Abstract:
In the presence of a shallow water table, the contribution of groundwater to the evapotranspiration (ET) effects irrigation efficiency as well as soil and groundwater salinity. A mass balance model was developed for level basin irrigation to study performance along a field as well as the spatial and temporal changes in soil and shallow groundwater salinity with and without a shallow water table contribution to the ET demand. Cases with one, two and three-week irrigation intervals and ET rate of 7 mm day-1 were studied. For each case, application efficiency without water table contribution and application efficiency with water table contribution increase and leaching fraction without water table contribution and leaching fraction with water table contribution decrease non-linearly along the field. Irrigation efficiency improves significantly with a water table contribution to the ET demand. The comparison of with and without groundwater contribution to the ET demand show the spatial and temporal changes in soil and groundwater salinity are affected significantly by groundwater contribution. Groundwater contribution causes higher soil salinity along the field and throughout the irrigation season. Groundwater salinity, increases throughout the irrigation season for both cases and is higher for the case of groundwater contribution.
Page(s):
736-744
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, Volume: 8, Issue: 6, Year: 2006