ASHS 2024 Conference

Irrigation Management With Spreadsheets in Small Farms - Gustavo Haddad Souza Vieira
Assessing Micro-Irrigation Clogging Risk Through Water Quality Classification Systems - Juan Cabrera Garcia
Development of an Open-source, Autonomous Irrigation Controller for Horticultural Applications - Andrew Bierer
Microbial Community Composition and Accumulation Of Biofilms In Irrigation Pipes Using Nutrient Solutions with Different Organic Loads - Juan Cabrera Garcia
ATP vs Petrifilm: Techniques to Quantify Microbial Communities for Water Quality Analysis - Dharti Thakulla
Water use and crop coefficients for outdoor nursery ornamentals in 15-gal containers - Gerry Spinelli
Quantification of irrigation and stormwater runoff volume, sediment load, and nutrient load when producing nursery crops - James Owen
Water Supply Resilience Through Florida-Friendly Landscaping - Michael Dukes

In the Central Serrana region, Espírito Santo state, Brazil, there is a predominance of small farms and the technological level used is still low, especially in terms of water use. Irrigation management can provide greater water use efficiency and promote optimization of crop productivity and conservation of water resources. Thus, this study aimed to implement an irrigation management program, using simplified electronic spreadsheets, for drip irrigation, based on the climatological water balance, for family-based farmers. We selected four spots located in the towns of Barra de Bom Destino; Barra de Jatibocas; Baixo Sossego and headquarters of the Itarana County, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, with drip irrigation systems, irrigating banana, arabica coffee, guava and conilon coffee crops. Irrigation management was carried out for seven months, using daily temperature and precipitation data, obtained from maximum and minimum thermometers and rain gauges, respectively. The values were collected by farmers, noted in tables and registered in electronic spreadsheets, which provided recommendations for irrigation times. In adjacent areas, irrigation was carried out according to its local traditional rule, in the way that farmers did before the implementation of management, with the purpose of comparing the volume of water used in the two forms of irrigation. The banana irrigator followed the irrigation management guidelines using the spreadsheet and, comparing the two areas, achieved a 7.5% increase in productivity and a 9.34% increase in water use efficiency. Farmers in areas with arabica coffee and guava managed irrigation, but were not organized to collect crop productivity data. For guava cultivation, an increase in fruit load was visible in the area with irrigation management. The Conilon coffee farmer did not follow the irrigation management recommendations, considering the task laborious and complicated. Irrigation management continues to be carried out on farms with banana, guava and arabica coffee. New neighboring producers expressed interest in using electronic spreadsheets. Work has been done on the development of new tools for irrigation management, using smartphones, to facilitate the task of calculating irrigation management. Therefore, it is expected that with the continuity of the work, the practice of irrigation management will be more widespread among farmers and they will decide to use it.

Clogging poses significant economic risks in greenhouse micro-irrigation systems. While water quality classification systems aim to assess the overall risk of clogging in micro-irrigation systems, they haven’t been evaluated for their ability to predict potential clogging based on water quality characteristics, particularly in controlled environment agriculture. Understanding these causes can inform robust thresholds and effective water management strategies to mitigate economic risks associated with clogging. This project aimed to evaluate if the existing classification systems could be used to identify the cause of clogging in micro-irrigation systems in greenhouses. Water from eight commercial greenhouses with reported clogging was analyzed for physical, chemical, and biological properties to rate the risk of clogging according to the classification systems. In general, iron and manganese from the fertilizers and high microbial load resulted in high ratings. However, the ratings lacked insight into the specific causes of clogging, disregarding interactions among chemical and microbial factors and qualitative characteristics of specific microbial phenotypes (e.g., production of polysaccharides or iron oxidation) that lead to clogging. Furthermore, the systems overemphasize nutrient levels typically used in greenhouse fertigation as the cause of clogging—which is not commonly observed in practice. Enhancing these systems requires parameters that reflect interactions among water quality parameters and the influence of microbial traits on clogging. Further research needs to develop these parameters in new systems with robust and precise thresholds in which emitter performance, profitability, and sustainability are affected.

An open-source data-driven irrigation controller, "Open_Irr", was developed by USDA-ARS as a low-cost (≤ $250 USD) entry point to autonomous irrigation installations in horticultural production and research applications. The device is reliant on granular-matrix type Watermark soil tension sensors (n≤16) from which it acts as a datalogger; sensors can be partitioned into 4 groups for water management in which readings can be used to output a logic-level signal for opening valving to initiate irrigation events. Here, we demonstrate the use of the device in research applications for imposing drought stress in containerized plantings of apple (Malus domestica). Our primary objectives were to (i) determine the utility of using granular matrix type soil tension sensors for predicting plant physiologic responses, measured by growth habit, infrared gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence, for improvement of decision support systems; and (ii) determine potential differences in cultivar performance under water deficit conditions. A trial examined performance of ‘B.9’ rootstock grafted to ‘Autumn Gala’, ‘CrimsonCrisp’, and ‘Golden Delicious’ scions at set soil matric potential thresholds for irrigation events (-25, -40, -60, and -80 kPa). A second trial examined five rootstock cultivars (‘B.10’, ‘B.9’, ‘G.11’, ‘G.935’, and ‘G.969’) grafted to a common ‘Honeycrisp’ scion as plant available water contents of the soil were theoretically progressively decreased by 5% each week. Correlation matrices between aspects of physiology and soil matric potential revealed Pearson’s r ≤ |0.43| yet further regression analysis offered potentially useful data shapes warranting further exploration. A piecewise regression suggested soil matric potential could predict, to an extent (r2 = 0.29), the rate of change in leaf water potential upon exposure to water deficit. The break-point of the piecewise regression in leaf and edaphic potentials was respectively -30.6 kPa and -0.73MPa, which may prove useful for incorporation in developing irrigation decision support systems. The pattern of stomatal response to deficit suggested enhanced stomatal regulation capacity of ‘Gala’ relative to other scions in which nonstomatal factors likely contributed to short term maintenance of photosynthetic C assimilation rates. Similarly, the ‘G.935’ rootstock demonstrated superior sensitivity to water deficit through rapid stomatal closure relative to other cultivars. Refinement of the relationships between arduous measures of physiologic function with correlated easy-to-automate proxy measures is advised for potential advancement of irrigation decision support systems.

