Search

Irrigation efficiency is important for the environment and the economy. SIMDualKc has been effectively used to calculate evaporation and transpiration separately in vineyards for different irrigation strategies, but not to analyze the impact of irrigation frequency. This study was conducted for the in-field adjustment of the soil wetted fraction (wf) with a time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensor as a function of different irrigation frequency treatments (T03, T07, and T15 with irrigation every 3, 7, and 15 days, respectively). Evaporation and transpiration values were estimated separately with the SIMDualKc model for different irrigation frequencies with the adjusted wf, comparing them with vineyard field measurements and analyzing the effect of different irrigation frequencies on vineyard yield. The wf in T15 was higher than that in T07, which in turn was higher than that in T03. SIMDualKc indicates the most unfavorable treatment to be the T07, with higher evaporation and lower transpiration than T15 and T03, while T15 had higher evaporation and lower transpiration than T03. Although stomatic conductance also indicates the most unfavorable case to be T07, no clear differences were found between T03 and T15. No statistically significant differences were obtained in yield. The results indicate that the differences observed between irrigation frequencies are not reflected in yield but do show up in water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Drainage & Irrigation Machinery Engineering / Paiguan Jixie Gongcheng Xuebao is the property of Editorial Department of Drainage & Irrigation Machinery Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Northwest A & F University - Natural Science Edition is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Northwest A&F University (Natural Science Edition) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and objectives: To reduce the food insecurity, crop production will have to be doubled. This can be achieved by expanding the area of crop production, increasing per hectare yield and improving crop quality. Furthermore, during the second half of the past century, rise in per hectare crop productivity was due to improved or high yield potential. The productivity of plants are strongly influenced by environmental stresses. In the water scarcity condition, using deficit irrigation and appropriate cultivar are the most strategies to improve water productivity. A new generation of dry-tolerant forage varieties would allow for landscape development in stresses environments and where fresh water is limited or not available for irrigation. Hence, the present study was to design with the following objectives: To determine yield and morphogical parameters of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and forage sorghum (sorghum bicolor), varieties at different levels of irrigation and plant densities. Materials and methods: A field experiment was conducted during 2015 and 2016 at Aghghala salinity station. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in the form of factorial split plot factorial experiment and replicated four times. At this research effects of irrigation frequency at four levels (irrigation after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days), and plant density at three levels (11.1, 16.7 and 33.3 plants per m² ) on quinoa (Santa Maria and Sajama Iranshahr) and verities of KFS3 and Speed feed sorghums were investigated. Sowing date was the time of soil temperature reaching to 12 °C which was done in the first year on March 17 and in the second year on March 19 and the harvesting date was the time of 5% flowering of each plot. Data were analyzed using SAS. Treatment means were compared using LSD at the 95% probability level. Results: Results showed that, the difference in most treats between treatments was significant. Investigation of dry forage yield at irrigation treatment showed, irrigation every five days interval with dry yield of 6.01 ton ha-1 had the highest yield and yield components of dry forage. With increasing plant density and decreasing irrigation frequency dry matter decreased but this decreasing mostly accurse at interaction effect of irrigation every 20 days interval and plant density of 333000 plant ha-1 . Plant density of 11.12 plants per m² with yield of 4.98 ton ha-1 had the highest yield. The suitable treatment was variety of Santa Maria at 11.1 plants per m² with dry yield of 4.77 ton ha-1 had the highest dry yield and variety of Speed feed sorghum at plant density of 33.3 plants per m² with yield of 2.53 ton ha-1 had the less ranking. Conclusions: In general, in order to high quantitative yield irrespective of variety, most frequently irrigation had higher yield than less and intermediate irrigation regime. Though, when comparing the four varieties, quinoa (Santa Maria variety) significantly with dry yield of 4.42 ton ha-1 produced higher dry forage yield. The present findings suggest that in semiarid environments (where saving water is important) it seems that increasing irrigation frequency is effective for good stand establishment in the saline soils could be insured if proper management is applied in the farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation is a vital measure for maintaining grassland productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Grasslands typically have characteristics such as unclear boundaries, complex vegetation types, and relatively small irrigation amounts, making it challenging to extract irrigation information. Currently, research on extracting grassland irrigation information is scarce. This study proposes a method for extracting grassland irrigation information using high spatiotemporal resolution (30 m, 1 day) downscaled surface soil moisture data, combined with Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel 1/2 data. This method was applied to extract the irrigation area, timing, and frequency of grasslands in the Delingha Piedmont, northwestern China. The results showed that the overall classification accuracy of irrigated grassland was 93.43 %, and the kappa coefficient was 0.91, indicating high extraction accuracy. The average values of recall, precision, and F-score for irrigation timing and frequency were 82.54 %, 72.25 %, and 77.03 %, respectively, with most irrigation events accurately identified, indicating commendable overall efficacy. The combined use of multi-source remote sensing data is crucial for the extraction of grassland irrigation information. Among these, The high spatiotemporal resolution downscaled surface soil moisture data, by providing detailed spatiotemporal surface soil moisture dynamics, demonstrate a potent capacity for capturing irrigation events, thus effectively enhancing the accuracy of grassland irrigation data extraction.

Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is one of the most promising rubber plants in the world. The question of how irrigation affects its yields and biochemical composition has not yet been studied well. The effects of irrigation frequency on the growth and yield of Taraxacum kok-saghyz were analyzed. According to the obtained results, it was established that an increase in irrigation frequency (extension of the watering interval) gradually decreased TKS rubber and total sugar yields. With the soil water content increasing from 22.8 to 38.9%, TKS rubber and sugar yields were changing in line with a cubic polynomial equation. Regular watering once every 6 days maintains soil moisture at a level above 28.0%, which makes it possible to increase the yield of Taraxacum kok-saghyz while enhancing the water-use efficiency under the conditions of Northeastern China (Harbin).

