Agricultural Water Management最新文献

{"title":"Reduced tillage and cover crop effects on soil moisture and infiltration","authors":"Carson Roberts ,&nbsp;Drew Gholson ,&nbsp;Martin Locke ,&nbsp;Zachary Simpson ,&nbsp;Nicolas Quintana-Ashwell ,&nbsp;G. Dave Spencer ,&nbsp;Steven Pires ,&nbsp;Brian Pieralisi ,&nbsp;Whitney Crow ,&nbsp;L. Jason Krutz","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.110108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cropping systems that conserve soil moisture are needed to improve yield or reduce irrigation water demand. This study assessed the ability of different tillage systems, subsoiling, and cover crops to conserve soil moisture, reduce soil water depletion, and augment infiltration in cotton (<em>Gossypium hirsutum</em> L<em>.</em>) production on a Dubbs silt loam (Typic Hapludalfs) and a Bosket very fine sandy loam (Mollic Hapludalfs). This multi-year field study used a randomized complete block design to manage irrigation based on sensor data and matric potential thresholds, with agronomic and sensor-based methods used for data collection.Conventionally tilled soils had ≥ 59 % lower soil matric potential (less moisture; P &gt; F &lt; 0.0001) than conservation practices before irrigation. Cover crops increased soil moisture (-20 kPa) compared to winter fallow (-34 kPa). All conservation practices improved season-long soil moisture by ≥ -19 kPa over conventional tillage (P &gt; F &lt; 0.0001). Each Mg ha⁻¹ increase in preplant biomass raised soil matric potential by ≥ 7.3 kPa. Irrigation at −80 kPa to replenish soil moisture did not alter treatment differences. The conventional method (control) required irrigation every year with up to 7.8 cm more supplemental irrigation than the studied conservation practices. Cover crop treatments did not require irrigation at least 2 out of the 3 seasons in the experiment. Cost savings from reduced irrigation of up to $18 ha⁻¹ do not fully compensate for crop yield penalties. Infiltration rates on bed tops increased by 23 % with cover crops (P &gt; F = 0.0627). Cover crops and subsoiling enhanced infiltrated rainfall by 13 % (P &gt; F = 0.003) and 16 % (P &gt; F = 0.009), respectively, compared to winter fallow. Reduced tillage and cover crops improve season-long soil moisture and infiltration, offering a viable strategy for conserving irrigation water.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110108"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimal groundwater depth thresholds for sunflower in salt-affected farmland: A process-based modeling approach across hydrological years in the Hetao Irrigation District","authors":"Zhipeng Wang ,&nbsp;Xiangping Wang ,&nbsp;Yuhang Wang ,&nbsp;Changcheng He ,&nbsp;Zhang Wen ,&nbsp;Yulong Jiang ,&nbsp;Wenping Xie ,&nbsp;Xuan Yu ,&nbsp;Rongjiang Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110181","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110181","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In arid and semi-arid regions with shallow groundwater, soil salinization, water scarcity, and deterioration water quality are major constraints to regional agricultural development. Determining optimal groundwater depth (GWD) is essential for conserving water resources, controlling resalinization, and sustaining crop yields. However, it is not feasible to evaluate the results under various scenarios solely through field experiments. This study addresses this gap by integrating field experiments (2023–2024) with the agro-hydrological &amp; chemical and systems simulator (AHC) to optimize GWD for sunflower cultivation under varying hydrological years and groundwater salinity in the Hetao Irrigation District (HID), China. The calibrated model simulated root zone water-salt dynamics and crop responses across scenarios, with multi-objective optimization (NSGA-II) deriving Pareto-optimal solutions for yield and salinity control. The results indicated that root zone bottom flux decreases with rising GWD, with upward water flux approaching zero at about 3 m depth and upward salt flux approaching zero at 1.5–1.9 m depth, respectively. The final yield of sunflowers was negatively correlated with groundwater mineralization, though this dependence weakens at deeper GWD (&gt;1.8 m). The optimal GWDs for sunflower growth under dry, normal, and wet hydrological years with pre-sowing spring irrigation and rainfed conditions during the growth period were approximately 1.18–1.28 m, 1.23–1.32 m, and 1.37–1.45 m, respectively. These results demonstrate GWD’s pivotal role in regulating farmland water-salt distribution, with derived thresholds enabling sunflower production while reducing root-zone salt accumulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110181"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A satellite-driven approach to estimating delivered irrigation water via SM-based inversion algorithm: A case study of the Doroodzan irrigation district, Iran","authors":"Peyman Afrasiabikia ,&nbsp;Atefeh Parvaresh Rizi ,&nbsp;Luca Brocca","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In water-scarce semi-arid regions, efficient irrigation management is crucial for sustaining agricultural productivity and conserving freshwater resources. This study applies the SM-based inversion algorithm, utilizing 1 km Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) soil moisture, ERA5 (ECMWF Reanalysis v5) precipitation, and GLEAM (Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model) evapotranspiration data, to estimate irrigation water use (IWU) across the Doroodzan irrigation network in Fars Province, Iran. Calibrated during non-irrigation periods, the SM-based inversion algorithm accurately captured seasonal and inter-annual IWU dynamics for 2018–2020, validated through time-series comparisons with canal release data and evapotranspiration trends. Results revealed significant conveyance and distribution inefficiencies, with satellite-based efficiencies of 26–37 % compared to 53 % reported by local authorities, indicating substantial water losses. These findings highlight the potential of the SM-based inversion algorithm for identifying spatial and temporal irrigation inefficiencies, supporting targeted interventions such as canal lining and real-time monitoring to enhance water-use efficiency in large-scale irrigation systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110141"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental and numerical evaluation of salinity dynamics in a drip cornfield of Northern China irrigated using different proportions of brackish water","authors":"Hongxing Liu ,&nbsp;Xianyue Li ,&nbsp;Jirí Šimůnek ,&nbsp;Jianwen Yan ,&nbsp;Qi Hu ,&nbsp;Ning Chen ,&nbsp;Yuehong Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenhao Ren ,&nbsp;Bokai Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The alternate use or blending of fresh and brackish waters can effectively control salt accumulation in the root zone during crop growth. In arid areas with limited freshwater, this method can be enhanced through desalination technologies. The brackish-freshwater sequential irrigation strategy (BFSI) is promoted for its lower salt stress and freshwater amount. However, the dynamics of soil salinity and the optimal proportion of brackish water (<em>P</em>_bw) under the BFSI strategy are unclear. To address this, the HYDRUS (2D/3D) model was calibrated and validated using experimental data from the Hetao Irrigation District in Northern China during 2023–2024. Five irrigation treatments with different <em>P</em>_bw (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, 100 %) were evaluated. The model accurately simulated <em>EC</em>_e changes (<em>R</em>² = 0.96, <em>RMSE</em> = 0.19 dS m⁻¹). Higher <em>P</em>_bw was associated with higher <em>EC</em>_<em>e</em> and salt stress and lower root length density (<em>RLD</em>). Meanwhile, roots showed salt-avoidance behavior with deeper growth under higher <em>P</em>_bw, especially during the filling stage. The highest <em>EC</em>_<em>e</em> and salt stress occurred in the later corn growth stage and the 0–40 cm soil layer. The salt stress index (<em>SSI</em>_{<em>root</em>}), which accounts for the spatial root distribution, is proposed. The index shows a significant relationship with corn yield than <em>EC</em>_e, <em>RLD</em>, and different degrees of salt stress. Scenario analysis revealed that a <em>P</em>_bw of 65 % resulted in the lowest increases in <em>EC</em>_e and <em>SSI</em>_{<em>root</em>}, while <em>RLD</em> and corn yield decreased only by 9.7 % and 14.0 %, respectively. Therefore, a <em>P</em>_<em>bw</em> of 65 % is recommended to maximize brackish water utilization with minimal yield loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110186"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Closing the yield gap of spring maize by synergizing drip nitrogen-fertigation with plant density in the arid region of Northwest China","authors":"Mengxuan Shao ,&nbsp;Haijun Liu ,&nbsp;Wenwen Ju","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drip fertigation technology combined with optimal plant density (PD) and nitrogen application rate (Nrate) management is a critical strategy for closing the yield gap in arid regions of Northwest China. A three-year field experiment (2021–2023) was conducted in Hetao Irrigation District (HID) to determine the effects of PD and Nrate on crop growth, grain yield (GY), water productivity (WP), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of drip-fertigated spring maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.). Four plant densities (D1: 60,000 plants hm⁻², D2: 75,000 plants hm⁻², D3: 90,000 plants hm⁻², D4: 105,000 plants hm⁻²) and three N application rates (N1: 200 kg hm⁻², N2: 250 kg hm⁻², N3: 300 kg hm⁻²) were considered. Separate annual analyses indicated PD as the main factor governing population establishment and resource utilization, with a greater effect size than Nrate and their interaction. Increasing density from D1 to D3 significantly enhanced plant height (H_VT), leaf area index (LAI_VT), population-level aboveground dry matter (DM_P), and nitrogen uptake (Nut_P) by 6.30 %, 52.8 %, 21.0 %, and 11.2 %, respectively, ultimately rising GY by 28.9 %. The D3N3 achieved the highest DM_P and Nut_P, exceeding other combinations by 17.0 % and 16.4 %, while D3N2 resulted in optimal GY, WP, and RUE, exceeding other combinations by 14.5 %, 16.5 %, and 10.2 %. However, a further increase to D4 induced negative effects, reducing DM_P, Nut_P, GY, WP, and RUE by 6.80 %, 14.0 %, 4.33 %, 8.98 %, and 5.19 %, respectively, although NUE improved by 11.2 %. Linear mixed models also confirmed the dominant role of density. Although the PD×Nrate interaction was not statistically significant, the Nrate effect varied with PD environment. Specifically, N3 suppressed plant growth at D1, limiting H_VT, LAI_VT, and DM_P. Moderate N2 resulted in optimal GY, WP, and RUE at densities from D1 to D3, whereas at D4, increasing Nrate exhibited a consistently positive effect. On the basis of bivariate regression analysis, the optimal combination was 93,000 plants hm⁻² with 264 kg N hm⁻², which could achieve a GY and a WP of 20.5 t hm⁻² and 4.31 kg m⁻³, respectively, and reduce the yield gap from 72.0 % to 18.0 %. Overall, these findings show that prioritizing planting density and implementing density-specific nitrogen management are the pivotal strategies for closing the yield gap and achieving high resource use efficiency in drip-fertigated spring maize of Northwest China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110175"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances and prospects of closed-loop precision irrigation for synergistic water-salt-phosphorus regulation in saline-alkali soils","authors":"Lei Huang ,&nbsp;Shuke Zheng ,&nbsp;Mostafa Elshobary ,&nbsp;Teng Li ,&nbsp;Wei Liu ,&nbsp;Xiangru Xu ,&nbsp;Xinjuan Hu ,&nbsp;Feifei Zhu ,&nbsp;Mostafa El-Sheekh ,&nbsp;Shuhao Huo","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Saline-alkali soils are among the most challenging soil types in agricultural production owing to the intricate coupling relationships among water, salt, and nutrients. Precision irrigation offers a crucial means of enhancing water use efficiency, improving nutrient availability, and mitigating secondary salinization. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research advancements in recent years on the integrated applications of precision irrigation monitoring technologies, intelligent control strategies, and terminal irrigation equipment in saline-alkali soil regions. Particular emphasis is placed on the construction and development trends of closed-loop precision irrigation systems. A \"perception-decision-execution\" ternary closed-loop regulation framework is proposed. The key mechanisms underlying its role in the coordinated regulation of water, salt, and phosphorus are explained in detail. Moreover, the coupling relationships between soil moisture, salinity, and phosphorus availability, along with the approaches for their coordinated regulation, are further explored. The potential of microbial fertilizers in promoting phosphorus activation and alleviating salt-alkali stress is also analyzed. The challenges faced include the absence of reliable models capable of capturing the dynamic phosphorus transformations under water-salt regulation, the lack of cost-effective real-time in-situ phosphorus monitoring tools, and issues related to equipment reliability. Additionally, the future development directions of an intelligent closed-loop irrigation system for the coordinated regulation of water, salt, and phosphorus are envisioned. This paper provides a theoretical reference and research foundation for the sustainable agricultural management of saline-alkali ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110187"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mulched drip irrigation boosts cotton water productivity via shallow soil water regulation","authors":"Jiangtao