Climate change impacts on irrigation water requirements in the Guadalquivir river basin in Spain

Irrigated production in the Guadalquivir river basin in Spain has grown significantly over the last decade. As a consequence, water resources are under severe pressure, with an increasing deficit between available supplies and water demand. To conserve supplies, the water authority has reduced the volume of water assigned to each irrigation district. Major infrastructural investments have also been made to improve irrigation efficiency, including the adoption of high technology micro-irrigation systems. Within a context of increasing water scarcity, climate change threatens to exacerbate the current supply-demand imbalance. In this study, the impacts of climate change on irrigation water demand have been modelled and mapped. Using a combination of crop and geographic information systems, maps showing the predicted spatial impacts of changes in agroclimate (climate variables that determine the irrigation requirements) and irrigation need have been produced. The maps highlight a significant predicted increase in aridity and irrigation need. Modelling of irrigation water requirements shows a typical increase of between 15 and 20% in seasonal irrigation need by the 2050s, depending on location and cropping pattern, coupled with changes in seasonal timing of demand.     

Perception on untreated wastewater irrigation for vegetable production in Ghana

Using household-level survey data, this study investigates farmers’ perceptions on untreated wastewater use for irrigation of vegetable farms in urban and peri-urban Kumasi of Ghana. Empirical results from an ordered probit model show that there is some relationship between personal characteristics of farmers such as age, education and gender, and perceptions of farmers on health-related risks of untreated wastewater use for irrigation. Policy efforts should be geared toward updating the knowledge, skills and attitudes of producers through frequent training and workshops so that wastewater irrigation farmers in Ghana would better appreciate health-related risks of waster irrigation and how to adopt risk mitigating strategies. Further research for a more in-depth analysis on those relationships in the short-term with immediate emphasis on improving adoption of safer irrigation technologies among wastewater irrigation farmers is recommended.     

参与式灌溉管理对农户用水行为的影响

参与式灌溉管理的核心在于保障农业高效、公平用水和农业灌溉的可持续发展.本文通过对甘肃省张掖灌区用水户协会参与灌溉管理制度对农户用水行为影响的实证分析结果表明,用水户协会的成立、排灌系统的完善、农业生产结构的调整和水权市场的建立等因素,在一定程度上提高了农户灌溉水的利用效率,缓解了张掖灌区水资源短缺的局面.然而,由于当前用水者协会"自上而下"的行政管理导致用水户在灌溉管理中并不具有真正的发言权和决策权,用水户对灌溉管理的民主参与并没有达到节约用水的目标.为此,我国应建立完善用水户参与灌溉管理的激励机制和灌溉管理中的民主决策机制,使协会成员真正参与到灌溉工程的建管、灌溉水价的制定和剩余水权的流转和分配中来,保证农户通过参与灌溉管理获得更为可观的效益,是我国未来用水户协会灌溉管理制度改革的一项重要内容.     

Reallocating water from canal irrigation for environmental flows: benefits forgone in the Upper Ganga Basin in India

This paper assesses the potential loss of irrigation benefits in reallocating water from irrigation to meet requirements for environmental flows (e-flows) in the Upper Ganga Basin (UGB) in northern India. The minimum requirement for e-flows in the UGB is 32 billion cubic meters (BCM), or 42 % of the mean annual runoff. The current runoff during the low-flow months falls below the minimum requirement for e-flows by 5.1 BCM. Depending on irrigation efficiency, reallocation of 41–51 % of the water from canal irrigation withdrawals can meet this deficit in minimum e-flows. The marginal productivity of canal irrigation consumptive water use (CWU), estimated from a panel regression with data from 32 districts from 1991 to 2004, assesses the potential loss of benefits in diverting water away from crop production. In the UGB, canal irrigation contributes to only 8 % of the total CWU of 56 BCM, and the marginal productivity of canal irrigation CWU across districts is also very low, with a median of 0.03 USD/m³. Therefore, at present, the loss of benefits is only 1.2–1.6 % of the gross value of crop production. This loss of benefits can be overcome with an increase in irrigation efficiency or marginal productivity.     

