Realizing the potential of integrated irrigation and drainage water management for meeting crop water requirements in semi-arid and arid areas

• Published in: Irrigation and drainage systems 1999, Vol.13 (4), p.321-347
• Main Authors: Ayars, J.E. (Water Management Research Lab. USDA-ARS, Fresno, CA (USA).), Hutmacher, R.B, Schoneman, R.A, Soppe, R.W.O, Vail, S.S, Dale, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGUA DE DRENAJE; AGUA SALINA; AGUAS SUBTERRANEAS; Crops; DRAINAGE SOUTERRAIN; Drainage systems; DRAINAGE WATER; DRENAJE SUBTERRANEO; EAU DE DRAINAGE; EAU SALINE; EAU SOUTERRAINE; GESTION DES EAUX; GOSSYPIUM; GROUNDWATER; IRRIGATION; Irrigation systems; Irrigation water; ORDENACION DE AGUAS; Plant growth; RIEGO; SALINE WATER; Soil salinity; SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE; WATER MANAGEMENT; Water requirements
• ISSN: 0168-6291; 1573-0654; 1573-0654; 0168-6291
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1006390421589

In situ use of ground water by plants is one optionbeing considered to reduce discharge of subsurfacedrainage water from irrigated agriculture. Laboratory, lysimeter, and field studies havedemonstrated that crops can use significant quantitiesof water from shallow ground water. However, moststudies lack the data needed to include the crop wateruse into an integrated irrigation and drainage watermanagement system. This paper describes previousstudies which demonstrated the potential use of groundwater to support plant growth and the associatedlimitations. Included are results from three fieldstudies which demonstrated some of the managementtechniques needed to develop an integrated system. The field studies demonstrated that approximately 40to 45% of the water requirement for cotton can bederived from shallow saline ground water. Thatregulation of the outflow will result in increasinguse. Implementation of integrated management ofirrigation and subsurface drainage systems is a viableand sustainable alternative in the management ofsubsurface drainage water from arid and semi-aridareas only if soil salinity can be managed and if thesystem is profitable.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]