Biofilms clog irrigation systems, thus affecting water use efficiency, crop yields, and production costs. Microbial attachment and subsequent biofilm accumulation is influenced by the irrigation water quality and materials used in the design of water distribution systems. Therefore, the goal of this research was to evaluate if the pipe material and the load of organic matter in nutrient solutions affected biofilm accumulation, microbial community composition, and emitter performance. Nutrient solutions had 0, 30, 60, and 120 mg·L-1 peat particles under 150 µm in diameter and flowed through pipe loops made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE). The emitters were pressure compensated drippers with anti-drain mechanism and a nominal discharge of 2 L·h-1. Heterotrophic plate counts and biofilm dry mass were used as indicators of biofilm accumulation. DNA was extracted from the biofilm then sequenced for bacterial community composition analysis. The surface of new and post-biofilm pipes was characterized by measuring hydrophobicity and roughness to evaluate the effects of biofilm on the pipe’s surface. None of the emitters clogged, but there was an increase in discharge with 60 and 120 mg·L-1 peat. This observation suggests that the particles and biofilm accumulation affected the operation of the emitters’ anti-drain mechanism. The pipe material had more influence on the accumulation and bacterial community composition of biofilms than the organic load of the nutrient solution. Overall, biofilm accumulated more on PVC pipes than on PE pipes. The hydrophobicity of PVC pipes decreased, and roughness of PVC and PE pipes increased after biofilm colonization. These results suggest that the characteristics of the pipes can influence and be influenced by biofilms and therefore affect the risk of clogging. Our results also suggest that biofilms establish better on materials that biodegrade easy and that biofilm changes the roughness of PVC pipes which may further affect pipe longevity.

Traditional methods of microbial quantification for irrigation water using colony counts from agar culture require dedicated laboratory space and trained personnel, making them less suitable for on-site application by horticulture growers. Dehydrated Petrifilm™ culture plates are a simpler method than agar, but are still time-consuming and require 2-3 days to culture. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) tests may provide an easy and reliable method for quantifying microbes in water that is more rapid than culturing microbes. The objective was to compare ATP measurements against colony counts cultured using Petrifilm™ for assessing microbial water quality. Lake water was recirculated through an ozone system until a target oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of 700 mV was reached. Samples were collected at the following ORP intervals: control, 300 mV, 400 mV, 500 mV, 600 mV, and 700 mV. Samples were plated for aerobic bacterial counts and yeast and mold counts using Petrifilm™ culture plates. Samples were also analyzed for free and total ATP concentration using the Hygiena EnSURE luminometer and its accompanying free and total ATP swabs. Microbial ATP was calculated by subtracting free ATP from total ATP. Results showed a consistent decrease in bacterial and fungal counts with increasing ORP using Petrifilm™ culture plates. At 700 mV ORP, there was 99.5% reduction of bacterial colony counts and 92.8% reduction of fungal colony counts from the initial. Similarly, a decreasing trend was observed for free, total, and microbial ATP concentration with increased ORP levels. There was a 97.5 % reduction of microbial ATP from the initial concentration at 700 mV ORP. A positive correlation was observed between microbial ATP measured with the luminometer and bacterial counts obtained from Petrifilm™. Integrating ATP quantification into routine monitoring practices could provide easy and rapid results and enhance the efficacy of microbial assessments in irrigation water.

Nurseries and greenhouses in California face challenges of limited water supply and increased scrutiny from water quality regulators. Improving irrigation efficiency thus minimizing irrigation runoff are the main strategies to save water and comply with regulations. Evapotranspiration-based (ET) methods that make use of weather station data has the potential to substantially improve efficiency. In California, a statewide network maintained by DWR CIMIS project is widely used. However, crop-specific coefficients to calculate irrigation needs from weather data are not widely available in the nursery industry, particularly for large (15-gal and up) containers. In this project we measured water use and developed crop coefficient for 15-gal trees, one low water user (Olive, Olea europaea) and two high water users (Sycamore, Platanus acerifolia and Ficus microcarpa) with different canopy architectures. Container weight was measured with load cells (Omega LC103B, a weighing device similar to a scale), with values logged every minute by a Campbell Scientific data logger (CR1000X). Daily water use was calculated as the difference in weight from after each irrigation to before the following one. Local CIMIS reference ET was used to calculate crop coefficients. Tree water use yielded crop coefficients averaged 1.19 for Ficus; 0.57 for Olive and 1.21 in Sycamore during fall 2023 before defoliation started to occur for Sycamore in mid-October. Olive and Ficus defoliated through winter reaching the lowest crop coefficient in March 2024 when the coefficient was 0.42 for Ficus; 0.22 in Olive and 0.12 in Sycamore. Crop coefficients were substantially lower than those presented by Burger et al., 1987. for similar woody ornamentals grown in 1-gal containers. The difference is that Burger’s crop coefficients were calculated using the container surface area, while we used the (larger) block area divided by the number of containers. While less meaningful from a plant physiology point of view, a block-based crop coefficient is more useful for irrigation management and more similar to the crop coefficient calculation in field crops, grape vines and fruit trees. Results from our method can be converted to Burger et al. method by dividing by interception efficiency (i.e. cumulative container surface area divided by irrigation block area).

