Comparação de sondas de neutrons com métodos não nucleares na estimativa da água no solo em condições de campo

The neutron moisture gauge is compared with the gravimetric-core soil sampling technique, tensiometers and resistance blocks in relation to stability, Held variability, spatial dependence and number of samples needed at a given level of significance. The variance of field water content measurements with neutron moisture gauges is lower than that of the gravimetric sampling, which therefore requires 2 to 6 times as many samples as the number of measuring sites of the gauges to attain the same level of significance. The space dependence of the measurements made with the subsurface gauge varied depending on the average field soil water content. No space dependence was evident when the water content was lower than 0.2 cm³.cm-3 (50% saturation). Measurements with the tensiometers and resistance blocks manifested no spatial dependence and therefore randomly selected measuring sites can be adapted to Held research work where these methods are to be utilized. Soil water content measurements estimated with neutron moisture gauges showed well defined temporal stability (i.e., the lowest, average and the highest soil water content measurements occur at the same field site) which implies that soil water status of an entire field can be assessed with measurements limited to few locations. Measurements with both tensiometers and the resistance blocks are time variant (i.e., the site giving field average water content changes spatially in time) owing to their relatively smaller measuring domains (i.e., scale of the area which can be represented by a single measurement) as compared to neutron gauges. Therefore it is not possible to define the measuring sites of the tensiometers and resistance blocks as to assess soil water status of the entire field, as it could be done with the neutron gauge.A sonda de neutrons é comparada com a amostragem gravimétrica, com a tensiometria e com o uso de blocos de resistência, em relação à estabilidade, variabilidade do campo, dependência espacial e múmero de amostras necessárias levando em conta determinado nível de significância. A variância das medidas de umidade do solo obtidas por sonda de neutrons é menor do que para a amostragem gravimétrica, que requer um número de amostras 2 a 6 vezes maior em relação à sonda de neutrons dentro de um mesmo nível de significância. A dependência espacial das medidas feitas com sondas de profundidade variou de acordo com os níveis de umidade do solo. Nenhuma dependência espacial ficou evidente para umidades menores que 0,2 cm³.cm³ (50% da saturação). Medidas com tensiômetros e blocos de resistência não manifestaram dependência espacial e, por isso, a escolha das parcelas para medida facilmente se adaptam a esquemas experimentais nos quais estes métodos podem ser utilizados. Medidas de umidade de solo obtidas por sondas de neutrons mostraram uma estabilidade temporal bem definida (isto é, os valores menor, médio e mais alto de umidade do solo ocorrem na mesma posição no campo experimental) o que significa que o estado da umidade do solo de um campo relativamente grande pode ser determinado através de um número limitado de medidas. Medidas com tensiômetros e blocos de resistência são variáveis no tempo (isto é, a parcela que indica a umidade média do campo varia espacialmente no tempo) devido a seus domínios de medida relativamente menores (isto é, tamanho da área que pode ser representada por uma única medida) em comparação com sondas de neutrons. Por isso não é possível definir posições de medidas para tensiômetros e blocos de resistência para caracterização da umidade do solo do campo todo, da forma como foi possível para sondas de neutrons

Yield Response and N-fertilizer recovery of rainfed wheat growing in the Mediterranean region

Yield response and isotopic N-fertilizer recovery of rainfed wheat were assessed as influenced by fertilizer rate and timing. A popular bread wheat cultivar, Seri 82, was planted in a 4-year experiment from 1994/1995 to 1997/1998. Urea fertilizer was applied at rates of 0-240 N ha-1 in two split applications. Fertilizer-N recovery and residual N remaining in the soil after wheat harvest were measured using 15N-labelled fertilizers. The highest wheat grain yield ranged from 4.9 to 6.9 t ha-1 with 240 kg N ha-1 fertilizer. The 4-year results showed that wheat benefited least from the fertilizer applied near planting. N-fertilizer recovery was higher from fertilizer applied during tillering compared with application at emergence. The results suggest that applying one-third or less of the total N at planting and applying the remained at tillering can minimize leaching risks. Another befit of this strategy would be an overall increase in N-fertilizer recovery. Residual fertilizer-N left in soil after wheat harvest was proportional to N application rates and mainly confined t the upper 40 cm depth. 15N recovery by wheat at maturity was 50-60%, indicating that 40-50% of fertilizer-N remained in the soil or was lost. Over 95% of total fertilizer application to wheat could be accounted for in the wheat crop or soil after harvest at the 240 kg N ha-1 rate. The results, therefore, suggest that leaching losses of fertilizer-N below 90 cm were not likely during the growing season for rainfed what grown on these heavy-textured soils (Palexerollic Chromoxeret) of the Mediterranean region

Soil salinity related to physical soil characteristics and irrigation management in four Mediterranean irrigation districts