Trees have a strong and species‐specific influence on biotic and abiotic properties of the soil. Even after the vegetation is removed, the effect can persist to form so‐called soil legacies. We investigated the effects of soil legacies of tree species richness on the emergence and growth of tree seedlings, and how these legacy effects modulate the seedling responses to irrigation frequency.We used a 9‐year‐old tree plantation on former agricultural land in Belgium, which is part of a biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning experiment (FORBIO). Soil originating from monocultures and four‐species plots, with different species combinations, was translocated to a greenhouse. Five tree species (Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, and Tilia cordata) were sown and grown for one growing season in these soils. We performed a watering treatment (low and high irrigation frequency) to measure any potential interaction effects between the soil legacies and irrigation frequency.There was no evidence for soil legacy effects of species richness on plant performance or their response to the irrigation frequency. However, the effect of irrigation frequency was dependent on species identity of the tree seedlings. Despite the lack of clear legacy effects, performance measures did show correlated responses that are likely due to species composition effects.We ascribe these patterns to the young age of the forest and the agricultural past land use. At this early stage in forest development, the land‐use history likely has a more important role in shaping soil characteristics that affect plant growth and their response to drought, than species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing irrigation strategies is crucial for sustaining cotton production in the face of growing water scarcity. The three-year experimental study (2020–2022) focused on the impact of varying irrigation amounts (320, 370, and 420 mm) and frequencies (4-, 8-, and 12-day intervals) on cotton growth, yield, yield components, and fiber quality in southern Xinjiang. Employing a completely randomized design with three replications, the results indicated higher irrigation amounts resulted in numerically 2.5–7.5% higher lint yields compared to those under medium and low irrigation amounts, notably significant in 2021. Boll density emerged as the primary yield component influencing yield loss due to irrigation amount, followed by seed cotton weight boll−1. Increased boll density was associated with a greater total number of fruiting sites. Additionally, the increased seed cotton weight boll−1 could be linked to an increased seed number boll−1 and a decreased boll fraction at the lower fruiting branches with lower seed cotton weight boll−1. Higher irrigation frequency improved lint yield by increasing boll density, though a significant effect was observed only in 2020. Increased irrigation amounts generally led to longer fiber lengths but lower micronaire values, while increased irrigation frequency resulted in longer, stronger fibers and reduced micronaire values. Furthermore, the highest yield stability was observed under the condition of high irrigation amount and high frequency. This study holds certain guiding significance for water resource management in cotton production in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of climate change, water availability has emerged as a pressing concern in agriculture, indicating the urgency to enhance irrigation management. Nevertheless, accurately quantifying irrigation schedules in diverse climates and soil textures remains a complex challenge. Here, a three-year irrigation experiment (2020–2022) of greenhouse tomato was conducted at three typical locations (Yulin, Yangling and Hanzhong) in northwest China. The irrigation schedules were determined by the cumulative evaporation (CE) measured from a 20 cm pan. A total nine treatments were set by combining three irrigation frequencies (IF) with three single doses (ID). Twenty indices related to tomato growth, photosynthesis, yield and water use, fruit quality, and environmental benefit were evaluated comprehensively by using TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) and GRA (grey relational analysis) methods of combining weights based on game theory. The results showed that the indicator with highest weight was yield, followed by crop water productivity and vitamin C. The optimal ranges of irrigation frequency (irrigation dose) were determined as follows: 10.00–11.08 mm (0.81–0.90 CE) in Yulin, 13.12–15.68 mm (0.77–0.89 CE) in Yangling, and 11.44–16.40 mm (0.67–0.77 CE) in Hanzhong, respectively. This study introduces a method applied to prioritize the key indicators for irrigation scheduling, providing a reference for optimizing irrigation practices in greenhouse tomato production and improving water management in agriculture.

Irrigation efficiency is important for the environment and the economy. SIMDualKc has been effectively used to calculate evaporation and transpiration separately in vineyards for different irrigation strategies, but not to analyze the impact of irrigation frequency. This study was conducted for the in-field adjustment of the soil wetted fraction (wf) with a time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensor as a function of different irrigation frequency treatments (T03, T07, and T15 with irrigation every 3, 7, and 15 days, respectively). Evaporation and transpiration values were estimated separately with the SIMDualKc model for different irrigation frequencies with the adjusted wf, comparing them with vineyard field measurements and analyzing the effect of different irrigation frequencies on vineyard yield. The wf in T15 was higher than that in T07, which in turn was higher than that in T03. SIMDualKc indicates the most unfavorable treatment to be the T07, with higher evaporation and lower transpiration than T15 and T03, while T15 had higher evaporation and lower transpiration than T03. Although stomatic conductance also indicates the most unfavorable case to be T07, no clear differences were found between T03 and T15. No statistically significant differences were obtained in yield. The results indicate that the differences observed between irrigation frequencies are not reflected in yield but do show up in water use efficiency.

Copyright of Revista Caatinga is the property of Revista Caatinga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effects of potato drip irrigation on soil nitrogen dynamics and potato yield was studied in small-plot field trials. The trials were evaluated at during three experimental times seasons (2016-2018). Four variants of irrigation were determined, ie non-irrigated, 60, 65 and 70 ASWC (Available Soil Water Capacity). At the same time, two pre-planting fertilization dates were set at a maximum of 120 kg N/ha a in divided i.e. 60 kg N/ha before planting and 60 kg N/ha by fertigation during vegetation. Pre-planting crop fertilization or in-season fertigation did not have any significant effect on the potato yields of most variants. In all studied parameters, the positive beneficial effect of irrigation was recorded and compared to the non-irrigated control. The mitigation of drought stress in plants during the growing season is the most important advantage of irrigation. In the trials, on average across all years and varieties, the yield of the irrigated variant increased by 41 % compared to the non-irrigated variant. Maintaining optimal soil moisture has a favourable effect use of applied fertilizers. The highest mineral nitrogen content in the soil was recorded for the variant without irrigation. Considering the increased use of nitrogen fertilizers, the subsurface drip line appeared to be optimal for the creation of suitable conditions for nitrogen availability to plants in the root zone.

