Soil Water Potential Articles
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Linking zebra mussel invasion and waterborne commerce in the USA
The zebra mussel, a non-indigenous species in North American freshwater ecosystems, has received significant attention over the past two decades as a costly and damaging invader. In the USA, federal-, state-, and local-level policies designed to control and/or prevent the spread of this species remain flawed, in that they do not everywhere account for (or enforce regulations over) all potential ...
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Effects of the herbicide imazapyr on juvenile Oregon spotted frogs
Conflict between native amphibians and aquatic weed management in the Pacific Northwest is rarely recognized because most native stillwater‐breeding amphibian species move upland during summer, when herbicide application to control weeds in aquatic habitats typically occurs. However, aquatic weed management may pose a risk for aquatic species present in wetlands through the summer, such as the ...
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Soil water reserve estimation and vegetation relationships in a Mediterranean sub-humid forested catchment
A simple water balance model was used to calculate soil water reserve in a Mediterranean forested catchment. The relationship between soil water reserve and leaf water potential and stem water content was analysed. The usefulness of these variables as plant water status indicators was tested. The analyses were developed with a seven-year-long database (2001–2007) in the case of soil water content ...
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Potential water savings associated with agricultural water efficiency improvements: a case study of California, USA
This study analyzes the potential for water savings from irrigation efficiency improvements in California, USA. We model water savings associated with three efficiency scenarios in wet, average and dry water years. The ‘efficient irrigation technology’ scenario shifts a fraction of the crops from flood irrigation to sprinkler and drip systems; the ‘improved irrigation scheduling’ scenario uses ...
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Performance Evaluation of Selected Soil Moisture Sensors
Abstract Irrigation water management practices could greatly benefit from using soil moisture sensors that accurately measure soil water content or potential. Therefore, an assessment on soil moisture sensor reading accuracy is important. In this study, a performance evaluation of selected sensor calibration was performed considering factory- laboratory- and field-based calibrations. The selected ...
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Reducing the impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California: a proposal
The Sierra Nevada Mountain range serves as an important source of drinking water for the State of California. However, summer cattle grazing on federal lands affects the overall water quality yield from this essential watershed as cattle manure is washed into the lakes and streams or directly deposited into these bodies of water. This organic pollution introduces harmful microorganisms and also ...
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An alternate wetting and moderate soil drying regime improves root and shoot growth in rice
A major challenge in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production is to achieve the dual goal of increasing food production and saving water. This study aimed to investigate if alternate wetting and drying regimes could improve root and shoot growth and consequently increase grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Two rice varieties were field-grown at Yangzhou, China in 2005 and 2006. Three irrigation ...
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Impact of varying planting Dates and tillage systems on cotton growth and lint yield production
As economic conditions deteriorated, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) producers have looked to improve profit margins by reducing inputs while maintaining yields. Pairing the yield benefits from early planting with the input reductions from conservation tillage might help accomplish those goals. The objective was to determine how growth, lint yield, and fiber quality were impacted by planting ...
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Yield and water use response of cuphea to irrigation in the Northern Corn belt
Cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. x C. lanceolata W.T. Aiton) may be prone to drought stress, yet little is known about the yield response of this new oilseed crop to irrigation. A field study was conducted in western Minnesota on a Barnes loam soil (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludolls) in 2002 and 2003 to compare yield and water use of irrigated and nonirrigated cuphea. ...
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Sprinkler irrigation changes maize canopy microclimate and crop water status, transpiration, and temperature
During a sprinkler irrigation event some water is lost due to wind drift and evaporation (WDEL). After the irrigation event, plant-intercepted water is lost due to evaporation. The water lost causes microclimatic changes which could result in positive or negative plant physiological changes. We studied the microclimatic and physiological changes on two fields grown with maize (Zea mays L.) ...
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Weighing lysimeters for evapotranspiration research on clay soil
Local crop evapotranspiration (ET) measurements are needed for northeastern Louisiana. Objectives were to install, calibrate, and assess soil water characteristics of paired weighing lysimeters at Saint Joseph, LA. Installed in 2005, the lysimeters have inner tanks 1.5 m long, 1.5 m deep, and 1.0 m wide that rest on load cells within outer tanks. The inner tanks contain refilled Sharkey clay ...
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Effects of silicon and drought stress on tuber yield and leaf biochemical characteristics in potato
Silicon has beneficial effects on many crops, mainly under biotic and abiotic stresses. Silicon can affect biochemical, physiological, and photosynthetic processes and, consequently, alleviates drought stress. However, the effects of Si on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants under drought stress are still unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Si supply on some ...
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Nitrous oxide production in an eastern corn belt soil: sources and redox range
Nitrous oxide derived from soils is a main contributor to the greenhouse gas effect and a precursor to ozone-depleting substrates; however, the source processes and interacting controls are not well established. This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude and source (nitrification vs. denitrification) of N2O production as affected by the form of N fertilizer, soil water content, and redox ...
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Simulating switchgrass growth and development under potential and water-limiting conditions
Anticipating a demand for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a source for biofuel production, a crop simulation model of this crop can be a component of a biofuel decision support system. The objective of this effort was to develop and test a model for switchgrass, based on robust empirical relationships between plant behavior and the environment. The model simulates date of annual growth ...
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Runoff water quality from broiler litter-amended tall fescue in response to natural precipitation in the ozark highlands
Received for publication March 21, 2008. The Arkansas poultry industry produced more than 1.2 billion broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and generated approximately 1.3 million Mg of broiler litter in 2002. High transportation costs of relocating broiler litter have led to annual land applications near poultry houses, increasing concern for potential surface water contamination from ...
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Soil water thermal liquid diffusivity
The background of the thermal liquid diffusivity (TLD) concept was reviewed. Application of TLD to matric-head-based equations for water flow when a thermal gradient is present have been contradictory to the original development by Philip and de Vries (PdV). Beginning from Darcy's law for liquid water transport and Fick's law for water vapor transport was the foundational and well-known approach ...
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Effect of urban waste compost application on soil near-saturated hydraulic conductivity
Received for publication February 22, 2008. Compost application tends to increase soil fertility and is likely to modify soil hydrodynamic properties by acting on soil structural porosity. Two composts, a municipal solid waste compost (MSW) and a co-compost of green wastes and sewage sludge (SGW), have been applied every other year for 6 yr to cultivated plots located on a silt loam soil in the ...
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Dairy cattle manure improves soil productivity in low residue rotation systems
Mineral fertilizer alone may not sustain soil productivity in cropping systems that return little crop residues to the soil, unless additional organic residues and/or manure is applied regularly to the soil. The objective of the present study was to assess the long-term effects of mineral fertilization (No fertilizer, PK, and NPK) and manure addition (0 and 20 Mg ha–1 yr–1) on soil physical and ...
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Postanthesis moderate wetting drying improves both quality and quantity of rice yield
A major challenge in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in China is to cope with a declining availability of fresh water without compromising grain yield and grain quality. This study was designed to determine if alternate wetting and moderate soil drying during grain filling could maintain grain yield and grain quality. Two rice cultivars, Zhendao 88 (japonica) and Shanyou 63 (indica), were ...
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Regional Assessment of Nutrient and Pesticide Leaching in the Vegetable Production Area of Rattaphum Catchment, Thailand
Regional groundwater vulnerability maps to indicate the impact of leaching of chemicals under different management scenarios were prepared for the Rattaphum Catchment using several leaching models and GIS techniques. The Attenuation Factor (AF) model was used to simulate the leaching potential of several pesticides for selected soils in the catchment under different rates of recharge from ...
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