Container nurseries produce a high volume of operational water (OW) during irrigation and storm events. OW is irrigation return flow (IRF) and storm runoff that has traveled through crop production areas and could carry sediment and agrichemicals, making nurseries a potential contributor to nonpoint source pollution. OW is collected in retention reservoirs for treatment and reuse or allowed to leave the site. A monitoring program was conducted on five production areas (study catchments) with two different irrigation systems (i.e., overhead and spray stake) in two container nurseries located in the Midwestern USA (Central Lowland physiographic region). Total suspended solid (TSS), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphate (PO4-P) in OW during storm and irrigation events. We found median event mean concentrations (EMCs) during irrigation events for TSS, DIN, and PO4-P were 131 mg∙L-1, 2.9 mg∙ L-1, and 1.2 mg∙ L-1, respectively. During storm events, DIN and PO4-P EMCs were similar to irrigation events; however, TSS EMCs were almost 8 times greater than those of irrigation events. The median daily TSS, DIN and PO4-P load per ha during storm events were 13.3 kg·ha−1·day−1, 82.3 g·ha−1·day−1 and 43.5 g·ha−1·day−1, respectively, which were 20, 3, and 4 times greater than those of irrigation events. The results indicated that the portion contribution of storm and irrigation for producing TSS was 86% and 14%, respectively. The results of this study can facilitate improved irrigation scheduling and help assess potential treatment options.

Traditional irrigated landscapes and in particular turfgrass dominated landscapes are being challenged across the U.S. due in part to the demand on potable water supplies. So called “ornamental” turfgrass will be outlawed in Nevada by 2027 and efforts are underway in other areas of the desert southwestern states to do the same. Meanwhile, in these areas, aggressive turfgrass removal programs utilizing financial incentives are occurring. This dramatic change is due to water supply associated with the Colorado River and western water supply in general. In the eastern U.S. changes are occurring in new development in North Carolina warm season grasses are displacing cool season grasses in new landscapes. Accordingly the new trend is to install bermudagrass without irrigation. In Florida, numerous municipalities have or are adopting codes mandating a maximum of the landscaped area as 60% sprinkler irrigation, which means turfgrass, and in some municipalities as low as 20% of the landscaped area. The remainder of the landscaped area is filled with a mixture of microirrigated ornamentals, mulched area, or unirrigated turfgrass. Some newer developments are eliminating irrigated turfgrass altogether. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) program is uniquely positioned to deliver education relevant to the radical change that is occurring in designed and built landscapes. Many local governments are adopting landscape codes that include or mandate FFL principles. This talk will discuss these trends along with the factors driving this cultural change of landscapes and in particular the use of turfgrass in landscapes. Additionally, the talk will focus on the challenges ahead for landscapes under water supply constraints and how they may impact nonpoint source pollution from urban areas.

Developing Irrigation Tools and Information for Effective Irrigation Management of California’s Avocado Orchards - Ali Montazar
Comparative Assessment of Satellite-Derived Crop Evapotranspiration and Estimated Evapotranspiration in Almond and Walnut Orchards for Precision Irrigation Management - Abdelmoneim Mohamed
Physiological Thresholds Provide Targets for Climate-Resilient Irrigation Management in Hazelnut - Steven Bristow
Determination of Crop Coefficient and its Inter-annual Variability in Pecan Orchard in Georgia - Kriti Poudel
Assessing Water Status in Citrus Plants Using Thermal Imaging in Greenhouses - Gustavo Haddad Souza Vieira
The Impact of Irrigation Rates Based on Crop Water Requirement on Tree Growth and Water Relations in Commercial Citrus Groves - Alisheikh Atta

In California, avocado is primarily grown in Southern and Central parts of the state, typically in regions tempered by coastal climates and fine or course sandy loam soils. These regions face uncertain water supplies, mandatory reductions of water use, and the rising cost of water, while efficient use of irrigation water is one of the highest conservation priorities. Moreover, due to increasing salinity in water sources, effective irrigation is more critical to ensure optimal yield and high-quality avocado fruits. A two-year study was conducted in 12 mature avocado sites in California. Extensive field measurements and surveys were conducted to better understand the current water management practices, to acquire and develop relevant information on crop water use (ET) and crop coefficients, and to assess the performance of satellite-based OpenET tool for irrigation management in avocados. Surface renewal and eddy covariance equipment was used to measure actual evapotranspiration (ETa) in each site. The results illustrated considerable variability in avocado crop water consumption both spatially and temporally. The crop coefficients curves were developed for each site. Across the avocado research sites, the average seasonal crop coefficient values varied from 0.6 to 0.76. The findings demonstrated that canopy features, soil types and conditions, pruning practices, soil surface cover, and row orientations need to be considered to perform effective water management in avocado orchards. Ground shading percentage and row orientations provide a good estimation of canopy size/volume and the amount of light that it can intercept are likely the most important drivers influence crop water needs. The RMSE of the measured ETa from eddy covariance equipment and estimated ETa from Ensemble OpenET varied from 0.53 to 1.37 mm d-1. The preliminarily findings indicated that the Ensemble OpenET estimates ETa relatively well in some sites and could be an effective irrigation management tool in the future for avocado orchards, however more evaluations are required.

