Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development (JAEID) · 2014
Effects of surface and subsurface drip irrigation regimes with saline water on yield and water use efficiency of potato in arid conditions of Tunisia
Mokh, F. E., Nagaz, K., Masmoudi, M. M., Mechlia, N. B.
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Effects of surface and subsurface drip irrigation regimes wi…
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted on a sandy soil during spring of 2009\nand autumn of 2010 in southern Tunisia for evaluating the effects of two drip\nirrigation methods and three irrigation regimes on soil moisture and salinity, yield\nand water use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.). The surface drip (SDI)\nand subsurface drip (SSDI) irrigation methods were used. Irrigation regimes\nconsisted in replacement of cumulated ETc when readily available water is\ndepleted with levels of 100 % (FI100), 60 % (DI60) and 30 % (DI30). FI100 was\nconsidered as full irrigation while DI60 and DI30 were considered as deficit\nirrigation regimes. Well water with an ECi of 7.0 dS/m was used for irrigation.\nFindings are globally consistent between the two experiments. Results show that\nsoil moisture content and salinity were significantly affected by irrigation\ntreatments and methods. Higher soil moisture content and lower soil salinity were\nmaintained with SSDI than SDI for all irrigation treatments. For both irrigation\nmethods, higher salinity and lower moisture content in the root zone are observed\nunder DI60 and DI30 treatments compared to FI100. Potato yields were highest\nover two cropping periods for the SSDI method although no significant\ndifferences were observed with the SDI. Irrigation regimes resulted in significant\ndifference in both irrigation methods on yield and its components. Yields were\nhighest under FI100. Compared to FI100, considerable reductions in potato yields\nwere observed under DI60 and DI30 deficit treatments resulting from a reduction\nin tubers number/m? and average tuber weight and size. Water use efficiency\n(WUE) was found to vary significantly among irrigation methods and treatments\nand varied between 5.9 and 20.5 kg/m3. WUE of SSDI method had generally\nhigher values than SDI. The lowest WUE values were observed for the FI100\ntreatment, while the highest values were obtained under DI30 treatment for both\nmethods. SSDI method provides significant advantage on yield and WUE and\nreduces the soil salinity compared to the SDI in potato production under\nexperimental conditions. The SSDI and FI100 irrigation techniques seem to optimize the use of saline water in potato production and to control soil salinity.\nUnder situations of water shortage, adopting deficit irrigation treatment (DI60)\ncould be an alternative for irrigation scheduling of spring and autumn potato\nunder the arid conditions of southern Tunisia.
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Field experiments were conducted on a sandy soil during spring of 2009\nand autumn of 2010 in southern Tunisia for evaluating the effects of two drip\nirrigation methods and three irrigation regimes on soil moisture and salinity, yield\nand water use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.). The surface drip (SDI)\nand subsurface drip (SSDI) irrigation methods were used. Irrigation regimes\nconsisted in replacement of cumulated ETc when readily available water is\ndepleted with levels of 100 % (FI100), 60 % (DI60) and 30 % (DI30). FI100 was\nconsidered as full irrigation while DI60 and DI30 were considered as deficit\nirrigation regimes. Well water with an ECi of 7.0 dS/m was used for irrigation.\nFindings are globally consistent between the two experiments. Results show that\nsoil moisture content and salinity were significantly affected by irrigation\ntreatments and methods. Higher soil moisture content and lower soil salinity were\nmaintained with SSDI than SDI for all irrigation treatments. For both irrigation\nmethods, higher salinity and lower moisture content in the root zone are observed\nunder DI60 and DI30 treatments compared to FI100. Potato yields were highest\nover two cropping periods for the SSDI method although no significant\ndifferences were observed with the SDI. Irrigation regimes resulted in significant\ndifference in both irrigation methods on yield and its components. Yields were\nhighest under FI100. Compared to FI100, considerable reductions in potato yields\nwere observed under DI60 and DI30 deficit treatments resulting from a reduction\nin tubers number/m? and average tuber weight and size. Water use efficiency\n(WUE) was found to vary significantly among irrigation methods and treatments\nand varied between 5.9 and 20.5 kg/m3. WUE of SSDI method had generally\nhigher values than SDI. The lowest WUE values were observed for the FI100\ntreatment, while the highest values were obtained under DI30 treatment for both\nmethods. SSDI method provides significant advantage on yield and WUE and\nreduces the soil salinity compared to the SDI in potato production under\nexperimental conditions. The SSDI and FI100 irrigation techniques seem to optimize the use of saline water in potato production and to control soil salinity.\nUnder situations of water shortage, adopting deficit irrigation treatment (DI60)\ncould be an alternative for irrigation scheduling of spring and autumn potato\nunder the arid conditions of southern Tunisia.
Field experiments were conducted on a sandy soil during spring of 2009\nand autumn of 2010 in southern Tunisia for evaluating the effects of two drip\nirrigation methods and three irrigation regimes on soil moisture and salinity, yield\nand water use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.). The surface drip (SDI)\nand subsurface drip (SSDI) irrigation methods were used. Irrigation regimes\nconsisted in replacement of cumulated ETc when readily available water is\ndepleted with levels of 100 % (FI100), 60 % (DI60) and 30 % (DI30). FI100 was\nconsidered as full irrigation while DI60 and DI30 were considered as deficit\nirrigation regimes. Well water with an ECi of 7.0 dS/m was used for irrigation.\nFindings are globally consistent between the two experiments. Results show that\nsoil moisture content and salinity were significantly affected by irrigation\ntreatments and methods. Higher soil moisture content and lower soil salinity were\nmaintained with SSDI than SDI for all irrigation treatments. For both irrigation\nmethods, higher salinity and lower moisture content in the root zone are observed\nunder DI60 and DI30 treatments compared to FI100. Potato yields were highest\nover two cropping periods for the SSDI method although no significant\ndifferences were observed with the SDI. Irrigation regimes resulted in significant\ndifference in both irrigation methods on yield and its components. Yields were\nhighest under FI100. Compared to FI100, considerable reductions in potato yields\nwere observed under DI60 and DI30 deficit treatments resulting from a reduction\nin tubers number/m? and average tuber weight and size. Water use efficiency\n(WUE) was found to vary significantly among irrigation methods and treatments\nand varied between 5.9 and 20.5 kg/m3. WUE of SSDI method had generally\nhigher values than SDI. The lowest WUE values were observed for the FI100\ntreatment, while the highest values were obtained under DI30 treatment for both\nmethods. SSDI method provides significant advantage on yield and WUE and\nreduces the soil salinity compared to the SDI in potato production under\nexperimental conditions. The SSDI and FI100 irrigation techniques seem to optimize the use of saline water in potato production and to control soil salinity.\nUnder situations of water shortage, adopting deficit irrigation treatment (DI60)\ncould be an alternative for irrigation scheduling of spring and autumn potato\nunder the arid conditions of southern Tunisia.