Climate change and village adaptation impact on reliability of irrigation wells in China

This paper builds a water supply reliability econometric model to analyze climate changes and adaptation impact factors on water supply reliability of irrigation wells by using 100 villages’ three-year (2010–2012) field survey data of five middle and eastern provinces of China. The results show that long-run climate change factors, adaptation measures, village-level organizations of irrigation management, as well as extreme climate factors affect the water supply reliability of irrigation wells significantly. Meanwhile, there are significant differences impacting different crops and provinces. This paper suggests that agriculture meteorological disaster monitoring and warning systems should be strengthened by increasing irrigation facilities construction and maintenance, promoting reform of agricultural irrigation water management system, and developing various forms of peasant cooperation organization in order to improve agricultural production capacity to adapt to climate change.     

Improvement in irrigation water use efficiency: a strategy for climate change adaptation and sustainable development of Vietnamese tea production

Irrigation is indispensable to overcome insufficient rainfall and to achieve a stabilized yield for tea production. As the severe scarcity of water resources because of climate change, water conservation through efficient irrigation has turned into a vital strategy for tea sector in solving this rising challenge. This paper analyzes irrigation water use efficiency of small-scale tea farms in Vietnam and identifies its determinants applying stochastic frontier analysis. Results showed that under decreasing returns to scale, the mean irrigation water use efficiency was 42.19 %, indicating the existence of substantial water waste. If farmers become more efficient in using water, saving 57.81 % of irrigation water is possible unaccompanied by reducing the observed output. The factors affecting tea farms’ irrigation water use efficiency were investigated by Tobit model. Gender, water shortage awareness, soil and water conservation practice, off-farm income share, extension services access and well water utilization showed significant influence on the efficiency of irrigation water. The study’ results provide insights to policymakers in implementing better water resource management amid climate change.     

农村水利供给的非均衡性与治理制度创新

通过对湖北农田水利供给的非均衡性分析。探寻农田水利供给困境的根源。研究表明：农田水利的集体供给体制越来越难以维系。农户自我供给制加速了集体供给制的衰退；受制度环境．合伙互助供给制只局限于狭小的范围内；农户合作供给行为因制度短缺和资源禀赋约束而难以发展壮大。最后．文章力图提出适宜的农田水利供给制度创新思路。     

向家坝灌区水温改善措施效果研究

水温是影响灌区农作物灌溉效果的重要因素。为明确特定水库取水口低温水对灌区灌溉的影响程度及多种低温水减缓措施的改善增温效果,以向家坝灌区北总干渠一期工程为研究对象,采用纵向一维水温数学模型,定量分析并研究低温水减缓措施对灌区水温的改善效果。结果表明:与向家坝坝址处的天然水温相比,单库运行时(建坝近期)向家坝灌区部分渠道最大降幅可达2.1℃,梯级电站联合运行后(建坝远期)最大降幅可达3.1℃,建坝远期的低温水效应大于近期运行时的低温水效应。距取水口最近的柏溪斗渠4月灌溉水温降幅可达3.1℃,而较远处的两木斗渠4月份灌溉水温降幅为1.3℃,灌溉水温的降幅随灌渠离取水口距离的增加而减小,向家坝北总干渠前38 km低温水效应较显著, 38 km以外渠道受低温水影响较小。取水口设置叠梁门分层取水措施与灌区设置晒水池增温措施具有相近的增温效果,4月增温效果约为0.4℃～0.9℃。采用已建塘坝、窖池等小水利设施辅助晒水池进行晒水增温对低温水具有显著的改善效果,4月增温幅度约为1.3℃～1.7℃。研究成果可为湖库管理部门制定近期及远期运行方案提供决策依据。     

风险规避、社会学习对农户现代灌溉技术采纳行为的影响——基于Heckman样本选择模型的实证分析

将社会学习引入现代农业技术采纳问题研究,既是对传统技术采纳与推广理论研究范式的拓展,也是理解农户技术采纳动态过程的关键.基于甘肃省张掖市498户农户微观数据,在用实验经济学方法测度农户风险规避程度的基础上,运用Heckman样本选择模型进行实证分析,探索风险规避、社会学习对农户现代灌溉技术采纳决策及采纳程度的影响,并引人交互项检验社会学习对风险规避的缓解效应.结果表明:(1)采纳现代灌溉技术的农户占样本总农户的比例为66.06％,这其中,样本户的平均采纳程度为47.26％.(2)风险规避、社会学习对农户现代灌溉技术采纳决策与采纳程度均有显著影响,农户风险规避程度越高,其采纳现代灌溉技术的可能性越低;社会学习能显著提升农户现代灌溉技术采纳决策与采纳程度.(3)从社会学习各维度的影响来看,相互学习对农户现代灌溉技术采纳决策及采纳程度均有显著正影响,学习他人对农户现代灌溉技术采纳决策及采纳程度有影响,但不显著.(4)社会学习有助于缓解风险规避对农户现代灌溉技术采纳行为的抑制作用.     