【Objective】 Over-extraction of groundwater over the past decades has resulted in shallow groundwater table dropping at an alarming rate in most regions in Hebei province. Reducing groundwater extraction for wheat winter irrigation has been proposed as a remedy to reverse this trend. Quantitative understanding of wheat yield reduction due to the restricted groundwater extraction and its consequence for groundwater dynamics is essential. Taking a piedmont plain of Taihang Mountain as an example, this paper investigates how to minimize the wheat yield loss by optimizing irrigation frequency when the irrigation amount is the same. 【Method】 The study was based on numerical simulation. We designed three scenarios with the irrigation amount kept the same at 90 mm, but the crop was irrigated at different frequencies. For each frequency, we simulated the winter wheat yield, variation in shallow groundwater table and soil water balance in the 0~200 cm of soil using the modified SWAT model. We divided the simulation area into 22 sub-basins, and the optimal irrigation frequency for each subbasin was calculated based on the index of crop-groundwater irrigation productivity. 【Result】 ① Irrigating the crop twice, one at jointing and one at the heading stages, at equal irrigation amount (45 mm) gave the highest winter wheat yield, with the average yield reduced approximately by 20% compared to business-as-usual irrigation method. ② Irrigating all 90mm of water at the jointing stage led to largest irrigation water leaching. ③ Increasing the irrigation frequency from two to three with the same irrigation amount in each (30 mm) did not noticeably change water leaching and evapotranspiration, but increased soil evaporation at the expense of transpiration. ④ To minimize yield reduction, 13 subbasins (approximately 54% of the studied area) should irrigate once only, 8 subbasins (approximately 40% of the studied area) should irrigate twice each with 45 mm of water, and one subbasin (approximately 6% of the studied area) should irrigate three times each with 30 mm of water. 【Conclusion】 Reducing groundwater extraction for winter wheat irrigation to 90 mm could mitigate shallow groundwater table falling by 60%~75% at the price of yield reduction of 20%~25%. To minimize the yield reduction, different regions should adjust the irrigation frequencies based on its heterogeneous aquifers. Optimizing irrigation frequency should consider the trade-off effect of irrigation on groundwater conservation and crop production, as well as irrigation water use efficiency.

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology (1008-0864) is the property of Journal of Agricultural Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Optimizing irrigation strategies is crucial for sustaining cotton production in the face of growing water scarcity. The three-year experimental study (2020–2022) focused on the impact of varying irrigation amounts (320, 370, and 420 mm) and frequencies (4-, 8-, and 12-day intervals) on cotton growth, yield, yield components, and fiber quality in southern Xinjiang. Employing a completely randomized design with three replications, the results indicated higher irrigation amounts resulted in numerically 2.5–7.5% higher lint yields compared to those under medium and low irrigation amounts, notably significant in 2021. Boll density emerged as the primary yield component influencing yield loss due to irrigation amount, followed by seed cotton weight boll−1. Increased boll density was associated with a greater total number of fruiting sites. Additionally, the increased seed cotton weight boll−1 could be linked to an increased seed number boll−1 and a decreased boll fraction at the lower fruiting branches with lower seed cotton weight boll−1. Higher irrigation frequency improved lint yield by increasing boll density, though a significant effect was observed only in 2020. Increased irrigation amounts generally led to longer fiber lengths but lower micronaire values, while increased irrigation frequency resulted in longer, stronger fibers and reduced micronaire values. Furthermore, the highest yield stability was observed under the condition of high irrigation amount and high frequency. This study holds certain guiding significance for water resource management in cotton production in arid regions.

The effects of potato drip irrigation on soil nitrogen dynamics and potato yield was studied in small-plot field trials. The trials were evaluated during three experimental times (2016-2018). Four variants of irrigation were determined, i.e. non-irrigated, 60, 65 and 70 ASWC (available soil water capacity). At the same time, two pre-planting fertilisation dates were set at a maximum of 120 kg N/ha a in divided, i.e. 60 kg N/ha before planting and 60 kg N/ha by fertigation during vegetation. Pre-planting crop fertilisation or in-season fertigation did not have any significant effect on the potato yields of most variants. In all studied parameters, the positive, beneficial effect of irrigation was recorded and compared to the non-irrigated control. The mitigation of drought stress in plants during the growing season is the most important advantage of irrigation. In the trials, on average, across all years and cultivars, the yield of the irrigated variant increased by 41% compared to the non-irrigated variant. Maintaining optimal soil moisture has a favourable effect use of applied fertilisers. The highest mineral nitrogen content in the soil was recorded for the variant without irrigation. Considering the increased use of nitrogen fertilisers, the subsurface drip line appeared optimal for creating suitable conditions for nitrogen availability to plants in the root zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban lawns comprise a significant portion of urban greenery and provide several ecosystem services. Nevertheless, maintaining lawns comes with significant water costs in semi-arid inland southern California, as they require consistent irrigation to stay healthy and productive. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a wide range of irrigation rates and frequencies applied autonomously by a smart ET-based controller on the aesthetic value, cooling potential, and CO 2 efflux of two warm-season turfgrass species. For three years, we studied the responses of Buffalograss and St. Augustinegrass to six irrigation rates and two irrigation frequencies in Riverside, California. Under historical average climate conditions, the minimum irrigation rate for Buffalograss was 93 % ET o, and for St. Augustinegrass, it was 74 % ET o. Under projected future climate conditions, the estimated minimum irrigation rate for Buffalograss did not change, but for St. Augustinegrass, it increased by 4 % and 7 % in 2100 under low emission (RCP 4.5) and high emission (RCP 8.5) scenarios, respectively. On average, canopy minus air temperature in Buffalograss was 6.2 ℃, and in St. Augustinegrass, it was 1.1 ℃. The average CO 2 efflux in Buffalograss was 122.3 µg CO 2 -C m−2 s−1, and in St. Augustinegrass, it was 182.8 µg CO 2 -C m−2 s−1. Our results showed that turfgrass aesthetic values, cooling potential, and CO 2 efflux diminished as the irrigation rate decreased, but at different rates for each turfgrass species. • Water conservation reduced turfgrass's aesthetic value. • St. Augustinegrass's irrigation demand will rise under future climate projections. • CO 2 efflux and evaporative cooling increased with higher irrigation applications. • CO 2 efflux for each species was mainly impacted by soil moisture status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravel mulching is an ancient mulching system with a history of more than 300 years in China. To explore the changes of soil-water content (SWC) and heat transport in watermelon gravel-mulched fields under drip irrigation, we simulated three irrigation quotas (W1, 180 m3/hm2; W2, 270 m3/hm2; and W3, 360 m3/hm2) and three irrigation frequencies (F1, three times; F2, six times; and F3, nine times) based on HYDRUS-2D. The results indicated that peak SWC increased with irrigation quota. The range of fluctuation of SWC decreased as irrigation frequency increased. The temperature of the 0–40 cm soil layer varied with air temperature, but the range of fluctuation decreased with depth. Irrigation affected the distribution of soil water, increased soil heat capacity, and reduced the impact of air temperature on soil temperature, thus delaying the impact of air temperature on soil temperature. High-frequency drip irrigation could therefore effectively improve SWC, reduce water stress during the period of watermelon growth, and effectively delay the effect of air temperature on soil temperature, providing a theoretical basis for developing reasonable irrigation strategies and regulating soil water and heat in gravel-mulched fields. HIGHLIGHTS Irrigation affects the distribution of soil moisture and the change of soil temperature.; Under the same irrigation quota, a high-frequency irrigation system is beneficial for increasing the water content of the soil.; High-frequency drip irrigation can effectively reduce the impact of air temperature on the temperature of the soil cultivated layer.;