Wang ,&nbsp;Gangfeng Du ,&nbsp;Jingshan Tian ,&nbsp;Chuangdao Jiang ,&nbsp;Yali Zhang ,&nbsp;Wangfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110185","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mulched drip irrigation (MDI), a water-saving technology integrating surface plastic film mulching and drip irrigation, is widely adopted in cotton production to boost yield. However, its impacts on cotton root water uptake patterns, leaf photosynthetic physiology, water productivity (<em>WP</em>), and the relative contributions of agronomic (irrigation amount adjustment) and engineering (irrigation method improvement) water savings remain unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that MDI improves cotton <em>WP</em> by stabilizing shallow soil water supply to enhance leaf photosynthesis, and quantified the weights of these two water-saving types. A two-year field experiment in Xinjiang, China compared mulched drip irrigation (MDI) and traditional flood irrigation (TFI) at two irrigation volumes (390 and 600 mm). Key variables measured included 0–100 cm soil water content (SWC), leaf relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate (<em>P</em>_n), biomass, yield, and <em>WP</em> (defined as seed cotton yield per unit total water use); the entropy weight method quantified water-saving weights. Compared to TFI, MDI maintained stable 0–40 cm SWC and increased 0–60 cm SWC by 4.80–12.87 % during critical flowering-boll stages. This stability enhanced leaf RWC stability and chlorophyll content (11.43–26.38 % higher at prophase full boll stage), increasing average <em>P</em>_n by 5.95–12.04 %. DI-3 achieved the highest <em>WP</em> (13.35–14.10 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) by reducing total water use by 8.14–15.46 % (vs. FI-3) while maximizing yield. DI-6 increased total water use by 28.58–29.76 % vs. DI-3, with excess water causing excessive vegetative growth and reduced <em>WP</em>. The achieved high water productivity depended on reducing the irrigation volume (contributing 57.44 % of the water saving), but was critically enabled by shifting to mulched drip irrigation (contributing 42.56 %), which efficiently transformed the saved water into enhanced yield. In conclusion, MDI at 390 mm improves cotton <em>WP</em> via stable shallow soil water and enhanced leaf physiology and photosynthesis. This study demonstrates that in arid regions, maximizing water productivity requires first optimizing the irrigation amount, and then adopting efficient irrigation methods to fully realize this potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110185"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146047930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards sustainable water use in intensive and super-intensive olive orchards of Alentejo across multiple scenarios for present and future climate","authors":"Hanaa Darouich ,&nbsp;Tiago B. Ramos ,&nbsp;Luís Santos Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Orchards present challenges for water management due to their anisotropic and heterogeneous canopy geometries. Over the past decade, the expansion of intensive and super-intensive olive orchards worldwide, and particularly in the Alentejo region, southern Portugal, has underscored the need for clear guidelines to accurately estimate crop water requirements for profitable yield, water saving, and environmental adequateness of these complex systems. To address these issues, multiple scenarios were developed based on the characteristics of a typical irrigation district in the region, incorporating relevant factors such as crop density, soil type, climate demand, and water saving irrigation (WSI) strategies. The Allen and Pereira (2009) approach was used for computing the actual basal crop coefficient (K_cb) based on observations of the fraction of ground cover by vegetation (f_c), plant height (h), and degree of stomatal adjustment (F_r). The SIMDualKc water balance model was then used to compute all terms of the daily soil water balance, i.e., actual crop evapotranspiration, percolation, and runoff. The results demonstrate how K_cb values respond to these various factors and highlight the significant water savings achievable through WSI strategies. Climate change projections for the region, where temperatures and rainfall were generated using eight different global circulation models, predict future increasing imbalances between water availability and demand. Considering present and future scenarios, these findings contribute to the development of effective coping strategies that contribute to the sustainability of intensive and super-intensive olive