Almond and Walnut are the major irrigated crops in the Northern San Joaquin Valley (NSJV) of California. The recurring droughts and climate change in California will likely increase the uncertainty in water supply to almond, walnut, and other specialty crops. Site-specific irrigation is critical to cope with these challenges. Knowing the water consumption of these water use intensive crops is imperative for optimizing irrigation management since it affects nut quality, productivity, and composition. This requires accurate estimates of crop water use (Evapotranspiration, ET). Traditional methods for estimating crop water use are spatially limited, whereas satellite remote sensing of ET offers the advantage of large-scale coverage and is increasingly adopted in irrigated agriculture. This study compares OpenET models, an open-source database providing ET estimates, against calculated ET from weather stations that are commonly used by growers in their irrigation management. Evaluation of OpenET against estimated ET might provide a good opportunity for growers to improve water use efficiency. Such improvements could lead to the adoption of publicly available irrigation management tools and ensure healthier tree development, better resource utilization, and more resilient orchards in the face of climate change. This presentation delves into the preliminary findings of the OpenET evaluation against calculated ET from weather stations in estimating water use for almonds and walnuts, while also examining the potential and challenges associated with each approach for implementation in growers' fields.

The rapidly changing climate is creating challenges for the selection and management of woody perennial crops. For North American (NA) cultivars of hazelnut (Corylus avellana), there is insufficient information on water stress management to maintain physiological performance and optimize productivity under limited soil water availability. Current plantings of NA hazelnuts are predominantly comprised of cultivars resistant to biotic stress (e.g., Eastern Filbert Blight) such as ‘Jefferson’ and ‘Yamhill’ cultivars, but their responses to abiotic stressors exacerbated by climate change is unknown. Our research objectives were to: 1. identify cultivar-specific physiological thresholds in response to water stress such as negligible leaf gas exchange (i.e., stomatal closure) and onset of leaf wilting (i.e., cell turgor loss) for phenotyping in greenhouse conditions; and 2. relate vapor pressure deficit to plant water status in order to generate a water-potential baseline capable of differentiating between atmospheric and soil moisture impacts on water stress in field conditions. Using the water potential (Ψ) curve (WPC) method, stomatal closure was initiated at less negative Ψ in ‘Jefferson’ (-0.85 MPa) compared to ‘Yamhill’ (-1.1 MPa). Similarly, turgor loss was found to occur at less negative Ψ in ‘Jefferson’ (-1.26 MPa) compared to ‘Yamhill’ (-1.48 MPa). These cultivar-specific differences were confirmed with direct measurements of stomatal conductance using a porometer and an evaluation of turgor loss point using the pressure-volume curve method. In the field, we established a water potential baseline to distinguish between the effects of soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit on Ψ. Our field results found a deviation from baseline of -1.0 MPa resulted in stomatal closure in Yamhill, which was consistent with our prediction from the WPC. ‘Yamhill’ trees that had Ψ on average -0.68 MPa below baseline over the growing season were also observed to have 34% smaller nuts, 46% higher shell-to-kernel ratio, and an estimated 50% of total in-shell yield. Upcoming research will seek to replicate results experimentally with both cultivars. In summary, our results indicate that the WPC is a valid tool for physiological phenotyping and preliminary results suggest that thresholds from the WPC provide viable cultivar-specific targets for improving irrigation management in hazelnuts. These results highlight methods to help determine sustainable irrigation management targets that can help conserve water resources strained by climate change while also maintaining plant productivity.

Pecans have high economic importance in the US. Nonetheless, as one of the top pecan producers, there is little research on water use of pecan trees in the Southeast of the US. The water status of the tree impacts the yield, mostly during the kernel filling period (August and September). The knowledge gap of pecan water requirements stems largely from the Southwest. There, pecan tree needs in the hot and arid climate of the Southwest contrast sharply with those of the long, hot and humid Southeastern climate. Furthermore, the Southwest management practices use flood irrigation in contrast with most Georgia orchards which use micro-irrigation. This paper reports on the development of a crop coefficient specifically addressing the pecan tree needs in the Southeastern US. This study uses an eddy-covariance system and micro-lysimeter to determine the actual evapotranspiration of pecans. The potential evapotranspiration is determined using nearest local weather station data. This paper discusses the behavior of the crop coefficient throughout the different physiological stages of the tree from budbreak to harvest. Results of the crop coefficient obtained throughout the season differs from the Southwest, where the actual evapotranspiration during the growing season is significantly higher than the one observed in the Southeast. The daily and monthly crop coefficient throughout the growing period from 2019 through 2023 respectively are discussed. The year-to-year variability is also discussed. These results should support pecan growers and researchers alike to more tailored irrigation schedule in Southeast pecan orchards.