Copyright of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences is the property of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Water & Soil Conservation is the property of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Chilies are plants that are becoming increasingly popular all over the world, including in Hungary. Since little is known about the abundance and seasonal dynamic of insect pests and their natural enemies associated with chilies under Hungarian climatic conditions, the aim of the study was to monitor these organisms on different varieties under different growing conditions to provide data for improving IPM for chilies. Chili varieties "Yellow Scotch Bonnet" (YSB) and "Trinidad Scorpion Butch T" (TSBT) were planted with three replicates. Two different plant-to-plant distances (30 vs. 40 and 40 vs. 60 cm in YSB, TSBT, respectively) and two different irrigation frequencies (daily, 40 min; every second day, 20 min) were used. Fifty flowers/plot/date were collected. In 2019, Orius (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) larvae, and in 2021, phytophagous thrips larvae were dominant in all the treatments. Significantly more Orius adults and larvae were found in the YSB than in the TSBT variety and the number of Aeolothrips and phytophagous thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) adults was significantly higher under less irrigation in 2019. The plant spacing did not affect the abundance of predators or herbivores. Upon comparing the two years, no effect of the treatments on the studied insect taxa was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a rule-based expert system named EFSIS-ES (Engineering Factors of Sprinkler Irrigation System -Expert System) had been built, verified and validated. Therefore, the aims of this research were to build, verify and validate an expert system for making a decision for the normal user to maximize system efficiency of sprinkler irrigation. The inputs data included location data, climate data, pump data, crop data, soil data and sprinkler system data. The outputs of the expert system were number of the sprinklers on a lateral, number of laterals in the irrigation system, length of each lateral, main line length, irrigation frequency, required pump power, total dynamic head (TDH) and pump discharge output. Results showed high correlation (R2 = 0.9927) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet in regard to irrigation frequency. It could be indicated high correlation (R2 = 0.9999) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet regarding pump power. The regression coefficient (R2) was 0.9983 between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding total dynamic head (TDH). It could be indicated high correlation (R2 = 0.9979) between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding pump discharge output.

