(First edition: 1998, this reprint: 2004). This publication presents an updated procedure for calculating reference and crop evapotranspiration from meteorological data and crop coefficients. The procedure, first presented in FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 24, Crop water requirements, in 1977, allows estimation of the amount of water used by a crop, taking into account the effect of the climate and the crop characteristics. The publication incorporates advances in research and more accurate procedures for determining crop water use as recommended by a panel of high-level experts organised by FAO in May 1990. The first part of the guidelines includes procedures for determining reference crop evapotranspiration according to the FAO Penman-Monteith method. These are followed by updated procedures for estimating the evapotranspiration of different crops for different growth stages and ecological conditions.

Crop evapotranspiration : guidelines for computing crop water requirements

At present and more so in the future, irrigated agriculture will take place under water scarcity. Insufficient water supply for irrigation will be the norm rather than the exception, and irrigation management will shift from emphasizing production per unit area towards maximizing the production per unit of water consumed, the water productivity. To cope with scarce supplies, deficit irrigation, defined as the application of water below full crop-water requirements (evapotranspiration), is an important tool to achieve the goal of reducing irrigation water use. While deficit irrigation is widely practised over millions of hectares for a number of reasons—from inadequate network design to excessive irrigation expansion relative to catchment supplies—it has not received sufficient attention in research. Its use in reducing water consumption for biomass production, and for irrigation of annual and perennial crops is reviewed here. There is potential for improving water productivity in many field crops and there is sufficient information for defining the best deficit irrigation strategy for many situations. One conclusion is that the level of irrigation supply under deficit irrigation should be relatively high in most cases, one that permits achieving 60–100% of full evapotranspiration. Several cases on the successful use of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) in fruit trees and vines are reviewed, showing that RDI not only increases water productivity, but also farmers’ profits. Research linking the physiological basis of these responses to the design of RDI strategies is likely to have a significant impact in increasing its adoption in water-limited areas.

Deficit irrigation for reducing agricultural water use

Irrigation management under water scarcity

A . K H A L I D , M . A R S H A D A N D Z . A . Z A H I R . 2004. Aims: Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are commonly used as inoculants for improving the growth and yield of agricultural crops, however screening for the selection of effective PGPR strains is very critical. This study focuses on the screening of effective PGPR strains on the basis of their potential for in vitro auxin production and plant growth promoting activity under gnotobiotic conditions. Methods and Results: A large number of bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of wheat plants grown at different sites. Thirty isolates showing prolific growth on agar medium were selected and evaluated for their potential to produce auxins in vitro. Colorimetric analysis showed variable amount of auxins (ranging from 1AE 1t o 12AE 1m g l )1 ) produced by the rhizobacteria in vitro and amendment of the culture media with L-tryptophan (L-TRP), further stimulated auxin biosynthesis (ranging from 1AE 8t o 24AE 8m g l )1 ). HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of indole acetic acid (IAA) and indole acetamide (IAM) as the major auxins in the culture filtrates of these rhizobacteria. A series of laboratory experiments conducted on two cv. of wheat under gnotobiotic (axenic) conditions demonstrated increases in root elongation (up to 17AE3%), root dry weight (up to 13AE5%), shoot elongation (up to 37AE7%) and shoot dry weight (up to 36AE3%) of inoculated wheat seedlings. Linear positive correlation (r ¼ 0AE99) between in vitro auxin production and increase in growth parameters of inoculated seeds was found. Based upon auxin biosynthesis and growth-promoting activity, four isolates were selected and designated as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Auxin biosynthesis in sterilized vs nonsterilized soil inoculated with selected PGPR was also monitored that revealed superiority of the selected PGPR over indigenous microflora. Peatbased seed inoculation with selected PGPR isolates exhibited stimulatory effects on grain yields of tested wheat cv. in pot (up to 14AE7% increase over control) and field experiments (up to 27AE5% increase over control); however, the response varied with cv. and PGPR strains. Conclusions: It was concluded that the strain, which produced the highest amount of auxins in nonsterilized soil, also caused maximum increase in growth and yield of both the wheat cv. Significance and Impact of Study: This study suggested that potential for auxin biosynthesis by rhizobacteria could be used as a tool for the screening of effective PGPR strains.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2003.02161.x

Screening plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for improving growth and yield of wheat.

Salinity is a major problem affecting crop production all over the world: 20% of cultivated land in the world, and 33% of irrigated land, are salt-affected and degraded. This process can be accentuated by climate change, excessive use of groundwater (mainly if close to the sea), increasing use of low-quality water in irrigation, and massive introduction of irrigation associated with intensive farming. Excessive soil salinity reduces the productivity of many agricultural crops, including most vegetables, which are particularly sensitive throughout the ontogeny of the plant. The salinity threshold (ECt) of the majority of vegetable crops is low (ranging from 1 to 2.5 dS m−1 in saturated soil extracts) and vegetable salt tolerance decreases when saline water is used for irrigation. The objective of this review is to discuss the effects of salinity on vegetable growth and how management practices (irrigation, drainage, and fertilization) can prevent soil and water salinization and mitigate the adverse effects of salinity.

Soil Salinity: Effect on Vegetable Crop Growth. Management Practices to Prevent and Mitigate Soil Salinization

Water quality for agriculture , Water quality for agriculture , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

D. W. Westcot

Papers

Water quality for agriculture