Agricultural Water Management最新文献

Agriculture is essential for many countries that depend on crops for food production and security. So, evaluating irrigation systems and selecting the best one is critical and gives various benefits such as water use efficiency, productivity, and agricultural development. This paper proposed a framework for conserving water and increasing effectiveness by using a suitable irrigation system. We used the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to deal with conflict criteria in the evaluation process. We used two MCDM methods such as Criteria Importance Through Inter-Criteria Correlation (CRITIC) method to compute the weights of the irrigation system criteria, and the spherical fuzzy double normalization-based multiple aggregations (DNMA) method to rank the irrigation systems (alternatives). The main advantage of CRITIC method computes the conflict and variability of the criteria by calculate weights of them. The main advantage of DNMA is used the two normalization method to rank the alternatives. These methods are integrated with spherical fuzzy set (SFS) fuzzy information in the assessment process. It has three values: membership, non-membership, and hesitant degrees to overcome uncertainty in the assessment steps. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study to show its performance. This study used 20 criteria of irrigation systems and 10 irrigation systems (alternatives) to select the best alternative. The results are discussed from the perspective of five experts. The sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the stability of the results. The comparative analysis is performed to show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The results show the proposed methodology is more robust compared to other methods.

This study examines the barriers faced by irrigation technology and service suppliers in Ethiopia, and their influence on business effectiveness. Data were collected from 42 firm owners and managers across 21 enterprises through online surveys, phone calls, and in-person interviews in August 2020. Additional insights were provided by 35 key informants. The study utilized a qualitative analysis of survey responses by employing narrative and triangulating information gathered from several actors in the irrigation technology supply chain. The results indicate that a range of barrier categories, including difficulties linked to business enablement, technology user behavior, and business capacity, significantly impede the development and success of small-scale irrigation technology enterprises in Ethiopia. More specifically, barriers include the increasing diffusion of substandard irrigation technology products, such as water lifting devices, and a scarcity of genuine spare parts, which present major obstacles for small-scale irrigation technology suppliers in Ethiopia. Insufficient user awareness regarding the importance of maintenance and repair services has led to frequent equipment failures, eroding consumer trust and demand for irrigation technologies. Additionally, limited access to market information and financial constraints, including foreign currency shortages, further hindered suppliers’ ambitions to increase the scale of their operations. More importantly, lengthy import processes and inefficient tax exemption systems increase equipment costs, impeding the adoption and dissemination of technologies, such as solar-powered irrigation pumps. Addressing these challenges is critical for improving the supply and effectiveness of irrigation technology in Ethiopia.

Southern Xinjiang region represents a prototypical oasis agricultural area, and cotton is the primary cash crop. The current cotton water productivity for this area remains room for improvement. In order to refine cotton drip irrigation strategy in Southern Xinjiang, this study combined field experiment with crop model simulation and prediction. In this experiment, two irrigation methods, furrow irrigation and drip irrigation, and different degrees of deficit irrigation were set up. The impacts of soil moisture on cotton yield and quality were assessed, with the additional utilization of the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) for simulating irrigation scenarios and predicting cotton yield field data showed that during the 2021–2022 growing season, drip irrigation significantly increased boll weight, yield, and Water Productivity compared to furrow irrigation. The deficit irrigation with 90 % of full irrigation during the flowering period resulted in the highest yield among all drip irrigation treatments, while simultaneously improving the fiber quality. The RZWQM2 model was calibrated and validated using 2021 and 2022 cotton field experimental data, respectively. The calibrated and verified RZWQM2 model shows good performance. In terms of soil water storage, cotton yield and evapotranspiration. The simulated value output by the model is close to the measured value in the field. Model prediction data suggest that there is still room for improvement in cotton yield, accompanied by an increase in evapotranspiration. But deficit irrigation below 80 % of the full irrigation quotas poses a notable risk of yield reduction. Targeting higher yields, the predicted scenario suggests an increase in water application (irrigation quota:314.8 mm). Additionally, this study proposes irrigation regimes with water savings of 10 % and 20 %, with irrigation quotas of 290.5 mm and 266.5 mm during the growth period, respectively. Based on this study, we provide a more detailed and reliable water-saving scheme for cotton drip irrigation in southern Xinjiang region.