Irrigation is a vital measure for maintaining grassland productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Grasslands typically have characteristics such as unclear boundaries, complex vegetation types, and relatively small irrigation amounts, making it challenging to extract irrigation information. Currently, research on extracting grassland irrigation information is scarce. This study proposes a method for extracting grassland irrigation information using high spatiotemporal resolution (30 m, 1 day) downscaled surface soil moisture data, combined with Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel 1/2 data. This method was applied to extract the irrigation area, timing, and frequency of grasslands in the Delingha Piedmont, northwestern China. The results showed that the overall classification accuracy of irrigated grassland was 93.43 %, and the kappa coefficient was 0.91, indicating high extraction accuracy. The average values of recall, precision, and F-score for irrigation timing and frequency were 82.54 %, 72.25 %, and 77.03 %, respectively, with most irrigation events accurately identified, indicating commendable overall efficacy. The combined use of multi-source remote sensing data is crucial for the extraction of grassland irrigation information. Among these, The high spatiotemporal resolution downscaled surface soil moisture data, by providing detailed spatiotemporal surface soil moisture dynamics, demonstrate a potent capacity for capturing irrigation events, thus effectively enhancing the accuracy of grassland irrigation data extraction. • Downscaled 1 km SSM data to 30 m using comprehensive downscaling factors for high-resolution accuracy. • GIDSM method effectively identified grassland irrigation timing, frequency, and distribution. • High-resolution SSM data improved accuracy by reducing confusion with other land types. • Study demonstrated potential of SSM data for detecting irrigation in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural practices such as water and N management can contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Fertigation frequency and level are the two most important factors of irrigation scheduling. Proper irrigation management can establish moderate moist conditions throughout the crop growth period in the root zone and reduce GHG emissions and NH3 volatilization. The main objective was to evaluate the possibility of reducing soil N2O and CO2 emissions and NH3 volatilization without crop yield reduction by manipulating the subsurface-drip fertigation (SDF) frequency and level. An experiment was carried out adopting three SDF frequencies, High-Frequency (7-day, HF), Medium-Frequency (8-day, MF), and Low-Frequency (10-day fertigation intervals, LF), and two irrigation levels, 80% (I80) and 70% (I70) of amount in farmer's common practice (1500 m3 ha−1). Urea, N > 46.2% at the rate of 90% of traditional fertilization level (270 Kg N ha−1) was injected with irrigation water. Results indicated that soil N2O, CO2, NO3−-N, NO2−-N, and water-filled pore space increased with fertigation frequency and an opposite pattern for NH4+-N and NH3. HF significantly (p < 0.05) increased crop yield by 45.1% and 49.2% compared to LF, under I80 and I70 levels, respectively. At the same irrigation level, HF was the optimum management practice. Person correlation analysis showed significant correlations between NO2−-N and N2O, CO2 and soil temperature, and NH4+-N and NH3. The study suggests that HF of SDF with emitters buried at 0.15 m depth helps to keep high Chinese cabbage yield increases GHG emissions, but is not significant, and decreases NH3 volatilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato crop is grown worldwide and is considered a mass consumer product. In Ecuador, tomato growers face two major issues: water scarcity and water mismanagement, which cause a reduction in the framers' gross income and ecosystem services. This paper is aimed at finding an optimal irrigation scheduling in greenhouse tomato crop to achieve a balance among production, fruit quality and water use efficiency. Thus, two experiments were settled. In the first experiment, four water doses (80, 100, 120 and 140% ETc) and two irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day) were compared. The second experiment evaluated the two best water doses of the first one (100 and 120% ETc) and four irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day, one irrigation every two days, one irrigation every three days). Each experiment monitored the variables for tomato production (plant height, stem diameter, fruits per plant, yield) and tomato quality (pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity). The study concluded that water doses affected more than irrigation frequency to fruit quality and production. The dose of 100% ETc, applied in one irrigation per day, is suggested to obtain a balance between production, fruit quality and water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O desenvolvimento inicial das pitayas pode ser limitado por alguns fatores, entre eles a escassez de água. Os hidrogeis agrícolas podem ser usados como alternativa para aumentar a retenção ea disponibilidade de água e nutrientes no solo. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a frequência de irrigação e das doses de hidrogel no desenvolvimento de mudas de pitaya branca ( Hylocereus undatus ). Buscar estabelecer um intervalo de tempo em dias entre as irrigações que proporcionam o melhor desenvolvimento das mudas e determinar a dose de hidrogel que oferece uma redução do consumo de água sem prejudicar o desenvolvimento das mudas.O delineamento utilizado para blocos ao acaso (DBC) em esquema fatorial 4 x 4, em que os correspondam a 4 doses de hidrogel (0, 2, 4 e 6 g planta -1 de Biogel Hidro Plus) incorporado ao substrato e quatro frequências de irrigação (1, 3, 5 e 7 dias). Após 120 dias, foram tomadas como características biométricas, pigmentos fotossintéticos, solutos orgânicos e inorgânicos das plantas. O uso da irrigação diária influencia negativamente a maioria das variáveis analisadas das mudas de pitaya, que têm maior desenvolvimento quando se utiliza uma frequência de irrigação em torno de 3 dias. Para as condições de teste, uma aplicação de 6 g planta -1de hidrogel proporcionou como maiores médias para o acúmulo de biomassa seca, pigmentos fotossintéticos, solutos orgânicos e inorgânicos. Uma incorporação com o incremento de hidrogel o intervalo entre as irrigações em 1 dia sem prejuízo ao desenvolvimento das mudas.

