Analysis of Climate Elements in Central and Western Istria for the Purpose of Determining Irrigation Requirements of Agricultural Crops

A consequence of climate changes is an increasing frequency of drought, which on average occurs in Croatia every third to fifth year and during the vegetation period it can reduce crop yield significantly. The aim of the research is both to determine crop water requirements in an average and in a dry year and to determine the decline in crop yields in an average and in a dry year. The multi-annual climate data series for a 30-year period, 1981-2010 from station Pazin in central Istria and 1981-2010 from Poreč in western Istria was used. Based on these data, a reference evapotranspiration was calculated for an average and a dry year using the Penman-Monteith method through "Cropwat" software. The crop water requirement for five different crops is determined by soil water balance using the Palmer method (Palmer, 1965), corrected according to Širić and Vidaček (1988), using "Hidrokalk" software. Crop response to the lack of soil water and yield decline were determined according to the method published by Doorenbos and Kassam (1979). Correlation test was used to determine correlation between precipitation and crop yields. In central Istria, water shortage in an average year ranged from 3.4 mm (olives) to 110.7 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 1.1% (olives) to 18.6% (alfalfa), while in a dry year water shortage ranged from 43.2 mm (olives) to 229.5 mm (alfalfa) and ranged from 10.3% (olives) to 37.7% (alfalfa). In western Istria, in an average year water shortage ranged from 35.5 mm (olives) to 239.7 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 7% (olives) to 40.2% (tomatoes), and in a dry year water shortage ranged from 74.4 mm (olives) to 288.9 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 14.4% (olives) to 40.7% (alfalfa). The determined water shortage and reduced yields are sufficient indicators of irrigation requirements in Istria

Analysis of Climate Elements in Central and Western Istria for the Purpose of Determining Irrigation Requirements of Agricultural Crops

A consequence of climate changes is an increasing frequency of drought, which on average occurs in Croatia every third to fifth year and during the vegetation period it can reduce crop yield significantly. The aim of the research is both to determine crop water requirements in an average and in a dry year and to determine the decline in crop yields in an average and in a dry year. The multi-annual climate data series for a 30-year period, 1981-2010 from station Pazin in central Istria and 1981-2010 from Poreč in western Istria was used. Based on these data, a reference evapotranspiration was calculated for an average and a dry year using the Penman-Monteith method through "Cropwat" software. The crop water requirement for five different crops is determined by soil water balance using the Palmer method (Palmer, 1965), corrected according to Širić and Vidaček (1988), using "Hidrokalk" software. Crop response to the lack of soil water and yield decline were determined according to the method published by Doorenbos and Kassam (1979). Correlation test was used to determine correlation between precipitation and crop yields. In central Istria, water shortage in an average year ranged from 3.4 mm (olives) to 110.7 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 1.1% (olives) to 18.6% (alfalfa), while in a dry year water shortage ranged from 43.2 mm (olives) to 229.5 mm (alfalfa) and ranged from 10.3% (olives) to 37.7% (alfalfa). In western Istria, in an average year water shortage ranged from 35.5 mm (olives) to 239.7 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 7% (olives) to 40.2% (tomatoes), and in a dry year water shortage ranged from 74.4 mm (olives) to 288.9 mm (alfalfa) and yield decline ranged from 14.4% (olives) to 40.7% (alfalfa). The determined water shortage and reduced yields are sufficient indicators of irrigation requirements in Istria

Water for all : Proceedings of the 7th international scientific and professional conference Water for all

The 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all is organized to honour the World Water Day by the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), Danube Parks, Croatian Food Agency, Croatian Water, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Department of Chemistry, Nature Park “Kopački rit”, Osijek- Baranja County, Public Health Institute of the Osijek- Baranja County and „Vodovod-Osijek“ -water supply company in Osijek. The topic of World Water Day 2017 was "Wastewater" emphasizing the importance and influence of wastewater treatments on global environment. The international scientific and professional conference Water for all is a gathering of scientists and experts in the field of water management, including chemists, biologists, civil and agriculture engineers, with a goal to remind people about the significance of fresh water and to promote an interdisciplinary approach and sustainability for fresh water resource management. The Conference has been held since 2011. About 300 scientists and engineers submitted 95 abstracts to the 7th International Scientific and Professional Conference Water for all, out of which 33 was presented orally and 62 as posters. 47 full papers were accepted by the Scientific Committee. 38 full papers became the part of the this Proceedings while 9 papers were accepted for publication in Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology and Electronic Journal of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Osijek - e-GFOS