Transfer of 137Cs and 60Co from irrigation water to a soil-tomato plant system

An experiment has been performed at the nuclear power plant of Garigliano (Caserta, Italy), aiming at the measurement of transfer factors of 137Cs and 60Co radionuclides from the irrigation water to a soil-plant system, with particular attention to the influence on such transfers of the irrigation technique (ground or aerial). Tomato plants were irrigated weekly with water contaminated with 137Cs and 60Co (about 375 Bq/m2 week), using both irrigation techniques. After 13 weeks, fruits, leaves, stems, roots and soil were sampled, and radionuclide concentrations were measured by high-resolution gamma spectroscopy. It was found that the activity allocated to the plant organs is significantly dependent upon the irrigation technique, amounting to 2.1% and 1.6% of the activity given in the cultivation for aerial treatment and 0.4% and 0.3% for the ground treatment, for 137Cs and 60Co respectively. The activity absorbed by plants is allocated mainly in leaves (> 55%), while less then 10% is stored in the fruits, for both irrigation techniques. Transfer factors (soil-plant and irrigation water-plant) of tomato plants and of weeds have been determined for 137Cs and 60Co, as well as for natural 40K in the soil.     

中国东南亚热带小流域混合农业区水文过程的实验研究(简报)

1ScopeIn the Sun Jia Catchment several gauging in-stallations are carefully put up to elucidate the hy-drology and the matter fluxes through the catch-ment.At present,it is already possible to quantifydistinct spatial differences in principal water flu-xes.The setup bears the potential to further deep-en the understanding of the small scale processesinvolved in lateral water fluxes and soil erosion.Multi-point monitoring of soil water potentials atvarious soil depths together with hydrograph…     

Investigation of a ponding irrigation system to recycle agricultural wastewater

This article presents the results of natural carrying capacity of ponding irrigation system in Taoyuan agricultural zone, Taiwan. Both the systematic water quality and the ponding effects were examined. The ponding irrigation system included a flow channel and storage ponds. The data showed that most water characteristics deteriorated gradually from upper- to down-stream in the flow channel and the flow channel was not attributed to any self-purification in agricultural returning water practically. On the other hand, the results of storage ponds indicated that they can provide a natural treatment (i.e., the outlet water quality of the ponds is more desirable than that of the inlet). Consequently, the ponding irrigation system offers the natural self-purification in ponds to reuse and recycle the returning agricultural wastewater and to extend the irrigation capacity and efficiency.     

Impact of climatic conditions on irrigation water requirements and hydraulic characteristics of modern irrigation systems

Irrigation system performance regards as a function of climatic conditions. The present study was carried out to study this phenomenon. Sugar beet and sesame corps were cultivated during two agricultural seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 irrigated with drip and sprinkler systems. The drip and sprinkler systems performance was evaluated in terms of hydraulic characteristics added to irrigation water requirements. The recorded monthly values were compared to the traditional estimation method. The results revealed that irrigation system efficiency was increased by increasing ambient temperature for the drip irrigation system, and vice versa was noticed with the sprinkler irrigation system. Emission uniformity and application efficiency of emitters were increased by increasing ambient temperature. While the sprinkler flow rate and distribution uniformity were decreased by increasing ambient temperature. For drip irrigation system, the average total amount of irrigation water requirements using traditional estimation for sugar beet (2372 m³/fed) was less than the actual calculated (2439 m³/fed), while for sesame crop, the traditional estimation method (2556 m³/fed) was higher than actual calculated (2477 m³/fed). Using a sprinkler system, the average total amount of irrigation water requirements by the traditional estimation (2689 and 2897 m³/fed) was less than the actual calculated (2709 and 3044 m³/fed) for sugar beet and sesame crops, respectively. So, it is important to consider the effects of climatic conditions through the agricultural season.