The utilization of wastewater for agricultural irrigation has been widely accepted in China and other arid and semi-arid regions around the world. Effects of lateral depth and irrigation frequency on inorganic nitrogen yield and quality of Lactuca sativa var. augustana (asparagus lettuce) under drip irrigation with sewage effluent was examined in a solar-heated greenhouse in North China Plain amid two growing seasons of 2014 and 2015. Three pan coefficients of 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 and three lateral depths of 0, 10, and 20 cm were tested during the 2014 season. In contrast, three irrigation intervals of 4, 8, and 12 days and three lateral depths similar to the 2014 season were utilized in the 2015 season. The groundwater control experiment was applied for treatments with a pan coefficient of 0.8 (2014) and irrigation intervals of 8 days (2015). A higher irrigation frequency increased the yield of asparagus lettuce, while a lower frequency was favorable to the quality parameters of vitamin C and soluble sugar. Generally, compared with surface drip irrigation, subsurface drip irrigation increased inorganic nitrogen distribution in the subsurface soil layer, and also increased the yield, vitamin C, and soluble sugar of asparagus lettuce. When asparagus lettuce was buried laterally 10 cm below the soil surface, highest yield was observed. Sewage irrigation increases the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil, and asparagus lettuce yield is higher compared to groundwater irrigation. Additionally, compared with groundwater irrigation, no destructive effect of sewage irrigation on the quality of asparagus lettuce was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soilless culture systems are currently one of the fastest-growing sectors in horticulture. The plant roots are confined into a specific rootzone and are exposed to environmental changes and cultivation factors. The recent scientific evidence regarding the effects of several environmental and cultivation factors on the morphology, architecture, and performance of the root system of plants grown in SCS are the objectives of this study. The effect of root restriction, nutrient solution, irrigation frequency, rootzone temperature, oxygenation, vapour pressure deficit, lighting, rootzone pH, root exudates, CO2, and beneficiary microorganisms on the functionality and performance of the root system are discussed. Overall, the main results of this review demonstrate that researchers have carried out great efforts in innovation to optimize SCS water and nutrients supply, proper temperature, and oxygen levels at the rootzone and effective plant-beneficiary microorganisms, while contributing to plant yields. Finally, this review analyses the new trends based on emerging technologies and various tools that might be exploited in a smart agriculture approach to improve root management in soilless cropping while procuring a deeper understanding of plant root-shoot communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of climate change, water availability has emerged as a pressing concern in agriculture, indicating the urgency to enhance irrigation management. Nevertheless, accurately quantifying irrigation schedules in diverse climates and soil textures remains a complex challenge. Here, a three-year irrigation experiment (2020–2022) of greenhouse tomato was conducted at three typical locations (Yulin, Yangling and Hanzhong) in northwest China. The irrigation schedules were determined by the cumulative evaporation (CE) measured from a 20 cm pan. A total nine treatments were set by combining three irrigation frequencies (IF) with three single doses (ID). Twenty indices related to tomato growth, photosynthesis, yield and water use, fruit quality, and environmental benefit were evaluated comprehensively by using TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) and GRA (grey relational analysis) methods of combining weights based on game theory. The results showed that the indicator with highest weight was yield, followed by crop water productivity and vitamin C. The optimal ranges of irrigation frequency (irrigation dose) were determined as follows: 10.00–11.08 mm (0.81–0.90 CE) in Yulin, 13.12–15.68 mm (0.77–0.89 CE) in Yangling, and 11.44–16.40 mm (0.67–0.77 CE) in Hanzhong, respectively. This study introduces a method applied to prioritize the key indicators for irrigation scheduling, providing a reference for optimizing irrigation practices in greenhouse tomato production and improving water management in agriculture. • Irrigation frequency and dose had significant effect on most of tomato indices. • The comprehensive evaluation model was used to optimize tomato irrigation schedules. • The evaluation model was established by integrating two methods of decision-making. • A more frequent irrigation with low dose was recommended in sandy loam soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the impacts of blended treated wastewater (TWW) reuse with freshwater (FW) and irrigation frequency on corn (Zea Maize L.) crop yield and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) soil content. The experiment comprised of three irrigation frequencies IF1: daily, IF2: every other day, and IF3: every 3 days; and five blended water treatments T100(100%TWW), T75(75%TWW and 25%FW), T50(50%TWW and 50%FW), T25(25%TWW and 75%FW), and T0(100%FW), in four replications. Results indicate that the significant effect of the irrigation frequency was mainly on corn grain yield and consequently crop yield. Crop yield increases as the ratio of TWW increased in the blended irrigation water, with the highest significant yield (58,036 kg/ha)by using pure TWW(T100) and the lowest yield (37,695 kg/ha) was obtained by using FW (T0). Regardless of the irrigation frequency, the highest soil NPK content was obtained by using pure TWW (T100), while the lowest NPK soil content was obtained by using FW treatment (T0). Available soil N, P and K contents in T100treatment using TWW were significantly higher than that in T0using FW by 50.4%, 62% and 53%, respectively. Thus, the use of TWW in agricultural irrigation could provide a good balance of plant nutrients which can markedly increase crop yield and reduced the need for expensive commercial fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural practices such as water and N management can contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Fertigation frequency and level are the two most important factors of irrigation scheduling. Proper irrigation management can establish moderate moist conditions throughout the crop growth period in the root zone and reduce GHG emissions and NH3 volatilization. The main objective was to evaluate the possibility of reducing soil N2O and CO2 emissions and NH3 volatilization without crop yield reduction by manipulating the subsurface-drip fertigation (SDF) frequency and level. An experiment was carried out adopting three SDF frequencies, High-Frequency (7-day, HF), Medium-Frequency (8-day, MF), and Low-Frequency (10-day fertigation intervals, LF), and two irrigation levels, 80% (I80) and 70% (I70) of amount in farmer’s common practice (1500 m3 ha−1). Urea, N > 46.2% at the rate of 90% of traditional fertilization level (270 Kg N ha−1) was injected with irrigation water. Results indicated that soil N2O, CO2, NO3−-N, NO2−-N, and water-filled pore space increased with fertigation frequency and an opposite pattern for NH4+-N and NH3. HF significantly (p < 0.05) increased crop yield by 45.1% and 49.2% compared to LF, under I80 and I70 levels, respectively. At the same irrigation level, HF was the optimum management practice. Person correlation analysis showed significant correlations between NO2−-N and N2O, CO2 and soil temperature, and NH4+-N and NH3. The study suggests that HF of SDF with emitters buried at 0.15 m depth helps to keep high Chinese cabbage yield increases GHG emissions, but is not significant, and decreases NH3 volatilization.

Tomato crop is grown worldwide and is considered a mass consumer product. In Ecuador, tomato growers face two major issues: water scarcity and water mismanagement, which cause a reduction in the framers’ gross income and ecosystem services. This paper is aimed at finding an optimal irrigation scheduling in greenhouse tomato crop to achieve a balance among production, fruit quality and water use efficiency. Thus, two experiments were settled. In the first experiment, four water doses (80, 100, 120 and 140% ETc) and two irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day) were compared. The second experiment evaluated the two best water doses of the first one (100 and 120% ETc) and four irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day, one irrigation every two days, one irrigation every three days). Each experiment monitored the variables for tomato production (plant height, stem diameter, fruits per plant, yield) and tomato quality (pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity). The study concluded that water doses affected more than irrigation frequency to fruit quality and production. The dose of 100% ETc, applied in one irrigation per day, is suggested to obtain a balance between production, fruit quality and water use efficiency.

