitrogen contents are continuously observed at the effective soil depth; water and nitrogen balance are calculated after several heavy rainfalls. The results showed that controlled pipe drainage significantly reduced the fluctuation of soil water content in the entire growth stage. There is a positive correlation between the soil moisture and the control water level in the test pits but no obvious correlation between them in the field experiments, which is related to the vertical and lateral recharge of groundwater in the field. After rainfall, soil organic matter mineralization was enhanced, and the control pipe drainage measures increased the relative content of soil mineralized ammonia nitrogen, which enhanced the stability of soil nitrogen and helped to reduce the loss of nitrogen. The calculation of soil water and nitrogen balance in the field and micro-area after rainfall showed that the soil water storage increased in the effective soil layer under the control water level of 30 cm and 50 cm after rainfall, and the amount of nitrogen mineralization was larger than that under the free drainage treatment.

Spatial Analysis of Soil Water Content in Newly Implemented Agricultural Bench Terraces in the Ethiopian Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Castelli ◽  
Shimbahri Mesfin ◽  
Lucas Allan Almeida Olivera ◽  
Elena Bresci ◽  
Eyasu Yazew
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Ethiopian Plateau ◽  
The World

<p>In arid areas prone to desertification and soil erosion, the effectiveness of agricultural bench terraces in increasing soil moisture is dependent on their correct implementation. However, despite its relevance for securing food production in many areas of the world, the relationship between proper terracing implementation and the landscape capacity of holding soil moisture is still not understood. Moreover, spatial patterns of Soil Water Content (SWC) within the same terraced hillslope are weakly studied. The present work analyses SWC variations in four newly implemented terraced sites in Tigray Region, Ethiopia: Teshi, Ruba Feleg, Michael Emba and Enda Chena. Field SWC data were collected for the dry season of 2017 (February, March and April) from the upper, middle and lower part of each terraced site, including a non-terraced benchmark area. In all sites, terraced areas show SWC significantly higher than non-terraced ones (p < 0.05), with the lower part of the terraced hillslope more humid than the others for the whole period analyzed. A Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis of SWC was conducted in order to highlight possible dependencies of SWC values. MLR highlighted significant dependency of SWC from the date of analysis, the position of the sample in the terraced slope, as well as a significant positive correlation of SWC with the percent of Water Stable Aggregates (WSA) analyzed at the study sites. Since high soil disturbance induces low soil aggregates stability, this result shows how measures to reduce soil disturbance during implementation can significantly increase SWC of radical terraces. Overall, the results of the present paper testify the good performances of bench terraces in Northern Ethiopia in terms of water conservation, and this first benchmark study can inform future terracing implementation in some arid and semi-arid agricultural areas of the world.</p><p>The abstract is based on Mesfin, S.; Almeida Oliveira, L.A.; Yazew, E.; Bresci, E.; Castelli, G. Spatial Variability of Soil Moisture in Newly Implemented Agricultural Bench Terraces in the Ethiopian Plateau. Water 2019, 11, 2134.</p>

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