ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Growth and yield responses of developing almond trees (Prunus amygdalus, Ruby cultivar) to a range of trickle irrigation amounts were determined in 1985 through 1987 (the fifth through seventh year after planting) at the University of California's West Side Field Station in the semi-arid San Joaquin Valley. The treatments consisted of six levels of irrigation, ranging from 50 through 175% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc), applied to a clean-cultivated orchard using a line source trickle irrigation system with 6 emitters per tree. ETc was estimated as grass reference evapotranspiration (ET0) times a crop coefficient with adjustments based upon shaded area of trees and period during the growing season. Differential irrigation experiments prior to 1984 on the trees used in this study significantly influenced the initial trunk cross-section area and canopy size in the 50% ETc treatment and 125% ETc treatment. In these cases, treatment effects must be identified as relative effects rather than absolute. The soil of the experimental field was a Panoche clay loam (nonacid, thermic, Typic Torriorthents). The mean increase in trunk cross-sectional area for the 3-year period was a positive linear function (r 2 = 0.98) of total amounts of applied water. With increases in water application above the 50% ETc treatment, nut retention with respect to flower and fertile nut counts after flowering, was increased approximately 10%. In 1985 and 1987, the nut meat yields and mean kernel weights increased significantly with increasing water application from 50% to 150% ETc. Particularly in the higher water application treatments, crop consumptive use was difficult to quantify due to uncertainty in estimates of deep percolation and soil water uptake. Maintenance of leaf water potentials higher than −2.3 MPa during early nut development (March through May) and greater than −2.5 MPa the remainder of the irrigation season (through August) were positively correlated with sustained higher vegetative growth rates and higher nut yields.

Notes: Summary Little research has been reported which quantifies the response of a carrot (Daucus carrota L. var sativa DC.) seed crop to water management. While the area of seed production of this crop in the United States is less than 3000ha, the return ranges from US $2000 to $ 10 000 ha−1. Because of the need to mature and dry the seed on the plant, carrot seed is generally grown in areas with negligible summer rain and thus depends on irrigation to supply the crop water requirement. A study was conducted to determine the effect of irrigation water management on seed production and crop water use of carrots grown by the root-to-seed method. Two carrot types (Nantes and Imperator) were evaluated in 9 irrigation treatments over a three year study period. Irrigation treatments which replaced a percentage of the calculated crop evapotranspiration on either a daily basis or when a soil water depletion reached 30 mm were used. A trickle irrigation system with the laterals placed on the carrot bed was used to apply a uniform and accurate amount of water. There was a marked difference in the crop response to the water management of the two carrot types used. The Nantes type exhibited a positive response to moderate water deficits in terms of improved pure live seed (PLS) yield while the Imperator achieved its maximum yield when it was not stressed. Higher irrigation applications in the Nantes type resulted in reduced yields while the Imperator was not affected after its non-stress water requirement was met. Soil water data indicated that the most active zone of extraction of water was to a depth of 1.5 m in the soil profile. As the depth of applied water approached the crop water requirement, the depth of extraction was reduced. Increasing the frequency of irrigation also tended to reduce the depth of extraction of soil water. A total crop water use of approximately 550 to 620 mm was needed to achieve the best PLS yield which is roughly equal to potential evapotranspiration in the San Joaquin Valley, during the time that the crop water use was calculated. In such a climate, the irrigation interval should not exceed 3 to 5 days depending on the time of year.

Notes: Abstract A cotton crop coefficient was modified to account for the contribution of shallow groundwater to crop water use. The data used in the modification were developed using weighing column lysimeters. The percentage groundwater contribution to crop water use, expressed as a function of growing degree days for several salinities and two water table depths, was used in the regression analysis. Use of the modified coefficient was demonstrated by scheduling a subsurface drip irrigation system installed in an area with shallow saline groundwater. Use of the modified crop coefficient resulted in 25% of the cotton water requirement being extracted from shallow groundwater with a salinity of 5 dS m-1 without any adverse effects on vegetative plant growth and yield. Groundwater depth dropped from 1.2 to 2.2 m during the growing season.

Notes: Summary A field experiment was conducted using a linear-move irrigation machine to test the interactive effects of irrigation uniformity, a representative length of nonuniformity and water quality on crop yield and growth responses. Christiansen's uniformity coefficient values of 60, 80, and 90% were achieved with a sinusoidal pattern of applied water superimposed on the 60 and 80% uniformity treatments. Two wave-lengths 2.4 m (S) and 4.9 m (L), were used. Water qualities used were: 0.3 dS m-1 and 3 to 5 dS m-1. Results showed that both the magnitude and the scale of the nonuniformity affect the water use efficiency. Sugar yields were not affected by water quality. Yields on a row basis were significantly correlated to applied water in the 60% uniformity, long scale length (60-L) treatment.

Notes: Summary Characterization of root growth and distribution is fundamental in explaining crop responses to irrigation and in determining appropriate management of irrigation systems, particularly with drip systems since it is widely believed that drip irrigation may limit the extent of root development. An experiment was conducted to study root distribution of sweet corn grown under high frequency surface (S) and subsurface (SS) drip irrigation, fertilized daily through drip systems at three phosphorus levels of P0 (no injected P), P1 (P injected at 67 kg/ha) and P2 (P injected at 134 kg/ha). Root sampling at the end of the growing season indicated that: (1) Root extension continued at depths in excess of 2 m in both the surface and subsurface drip at all P levels. (2) The greatest differences between SS and S treatments were observed in the top 45 cm depth. Higher root length density was observed in the surface 30 cm in S plots while the sweet corn in the SS plots had greater root length density than S plots below 30 cm, and (3) the greater root length density in the SS irrigated sweet corn was not reflected in a similar increase in total above-ground dry matter.

Notes: Abstract Use of saline drainage water in irrigated agriculture, as a means of its disposal, was evaluated on a 60 ha site on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. In the drip irrigation treatments, 50 to 59% of the irrigation water applied during the six-year rotation was saline with an ECw ranging from 7 to 8 dS/m, and containing 5 to 7 mg/L boron and 220 to 310 μg/L total selenium. Low salinity water with an ECw of 0.4 to 0.5 dS/m and B ≈ 0.4 mg/1 was used to irrigate the furrow plots from 1982 to 1985 after which a blend of good quality water and saline drainage water was used. A six-year rotation of cotton, cotton, cotton, wheat, sugar beet and cotton was used. While the cotton and sugar beet yields were not affected during the initial six years, the levels of boron (B) in the soil became quite high and were accumulated in plant tissue to near toxic levels. During the six year period, for treatments surface irrigated with saline drainage water or a blend of saline and low salinity water, the B concentration in the soil increased throughout the 1.5 m soil profile while the electrical conductivity (ECe) increased primarily in the upper l m of the profile. Increaszs in soil ECe during the entire rotation occurred on plots where minimal leaching was practiced. Potential problems with germination and seedling establishment associated with increased surface soil salinity were avoided by leaching with rainfall and low-salinity pre-plant irrigations of 150 mm or more. Accumulation of boron and selenium poses a major threat to the sustainability of agriculture if drainage volumes are to be reduced by using drainage water for irrigation. This is particularly true in areas where toxic materials (salt, boron, other toxic minor elements) cannot be removed from the irrigated area. Continual storage within the root zone of the cropped soil is not sustainable.