In this research, a rule-based expert system named EFSIS-ES (Engineering Factors of Sprinkler Irrigation System -Expert System) had been built, verified and validated. Therefore, the aims of this research were to build, verify and validate an expert system for making a decision for the normal user to maximize system efficiency of sprinkler irrigation. The inputs data included location data, climate data, pump data, crop data, soil data and sprinkler system data. The outputs of the expert system were number of the sprinklers on a lateral, number of laterals in the irrigation system, length of each lateral, main line length, irrigation frequency, required pump power, total dynamic head (TDH) and pump discharge output. Results showed high correlation (R² = 0.9927) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet in regard to irrigation frequency. It could be indicated high correlation (R² = 0.9999) between the EFSIS-ES program and the designed spreadsheet regarding pump power. The regression coefficient (R² ) was 0.9983 between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding total dynamic head (TDH). It could be indicated high correlation (R² = 0.9979) between EFSIS-ES program and SSSDPS Expert regarding pump discharge output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-plot field trials monitored the effect of drip irrigation of potatoes on tuber and starch yield. The trials were performed at two different localities in two trial years, 2016 and 2017. The subject of the evaluation included two cultivars with different vegetation periods (the very early cv. Monika and the semi-early cv. Jolana). Four repeated trials studied 4 irrigation treatments according to the available water capacity (AWC) of the soil, i.e. without irrigation, irrigation when soil humidity decreased below 60, 65 and below 70% AWC. All monitored parameters reflected a positive effect of irrigation in comparison to the non-irrigated control. The Žabčice locality showed the highest tuber and starch yields mostly after medium-intensity irrigation. The Valečov locality achieved the highest tuber and starch yields after the highest-intensity irrigation. Subject to the locality and the cultivar, the recommendation is to introduce automatic irrigation start when the soil humidity drops to 65% AWC for heavy soils and 70% AWC for medium heavy soils.

To evaluate the effects of using various levels of superabsorbent and irrigation regimes on yields of Capparis spinosa plant an experiment was performed based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in the Research Field of Emamzadeh Jaafar Gachsaran in 2015. The main factor consisted of three irrigation regimes (once in a month, once every two months, and no irrigation) and a sub-factor at four levels of superabsorbent by Tarawat A200 applications (no superabsorbent, 75, 150, and 225 g/plant). Results revealed that the highest number of branches, collar diameter, height, and chlorophyll belonged to the plants irrigated every two months with 150 g superabsorbent and the highest value of carotenoids was observed in control plants. The highest plant survival rate was observed in 225 g/plant superabsorbent treatment alone. Irrigation levels had positive effects on the morphological characteristics of the plant so that the irrigation level of once every two months had more yield than the other levels. Findings suggest that the application of superabsorbent material in dry land condition could increase the yield by mitigating the effects of the drought stress.

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Water and nitrogen (N) are two of the most important inputs for high maize yields. An experiment was carried out in random group design to study the effects of irrigation amount and frequency on NO3--N distribution and crop water use efficiency in maize field under film-hole irrigation in 2012 and 2013 and compare and analyze water consumption between film-hole and border irrigation. There were three irrigation amount treatments, which were 37.48mm, 52.47mm and 67.47mm, and three irrigation frequency, which were 3,4,5 frequencies during the planting period under film-hole irrigation. In addition, there was also a border irrigation treatment with 67.47mm and 5 irrigation frequencies as control group. The research results showed that, NO3--N concentration in 80-100cm soil layers increased with irrigation water increase especially in maize jointing and heading stage under the same irrigation frequency. And NO3--N concentration peak of 5 irrigation frequencies appeared at 50cm soil layers, however, that of 3 and 4 irrigation frequencies appeared at 40cm soil layers. Moreover, film-hole irrigation can transform soil ineffective evaporation into effective crops transpiration and improve crop production efficiency as compared with border irrigation. To summarize, taking maize yield, crop water use efficiency and economic benefit of water using into consideration, one-time irrigation amount of 52.47mm and 4 irrigation frequencies are recommended to be used in film-hole irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current rapid increase in irrigation water consumption is considered unsustainable and threatens the world food production. Therefore, it is mandatory to promote modern techniques and to manage existing conventional irrigation methods. The present study was attempted to determine the effects of different irrigation frequencies and rice straw incorporation rates on yield and water productivity of the wheat crop. The experiment was arranged with randomize complete block design involving nine treatments (RS0I7, RS0I15, RS0I22, RS1I7, RS1I15, RS1I22, RS2I7, RS2I15 and RS2I22) under three replications. Results exposed that the incorporation of rice straw with different irrigation frequencies significantly improved physico-chemical properties of soil. Moreover, soil bulk density, infiltration rate, pH, electrical conductivity significantly decreased and soil porosity significantly increased under all treatments. Furthermore, maximum crop yield and crop water productivity of 7706.4 kg/hm2 and 1.92 kg/m3 respectively were found under RS1I15 treatment. Based on experimental results it can be concluded that irrigation frequency and incorporation of rice straw had significant effects on the physico-chemical properties of soil, total grain yield and water productivity of the wheat crop. However, this study suggested that the wheat crop yield and water productivity could be increased by incorporating 1 t/hm2 rice straw with 15 d of irrigation frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soilless culture systems are currently one of the fastest-growing sectors in horticulture. The plant roots are confined into a specific rootzone and are exposed to environmental changes and cultivation factors. The recent scientific evidence regarding the effects of several environmental and cultivation factors on the morphology, architecture, and performance of the root system of plants grown in SCS are the objectives of this study. The effect of root restriction, nutrient solution, irrigation frequency, rootzone temperature, oxygenation, vapour pressure deficit, lighting, rootzone pH, root exudates, CO2, and beneficiary microorganisms on the functionality and performance of the root system are discussed. Overall, the main results of this review demonstrate that researchers have carried out great efforts in innovation to optimize SCS water and nutrients supply, proper temperature, and oxygen levels at the rootzone and effective plant–beneficiary microorganisms, while contributing to plant yields. Finally, this review analyses the new trends based on emerging technologies and various tools that might be exploited in a smart agriculture approach to improve root management in soilless cropping while procuring a deeper understanding of plant root–shoot communication.