25 Pag., 6 Tabl., 1 Fig. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03783774Irrigated agriculture is threatened by soil salinity in numerous arid and semiarid areas of the Mediterranean basin. The objective of this work was to quantify soil salinity through electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques and relate it to the physical characteristics and irrigation management of four Mediterranean irrigation districts located in Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. The volume and salinity of the main water inputs (irrigation and precipitation) and outputs (crop evapotranspiration and drainage) were measured or estimated in each district. Soil salinity (ECe) maps were obtained through electromagnetic induction surveys (ECa readings) and district-specific ECa–ECe calibrations. Gravimetric soil water content (WC) and soil saturation percentage (SP) were also measured in the soil calibration samples. The ECa–ECe calibration equations were highly significant (P 0.1) with WC, and was only significantly correlated (P Morocco (2.2 dS m−1) > Spain (1.4 dS m−1) > Turkey (0.45 dS m−1). Soil salinity was mainly affected by irrigation water salinity and irrigation efficiency. Drainage water salinity at the exit of each district was mostly affected by soil salinity and irrigation efficiency, with values very high in Tunisia (9.0 dS m−1), high in Spain (4.6 dS m−1), moderate in Morocco (estimated at 2.6 dS m−1), and low in Turkey (1.4 dS m−1). Salt loads in drainage waters, calculated from their salinity (ECdw) and volume (Q), were highest in Tunisia (very high Q and very high ECdw), intermediate in Turkey (extremely high Q and low ECdw) and lowest in Spain (very low Q and high ECdw) (there were no Q data for Morocco). Reduction of these high drainage volumes through sound irrigation management would be the most efficient way to control the off-site salt-pollution caused by these Mediterranean irrigation districts.This study was supported by the European Commission research project INCO-CT-2005-015031.Peer reviewe

Ammonium and nitrate status of the first crop corn fields at Cukurova region

The ammonium (NH4) and nitrate (NO3) are the available nitrogen (N) forms that plants need in large quantities. Their existence in the soil is limited, and concentrations are kept low due to the losses by leaching in the soil profile and microbial consumptions. Sustainability of the plant available nitrogen forms in soil profile is important for plant growth and crop production. In this research, our main objective was to evaluate mineral nitrogen (Nmin) status of the first crop corn soils and plants in Akarsu Irrigation District of Cukurova Region in 2007. Soil samples prior to sowing and after harvest were taken from 0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm soil depths, and analyzed for ammonium and nitrate concentrations. Plant samples were also taken during harvest, and analyzed for N content for determination of total N uptake. There was considerable amount of ammonium and nitrate in the soil profile during preplanting and postharvest. Since the soils were mostly heavy texture, there is tendency to have ammonium also in the soil solution. However, ammonium concentration was far below the nitrate concentration throughout the profile. Plant nitrogen uptake in the irrigation district was very close to the amount that was applied by the local farmers. The results indicated that soil mineral nitrogen level is an important criteria for fertilization practices, especially the preplant Nmin values need to be considered to decrease the amount of N fertilizer that will be applied

Yield Response and N-fertilizer recovery of rainfed wheat growing in the Mediterranean region

Yield response and isotopic N-fertilizer recovery of rainfed wheat were assessed as influenced by fertilizer rate and timing. A popular bread wheat cultivar, Seri 82, was planted in a 4-year experiment from 1994/1995 to 1997/1998. Urea fertilizer was applied at rates of 0-240 N ha-1 in two split applications. Fertilizer-N recovery and residual N remaining in the soil after wheat harvest were measured using 15N-labelled fertilizers. The highest wheat grain yield ranged from 4.9 to 6.9 t ha-1 with 240 kg N ha-1 fertilizer. The 4-year results showed that wheat benefited least from the fertilizer applied near planting. N-fertilizer recovery was higher from fertilizer applied during tillering compared with application at emergence. The results suggest that applying one-third or less of the total N at planting and applying the remained at tillering can minimize leaching risks. Another befit of this strategy would be an overall increase in N-fertilizer recovery. Residual fertilizer-N left in soil after wheat harvest was proportional to N application rates and mainly confined t the upper 40 cm depth. 15N recovery by wheat at maturity was 50-60%, indicating that 40-50% of fertilizer-N remained in the soil or was lost. Over 95% of total fertilizer application to wheat could be accounted for in the wheat crop or soil after harvest at the 240 kg N ha-1 rate. The results, therefore, suggest that leaching losses of fertilizer-N below 90 cm were not likely during the growing season for rainfed what grown on these heavy-textured soils (Palexerollic Chromoxeret) of the Mediterranean region

Yield response to pre-planned water-deficit irrigation

International Conference on Water-Saving Agriculture and Sustainable Use of Water and Land Resources -- OCT 26-29, 2003 -- Yangling, PEOPLES R CHINAWOS: 000224244600027…NW Sci Tech Univ Agr & Forestry China, Lancaster Environ Ctr, Lancaster Univ UK, Natl Nat Sci Fdn China, Journal Expt Botany, Chinese Hydraul Engn Soc, Chinese Soc Agr Engn, Chinese Natl Comm Irrigat & Drainage, Minist Educ China Key Lab Agr Soil & Water Engn Arid & Semiarid Areas, Natl Engn Res Ctr Water-Saving Irrigat Yangling, Ctr Agr Water Res China, China Agr Uni