production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110176"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated organic-inorganic fertilization enhances soil microbial diversity and mitigates the yield-quality trade-off in pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.)","authors":"Shudong Lin ,&nbsp;Xiaole Zhao ,&nbsp;Qiuping Fu ,&nbsp;Zhenghu Ma ,&nbsp;Yingjie Ma ,&nbsp;Tingrui Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sustainability of agricultural production systems is increasingly constrained by the trade-off between yield and quality, largely driven by declines in soil microbial diversity under conventional intensive management characterized by excessive synthetic fertilizer inputs. This study elucidates the synergistic mechanisms through which integrated low-rate inorganic-organic fertilization (IO1) alleviates this trade-off in pakchoi (<em>Brassica chinensis L</em>.) by regulating rhizosphere microbial communities. A hierarchical pathway model was developed to quantify the linkages among soil microbial diversity, crop growth dynamics, yield formation, and quality attributes. Compared with inorganic-only fertilization (I1), the IO1 treatment significantly enhanced bacterial Shannon diversity and Chao1 richness, which accelerated the average growth rates of plant height (0.736 cm/d) and leaf area index (0.121 cm²/(cm²·d)). As a result, pakchoi yield increased to 5.58 kg/m², representing a 24.77 % improvement over I1. At the mechanistic level, improved microbial functional balance optimized nitrogen metabolic pathways, leading to substantial increases in soluble sugars (64.37 %), soluble proteins (39.21 %), and vitamin C content (82.04 %), while simultaneously reducing nitrate accumulation by 14.78 %. Mantel test results further revealed that bacterial communities primarily governed biomass accumulation through fresh weight dynamics (4.239 g/(plant·d)), whereas fungal communities played a key role in regulating photosynthate redistribution via organic matter catabolism, thereby establishing a \"growth prioritization-quality compensation\" dynamic equilibrium. Model predictions indicated that each unit increase in bacterial Shannon diversity corresponded to a 0.534 kg/m² increase in yield, while each unit rise in the Pielou evenness index resulted in a 2.218 mg/g reduction in nitrate content. Overall, these findings provide a robust theoretical basis for microbial driven precision fertilization strategies aimed at enhancing yield, quality, and sustainability in vegetable production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110189"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water and energy savings using variable rate sprinkler irrigation on a large maize farm in northern Italy","authors":"Alice Mayer ,&nbsp;Bianca Ortuani ,&nbsp;Alberto Crema ,&nbsp;Mirco Boschetti ,&nbsp;Arianna Facchi","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize is a key crop both globally and in Italy. In the Po Valley, it is cultivated on 500,000 ha, primarily for use in livestock production. Here, maize cultivation is highly dependent on irrigation, traditionally performed using border irrigation. However, due to increasing water scarcity, more efficient irrigation strategies will be required in the future. This study develops and tests an innovative integrated framework combining soil characterisation, in-field monitoring devices, agro-hydrological modelling and remote sensing to save water and energy. In 2021, a variable rate (VR) irrigation strategy was implemented in a 15-ha center pivot in a large livestock farm in northern Italy using: i) soil mapping based on an electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor to delineate homogeneous zones, ii) a modelling workflow coupling soil moisture probes and weather forecasts to determine irrigation timing and amounts, and iii) a speed-controlled pivot for spatially variable application. This approach reduced water and energy use by 20 %, while maintaining yield and reducing grain moisture at harvest, although operational constraints imposed by the tenant limited the achievable savings. The framework was then scaled up to the entire farm for the 2016–2021 period using a semi-distributed agro-hydrological model supported by remote sensing data. Simulations indicated a mean reduction of 19 % in irrigation and energy use, consistent with field results. Overall, the developed modelling framework proved to be effective in optimizing irrigation and can be transferred to other crop-growing areas relying on sprinkler systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"325 ","pages":"Article 110184"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}