Three study decades on irrigation performance and salt concentrations and loads in the irrigation return flows of La Violada irrigation district (Spain)

30 Pags., 3 Tabls., 9 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01678809Irrigation district salt balances identify the main sources and sinks of salts and quantify salt loads in irrigation return flows. Salt balances were performed in La Violada Irrigation District during the 80s (1982–1984), 90s (1995–1998) and 00s (2006–2008) decades. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and loads in irrigation return flows were related with changes in irrigation performance and infrastructures during these decades. TDS increased linearly to increases in Irrigation Consumptive Use Coefficient (ICUC) (P 66%, and decreased exponentially for values above and below these thresholds, respectively. Therefore, the key management strategy to reduce salt discharge to downstream areas is to decrease drainage volumes by improving irrigation management.This work was sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education project AGL2006-11860/AGR, the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and the European Union project INCO CT-2005-015031.Peer reviewe

Three study decades on irrigation performance and salt concentrations and loads in the irrigation return flows of La Violada irrigation district (Spain)

30 Pags., 3 Tabls., 9 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01678809Irrigation district salt balances identify the main sources and sinks of salts and quantify salt loads in irrigation return flows. Salt balances were performed in La Violada Irrigation District during the 80s (1982–1984), 90s (1995–1998) and 00s (2006–2008) decades. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and loads in irrigation return flows were related with changes in irrigation performance and infrastructures during these decades. TDS increased linearly to increases in Irrigation Consumptive Use Coefficient (ICUC) (P 66%, and decreased exponentially for values above and below these thresholds, respectively. Therefore, the key management strategy to reduce salt discharge to downstream areas is to decrease drainage volumes by improving irrigation management.This work was sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education project AGL2006-11860/AGR, the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and the European Union project INCO CT-2005-015031.Peer reviewe