79 research outputs found
Surface Electrical Resistivity Tomography: a non-invasive tool to assess the compaction in paddy soils
S oil compaction has direct effects on soil physical properties (increase in soil strength, bulk
density, decrease in total porosity, soil aeration, water infiltration rate, and saturated hydraulic
conductivity) often reducing root penetration and plant growth, thereby causing a reduction of soil
productivity. However, the presence of compacted layers in rice paddy fields increases the
efficiency of the traditional flooding irrigation method. For this reason, the use of monitoring tools
to detect depth, thickness and lateral continuity of compacted soil layers in paddy fields is of
crucial importance for the assessment of their irrigation efficiency. Electrical Resistivity
Tomography (ERT) is a non-invasive geophysical method which allows to detect soil horizons with
different degrees of compaction. Particularly, arrays constituted of short electrodes spaced a few
centimeters can be used to investigate with high vertical resolution the soil profile.
In a sandy loam paddy field located in the Lomellina region (PV; RISTEC project, RDP-EU, Lombardy
Region), a surface ERT survey was conducted in February 2019 to verify the effectiveness of this
technique in assessing soil compaction. The ERT was carried out with Wenner arrays of 48
electrodes spaced 0.1 m along a 5 m transect, to investigate the soil profile up to about 1 m depth
in proximity of a soil profile trench dug for soil description and sampling. The results of the
traditional soil survey (accurate description of soil horizons, including the compacted layer) were
considered as reference data to evaluate the reliability of ERT results. During the ERT survey, soil
samples were collected at different depths and distances along the ERT transect: texture, bulk
density and porosity were successively measured in laboratory. Moreover, the volumetric soil
water content was measured with a probe (ML2 ThetaProbe, Delta-T Devices). Main results show
that the correlation between electrical resistivity (ER) and bulk density, soil porosity and volumetric
water content is well in line with those observed in recent studies. Data points in the scatter plots
are clustered based on the bulk density values; particularly, the cluster corresponding to high bulk
density values (i.e. compacted soil) includes the measurement points at the depth where the ERT
image shows a greater ER gradient. This depth also corresponds to the compacted layer observed
during the investigation of soil profile with traditional methods. These results confirm that
compacted layers can be effectively detected in ERT images by identifying depths characterized by
higher ER gradients in soils with a relatively homogeneous soil texture. Consequently, an integrated approach combining surface ERT and soil sampling with a hand auger at a few depths
to check the texture homogeneity and eventually collect a few soil samples for further analysis
(e.g., bulk density, volumetric water content, soil hydraulic conductivity) could be explored to
assess the presence and continuity of compacted layers in paddy soils, instead of intensive and
extremely invasive surveys
Assessing the Perspectives of Ground Penetrating Radar for Precision Farming
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlighted the importance of adopting sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the threat posed by climate change to food systems around the world, to provide wise water management and to restore degraded lands. At the same time, it suggested the benefits and advantages brought by the use of near-surface geophysical measurements to assist precision farming, in particular providing information on soil variability at both vertical and horizontal scales. Among such survey methodologies, Ground Penetrating Radar has demonstrated its effectiveness in soil characterisation as a consequence of its sensitivity to variations in soil electrical properties and of its additional capability of investigating subsurface stratification. The aim of this contribution is to provide a comprehensive review of the current use of the GPR technique within the domain of precision irrigation, and specifically of its capacity to provide detailed information on the within-field spatial variability of the textural, structural and hydrological soil properties, which are needed to optimize irrigation management, adopting a variable-rate approach to preserve water resources while maintaining or improving crop yields and their quality. For each soil property, the review analyses the commonly adopted operational and data processing approaches, highlighting advantages and limitations
Uncertainty in the determination of soil hydraulic parameters and its influence on the performance of two hydrological models of different complexity
