Agriculture Irrigation Articles
-
Microbial quality and suitability of roof-harvested rainwater in rural villages for crop irrigation and domestic use
The study aimed at assessing the microbiological quality and suitability of roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) for crop irrigation and domestic use. In total, 80 rainwater tanks (246 samples) across three rural villages (Ga-Molepane, Jericho and Luthngele) were visited. Culture-based techniques were used to isolate bacterial microbes and identities were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser ...
-
A simple approach to assess N load capacity of rice paddy fields in the southern Taihu Lake watershed
High nitrogen (N) leaching from irrigated agricultural soils is the result of N input exceeding soil N load capacity (NLC). A simple approach was developed in this research to assess the NLC of paddy soils in the southern Taihu Lake watershed. Paddy soils were classified into four types (Submergenic, Illuvium, Gleyed, and Percogenic) and 28 soil samples representing all four types were ...
-
Microbial risk in wastewater irrigated lettuce: comparing Escherichia coli contamination from an experimental site with a laboratory approach
This study assessed the contamination of Escherichia coli, in lettuce grown with treated domestic wastewater in four different irrigation configurations: open spray, spray under plastic sheet cover, open drip and drip under plastic sheet cover. Samples of lettuce from each irrigation configuration and irrigating wastewater were collected during the growing season. No E. coli was detected in ...
-
Estimating the ratio of pond size to irrigated soybean land in Mississippi: a case study
Although more on-farm storage ponds have been constructed in recent years to mitigate groundwater resources depletion in Mississippi, little effort has been devoted to estimating the ratio of on-farm water storage pond size to irrigated crop land based on pond metrics and its hydrogeological conditions. In this study, two simulation scenarios were chosen to determine such a ratio as well as ...
-
Effect of recycled water applied by surface and subsurface irrigation on the growth, photosynthetic indices and nutrient content of young olive trees in central Iran
Water shortage has encouraged the quest for alternative sources of water for food production and agricultural development. Recycled water (RW) is one of the most available water resources with great potential for use in farm irrigation. This experiment was carried out to investigate the use of RW as the irrigation source and its application method, subsurface leaky irrigation (SLI) system or ...
-
Proactive approach to slug control recommended to potato growers
If left untreated, slugs can cost the potato industry £53 million each year. With predictions of a high pressure slug season ahead, and the potential damage these pests can do to a crop both physically and financially, Robert Boothman, commercial director of Boothmans Agriculture, explains how to keep one step ahead of the pest. “The milder, wet winter and lack of ground frosts ...
By Certis UK
-
Soil Moisture Terminology
Soil Moisture Terms. What do they mean and how do we use them? By the end of this short article you will hopefully understand the following statement. “For good crop growth, maintaining water above stress point will maximise vegetative growth. Setting a refill point above stress point will ensure there is always readily available water for the crop. Replacing ...
By Wildeye
-
Factors influencing water-use security among smallholder irrigating farmers in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal Province
This study investigates the physical, socio-economic and institutional factors affecting water-use security among irrigating smallholder farmers in Msinga Local Municipality to recommend policy. Cluster analysis was used to classify farmers according to their water-use security status. The logit model was then used to investigate the socio-economic factors influencing farmers' water-use ...
-
RainWise and Weather Underground provide comprehensive weather solutions for Brazilian agriculture summitt - Case Study
RainWise and Weather Underground – Industry Pioneers RainWise is a leading global manufacturer of reference-grade, innovative meteorological measurement and monitoring solutions for professional, industrial, consumer and custom applications. In business for over 41 years, RainWise is an industry pioneer with patents for the original tipping bucket rain gauge, the first digital weather ...
-
Soil Water Sensors for Agriculture – Theory and Issues
Soil water sensors have been used for irrigation and water management in agriculture for many years, but with limited success in many cases. Nonetheless, the use of soil water sensors in increasing as water scarcity increases and, conversely, problems associated with over irrigation also increase. Common problems with soil water sensing included sensor failure, problems with wiring, lack of or ...