Thermal cameras can easily determine plant canopy temperature, and the resulting data can be used for irrigation scheduling in addition to other water management tools. This study aimed to develop a method to use thermal imaging for canopy temperature measurements in one-year-old citrus plants to assess citrus water status. We evaluated the influence of five water levels (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125%) based on the crop evapotranspiration replacement of two citrus species [‘Red Ruby’ grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) and ‘Valencia’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)] for 48 days in a greenhouse. To determine the irrigation requirements for the treatment 100%, we estimated the water loss from pots by calculating the difference in soil moisture between the day before and the day of the measurement. We irrigated the pots when the soil moisture was close to the maximum allowable water depletion, keeping the soil moisture between the field capacity and the maximum allowable depletion. A portable thermal camera was used to take images that were later analyzed using open-source software. We determined the canopy temperature, leaf photosynthesis and transpiration, and plant biomass. A positive relationship between the amount of water applied and the temperature response of plants exposed to different water levels was observed. Grapefruit and sweet orange plants that received less water presented water restrictions and reached 6 °C higher canopy temperatures than the air. The thermal images easily identified water-stressed plants. This study allowed quick measuring of the canopy temperature using readily available equipment and can be used as a tool to assess water status in citrus plants in greenhouses. An automated routine to process the thermal images in real-time and remove the background weeds to determine the canopy temperature can potentially allow using it for irrigation management.

The growing demand for affordable and healthy food to feed the growing population necessitates multilayered strategies to meet food demand and supply features: excessive irrigation application to overcome the impact of erratic rainfall, which imposes pressure on groundwater withdrawals, adversely affecting crop failure and sustainability. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of varying irrigation levels on tree growth, leaf nutrient concentrations, and water relations at selected citrus tree densities. The experiment was carried out on Malabar fine sand (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Alaquods) in a commercial citrus grove near Immokalee, FL, USA from 2019 to 2022. Mature thirteen-year-old ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensis) citrus trees grafted on Carrizo (a hybrid of Washington Navel orange and Poncirus trifoliata) planted in tree densities of 360, 485, and US-897 (Citrus reticulata Blanco x Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.) citrus rootstock with 920 trees ha-1. Significant water distribution and movement were detected along the soil profile in response to the irrigation rates with higher volumetric water content on the grower standard highest irrigation. As a result, significant fibrous root length densities (FRLD) and median lifespan were observed in the three-row and two-row experiments with the deficit (50%-crop evapotranspiration, ETc) and moderate (78%-ETc) as compared with the grower standard highest (100%-ETc) irrigation regimes, respectively. Stomata conductance and stem water potential ( manifested less tree water stress when trees received moderate irrigation in the low and moderate tree densities than the highest tree density. This significantly impacted the FRLD in the soil and leaf area index (LAI) above the ground tree growth. Moderate irrigation triggered FRLD and improved root survival probability and lifespan. Meanwhile, nutrient uptake from the soil significantly affected leaf nutrient concentration when trees received moderate irrigation than deficit or highest irrigation rates. As a result, irrigation management improved water relations, leaf nutrient concentration, and tree growth across the varying irrigation regimes.

Assessing Grapefruit Responses to Different Irrigation Rates for Managing Salinity Water Under Greenhouse-Controlled Conditions - Neus Alcon Bou
Irrigation trials examine yield, water productivity, and nitrogen uptake of summer cauliflower - Michael Cahn
Growth Morphology as Indicators of Salt Water Tolerance in Watermelon Cultivars - Azeezahmed Shaik
Assessment of Salinity Tolerance in Cucumber Cultivars Using NFT System - Azeezahmed Shaik
Influence Of Deficit Irrigation And Biochar Application On Soil Water Depletion, Roots Distribution, And Water Use Efficiency Of Cucumber - Sukhbir Singh
Assessing Resource-use Efficiency Affected by Irrigation Management Practices in Processing Onion Production - Ali Montazar
Glyphosate Runoff Impacting Water Quality - Natalie Santos
Assessing Drip Irrigation as an Alternative to Micro-sprinklers During Strawberry Establishment in Southern California - Andre Biscaro

Coastal agriculture frequently relies on surface water for irrigation. However, in Florida, surface water availability can become limited during the dry season, leading growers to switch to groundwater. Groundwater in coastal areas often contains high salt concentrations which can negatively affect crop production. Citrus species, one of the most cultivated crops in Florida, are sensitive to salt stress. Among other strategies, irrigation management is used to mitigate salinity buildup in soil by leaching salts away from the root zone. Increased irrigation rates with water sources in the ‘slight’ to ‘moderate’ range of salinity (0.7 to 3 dS/m) have been shown to reduce salt accumulation in the soil without affecting production. However, when the water has high salinity concentrations (>3 dS/m), increasing the irrigation rate beyond 125%-130% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is not sustainable due to the high-water usage. Conversely, a limited volume of water applied for leaching the salts can exacerbate the accumulation. In coastal Florida, where often only high salinity water is available during the dry season, evaluating short-term strategies to maintain crop production is crucial. The objective is to understand how irrigation water with high salinity concentrations and different irrigation rates impact plant performance and soil salinity accumulation. In this study, one-year-old ‘Ruby Red’ grapefruit trees grafted on ‘US-942’ rootstock were planted in a weighing lysimeter phenotyping platform (“Plant Array”) under greenhouse-controlled conditions. Irrigation water with high salinity concentration (5 dS/m) was precisely applied at three different irrigation rates: 75% (deficit), 100% (regular), and 125% (excessive) of the ETc. A control treatment with water at a low salinity concentration (0.3 dS/m) was applied at 100% ETc for comparison. Transpiration, plant net weight, soil moisture and soil electrical conductivity (EC) were recorded daily. Bulk leaf water potential, osmotic potential, and dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence were measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Results showed that ETc and net weight decreased for those plants irrigated with high salinity concentration compared to the control. Salt EC was higher for those trees irrigated with 75% ETc under high salinity concentration resulting in the lowest ETc rates. Plants irrigated with 100% and 125% ETc rates showed similar results, likely due to decreasing transpiration of trees upon high salinity treatment application. Different plant performance under different irrigation rates emphasized the need of evaluating irrigation strategies in mitigating salt stress in citrus, particularly in region with limited water resources.