Temporal Variations in Chemical Proprieties of Waterbodies within Coastal Polders: Forecast Modeling for Optimizing Water Management Decisions

In polder-type land, water dynamics are heavily influenced by the artificial maintenance of water levels. Polders are low-lying areas of land that have been reclaimed from the sea or from freshwater bodies and are protected from flooding by dikes or other types of flood-protection structures. The water regime in polders is typically managed using a system of canals, pumps, and sluices to control the flow of water in and out of the area. In this study, the temporal changes in water salinity in the polder-type agricultural floodplain within the Neretva River Delta (NRD), Croatia, were analyzed by applying multivariate statistics and forecast modelling. The main aim of the study was to test the model that can be used in practice to forecast, primarily, water suitability for irrigation in a coastal low-lying agricultural catchment. The specific aim of this study was to use hydrochemistry data series to explain processes in water salinity dynamics and to test the model which may provide accurate salinity prediction, or finally select the conditions in which the model can be applied. We considered the accuracy of the model, and it was validated using independent data sets. To describe different patterns of chemical changes in different water classes due to their complex hydrological connectivity, multivariate statistics (PCA) were coupled with time-series analysis and Vector Autoregression (VAR) model forecasting. The multivariate statistics applied here did not indicate a clear connection between water salinity of the surface-water bodies and groundwater. The lack of correlation lies in the complex hydrological dynamics and interconnectivity of the water bodies highly affected by the artificial maintenance of the groundwater level within the polder area, as well as interventions in the temporal release of freshwater into the drainage canal network. Not all individual water classes contributed equally to the dominant patterns of ionic species identified by PCA. Apparently, land use and agricultural management practices in the different polders lead to uneven water chemistry and the predominant contributions of specific ions, especially nutrients. After applying the Granger causality test to reveal the causal information and explain hidden relationships among the variables, only two surface-water and two groundwater monitoring locations displayed a strong causal relationship between water electrical conductivity (ECw) as an effect and sea level as a possible cause. The developed models can be used to evaluate and emphasize the unique characteristics and phenomena of low-lying land and to communicate their importance and influence to management authorities and agricultural producers in managing and planning irrigation management in the wider Mediterranean area

Advanced Continuous Monitoring System—Tools for Water Resource Management and Decision Support System in Salt Affected Delta

The greatest environmental problem facing the world today is climate change, with a rise in sea level being one of the most important consequences, especially in low-lying coastal areas, such as river deltas where changes are exacerbated by human impacts, leading to increased seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers and the degradation of water quality. Water quality monitoring systems are being developed and deployed to monitor changes in the aquatic environment. With technological progress, traditional sampling-based water monitoring has been supplemented with sensors and automated data acquisition and transmission devices, resulting in the automation of water quality monitoring systems. This paper reviews the recent development and application of automated continuous water quality monitoring systems. It also draws on the results of our own experience in implementing such a system in the Neretva River Delta on the Croatian Adriatic coast. The installed system provides (near) real-time data on parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, TDS, and DO in the water, as well as a number of soil and weather variables, with data available at a high frequency through a developed database and web portal for various stakeholders. Continuous monitoring enables the collection of big data that can be used to develop models for predictions of water quality parameters and to develop guidelines for future management

Biomass bottom ash & dolomite similarly ameliorate an acidic low-nutrient soil, improve phytonutrition and growth, but increase Cd accumulation in radish

One of negative side-effects of usage of bio-renewables might be generation of mineral (ash) material, potential source of environmental pollution. A hypothesis was that bottom ash (BA from biomass cogeneration facility) could be efficiently (re) used in soil chemical conditioning similarly to widely-used dolomite-based soil conditioner (DO from Croatian Dinaric-coastal region) which we tested by: i) physicochemical characterisation of BA and DO, and ii) bioassay with Raphanus sativus cultivated in acidic soil amended with BA or DO. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) confirmed complex chemical/physical structures and morphology between amendments, X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed their distinctive mineralogy with predominantly dolomite (in DO) vs. quartz and calcite (in BA), while secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) revealed their diverse elemental/isotopic composition. The BA or DO amendments ameliorated soil acidity, increased available P, K and most other nutrients, but not Cd. The BA or DO amendments improved vegetative growth and edible hypocotyl yield. However, both amendments also increased Cd accumulation in all radish tissues, which was unexpected given the alkaline matrix of bio-ash and dolomite that would be likely to facilitate retention and immobilisation of toxic Cd. Thus, thorough characterisation and evaluation of BA- and/or DO-based materials and relevant soils (with an emphasis on metal sorption/immobilisation) prior to application in (agro) ecosystems is crucial for producing food clean of toxic metals. [Display omitted] •Biomass bottom ash (BA) & dolomite (DO) are very alkaline (pHKCl = 10.2–11.2) matrices.•BA & DO ameliorated soil acidity quickly (by >1.5 pH units) & nutrient availability.•BA & DO improved radish vegetative growth & nutrition accumulation.•BA & DO increased Cd uptake and accumulation in all radish tissues