This study analyzes the productivity of grasslands in a Mediterranean oak-savanna ecosystem, focusing on its linkages with water availability. In these water-controlled ecosystems, grassland environmental preservation and sustainable management depend on quantitatively understanding these links. Productivity and water stress were modeled in southern Spain (2001–2018), integrating meteorological information and MODIS sensor data into a light-use efficiency model and a surface energy balance. The results provided valuable insights into how grasslands behaved during droughts at different spatiotemporal scales. During the most significant droughts, 2004/2005 and 2011/2012, aerial biomass production was reduced by 42 % and 67 %, respectively. The spatial analysis identified the central east side of the region, with low slopes and moderate tree cover, as the most productive area. The biomass production time series classification identified four distinct trends, all showing shifted relationships with similar slopes between production and anomalies of relative evapotranspiration. The seasonal analysis highlighted the importance of autumn, accounting for nearly 30 % of the annual biomass production, which was essential in years with spring water deficits. The proposed methodology provides on-farm grassland production curves depending on water availability (max-mean-min range with a mean error of 15.5 %). Together with weather forecast data, this could help farmers decide on the optimal level of management intensification and stocking rate. Although the regional specificity may limit the study’s direct applicability, this scheme offers valuable metrics that could be adapted to other areas under water scarcity conditions.

Grain yields in wheat can be limited by the assimilate supply (source) or by the carbohydrate demand of the grains (sink). Recently, there have been questions regarding the capability of crop models to simulate the physiology of source-sink interactions in crops; however, crop models scarcely tested with source-sink partitioning. DSSAT_CERES_Wheat model was used with details of field experimental data having treatments of manipulated source (i.e., assimilate supply), sink (i.e., kernel number). The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of different levels of nitrogen and source-sink manipulation on wheat crop and to model source-sink partitioning in wheat under varying N-Regimes and climatic conditions. The experiment was conducted during wheat growing seasons of 2015–16 and 2016–17, at two locations (Islamabad and URF Koont Chakwal), under five different levels of nitrogen and three source sink treatments (Control (100 % RUE), 50 % shading pre-anthesis (50 % RUE), 50 % spike removal i.e. spike halving) using randomized complete block design. Recommended rates of fertilizer were applied with the exception of nitrogen which was 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha⁻¹, while each treatment was replicated thrice. CERES-Wheat model was calibrated using 2015–16 observed data while model was evaluated using two-year field collected data of two sites i.e. Islamabad and Chakwal. The model was able to simulate treatments impacts on phenology (R², RMSE and d-index values of 0.89, 2.80 days and 0.97 respectively at Islamabad while at Chakwal R² = 0.89, RMSE = 2.65 days and d-index = 0.94), leaf area index (R² = 0.94, 0.94, RMSE = 0.51, 0.38 and d-index = 0.98 and 0.92 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), biomass (R² = 0.98, 0.96, RMSE = 370, 450 kg ha⁻¹ and d-index = 0.96 and 0.95 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), grain yield (R² = 0.97,0.96, RMSE = 0.17, 0.2 t ha⁻¹, and d-index = 0.95 and 0.93 at Islamabad and Chakwal respectively), harvest index, soil nitrogen, crop nitrogen and grain nitrogen with good accuracy. The observed range for biomass water use efficiency (BM_WUE) was 34.1–14.5 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ while grain WUE remained in the range of 10.3–3.7 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹. The results depicted that model could reproduce observed effects of shading and halving the spikes. Crop response to modified radiation use efficiency (RUE) was variable among sites which could be critical for studying crop environment interactions, improving WUE, estimating genetically and atmospheric CO₂-related increased RUE, analyzing impact of solar dimming and source manipulations under biotic stress.