Replicated irrigation trials were performed on cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis cv. Symphony) in California’s Salinas Valley during 2018 and 2019. The CropManage online decision-support system was used to guide evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling. Overhead sprinklers were used to establish the crop with 60-70 mm of water, followed by surface drip for the remaining crop cycle. A randomized complete block design, with six replications, was used to administer four treatments near 50%, 75%, 100% and 150% of estimated full crop water requirement (T50, T75, T100, T150) during the drip phase. An additional drip treatment at 125% (T125) was added in 2019. Applied water totals across treatments ranged from 199-410 mm in 2018 and 179-369 mm in 2019 (plus 35 mm of precipitation). No significant differences were observed between total curd (head) yields from T100 and T150 in year 1 (> 30 Mg ha-1), although marketable yield from T150 was greater. Total yield of T100 and T125 were significantly greater than T150 during year 2, but marketable yield was similar among T100-T150. No significant difference was observed in fresh or aboveground dry biomass production from T100 and T150. Significant reductions in yields and biomass production were observed in T50 and T75 for both years. T100 and T150 had the highest irrigation water productivity with respect to marketable yield. Nitrogen uptake and fertilizer N recovery were highest in T100 and T150 during 2018, but no significant treatment differences were observed in 2019. These field trials demonstrated that estimating crop evapotranspiration and irrigation requirements of cauliflower through a decision support service such as CropManage can be a reliable tool for irrigation scheduling.

Saltwater intrusion into coastal areas is a major problem that reduces acreage under vegetable production. Cultivating salt-tolerant varieties is one of the approaches to overcome this problem. The long-term goal of this project is to screen and identify salt-tolerant watermelon germplasm. We assessed the impact of salinity stress from natural brackish water collected in Charleston, South Carolina (32o47’38” N and 80o3’25” W), on the growth morphology of four watermelon cultivars to identify one discriminatory concentration to be used for evaluating hundreds of watermelon accessions available in USDA-ARS Germplasm Resources Information Network. Watermelon plants were hydroponically grown in a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system at various EC levels (natural brackish water diluted with de-ionized water to generate 5.5, 10, 12, 14, and 19 dS/m and control, 0 dS/m) and plant growth and shoot morphology were monitored. All cultivars failed to withstand salinity stress at 19 dS/m. Surprisingly watermelon cultivars tolerated fairly high levels of salinity (5.5-14 dS/m ⁓3,530 - 8,960 ppm salt concentration) with inhibited growth. Increasing EC levels correlated with decreased growth parameters such as plant height, leaf number, and shoot fresh and dry weight. Chlorophyll content and electrolyte leakage values increased with higher brackish water concentrations, peaking at 14 dS/m. These values were notably elevated, with chlorophyll content and electrolyte leakage being 5 and 2 times higher than the control, respectively. Cultivar Sugar Baby had significantly greater shoot length, chlorophyll content, and electrolyte leakage compared to other cultivars (Crimson Sweet, Charleston Grey, and Black Diamond). The other growth parameters were similar across all cultivars. Further research to identify an optimal EC between 14 and 19 dS/m for use in large-scale evaluation of germplasm accessions will be needed.

Increasing salinity levels pose significant challenges to coastal vegetable cultivation, particularly impacting salt-sensitive crops like cucumber, leading to reduced growth, development, yield, and quality. This study assessed the responses of six commercial cucumber cultivars to different salinity levels. Cucumber plants were grown in a hoop house hydroponically using various dilutions of brackish water in a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system at EC levels 3, 6, and 12 dS/m, along with adequate controls (0 dS/m). Increasing salinity levels caused a significant decline in plant growth parameters (shoot length, biomass, leaf number). Overall a 59% reduction in shoot length and 52% decrease in dry biomass was observed at 12 dS/m compared to control. The cultivar, Stripped Armenian had significantly greater shoot length (163 cm) and dry biomass (59 g), compared to the others (Diva, Katrina, Lemon, H-19 Little Leaf, and Suyolong) by 52-207% and 126-409%, respectively. Additionally, Stripped Armenians dry weight exceeded the control by 120%, 115%, and 25% in 3, 6, and 12 dS/m treatments, respectively. Gaseous exchange parameters measured with Licor 6850 (photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration) declined significantly with increasing salinity at vegetative and reproductive stages. The photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance showed reductions of 15-17% and 13-50%, at salinity levels of 3 dS/m, 6 dS/m, and 12 dS/m, compared to the control treatment respectively. Similar reductions were also observed at the reproductive stage. Stripped Armenian consistently exhibited higher photosynthetic rate (4-27%), stomatal conductance (7-75%), and transpiration rate (6-56%) compared to other cultivars at vegetative and reproductive stages. In conclusion, Stripped Armenian demonstrated substantial tolerance to 12 dS/m salinity compared to other cultivars and may prove useful in saline environments, however further research is needed.

