Water management in developing countries policy and priorities for eu development cooperation. Indexes as water quality guidelines a water analysis, with the appropriate water quality guidelines, can be used to early identify if corrosion or scale forming will be a problem table 2 a d. High frequency irrigation in small amounts as in drip irrigation improves water availability and uptake due to microleaching effect in the wetted zone. Apr 12, 2018 poor quality irrigation water is not suitable for use in sprinkler method of irrigation. Quality of irrigation water and management of saline water for irrigation govardhan lodha enroll. The influence of water quality on crop production omnia.
Irrigated agriculture is dependent on an adequate water supply of usable quality. Define and enforce return water quality levels including monitoring. Thus, irrigated agriculture faces the challenge of using less water, in many cases of poorer quality, to provide food and fiber for an expanding population. Crops differ in their salt tolerance and respond differently to the quality of water with which they are irrigated. Expertise the influence of water quality on crop production. The poor quality ground waters occur extensively 3284% in the arid and. Farm water quality and treatment nsw department of. It was recommended that drip irrigation would be adopted where groundwater quality is marginal to poor quality to get high crop production and water use efficiency. Extremely clear water can signify very acidic conditions or high levels of salinity.
Shortage of fresh water resources andor poor quality of these resources would have outstanding impacts on. Therefore, it is important to study the effect of using irrigation water of poor quality in agriculture. The two waters can be pumped into a reservoir to mix and then be used for irrigation. Irrigation water quality refers to the kind and amount of salts present in the water and their effects on crop growth and development. Section 2 of 22 2h irrigation water quality sampling why sample. Fre quently, a poor quality water can be used for irrigation if better quality water is also available. Use the following information as a guideline to determine if a possible problem exists. The fulfilment of poor peoples water related needs is fundamental to the elimination of poverty. Corrosive irrigation water may lead to an early replacement of the nozzles. Among the most important are alkalinity, ph and soluble salts.
For example, the physical and mechanical properties of the soil, ex. The salt leaching rate and the annual salt outflow depends upon the quantity of water applied in excess of evapotranspiration each irrigation season. The challenge of the future will be to maintain or even increase water productivity with less water or with water with poor quality. Revised february 2010 water quality criteria for irrigation. Since most water is being used by the agricultural sector, irrigation can cause waterlogging and salinity. High levels of sodium in the water can cause soil particles aggregates to disperse and form crusts on the soil surface that impede the infiltration of water. An irrigation problem that is becoming increasingly more difficult to avoid is the presence of salts in the irrigation water, or salinity. When these soils are brought under irrigation, soluble salts are leached into the ground water. A special problem faced by some farmers practising irrigation is deterioration of equipment due to water induced corrosion or encrustation. The amount and characteristics of these dissolved salts depend on the source and. This problem is most serious for wells and pumps, but in some areas, a poor quality water may also damage irrigation equipment and canals. Principles and practices of irrigation management for vegetables 2 irrigation water quality criteria understanding irrigation water quality is critical for sustainability of vegetable production. Dec 27, 2016 both irrigation water quality and proper irrigation management are critical to successful crop production.
Sometimes one poor quality well can dramatically reduce the quality of a mixture. Regardless of its source, irrigation water contains some dissolved salts michael, 1985. To evaluate the quality of irrigation water, this standard has been prepared as a guideline. Management options and policy guidelines for use of poor quality. Effects of poor water quality water mission country. Water management in developing countries policy and. While a few aspects of irrigation water quality have a direct impact on plants, the primary goal of water analysis is to judge the effect of the water on the soil, and ultimately on the plants grown on the soil.
Salinity is not normally a threat where precipitation. Use of poor quality waters requires three changes from standard irrigation practices. Water quality for agriculture was first published in 1976 as irrigation and. A number of studies have indicated that the main water quality problems include nitrates, fluorides, chlorides, total dissolved solids tds and microbiological. Testing should also be done on irrigation water from ponds, reservoirs, streams or other surface water sources. To avoid problems when using these poor quality water supplies, there must. Effects of poor water quality on soils irrigated, fill the bottle directly from. Pnw 597e august 2007 managing irrigation water quality. Water containing a tds level of over 500 mgl is unsuitable for irrigation of many plants and. This soil is classified as sodic with an sar of because of the high adj sar in the water. Samples can be obtained by collecting water from a faucet near the pumping station after operating for 20 minutes or longer. The quality of the irrigation water may affect both crop yields and soil physical conditions, even if all other conditions and cultural practices are favorableoptimal. Effects of poor quality irrigation waters on the nutrient leaching and. But there are several other factors to consider, such as whether hard water salts such as calcium and magnesium or heavy metals that can clog irrigation systems or.
