• Authors:
    • de Ridder, N.
    • Vanlauwe, B.
    • Pypers, P.
    • Guto, S. N.
    • Giller, K. E.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 104
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Soil fertility gradients develop on smallholder farms due to preferential allocation of inputs. A multi-location on-farm trial was conducted in Meru South, Central Kenya whose overall aim was to test minimum tillage and crop-residue retention practices in socio-ecological niches across heterogeneous smallholder farms. We identified three soil fertility classes together with the farmers, namely: good, medium, and poor. In each soil fertility class, two tillage (minimum or regular) and two crop residue (removed or retained) practices were tested for four consecutive seasons. Maize (Zea mays L.) grain yields in the good fields were above 2.5 Mg ha(-1) across cropping seasons and cumulated yields were not influenced by tillage or crop residue management. The grain yields in the medium fields ranged between 1.3 and 5.4 Mg ha(-1) and were greater with crop residue retention. In the poor fields, grain yield was
  • Authors:
    • Samar, S. M.
    • Shahabian, M.
    • Talaie, A.
    • Emdad, M. R.
  • Source: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
  • Volume: 58
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This work examines the effects of two deficit irrigation strategies, conventional deficit irrigation (DI) and partial root-zone drying (PRD), on mature navel orange trees. The study carried out during two consecutive years (2008 and 2009) in a semi-arid climate on a silty-clay-loam soil in the north of Iran. Both DI and PRD trees were irrigated at two levels, 75 and 50% (DI75, PRD75, DI50 and PRD50) of the full irrigation (FI). In DI, irrigation water was applied to both sides of the tree rows, similar to FI. In PRD, irrigation water was applied alternately to only one side, at each irrigation event. Results showed that DI treatments reduced fruit yield by ~30% compared with FI, but PRD treatments caused no reduction in fruit yield. No negative impact was detected in fruit quality after applying DI and PRD treatments. Shoot growth decreased in all DI and PRD treatments in both years. In DI, stomatal resistance was higher (50%) than in FI, but it was not significantly affected in PRD. The irrigation water use efficiency of PRD trees increased to nearly twice that of FI. According to these two years' results, we recommend PRD as an acceptable deficit irrigation strategy in the region.
  • Authors:
    • Mexal, J. G.
    • Steiner, R. L.
    • Sammis, T. W.
    • Shukla, M. K.
    • Sharma, P.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 109
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Nitrate leaching is a common problem in frequently fertilized agricultural crops in Southern New Mexico. The objectives of this study were to estimate the leaching depths, irrigation and plant uptake efficiencies for onion (Album cepa L), chile (Capsicum annuum), and cotton (Gossypium spp.) crops. The study aims to determine how existing best management practices for these three specialty crops could be improved. Soil samples collected monthly for two growing seasons starting April 2007 to June 2010 were analyzed for NO3-N and chloride concentrations. The NO3-N loadings below the rooting zone varied from 22 to 92 kg ha(-1) during growing season 1 and 18-90 kg ha(-1) during growing season 2 in all the three experimental fields. The leaching fractions (LFs) varied from 0.09 to 0.21 during growing season 1 and 0.08-0.22 during growing season 2 in the experimental fields. The irrigation efficiencies (1E = 1 - LF) ranged from 79 to 91% during growing season 1 and from 78 to 92% during growing season 2 in all the three fields. Nitrogen application efficiencies (NAEs) varied from 39 to 75% during growing season 1 and 40-76% during growing season 2 in all the experimental fields. Under the prevalent management conditions, cotton field showed higher irrigation efficiency as well as the NAE as compared to onion and chile fields. Based on the soil N content at the end of growing seasons, the results indicate that reducing fertilizer applications until bulb formation in onions and flower initiation in chile can decrease the amount of fertilizer applications to as much as half, thus can help in reducing the NO3-N leaching and improving nitrogen and water efficiencies. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Diniz, A. A.