A rapid decline in water table of the Ogallala aquifer necessitates water conservation farming practices in Texas High Plains (THP). Deficit irrigation (DI) and biochar amendment strategies are widely adopted to sustain agriculture in semi-arid regions like THP. Although these practices are studied individually, research involving the combined effect of these factors is lacking, especially in THP. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of DI and biochar application on soil water depletion, root distribution, and water use efficiency of cucumber in West Texas. A two-year field study was conducted in a split-plot design with irrigation levels as the main plots: I1[100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc) replacement before mid-season (EBM))-100% ETc replacement after mid-season (EAM), I2 (80% ETc EBM- 60% ETc EAM), I3 (60% ETc EBM - 80% ETc EAM), I4 (40% ETc EBM-40% ETc EAM)] and biochar rates [ 0 t/ha,15 t/ha, and 20 t/ha] as sub-plots with four replications. Results showed that I4 had the largest and I1 had the least soil water depletion, and the differences in water depletion among irrigation levels were significant up to 1-m soil depth. Root length density (RLD) and root surface area density (RSAD) were significantly higher in I1 followed by I2 and I3, and these parameters were the least in I4. Water Use Efficiency (WUE) showed I2 being the most water productive DI treatment with an average increase of 5% compared to I1. Biochar didn't influence water depletion, RLD, and WUE but significantly increased RSAD compared to non-amended plots. Thus, deficit irrigation level I2 can be a potential alternative irrigation to full irrigation for enhancing water productivity of cucumber in the THP. More pronounced biochar effects could be expected in long term studies.

This study aimed at conducting an impact evaluation of irrigation management practices in processing onion production. A three-year experiment was carried out in 15 commercial processing onion fields under different irrigation methods of furrow, solid-set sprinkler, and subsurface drip. The experimental sites were located in the Imperial Valley, California’s low desert region. All fields were on a 40-inch bed, six plant rows per bed with a spacing of 2.5-in between planting lines. The fields had a variable soil type with predominate soil texture from fine sandy to silty clay loam. Water, nitrogen, and energy used, bulb weights, soil moisture, soil nitrate and salinity, and actual evapotranspiration were measured in each site. A wide range of seasonal irrigation water applied was observed across the experimental sites. Irrigation water applied varied from 3.3 ac-ft/ac in a drip irrigated field to 6.9 ac-ft/ac in a furrow irrigated field. The results demonstrated that utilizing subsurface drip irrigation in processing onions could conserve 0.8 and 2.4 ac-ft/ac water in compared with solid-set sprinkler and furrow irrigation systems, respectively. The water productivity, the ratio of onion bulb weight to water applied, was determined 4.9, 4.3, and 2.7 t/ac-ft for the drip, sprinkler, and furrow irrigated fields, respectively. A greater nitrogen use efficiency was found in the drip irrigated fields compared to the sprinkler (15.2% points) and furrow (62.1% points) irrigated fields. The findings illustrated a higher salt accumulation on the topsoil (0-6 in. depth) in the drip irrigated fields. In other words, drip irrigation could cause salinity impacts in desert processing onions, and therefore, more frequent light irrigation events may be an effective tool to manage salinity. More nitrate leaching was also observed from the topsoil in the sites irrigated by sprinklers. Energy productivity, the ratio of onion bulb weight to fuel consumption, was 48.3% points higher in the drip fields than the sprinkler fields. The results revealed that irrigation practice has a significant impact on resource-use efficiency and environmental issues.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world due to its relevance in agricultural practices and urban lawncare. While this herbicide is prominent in various countries, it has been continuously surrounded by controversy for the past decade. With reports of potential dangers to human health, contradicting reports from government agencies, and lawsuits against the company Monsanto, the creator of Roundup whose key active ingredient is glyphosate, there is opinion-based literature and confusion among the public. There is a plethora of published literature discussing what glyphosate is and the potential dangers to the environment; however, there is minimal research on the effects glyphosate has on water quality through runoff in urban areas. This research is aimed to assess the presence of glyphosate and its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in the waterways of Stillwater, OK. This is done by collecting water samples where runoff was present in urban areas. It is important to understand the presence of glyphosate in runoff to view the persistence of this chemical within waterways and different environments. Keywords: glyphosate, AMPA, water quality, runoff, controversy, samples