Although the end result salinity may vary according to the type of salts and climatic conditions. Water quality for crop production umass center for. Waterquality indices for specific water uses by jerry d. Knowing your water quality allows you to plan for water treatments to avoid problems such as poor plant growth, or blocked irrigation. Diarrhoeal disease alone amounts to an estimated 4.
Apart from water shortage, which is a result of of water infiltration problems, some other related problems might occur as well. As such, much of the interpretation of the water analysis is based on a prediction of the consequences for the soil. In addition, different crops require different irrigation water qualities. Section 2 of 22 2h irrigation water quality sampling. A summary of water quality parameters important for irrigation water sources. In some areas of florida, water quality impacts crop productivity more than soil fertility, pest and weed control, variety, and other factors. This happens when the water table rises close to the surface of the soil. Water from some sources may contain so much salt that it is unsuitable for irrigation because of potential danger to the soil or crops. As water evaporates, it condenses in the atmosphere and falls as rain. Table 1 critical values for salts in irrigation water for major crops.
Pdf irrigation with poor quality water researchgate. Guidelines are based upon fao handbook 29 and pace turf observations. Water used for irrigation can vary greatly in quality depending upon type and quality of dissolved salts. Contact the department of water affairs, your local department of agriculture offices, or universities doing groundwater or irrigation water analysis and other water testing labs. Water quality is a concern to everyone who uses water. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of prolonged use of. See table 1 for a list of analyses that should be included in a water sample for blueberry production. There are many factors which determine water quality. Water quality problems for downstream users caused by irrigation return flow quality. The suitability of water for irrigation depends on a variety of factors. Knowledge of the rate of decrease of nutrients from soils resulting from poor water quality application is essential for longterm planning of crop production while minimizing the impact on groundwater quality. Irrigation water quality can best be determined by chemical laboratory analysis. Other irrigation water quality problems 26 salinity. Supplies of good quality irrigation water are expected to decrease in the future because the development of new water supplies will not keep pace with the increasing water needs of industries and.
Salinity is not normally a threat where precipitation is the major source of saltfree water for crop production, since the percolating water flushes leaches soluble salts. Note that for each range of sar values, the potential for soil problems is related to the ecw of the. A canal water supply is available but will not meet the total crop water demand. Effects of poor water quality poor water quality continues to pose a major threat to human health. The as sessment for a specific water use is based on the availability of da set of limits for each water quality property selected, 2 a. There has been increasing use of poor quality irrigation water in the past decades due to the scarcity of fresh water resources. Although many of the basic concepts of salinity control and dealing with poor quality water remain the same, new data and experience have prompted us to revise the 1976 paper in order to keep the user uptodate. Water high in bicarbonates when evaporated usually leaves behind a white residue. Stoner abstract water quality indices were developed to assess waters for two specific uses public water supply and irrigation. In some cases, irrigation water quality can be a more important factor influencing crop yield than soil fertility, cultivar used, weed control, and other factors. Irrigation water quality criteria spectrum technologies. Irrigation slide 33 water quality degradation irrigation degrades water quality through discharge of excess or tail water into streams water erosion of sediments from irrigated fields leaching of contaminated water into aquifers agronomic impacts of degraded water quality limits reuse for irrigation decreases crop yields.
Most soils in arid regions contain significant quantities of water soluble salts. Water quality for agriculture food and agriculture organization. Figure 4f2 illustrates the onfarm hydrologic cycle for irrigated lands, and table 4f1 provides definitions of several terms associated with irrigation. Irrigation water quality standards and salinity management. Water quality for agriculture was first published in 1976 as irrigation and drainage paper 29. Interpreting irrigation water tests penn state extension. Irrigation water quality the water quality used for irrigation is essential for the yield and quantity of crops, maintenance of soil productivity, and protection of the environment. Effect of poor quality irrigation waters on the nutrient leaching and groundwater quality form sand soil article pdf available in environmental geology 536. Blending poor quality water with a less salty water. Irrigation water management soil water plant relationships effective and efficient irrigation begins with a basic understanding of the relationships among soil, water, and plants. Residues may collect on foliage, blocking sunlight and decreasing photosynthesis rates. Ppt irrigation water quality powerpoint presentation. Key irrigation water quality factors, and the likelihood low, medium or high that water with each factor will cause soil problems.
In irrigated agriculture, the hazard of salt water is a constant threat. It plays numerous and important roles, for example in the. The most damaging effects of poor quality irrigation water are excessive accumulation of soluble salts andor sodium in soil. The effects of irrigation water quality, temperature, and. Though high turbidity is often a sign of poor water quality and land management, crystal clear water does not always guarantee healthy water. Advanced and integrated approaches for crop tolerance to. Poor water quality can interfere with nutrient availability and uptake, worker health, and plant performance and yield. Knowing your water quality allows you to plan for water treatments to avoid problems such as poor plant growth, blocked irrigation or stock watering pipes, staining and other undesirable effects of poor water quality. Water quality criteria for irrigation university of nebraskalincoln.