     

Impacts of sewage irrigation on heavy metal distribution and contamination in Beijing, China

A potential hazard to Beijing was revealed due to the accumulation trend of heavy metals in agricultural soils with sewage irrigation, which results in metal contamination and human exposure risk. Samples including soils and plants were collected to assess the impacts of sewage irrigation on the irrigated farming area of Beijing. Concentrations of the five elements Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb were determined in samples to calculate the accumulation factor and to establish a basis for environmental protection and the suitability of sewage irrigation for particular land use in the urban-rural interaction area of Beijing. Using reference values provided by the Beijing Background Research Cooperative Group in the 1970s, the pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF), and contamination factor (CF) of these metals were calculated. The pollution load indices (sewage irrigation land 3.49) of soils indicated that metal contamination occurred in these sites. The metal enrichment (EF of Cd 1.8, Cr 1.7, Cu 2.3, Zn 2.0, Pb 1.9) and the metal contamination (CF of Cd 2.6, Cr 1.5, Cu 2.0, Zn 1.7, Pb 1.6) showed that the accumulation trend of the five toxic metals increased during the sewage irrigation as compared with the lower reference values than other region in China and world average, and that pollution with Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb was exacerbated in soils. The distributions of these metals were homogeneous in the irrigation area, but small-scale heterogeneous spatial distribution was observed. Irrigation sources were found to affect heavy metal distributions in soils. It was suggested that heavy metal transfer from soils to plants was a key pathway to human health exposure to metal contamination. However, with the expansion of urban areas in Beijing, soil inhalation and ingestion may become important pathways of human exposure to metal contamination.     

Perceptions of using low-quality irrigation water in vegetable production in Morogoro,Tanzania

This study was conducted to examine perceptions of the farmers and key informants on the use of low-quality irrigation water for vegetable production in urban and peri-urban areas in Morogoro, Tanzania. The methods used to collect data were farmer surveys (n = 60), focus group discussions (n = 4) and key informants interviews (n = 15). The results showed that the respondents had a positive perception on using low-quality irrigation water for vegetable production. The reported benefits include availability of water throughout the year, highest soil and crop nutrients in irrigation water, less costs of buying commercial fertilizers, vegetable production all year round, sustainable income generation from selling vegetables and also jobs creation in the community among farmers and vegetable sellers. Findings from Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test score on farmers perception scales indicate an association between the source of low-quality water used and the respondents’ sex. Accordingly, female farmers had higher positive perception on the benefits of low-quality water compared to male farmers. Higher perception score was also observed among farmers who used polluted river water in irrigation vegetable production compared to farmers who used wastewater. Since low-quality irrigation water is a good strategy of coping with scarcity of freshwater for communities which have no alternative source of irrigation water, the study recommends multi-sectorial agencies across the country to be involved in formulating policies and creating health promotion awareness for safe use of low-quality water for benefit maximization and health risk reduction.     

Opportunity to restore irrigation tanks in the Cauvery delta by mining and deepening

Delta region of the Cauvery river in India is well known for paddy cultivation for centuries. Due to increased competition on river water sharing over the past century, availability and reliability of water in this region is dwindling. Changes in management practices, which caused the deterioration of traditional tank (relatively small reservoir) irrigation systems, and the difficulties in reviving them are discussed. Increasing the storage capacity of irrigation tanks for augmenting water availability for irrigation is discussed in detail. Managing the huge cost involved in deepening the heavily silted tanks in a sustainable manner is suggested through allowing mining activities in the tanks. Sample study on the suitability of soil for commercial uses indicates the possibility of mining in the tanks.     