    • Oliveira, F. R. A. de
    • Rebouças, J. R. L.
    • Dias, N. da S.
    • Andrade Filho, J.
    • Sousa Neto, O. N.
    • da S. Dias, N.
    • de Oliveira, F. R. A.
  • Source: Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: An experiment was conducted at the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-arid in Mossoro, RN with the aim of evaluating the behavior of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L. race latifolium Hatch) 8H cultivar, in terms of growth when irrigated with treated domestic sewage. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with split plots and in plots were tested dilutions of wastewater [25% - T1, 50% - T2, 75% - T3 and 100% of wastewater - T4 and supply water with mineral fertilizer - T5] in two soils of contrasting textures. Irrigation with wastewater significantly influenced the growth of cotton plants, the rate of emergence, the germination percentage, plant height, stem diameter and leaf area, growing linearly until an optimal dose, as the proportion of use of domestic effluent. The positive effect of the accumulation of nutrient in soil applied by fertigation on the variables studied is also highlighted. The irrigation with treated wastewater can offset conventional fertilization of cotton.
  • Authors:
    • Bjorneberg, D. L.
    • King, B. A.
    • Tarkalson, D. D.
    • Taberna, J. P.
  • Source: Potato Research
  • Volume: 55
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Research studies have evaluated the production of potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) grown in conventional and bed planting configurations. However, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) from these planting configurations has not been quantified. A study conducted in 2008 and 2009 quantified and compared the intercepted PAR from three planting configurations (four row conventional ridged-row [4RC], five row bed [5RB], and seven row bed [7RB]), and from different plant spacings of cvs Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah, and Ranger Russet potatoes under sprinkler irrigation. A second study was conducted in 2007 to evaluate the relationship between PAR and leaf area of Russet Norkotah and Russet Burbank for the three planting configurations. These studies were conducted at the USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation & Soils Research Lab in Kimberly, ID, on a Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty mixed mesic Durixerollic Calciorthid). The canopy of Russet Norkotah and Ranger Russet potatoes grown in 5RB and 7RB planting configurations intercepted more PAR during the early vegetative and tuber initiation growth stages compared to the 4RC planting configuration at equal populations in 2008 and 2009 at all measurement dates. The canopy of Russet Burbank intercepted more PAR during the early growth stage in 2008 when planted in the bed planting configurations compared to the 4RC planting configuration, but not on the July 17, 2008 and July 9, 2009 dates. The canopy cover of Russet Burbank potatoes planted in the 4RC planting configuration tended to catch up with the bed planting configurations quicker than the other two cultivars. In general, the quantity of PAR intercepted as affected by planting configuration did not influence total tuber yield and other measured production variables. Cumulative PAR interception 0-72 days after planting (DAP) was increased 35%, 38%, and 32% for the 5RB and 65%, 69%, 23% for the 7RB relative to the 4RC planting configuration for Ranger Russet, Ranger Norkotah, and Russet Burbank, respectively. Cumulative PAR interception for the season was increased 15%, 16%, and 4% for the 5RB and 23%, 23%, 5% for the 7RB relative to the 4RC planting configuration for Ranger Russet, Ranger Norkotah, and Russet Burbank, respectively. The relationship between intercepted PAR and leaf area for Russet Norkotah during the early vegetative and tuber initiation growth stages was significantly different between the three planting configurations, with intercepted PAR at a given leaf area in the order of 7RB>5RB>4RC. For Russet Burbank, the relationship was significantly different for the 5RB and 7RB compared to 4RC planting configuration only, with intercepted PAR at a given leaf area in the order of 7RB=5RB>4RC.
  • Authors:
    • Yelledalli, N. A.
    • Upperi, S. N.