Irrigation water guidelines interpretation of water quality for irrigation purposes is cropspecific. Problems with water quality may have a chemical basis for example, acidic or alkaline water or concentrations of certain elements or be of a. Test water quality before planting to determine whether the water is suitable for plant growth and production. Poor quality of water is one of the main factors turning good soil into saline or sodic. If plant health appears to be compromised, water quality should always be the first item to check off the troubleshooting list. Chapter 2 water quality this chapter was prepared by m. Sar sodium adsorption ratio is an irrigation water parameter, which is used to predict problems of water infiltration in soil. Pdf effect of poor quality irrigation waters on the. Besides affecting crop yield and soil physical conditions, irrigation water quality can affect fertility needs, irrigation system performance and longevity, and how the water can be applied. Any particular use will have certain requirements for the physical, chemical or. Indicators for calculating irrigation needs page 4 how to calculate raw page 6 measuring the water demand of a crop page 8 irrigation systems page11 climate smart irrigation page 16 water quality page 17 water stewardship page 19 water is essential for plantgrowth. Crops sprinkled with waters having excess quantities of specific ions such as na and cl cause leaf burn. Irrigation water with a high electrical conductivity will tend to have fewer problems with infiltration than a low ec water table 6. Apr 30, 2017 quality of irrigation water and management of saline water for irrigation govardhan lodha enroll.
Pdf effect of poor quality irrigation waters on the nutrient leaching. Water quality for agriculture food and agriculture organization of. This irrigation water is classified as poor because of the high adj sar of 4. Irrigation water salinity is a problem because there is a negative correlation between salt concentration in the soil solution and the rate of plant growth in the soil. Malkki water quality is a term used here to express the suitability of water to sustain various uses or processes. Water temperature needs to remain fairly constant so aquatic fauna can survive. The oklahoma state university water testing laboratory. Classification of irrigation water quality oklahoma state.
These irrigation water quality guidelines deal with irrigation water that includes brackish water, surface and ground water and blended water1 that can be used in unrestricted irrigation. The effect of irrigation water quality on soil properties. The impact of irrigation on ground water quality nwisrl. Faust, assistant professor ornamental horticulture and landscape design this publication is one of three in a series that covers the basics of developing a nutritional program for producing containergrown plants in greenhouses. Managing irrigation water quality for crop production in the pacific. Quality of irrigation water and soil characteristics of. Prevalence of problems listed in column 3 is based on 409 irrigation water supplies submitted to the penn state water testing laboratory between 2007 and 2014.
Irrigation water quality department of primary industries. Both irrigation water quality and proper irrigation management are critical to successful crop production. The canal supply could be blended with a poorer quality well water to the extent of 75% canal water and 25% well water. Therefore, knowledge of irrigation water quality is critical to understanding what. Good agricultural practice in irrigation management.
The quality of irrigation water might affect both crop yields and the physical condition of the soil, even if all other conditions and cultural practices are favorable. The sar of irrigation water indicates the approximate esp of a soil with water. Water quality determines plant health university of wyoming. Several salts dissolved in it, as universal solvent.
Many research projects have been conducted throughout the western united states in an attempt to determine the effects of irrigation water quality and irrigation practices on alfalfa, grass, pasture, and cereal crop production. Poor quality of irrigation water affects both soil quality and crop production adversely bello, 2001. Low quality irrigation water can adversely affect soil. Oster department of soil and environmental sciences, university of california, riverside, ca 92521, usa accepted 21 april 1994 abstract supplies of good quality irrigation water are expected to decrease in the future because the devel opment. Golf courses may also irrigate with captured rainwater or poor quality groundwater that is not suitable for drinking. Irrigation water quality for greenhouse production elizabeth will, graduate student james e. Quality of water for agricultural irrigation is critical to understanding management for longterm productivity. Stoner abstract waterquality indices were developed to assess waters for two specific uses public water supply and irrigation.
How to manage water in a specific situation can be both a practical and financial challenge. Both the quality of water for the irrigated crop and the water used to make chemical mixes must be analysed and monitored. Water quality for crop production irrigation water quality is a critical aspect of greenhouse crop production. The amount and characteristics of these dissolved salts depend on the source and chemical composition. Poor quality irrigation water is generally more concerning as the climate changes from humid to arid conditions. However, a number of trace elements are found in water which can limit its use for irrigation.
Principles and practices of irrigation management for. As such, much of the interpretation of the water analysis is based on a. In most irrigation situations, the primary water qual ity concern is salinity levels, since salts can affect both the soil struc ture and crop yield. Water quality problems and management in rural areas of.