Purpose: It is difficult to leach salt into the deep layers of saline or sodic soils due to their poor permeability. The frequency of irrigation is a major factor affecting salt-leaching efficiency. Since biochar amendments are known to improve soil permeability, they may affect salt-leaching efficiency indirectly. Here, we investigated whether the increase of irrigation frequency could improve the rate of water and salt migration in biochar-amended coastal saline soil. Materials and methods: The effects of biochar amendment on the dynamics of water and salt migration in a coastal saline soil from the Yellow River Delta were monitored through soil column leaching experiments. Three different biochar levels were applied at 0% (control), 1%, and 5% (w/w), while the same irrigation amount was applied in two modes: continuous and intermittent. Results and discussion: The total duration of intermittent irrigation water vertical infiltration exceeded that of continuous irrigation. The 5% biochar treatment significantly increased the average water content in the soil profile compared with the control treatment lacking biochar. By contrast, increasing the irrigation frequency reduced the average water content in the soil profile (25.4–29.5%) when compared with continuous irrigation (27.7–31.8%). Electrical conductivity increased by 31.9–64.1% at the 60-cm soil depth for all biochar treatments under intermittent irrigation when compared with continuous irrigation. Under continuous irrigation, the 5% biochar treatment showed the earliest desalinization effect, maintaining the lowest peak value of soil salt across the different soil depths tested. Under intermittent irrigation, soil salt always peaked following each irrigation event, with its lowest peak value provided by the 5% biochar treatment at depths of 30, 45, and 60 cm (but not at 10 cm). Conclusions: Applying an intermittent irrigation to planted crops coupled to a higher biochar amendment (e.g., 5%) may improve salt-leaching efficiency in coastal saline soils. Future empirical studies are required to verify these conclusions under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The optimal irrigation schedules of peanut in the Eastern Mediterranean part of Turkey were obtained. • Full drip irrigation produces higher peanut yields compared to deficit drip irrigation. • The ET – yield relations and irrigation – yield relations and yield response factor (ky) of peanut were estimated. • PRD was predominant to traditional deficit irrigation with the similar water application. • Water stress results in higher disease rate of peanut. • High significant differences determined yield, WP and IWP and LAI for the treatments in both years. This study aimed at examining the effects of different irrigation regimes (amount and frequency) on yield, water use, water productivity (WP), irrigation water productivity (IWP) and disease rate of drip irrigated peanut (Arachis hypogaea) during the 2014 and 2015 seasons in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. The treatments consisted of combinations of 3 irrigation frequencies (IF) (IF 1 : 25 mm; IF 2 : 50 mm; IF 3 : 75 mm of cumulative pan evaporation (CPE)), and 7 irrigation water levels (WL 1 = 0.50, WL 2 = 0.75, WL 3 = 1.00 and WL 4 = 1.25). WL 1 , WL 2 , WL 3 and WL 4 treatments received 50, 75, 100 and 125 of CPE. In addition, partial root drying (PRD) treatments WL 5 = PRD 50 , WL 6 = PRD 75 and WL 7 = PRD 100 treatments were considered. They received 50, 75 and 100% of WL 3 treatment from alternate laterals, respectively These 21 treatment combinations were arranged and analysed in a split-plot design with 4 replications. The main plots and subplots were established to irrigation frequencies (IF 1 , IF 2 and IF 3) and levels (WL 1 , WL 2 , WL 3 , WL 4 , WL 5 , WL 6 and WL 7). Both IF and WL were observed to have significantly influenced peanut yields at 1% level. In each of the experimental years, the largest and the smallest average peanut yields were acquired from the IF 2 WL 4 and IF 3 WL 1 treatments, respectively. Results indicated that peanut crops under PRD produced higher than those under deficit irrigation upon usage of the same volume of water amount. Significant linear relationships between irrigation – yield and evapotranspiration – yield were obtained during different irrigation frequencies in each season. The yield response factor (ky) was 0.58–0.65 in IF 1 , 0.65–0.70 in IF 2 and 0.90–0.91 in IF 3 plots in both years. Water stress raised the disease emergence in peanut markedly in the experimental years. The WP and IWP of PRD peanut were significantly greater than full irrigation and deficit irrigation (DI) treatments in both growing seasons, which demonstrated that limiting water did not reduce WP values. We conclude that DI treatments resulted in importantly lower WP (p ≤ 0.05) than PRD treatments in both years in spite of applying the same volume of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Daily irrigation frequency produced the highest corn yield and yield components under drip irrigation. • Corn should be fertilized at N:P:K = 250:125:125 kg/ha, to produce economical production. • SALTMED model is reliable tool to perform simulations accurately under different fertigation options. Crop and water productivity can be improved by growing crops under drip irrigation coupled with balanced fertigation and adequate irrigation scheduling. A two year study was conducted to investigate corn productivity under different irrigation frequencies (DIF: daily irrigation frequency, 3DIF: 3rd day irrigation frequency and 5DIF: 5th day irrigation frequency) and fertigation rates [100RDF: 100% RDF (recommended dose of fertigation), 75RDF: 75% RDF and 50RDF: 50% RDF]. The results showed that DIF coupled with 100RDF produced the highest PLH:plant height (195.96 cm), DMW:dry matter weight (18.78 t/ha), GY:grain yield (9.98 t/ha), WP:water productivity (1.78 kg/m3) and net profit (US$/ha. 1070). Treatments under drip irrigation saved 48% irrigation water with an average irrigation depth of 556 mm in comparison to 1063 mm under ridge sowing. The SALTMED model simulations showed good performance with root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 0.007 to 0.012 for soil moisture and 0.305 to 0.376 for soil salinity; coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 0.802 to 0.864 for soil moisture and 0.828 to 0.875 for soil salinity; and coefficient of residual mass (CRM) ranged from −0.028 to 0.024 for soil moisture and 0.054 to 0.242 for soil salinity. The highest percentage of difference (%D) between observed and simulated values for DMW and GY was 2.56% and 19.65%, respectively. The RMSE, R2 and CRM were found as 0.513, 0.831 and −0.013, respectively for DMW and 0.606, 0.899 and −0.028, respectively for GY. The scenario simulation showed that DMW and GY increased 2.9% and 1.6%, respectively with increase in RDF from 100% RDF to 125% RDF that reduced net profit upto 11.6%. Based on these findings, it is recommended that drip irrigation should be operated on a daily basis coupled with 100RDF for economical corn production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]