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations and Their Ratios as Indicators of Water Quality and Eutrophication of the Hydro-System Danube–Tisza–Danube

Conserving clean and safe freshwater is a global challenge, with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) as frequent limiting factors affecting water quality due to eutrophication. This paper provides a critical overview of the spatiotemporal variability in both nutrient concentrations and their total mass ratio (TN:TP) in the canal network of the Hydro system Danube–Tisza–Danube at 21 measuring locations monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Republic of Serbia over a length of almost 1000 km, collected once a month during the last decade. A spatiotemporal variation in nutrient concentrations in the tested surface water samples was confirmed by correlations and cluster analyses. The highest TN concentrations were found in winter and early spring (non-vegetation season), and the highest TP concentrations in the middle of the year (vegetation season). The TN:TP mass ratio as an indicator of the eutrophication pointed out N and P co-limitation (TN:TP 8–24) in 64% of samples, N limitation (TN:TP 24) in the remaining 9% of water samples. Such observations indicate slow-flowing, lowland water courses exposed to the effects of non-point and point contamination sources as nutrient runoff from the surrounding farmlands and/or urban and industrial zones, but further investigation is needed for clarification. These results are an important starting point for reducing N and P runoff loads and controlling source pollution to improve water quality and underpin recovery from eutrophication in the studied watershed

Estimation of stagnosol hydraulic properties and water flow using uni- and bimodal porosity models in erosion-affected hillslope vineyard soils

Erosion has been reported as one of the top degradation processes that negatively affect agricultural soils. The study objective was to identify hydropedological factors controlling soil water dynamics in erosion-affected hillslope vineyard soils. The hydropedological study was conducted at identically-managed Jastrebarsko (location I), and Jazbina (II) and (III) sites with Stagnosol soils. Soil Hydraulic Properties (SHP) were estimated on intact soil cores using Evaporation and WP4C methodssoil hydraulic functions were fitted using HYPROP-FIT software. For Apg and Bg/Btg horizons, uni- and bimodal soil hydraulic models could be well fitted to data although, the bimodal model performed better in particular cases where data indicated non-uniform pore size distribution. With these SHP estimations, a one-year (2020) water flow scenario was simulated using HYDRUS-1D to compare water balance results obtained with uni- and bimodal hydraulic functions. Simulation results revealed relatively similar flux distribution at each hillslope position between the water balance components infiltration, surface runoff, and drainage. However, at the bottom profile at Jastrebarsko, bimodality of the hydraulic functions led to increased drainage. Soil water storage was reduced, and the vertical movement increased due to modified soil water retention curve shapes. Adequate parameterization of SHP is required to capture the hydropedological response of heterogenous erosion-affected soil systems

Estimation of Stagnosol Hydraulic Properties and Water Flow Using Uni- and Bimodal Porosity Models in Erosion-Affected Hillslope Vineyard Soils

Erosion has been reported as one of the top degradation processes that negatively affect agricultural soils. The study objective was to identify hydropedological factors controlling soil water dynamics in erosion-affected hillslope vineyard soils. The hydropedological study was conducted at identically-managed Jastrebarsko (location I), and Jazbina (II) and (III) sites with Stagnosol soils. Soil Hydraulic Properties (SHP) were estimated on intact soil cores using Evaporation and WP4C methods; soil hydraulic functions were fitted using HYPROP-FIT software. For Apg and Bg/Btg horizons, uni- and bimodal soil hydraulic models could be well fitted to data; although, the bimodal model performed better in particular cases where data indicated non-uniform pore size distribution. With these SHP estimations, a one-year (2020) water flow scenario was simulated using HYDRUS-1D to compare water balance results obtained with uni- and bimodal hydraulic functions. Simulation results revealed relatively similar flux distribution at each hillslope position between the water balance components infiltration, surface runoff, and drainage. However, at the bottom profile at Jastrebarsko, bimodality of the hydraulic functions led to increased drainage. Soil water storage was reduced, and the vertical movement increased due to modified soil water retention curve shapes. Adequate parameterization of SHP is required to capture the hydropedological response of heterogenous erosion-affected soil systems