Heterogeneous drought stress (HED) is prevalent in drought-resistant practices such as deficit irrigation, root zone irrigation and strip intercropping. The mechanisms and improvement of crop drought resistance under HED are not fully understood. This study used double-root grafted Nandou 12 (ND12) soybean seedlings to simulate HED treatment under controlled conditions. Seedlings were transplanted into root cups with waterproof partitions to establish different soil moisture treatments: sufficient irrigation (SI) with 80 % soil moisture on both sides, HED with 80 % on one side and 40 % on the other, and homogeneous drought stress (HOD) with 60 % on both sides. The results indicated that soybean plants treated with HED exhibited healthier growth compared to those treated with HOD. Photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (cond.), transpiration rate (Tr), and relative water content (RWC) decreased by 10.24 %, 43.90 %, 152.66 %, and 8.69 % in HED-treated plants, respectively, but dry biomass increased by 3.38 %. Conversely, HOD conditions led to a significant decline in these parameters. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed significant changes in the biosynthesis and signaling pathways of key phytohormones and metabolites, including abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), jasmonic acid (JA), isoflavones, starch, and sugars. In HED-treated plants, GmNCED downregulation resulted in 54.22 % less ABA than HOD. GA levels increased under HED with upregulation of GmGA3OX1 and GmGA3OX2. JA content in HED-treated roots was 90.90 % higher than in HOD-treated roots. Isoflavones concentration including genistein (73.01 %), genistin (63.63 %), malonylgenistin (20.58 %), malonylgenistin (65 %), diadzin (38.15 %), and malonyldiadzin (47.61 %) levels, were significantly higher in HED-treated plants. Antioxidant enzyme activities indicated a 20 % increase in peroxidase (POD) activity under HED, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was 27 % higher in HOD-treated plants, indicating greater oxidative stress. Chlorophyll content remained stable, and starch concentration increased by 33.33 % in HED-treated plants compared to HOD-treated plants. HED enhances phytohormonal responses and metabolic adjustments in soybean plants, boosting photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidant capabilities, growth, and drought resilience. This regulatory mechanism balances growth promotion and drought resistance, highlighting HED potential in improving crop resilience.

In arid areas, biodegradable film has recently had the potential to replace polyethylene (PE) film to address plastic pollution. However, the positive effect of biodegradable film on soil moisture and salt control is weaker than that of PE film. Magnetized irrigation water technology is expected to compensate for this limitation. This study comprised a field experiment in 20212023 to study how two types of biodegradable film (M1, black; M2, transparent) and six magnetization intensity on irrigation water (T0, 0 Gs; T1, 1000 Gs; T2, 2000 Gs; T3, 3000 Gs; T4, 4000 Gs; T5, 5000 Gs) affect the degradation rate of biodegradable film, soil watersalt distribution, growth, and quality of processing tomatoes. The traditional PE film mulching and non-magnetized irrigation were used as the control group (M_PET0). The results demonstrated that magnetized water irrigation slowed down the degradation rate of biodegradable film. In addition, the magnetized irrigation water can redistributed the soil water-salt patterns under the biodegradable film, improving the soil water content and salt leaching efficiency, with better results in M1 than in M2. Moreover, magnetized water irrigation promoted the growth of tomato leaf area under the biodegradable film, enhancing photochemical efficiency and potential activity of PSII, thereby improving fruit yield, quality, and water use efficiency of tomato. Principal component analysis showed that the comprehensive score of M1T3 treatment was the highest throughout the three years. Furthermore, M1T3 treatment has the highest processing tomato economic benefits during 2021–2023 (24634986 CNY hm² more than M_PET0). Therefore, the use of 3000 Gs magnetized irrigation water combined with black biodegradable film is conducive to improving soil water and salt conditions, reducing residual film pollution, and improving the yield and quality of processing tomatoes, thus ensuring the sustainable development of oasis agriculture.

Under the influence of salinity-sodicity stress, soil salinization and sodification tend to be severe and the dispersion of clay particles increases, which threatens agricultural production and food security. To explore the characteristics of clay dispersion in saline-sodic soils and their influencing factors, the quantitative relationship between clay dispersion indices and soil physicochemical parameters in saline-sodic soils of the Songnen Plain in China was investigated, to provide theoretical and data support for clay dispersion control in saline-sodic soils. Forty-two natural soil samples (0–0.2 m) were collected from saline-sodic soils in Songnen Plain, northeast China, and their physicochemical parameters and clay dispersion indices were determined. Correlation analysis, random forest analysis, and multivariate linear regression analysis were used in this study. The results showed that water-dispersible clay (WDC) ranged from 0.60 % to 18.38 % and total clay (TC) ranged from 4.70 % to 20.68 %. The maximum value of the clay dispersion ratio (CDR) is nine times the minimum value. In terms of turbidity, mechanical dispersion turbidity (MDT) ranged from 39.60 to 59,433 NTU, while spontaneous dispersion turbidity (SDT) ranged from 1.11 to 154.67 NTU. In terms of zeta potential, the minimum value of mechanical dispersion ZETA potential (MDZP) was −46.42 mV, and the maximum value was close to 0 mV. There was a significant correlation between soil physicochemical parameters and clay dispersion indices. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was the most important explanatory variable for CDR, followed by pH, Na⁺_ex, HCO₃^-, Na⁺, CEC, CO₃^2-, SAR, CROSS, and SOC, which could help construct the following multiple linear regression model: CDR=0.143+0.015*ESP −0.036*CO₃^2- −0.006*Na⁺. Exchangeable sodium percentage has the strongest effects on clay dispersion among the soil parameters. Clay dispersion indices vary with soil physicochemical parameters. Compared to MDT, SDT, MDZP, and SDZP, CDR is more suitable for evaluating and predicting the clay dispersion condition in saline-sodic soils.