Data of soil hydraulic properties forms often a limiting factor in unsaturated zone modelling, especially at the larger scales. Investigations for the hydraulic characterization of soils are time-consuming and costly, and the accuracy of the results obtained by the different methodologies is still debated. However, we may wonder how the uncertainty in soil hydraulic parameters relates to the uncertainty of the selected modelling approach. We performed an intensive monitoring study during the cropping season of a 10 ha maize field in Northern Italy. The data were used to: i) compare different methods for determining soil hydraulic parameters and ii) evaluate the effect of the uncertainty in these parameters on different variables (i.e. evapotranspiration, average water content in the root zone, flux at the bottom boundary of the root zone) simulated by two hydrological models of different complexity: SWAP, a widely used model of soil moisture dynamics in unsaturated soils based on Richards equation, and ALHyMUS, a conceptual model of the same dynamics based on a reservoir cascade scheme. We employed five direct and indirect methods to determine soil hydraulic parameters for each horizon of the experimental profile. Two methods were based on a parameter optimization of: a) laboratory measured retention and hydraulic conductivity data and b) field measured retention and hydraulic conductivity data. The remaining three methods were based on the application of widely used Pedo-Transfer Functions: c) Rawls and Brakensiek, d) HYPRES, and e) ROSETTA. Simulations were performed using meteorological, irrigation and crop data measured at the experimental site during the period June – October 2006. Results showed a wide range of soil hydraulic parameter values generated with the different methods, especially for the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ksat and the shape parameter a of the van Genuchten curve. This is reflected in a variability of the modeling results which is, as expected, different for each model and each variable analysed. The variability of the simulated water content in the root zone and of the bottom flux for different soil hydraulic parameter sets is found to be often larger than the difference between modeling results of the two models using the same soil hydraulic parameter set. Also we found that a good agreement in simulated soil moisture patterns may occur even if evapotranspiration and percolation fluxes are significantly different. Therefore multiple output variables should be considered to test the performances of methods and model
Integrating Geophysical and Multispectral Data to Delineate Homogeneous Management Zones within a Vineyard in Northern Italy
Soil electrical conductivity (EC) maps obtained through proximal soil sensing (i.e., geophysical data) are usually considered to delineate homogeneous site-specific management zones (SSMZ), used in Precision Agriculture to improve crop production. The recent literature recommends the integration of geophysical soil monitoring data with crop information acquired through multispectral (VIS-NIR) imagery. In non-flat areas, where topography can influence the soil water conditions and consequently the crop water status and the crop yield, considering topography data together with soil and crop data may improve the SSMZ delineation. The objective of this study was the fusion of EC and VIS-NIR data to delineate SSMZs in a rain-fed vineyard located in Northern Italy (Franciacorta), and the assessment of the obtained SSMZ map through the comparison with data acquired by a thermal infrared (TIR) survey carried out during a hot and dry period of the 2017 agricultural season. Data integration is performed by applying multivariate statistical methods (i.e., Principal Component Analysis). The results show that the combined use of soil, topography and crop information improves the SSMZ delineation. Indeed, the correspondence between the SSMZ map and the CWSI map derived from TIR imagery was enhanced by including the NDVI information
Sustainable water use for rice agro-ecosystems in northern Italy
I n the Mediterranean basin, rice is cultivated over an area of 1,300,000 hectares. The most
important rice-producing countries are Italy and Spain in Europe (72% of the EU production;
345,000 ha), and Egypt and Turkey among the extra-EU countries (almost totality of the
production; 789,000 ha). Traditionally, rice is grown under continuous flooding; thus, it requires
much more irrigation than non-ponded crops. The MEDWATERICE project (PRIMA-Section 2-2018;
https://www.medwaterice.org/) aims at exploring sustainability of innovative rice irrigation
management solutions, in order to reduce rice water consumption and environmental impacts,
and to extend rice cultivation outside of traditional paddy areas to meet the escalating demand.
Within the MEDWATERICE project, irrigation management options to address the main site-specific
problems are being tested for each rice areas involved in the project (IT, ES, PT, EG, TR). Case
studies are being conducted in pilot farms, with the involvement of Stake-Holder Panels (SHPs) in
each country. Data collected at the farm level will be extrapolated to the irrigation district level, to
support water management decisions and policies. Moreover, indicators for quantitative
assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of the irrigation options will be
defined.