-
Irrigation water demand and implications for groundwater pricing in Pakistan
This study employs the positive mathematical programming (PMP) approach to estimate groundwater derived demand for irrigation using a cross-sectional dataset of 200 predominantly groundwater irrigated farms from the Punjab province of Pakistan. First, we find that the PMP optimal solution uses less water than what is available (being extracted) in order to make farmers allocate all the ...
-
Xylem helps Italian Winery toast success
A case study on the Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Winery, Verona Italian wine is enjoyed by many all over the world. However, to grow the best grapes, develop the best flavour and ensure success on a global scale, a seamless production process needs to be in place behind the scenes. The family-run Pasqua Winery in Verona, Northern Italy, has been making wine for over 90 years. When it needed to ...
-
Agricultural water vulnerability in rural Iran
Water is an important factor of production and livelihood support in rural communities. Meanwhile, water shortage is a virtually common feature in many arid and semi-arid countries. It is also projected that water stress will be exacerbated in such regions because of climate change. The cumulative effects of these stressors can potentially increase agricultural water vulnerability (AWV). ...
-
Development and comparison of four methods for the extraction of antibiotics from a vegetative matrix
Studies have shown the potential for antibiotic uptake into food crops from irrigation water and soils containing pharmaceuticals. The objective of this study was to develop and compare methods quantifying uptake of antibiotics in food crops. Four methods were evaluated utilizing freeze and thaw cell lysing (FT), mechanical maceration (MAC), tissue sonication (SON), and microwave assisted ...
-
Factors affecting adoption of agricultural water-saving technologies in Heilongjiang Province, China
This study aimed to find key factors influencing the decisions of farmers regarding the adoption of water-saving practices including the rice-controlling irrigation technique, drip irrigation under plastic film, and sprinkling irrigation in Heilongjiang Province, China. It was found that reliability of the water source and government promotion had very significant and positive associations with ...
-
Implications of water policy reforms for virtual water trade between South Africa and its trade partners: economy-wide approach
This paper employs an economy-wide framework to evaluate impacts of water and trade policy reforms in South Africa (SA) on virtual water flows. To pursue this analysis, the study derives net virtual water trade flows between SA and its partners to assess implications of recent trade agreements within the South African Development Community compared to economic cooperation with other major ...
-
How to grow more food with less water
Scientists and farmers collaborate on a quest for more efficient irrigation This story was co-published with Civil Eats, a daily news source for critical thought about the American food system. From reading the weather to choosing a crop, farming has always been a hands-on enterprise. When a farmer wonders how much water a crop needs, a simple test has always sufficed: Grab a handful of soil ...
By Ensia
-
Evaluation of water demand and supply in the south of Iraq
This paper presents results from the first study that focuses on water resources availability and demand for different purposes in the four oil-rich provinces of southern Iraq. The region accounts for 23% of the surface area and 18% of the country's population, but holds 88% of its oil. A water shortage of 430 Mm3/year for 2010 is estimated for this region where irrigation accounts for 81% of ...
-
A decision tool for sustainable agricultural policies: the case of water saving scenarios for Apulia Region (Southern Italy)
The economy of Apulia Region largely depends on agriculture but the scarce water resources are the main factor threatening the sustainable production of this sector. This paper describes a geographical information system (GIS) based water balance tool that integrates maps of crops, climate and soil parameters with various scenarios of cropping pattern and farming practice changes. The aim is ...
-
Technical coefficients of direct use of water in monetary terms for agriculture and urban water use
The San Francisco Integration Project is a Brazilian government project aiming to bring water to the semiarid region of the northeast. The project provides funding for two diversions of the San Francisco River, supplementing the supply of local water in four Brazilian states. The Piranhas-Açú and Jaguaribe basins will become the largest recipients of these water deliveries. In this paper, we ...
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you