The escalating regulatory pressure to achieve sustainable groundwater use in California will demand improved irrigation efficiency. Even though approximately 80 to 90% of the sprinkler-applied water to a strawberry crop is lost through runoff, deep percolation and evaporation, all the strawberry fields in Ventura County are still irrigated with overhead sprinklers during crop establishment. This study quantified differences in water use, yield, canopy coverage and root depth between drip tape and micro-sprinkler irrigation during crop establishment at a commercial field located in Oxnard, CA during the 2023-2024 growing season. Treatments consisted of three irrigation methods used during the first five weeks: 1) primarily drip tape (DT), 2) micro-sprinklers only (MS), and 3) a combination of drip tape and micro-sprinklers (C). The irrigation scheduling of the MS treatment was defined by the irrigator (grower standard), while the DT and C treatments were guided by tensiometers and field observations. All other production practices remained the same. Each treatment was replicated four times in a randomized complete block design, with an area of approximately 1.7 acre per plot (40 beds of 350ft long). Treatments were carried out for 35 days from planting (Oct 5), after which drip irrigation became the only irrigation method. Total water use during establishment was very similar among treatments: 3.9, 3.6 and 4.0 acre-in for DT, C and MS, respectively. With four plant rows and three drip lines per bed, the DT treatment was irrigated for longer than anticipated to assure uniform soil moisture around the plant roots. Marketable yield until Mar 14 was 4,583, 4,229 and 4,297 lb/acre for DT, MS and C, respectively. Although not statistically significant, DT yield was 8.4% greater than MS (p-value = 0.802), and 6.7% greater than C (p-value = 0.865). Canopy cover trends were very similar between DT and C, while MS was between 13 and 29% lower than DT from 48 to 61 days after planting. Canopy coverage equalized at 90 days after planting after significant precipitation during Dec and Jan. Average root depth of DT was 38 and 19% greater than MS for 15 and 28 days after planting, respectively. In summary, this study found equal or superior crop performance of DT compared to MS during strawberry establishment. We expect that increasing the number of drip tape per bed from three to four would significantly decrease the irrigation time needed to provide ideal soil moisture, consequently decreasing water use.

Evaluating Saline Irrigation Management Strategies Under Drip Irrigated Pistachio - Mukesh Mehata
Lysimetric Determination of Crop Water Requirements for Sorghum - Florence Cassel
Evaluating the distribution uniformity of spray-stakes using pressure compensating emitters - Chris Shogren

Over 85% of California's bearing pistachio acreage is located in soils with moderate (4 dS/m) to extremely high (16 dS/m) saline. Several previous studies have demonstrated that pistachios can be grown profitably even in moderately saline soils, with optimal soil salinity (ECe) maintained at approximately 4.5 - 6 dS/m. One common practice to reduce the salinity level in rootzone is to apply good quality water during dormant season. As the availability of good quality canal water for in-season irrigation and dormant season leaching declines, growers are relying more on semi-saline pumped groundwater, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley Westside. It would be beneficial to understand if the volume of dormant season leaching could be reduced, if in-season methods of leaching could be effective, and how to use moderately saline water most efficiently for both dormant and in-season leaching. Current methods for managing salinity through dormant leaching rely on one-dimensional models assuming complete surface wetting. We are exploring alternative approaches, investigating the effectiveness of single and double drip lines in managing root zone salinity using in-row, in-season leaching fractions and small volume pulsed dormant leaching. Preliminary results showed that generally, all leaching treatments, (in-season leaching, dormant leaching and the combination of both, applied with both single and double hose lines, significantly decreased soil ECe relative to the control, reducing ECe values of 13-22% relative to their respective controls. All the leaching treatments also effectively prevented boron from accumulating in the soil relative to the control. No clear effects of line configuration, double versus single line, were detected in soil levels. These findings indicate that treatments are effectively reducing salinity or at least preventing the increases observed in the control. Leaf analysis showed that in-season leaching, with/without dormant leaching, significantly increased leaf nitrogen and phosphorus, and reduced leaf boron accumulation.

Accurate estimation of crop water requirements (CWR) is essential to optimize water use efficiency and develop efficient irrigation scheduling practices. This is particularly important in California where frequent droughts have accentuated the need to conserve water and improve on-farm water management. The most accurate method to determine CWR is with precision weighing lysimeters, which measure actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa). Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine ETa data, develop new crop coefficients (Kc), and evaluate the relationship between Kc and crop fractional ground cover (Fc) for forage sorghum grown under drip irrigation. Being drought and salt tolerant, sorghum has been considered as an alternative crop to corn in regions of water scarcity and marginal soils. Daily ETa measurements were collected over three years on a clay loam soil using the precision weighing lysimeter available at the University of California Westside Research and Extension Center in Five Points, CA. Crop coefficient (Kc) estimates were derived from the ETa measurements and reference ETo data were obtained from a CIMIS weather station located at the study site. Weekly Fc measurements were also performed to derive relationships between Kc and fractional ground cover. Results from our study indicated that the seasonal ETc ranged from 665 to 870 mm, with average peak ET of 7.0 mm/day and midseason Kc spanning from 0.90 to 1.1. A strong correlation (r2 > 0.95) was also observed between crop Kc and Fc. This study represents the first experiment determining ETc and Kc for forage sorghum grown under drip irrigation in California. Findings also demonstrated the variability of CWR due to seasonal differences.

Spray-stakes technology is common in nursery production systems, yet their distribution uniformity has been poorly studied. Recent innovations have the potential to increase distribution uniformity, but may be cost prohibitive. We analyzed the distribution uniformity of two brands of spray-stakes with and without pressure compensating emitters. We then conducted an economic analysis of switching from non-pressure compensating emitters to pressure compensating emitters. The average distribution uniformity measured was: 0.85 for non-pressure compensating Netafim Spray Stakes, 0.82 for the non-pressure compensating Primerus Spot Spitters, 0.95 for pressure compensating Netafim spray stakes, and 0.95 for pressure compensating Primerus Spot Spitters. While pressure compensating emitters do increase distribution uniformity, it would take 4-6 years based on water savings for the investment in pressure compensating emitters to break even, based on Southern California water prices.