  • Source: Environment and Ecology
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The experiment was conducted by supplying both organics and inorganics with desi cotton (Laxmi) under limited irrigation in low fertility soil (sandy loam) during 1995. The results indicated significantly higher chlorophyll a (33.1 mg/g FW) and b (19.33 mg/g FW) contents, cotton yield (8.9 q/ha) and cotton stalk yield (20.5 q/ha) were recorded with RDF+FYM+all the micronutrients over rest of the treatments. Similar trend was recorded for cotton yield, with RDF+FYM (7.6 q/ha) and RDF+all micronutrients (8.5 q/ha) over rest of the treatments. Besides, significantly increased yields of cotton and chlorophyll a and b contents were observed with the application of micronutrients individually over only RDF (6.4 q/ha and 22 and 10.8 mg/g FW).
  • Authors:
    • Manzur, C. L.
    • Cai, D.
    • Zhang, G.
    • Wu, H.
    • Wu, X.
    • Zheng, Y.
    • Hu, Y.
    • Zhao, Q.
    • Wang, X.
  • Source: Irrigation Science
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The field experiment for cotton crop (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was conducted at the Zhongjie Farm, Huanghua city of Hebei province in the coastal salinity-affected areas in North China Plain, to determine the effects of an alternative of irrigation water sources/methods and agronomic practices on seedling emergence and yields of cotton, soil water-salt distributions, and soil pH changes during cotton growth stages. The experiment was setup using split-plot design with two water sources as main treatments (well water/desalinized sea-ice water); two irrigation methods (+PAM (Polyacrylamide)/-PAM); and four fertilization modes: check (CK), mineral fertilizer (F), mineral + organic fertilizer (FM), and mineral fertilizer + gypsum (FG). Using desalinized sea-ice water irrigation showed the same effects on top-soil salt leaching and desalinization as using well water did. There was no significant difference in seedling emergence and cotton yields between two irrigation water sources for cotton irrigation. Using PAM-treated irrigation, the 10-cm top-soil salinity significantly decreased to about 2.3-3.9 g kg(-1) from 4.6 to 8.6 g kg(-1) (PAM untreated). The PAM-treated irrigation increased seedling emergence by about 13, 29 and 36% and yields by about 50, 49, and 70%, with F, FM, and FG, respectively, as compared with CK. PAM-treated irrigation, either using well water or desalinized sea ice, especially in combination with gypsum-fertilization, shows the best practice for both seedling emergence and cotton yields. In conclusion, the desalinized sea-ice water used as an alternative water source, integrated with better agronomic practices of soil water-salt management could be acceptable for cotton irrigation in the coastal saline areas.
  • Authors:
    • Wang, J.
    • Wang, X. J.
    • Ma, T. F.
    • Wei, C. .Z.
  • Source: Journal of Arid Land
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Quantitative information on the fate and efficiency of nitrogen (N) fertilizer applied to coarse textured calcareous soils in arid farming systems is scarce but, as systems intensify, is essential to support sustainable agronomic management decisions. A mesh house study was undertaken to trace the fate of N fertilizer applied to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv., Huiyuan701) growing on a reconstructed profile (0-100 cm) of a calcareous (>15% CaCO3) sandy loam soil. Two irrigation methods (drip irrigation, DI; and furrow irrigation, Fl) and four N application rates (0, 240, 360 and 480 kg/hm(2), abbreviated as N-0, N-240, N-360, and N-480, respectively) were applied. N-15-labelled urea fertilizer was applied in a split application. DI enhanced the biomass of whole plant and all parts of the plant, except for root; more fertilizer N was taken up and mostly stored in vegetative parts; N utilization efficiency (NUE) was significantly greater than in Fl. N utilization efficiency (NUE) decreased from 52.59% in N-240 to 36.44% in N-480. N residue in soil and plant N uptake increased with increased N dosage, but recovery rate decreased consistently both in DI and Fl. Plant N uptake and soil N residue were greater in DI than in FI. N residue mainly stayed within 0-40 cm depth in DI but within 40-80 cm depth in Fl. Fl showed 17.89% of N leached out, but no N leaching occurred in DI. N recovery rate in the soil-plant system was 75.82% in DI, which was markedly greater than the 55.97% in Fl. DI exhibited greater NUE, greater residual N in the soil profile and therefore greater N recovery rate than in Fl; also, N distribution in soil profile shallowed in DI, resulting in a reduced risk of N leaching compared to Fl; and enhanced shoot growth and reduced root growth in DI is beneficial for more economic yield formation. Compared to furrow irrigation, drip irrigation is an irrigation method where N movement favors the prevention of N from being lost in the plant-soil system and benefits a more efficient use of N.