Knowledge of the potential interactive effects of drought and flooding on the maximum carboxylation rate at 25°C (V_max25) and maximum hydraulic conductance (K_max) is essential for the precise modeling of crop growth, water-carbon cycling, and crop yield formation. However, the lack of data on drought–flood abrupt alternation (DF) experiments and appropriate models to calibrate parameters without the need to specify photosynthetic and hydraulic transport capacity a priori make it difficult to further our understanding of the potential interaction effects on V_max25 and K_max. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the potential effects of interactions between the preceding drought and the subsequent flooding on V_max25 and K_max. We propose a nested optimization model for calibrating photosynthetic and hydraulic conductance capacity while simultaneously modeling carbon assimilation rate and stomatal conductance. A two-year DF experiment for rice from 2017 to 2018 was conducted to validate the new framework at the Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower of Anhui Province, Bengbu, China. The results show that reasonable K_max and V_max25 from gas exchange data can be extracted with the proposed nested model framework. We find two distinct interactions between the prior drought and the subsequent flooding on V_max25 and K_max: (1) the antagonistic effect of the preceding mild drought on the subsequent-flood-induced reduction of hydraulic transport and photosynthetic capacity, and (2) the synergistic effect of the subsequent flooding on the preceding drought-induced reduction in hydraulic transport and photosynthetic capacity. Revealing the interaction of drought and flooding on K_max and V_max25 of rice under DF events helps to understand rice’s response to compound water stress on multiple timescales and the stomatal and non-stomatal co-limitations, and these findings can be used as valuable guidelines for accurately predicting the impact of future extreme weather events on agricultural production.

Water productivity (WP) measurement determines the efficiency of water use by assessing the ratio of the crop yield to the amount of water used in production. The objective of this study was to identify the optimal irrigation treatment for Vitis vinifera L. cv. Alvarinho with ground cover in Northern Portugal, with a focus on water productivity. Two irrigation treatments (full irrigation—FI; deficit irrigation—DI) and a control (rainfed—R) were considered. The FI strategy represented the standard irrigation carried out by the vinegrower, based on the water availability and their experience. The cover crop was a variable factor, evaluated in terms of both height and density, both within the crop row and between the rows. In each of the treatments, the available soil water content (ASW) was measured in eight locations in the field throughout the growing season using a capacitive probe (Diviner 2000) previously calibrated. These measurements were used to calibrate the SIMDualKc model, which employed the dual crop coefficient approach. The successful calibration of the model, carried out with treatment R in 2018, was evidenced by the strong correlation between the ASW measured through the capacitive probe and that simulated by SIMDualKc (b=0.988 and r²=0.995). After the model’s calibration, the separation between the transpiration and evaporation components was determined. The maximum transpiration during the growing season was observed in the full irrigation treatment. In this context, the study proceeded to apply the soil water balance components and transpiration generated by the model in the calculation of the WP. The fruit yield productivity was determined by accounting for the total water use in the growing season. The total water used was calculated by combining the volumes of water applied for irrigation and precipitation and the soil water extracted during the growing season by crops and cover crops. The deficit irrigation strategy showed the best performance in both years, with WP values of 3.31 and 1.81 kg m⁻³ for the years 2018 and 2019, respectively. Therefore, the study concluded that deficit irrigation proved to be the most effective irrigation strategy in terms of water productivity and crop water use efficiency (WUE_c).