Assessment of irrigation system sustainability using the Theil–Sen estimator of slope of time series

Agriculture, especially the irrigated sector, is the mainstay of Sudan’s economy as it accounts for 40 % of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 70 % of the workforce. The economic viability of irrigated schemes is dependent on three factors: crop yield, water management and cropped area. The research question of this study was whether or not the current status of these factors can be sustained in order to maintain the economic viability of irrigation systems? To answer this question, a new (to the best of the author’s knowledge) approach was developed based on time series analysis, and on the Theil–Sen estimator of slope. The study defined sustainability conceptually as “the ability of an irrigation system to sustain crop yields using the optimum cropped area and water consumption to realize the economic viability of the irrigation system without a decline in soil quality and environment”. Time series datasets of crop yields, cropped area and irrigation water consumption are collected routinely by statistical departments. Any abrupt years in the development of trends were detected and related to their driving forces/causes, of which climatic conditions and marketing policies were found to be the most important. The simple approach developed proved its suitability for quantifying the progress of irrigated schemes’ towards sustainability development as tested under the conditions of Gezira irrigated scheme in Sudan—the largest singly managed irrigation scheme in the world. The scheme was found to be sustainable under the condition that the crop yield is considered as the top priority; otherwise, the sustainability of the scheme is jeopardized.     

不同水分管理模式对水稻生长及光合特性的影响

模拟不同地区、地形水资源状况的多样性,设置4个不同的水分灌溉处理,研究不同水分管理模式对水稻生长及光合特性的影响。结果如下：天灌水稻受到干旱胁迫。天灌水稻分蘖少且成穗率低,叶片短而窄,比叶面积小,叶面积指数低,光合速率低,产量低下。湿灌可基本维持水稻的正常生长。湿灌水稻的成穗率较高,叶片较大,光合速率较高,有较高的产量水平。淹灌不利于水稻生长。淹灌水稻根系活力较低,叶片披垂率较高,光合速率低于湿灌。配灌水稻的叶片长而宽,叶面积指数高,光合速率最高,产量最高。荧光诱导结果表明天灌处理和湿灌处理的水稻热耗散较高,而配灌处理和淹灌处理的水稻是通过发出更多的荧光来释放过量的光能。〖     

信贷约束、社会资本与节水灌溉技术采用——以甘肃张掖为例

节水灌溉技术采用率低下已成为制约西北干旱地区农村经济可持续发展的关键。理论研究发现,信贷约束对具有资本密集型特质的节水灌溉技术采用产生影响,而社会资本对信贷约束具有一定的缓解作用。基于此,本文使用甘肃张掖483户农户调研数据,首先,将通过意愿调查法获得的农户金额约束、利率约束和期限约束数据资料表征农户信贷约束程度,并应用探索性因子分析法构建社会资本指数;其次,运用Probit模型实证分析信贷约束、社会资本对节水灌溉技术采用的影响;再次,分别引入社会资本与金额、利率和期限约束的交互项,检验社会资本对信贷约束的缓解效应;最后,通过稳健性检验与边际效应分析对实证结果和影响程度进行检验。结果发现:(1)信贷约束的三个维度——金额约束、利率约束和期限约束分别对节水灌溉技术采用行为具有显著的抑制作用,而社会资本对农户采用节水灌溉技术具有积极促进作用。金额约束每增加1万元,节水灌溉技术采用概率降低1.96%;利率约束每上升1%,采用概率下降0.77%;期限约束每延长1年,采用概率下降2.39%;农户社会资本每提高一个档次,采用概率提升21.04%。(2)社会资本通过民间借贷等形式,对技术采用过程中的金额与利率约束有显著的缓冲功能;受民间借贷期限不稳定等因素的影响,社会资本对期限约束的缓解效应并不明显。(3)户主年龄、受教育程度、所在村庄与乡镇的距离以及是否接受过技术推广服务均对节水灌溉技术采用行为有显著影响。     

四湖地区猕猴桃高效栽培模式与关键技术

针对地处四湖腹地的湖北省监利县果树资源利用率低及涝洼湿地的地理环境和生态条件 ,提出加快果树资源品种结构的调整 ,监北地势稍高 ,排灌方便的地方大力发展以猕猴桃为主的产业 ,同时利用架面下的行间土地套种蔬菜、瓜类作物、草莓、食用菌以及耐荫湿的中草药植物等立体生态农业的栽培模式 ,达到经济效益和生态效益的同步增长 ,与其相配套的栽培关键技术是采用地下通气排灌暗沟设施 ,重施有机质肥加磷肥 ;高畦壮苗定植 ;巧施追肥 ;适时排灌 ;树盘覆草保墒 ;人工辅助授粉和疏花疏果