This work illustrates the first year of results for the Italian Case Study (Lomellina area, Pavia) at the
pilot farm scale. This area is characterized by a growing water scarcity in drought years in many
districts. Within the farm managed by the National Rice Research Center (CRR), in the agricultural
season 2019 the experimentation was conducted in six plots of about 20 m x 80 m each, with two
replicates for each of the following water regimes: i) water-seeded rice with continuous flooding
(WFL), ii) dry-seeded rice with continuous flooding from the 3-4 leaf stage (DFL), and iii) water
seeded-rice with alternate wetting and drying from fertilization at the tillering stage (AWD). One
out of the two replicates of each treatment was instrumented with: water inflow and outflow
meters, set of piezometers, set of tensiometers and water tubes for the irrigation management in
the AWD plots. A soil survey was conducted before the agricultural season (EMI sensor and
physico-chemical analysis of soil samples). Periodic measurements of crop biometric parameters
(LAI, crop height, crop rooting depth) were performed. Moreover, nutrients (TN, NO3, PO4, K) and
two widely used pesticides (Sirtaki \u2013 a.i. Clomazone; Tripion E \u2013 a.i. MCPA) were measured in
irrigation water (inflow and outflow), groundwater, and porous cups installed at two soil depths
(20 and 70 cm, above and below the plough pan). Finally, rice grain yields and quality (As and Cd in the grain) were determined. First results in terms of cumulative water balance components
(rainfall, irrigation inflow and outflow, difference in soil and ponding water storage,
evapotranspiration, net percolation), water application efficiency (evapotranspiration over net
water input), and water productivity (grain production over net water input), will be presented and
discussed. Results of a 1D Richard-equation-based numerical simulation model applied to
generalize results obtained under the different irrigation regimes will be moreover illustrated
Assessing the Effectiveness of Variable-Rate Drip Irrigation on Water Use Efficiency in a Vineyard in Northern Italy
Although many studies in the literature illustrate the numerous devices and methodologies nowadays existing for assessing the spatial variability within agricultural fields, and indicate the potential for variable-rate irrigation (VRI) in vineyards, only very few works deal with the implementation of VRI systems to manage such heterogeneity, and these studies are usually conducted in experimental fields for research aims. In this study, a VR drip irrigation system was designed for a 1-ha productive vineyard in Northern Italy and managed during the agricultural season 2018, to demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of a water supply differentiated according to the spatial variability detected in field. Electrical resistivity maps obtained by means of an electro-magnetic induction sensor were used to detect four homogeneous zones with similar soil properties. In each zone, a soil profile was opened, and soil samples were taken and analyzed in laboratory. Two irrigation management zones (MZs) were identified by grouping homogeneous zones on the basis of their hydrological properties, and an irrigation prescription map was built consistently with the total available water (TAW) content in the root zone of the two MZs. The designed drip irrigation system consisted of three independent sectors: the first two supplied water to the two MZs, while the third sector (reference sector) was managed following the farmer\u2019s habits. During the season, irrigation in the first two sectors was fine-tuned using information provided by soil moisture probes installed in each sector. Results showed a reduction of water use by 18% compared to the \u2018reference\u2019 sector without losses in yield and product quality, and a grape\u2019s maturation more homogeneous in time
Assessing the Reliability of Thermal and Optical Imaging Techniques for Detecting Crop Water Status under Different Nitrogen Levels
Efficient management of irrigation water is fundamental in agriculture to reduce the
environmental impacts and to increase the sustainability of crop production. The availability of
adequate tools and methodologies to easily identify the crop water status in operating conditions
is therefore crucial. This work aimed to assess the reliability of indices derived from imaging
techniques\u2014thermal indices (Ig (stomatal conductance index) and CWSI (CropWater Stress Index))
and optical indices (NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and PRI (Photochemical
Reflectance Index))\u2014as operational tools to detect the crop water status, regardless the eventual
presence of nitrogen stress. In particular, two separate experiments were carried out in a greenhouse,
on two spinach varieties (Verdi F1 and SV2157VB), with different microclimatic conditions and
under different levels of water and nitrogen application. Statistical analysis based on ANOVA
test was carried out to assess the independence of thermal and optical indices from the crop
nitrogen status. These imaging indices were successively compared through correlation analysis with
reference destructive and non-destructive measurements of crop water status (stomatal conductance,
chlorophyll a fluorescence, and leaf and soil water content), and linear regression models of thermal
and optical indices versus reference measurements were calibrated. All models were significant
(Fisher p-value lower than 0.05), and the highest R2 values (greater than 0.6) were found for the
regression models between CWSI and the soil water content, NDVI and the leaf water content, and
PRI and the stomatal conductance. Further analysis showed that imaging indices acquired by thermal
cameras (especially CWSI) can be used as operational tools to detect the crop water status, since no
dependence on plant nitrogen conditions was observed, even when the soil water depletion was
very limited. Our results confirmed that imaging indices such as CWSI, NDVI and PRI can be used
as operational tools to predict soil water status and to detect drought stress under different soil
nitrogen conditions
Solution of an inverse problem for statistically non homogeneous porous media by using geostatistical analysis
A contribution to the validation of a regional-scale model for an aquifer in a densely settled area in the northern Italy
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