  • Authors:
    • Mullinix, B. G.,Jr.
    • Keeling, J. W.
    • Bordovsky, J. P.
    • Wheeler, T. A.
    • Woodward, J. E.
  • Source: Plant Disease
  • Volume: 96
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted under center-pivot irrigation in four wedges, with one wedge in continuous cotton (CC) and three wedges in a rotation (ROT) with 2 years cotton and 1 year in sorghum. Three irrigation rates (base = 1.0B, 1.5B, and 0.5B) were applied during 2007 to 2009 on a susceptible (ST) and partially resistant (PR) cultivar. Nitrogen applied during the season was proportional to irrigation rate. In the ROT wedges, 0.5B, 1.0B, and 1.5B irrigation and nitrogen rates averaged 1, 3, and 9% incidence of wilt, respectively. Disease incidence in the CC wedge averaged 6, 18, and 34% wilt incidence for 0.5B, 1.0B, and 1.5B irrigation and nitrogen rates. In the ROT wedges, the ST cultivar returned $143/ha more than the PR cultivars at the 0.5B irrigation and nitrogen rate whereas, at the 1.0B and 1.5B rates, the PR cultivars averaged $121 and $350/ha more than the ST cultivar. There was no significant irrigation and nitrogen or cultivar effect in the CC wedge on net value; however, trends were similar to the ROT wedge. Overall, ROT returned $285/ha more than CC, PR cultivars returned $123/ha more than the ST cultivar, and 1.0B returned $271 and $296/ha more than 0.5B and 1.5B rates, respectively. Microsclerotia density of V. dahliae averaged 2/cm(3) of soil in the ROT wedges and 23/cm(3) of soil in the CC wedge. Crop rotation, avoiding excessive irrigation, and using a partially resistant cultivar all reduced incidence of Verticillium wilt and improved net returns.
  • Authors:
    • Zhang, S. B.
    • Gong, X. F.
    • Zhang, R. F.
    • Wang, X. X.
    • Xie, K. Y.
    • Mares,V.
    • Gavilan,C.
    • Posadas,A.
    • Quiroz,R.
  • Source: Scientia Horticulturae
  • Volume: 134
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Two field experiments were conducted in two semi-arid areas in northern China to test the response of three potato varieties to supplemental irrigation. Conventional furrow irrigation was compared to the partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation system at different watering levels, with and without plastic mulching. Reducing the supplementary water to one half, under both soil-climate conditions tested, did not affect fresh tuber yield; whereas water use efficiency (WUE) was equally incremented by all the reduced water treatments. When this reduction in the amount of supplementary water was managed through the PRD system, the distribution of moisture in the soil seemed to be improved and the potential evaporation was decreased due to the reduced evaporative surface exposed by PRD. The results showed that application of irrigation water per unit area can be reduced relative to common practice in Inner Mongolia and Gansu, maintaining the tuber yields currently obtained by local farmers. A further reduction in the amount of supplemental water, without a substantial decrease in yield, might be feasible with the PRD technique but this may require a more sophisticated irrigation management; and further research to estimate the cost-benefit ratio of such sophistication is needed. Results also showed that under low precipitation and low water retention capacity, the use of plastic mulching and a potato variety selected for drought-prone environments can make the difference for maintaining a high yield while reducing the wasteful use of the water resources.