Reform of the Irrigation Sector and Creation of Functional and Sustainable Irrigation Water Users Associations (AUEI) in Niger: Capitalization of the Experience of the Konni AHA

During the 1980s, as part of a policy of liberalization, following budgetary cuts linked to the implementation of structural adjustment programs, management responsibilities for AHAs were transferred from ONAHA to cooperatives concerned. Due to lack of financial resources, but also because of poor management, everywhere in Niger we are witnessing an accelerated deterioration of the irrigation infrastructure of hydro-agricultural developments. Institutional studies carried out on this situation led the State of Niger to initiate a reform of the governance of hydro-agricultural developments, by streng-thening the status of ONAHA, by creating an Association of Irrigation Water Users (AUEI) and by restructuring the old cooperatives. Indeed, this research aims to analyze the creation of functional and sustainable Irrigation Water User Associations (AUEI) in Niger in a context of reform of the irrigation sector, and based on the experience of the Konni AHA. It is based on a methodological approach which takes into account documentary research and the collection of data from 115 farmers, selected by reasoned choice and directly concerned by the management of the irrigated area. The data collected was analyzed and the results were analyzed using the systemic approach and the diagnostic process. The results show that the main mission of the AUEI is to ensure better management of water, hydraulic equipment and infrastructure on the hydro-agricultural developments of Konni. The creation of the Konni AUEI was possible thanks to massive support from the populations and authorities in the implementation process. After its establishment, the AUEI experienced a certain lethargy for some time due to the rehabilitation work of the AHA but currently it is functional and operational in terms of associative life and governance. Thus, the constraints linked to the legal system, the delay in the completion of the work, the uncertainties of access to irrigation water but also the problems linked to the change in mentality of certain ONAHA agents constitute the challenges that must be resolved in the short term for the operationalization of the Konni AUEI.

Irrigation Water Use Efficiency of Farmers and Its Determinants: Evidence from a Survey in Northwestern China

Irrigation water shortage is becoming an increasingly serious problem in agricultural production. In this case, it is very important for policy makers to take measures to improve irrigation water use efficiency, especially in the water-scarce areas. In this paper, the data envelopment analysis （DEA） techniques, based on the concept of input-specific technical efficiency were used to develop farm-level technical efficiency measures and sub-vector efficiencies for irrigation water use. The Tobit regression technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influence irrigation water efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. Based on a sample data of 432 wheat farmers in northwestern China, our experimental results of the DEA analysis showed the average technical efficiency of 0.6151. It suggested that wheat farmers could increase their production by as much as 38.49% by using inputs more efficiently. Further, the mean irrigation water efficiency of 0.3065, suggested that wheat farmers could produce the same quantity of wheat using the same quantity of inputs but with 69.35% less water. The results of the Tobit regression analysis showed that the farmer＇s age, income, education level, and the farm size tended to affect the degree of irrigation water efficiency positively, and the channel conditions and different irrigation methods made a significant impact on irrigation water use efficiency. Furthermore, the arrangements of exclusive water property rights and competitive water price mechanism have effectively encouraged the water saving behavior of farmers. These results are valuable for policy makers since it could help to guide policies towards high irrigation water use efficiency.

Fruit Yield and Quality, and Irrigation Water Use Efficiency of Summer Squash Drip-Irrigated with Different Irrigation Quantities in a Semi-Arid Agricultural Area

Fruit yield, yield components, fruit mineral content, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and irrigation water use efifciency （IWUE） of summer squash responses to different irrigation quantities were evaluated with a ifeld study. Irrigations were done when the total evaporated water from a Class A pan was about 30 mm. Different irrigation quantities were adjusted using three different plant-pan coefifcients （Kcp, 100% （Kcp1）, 85% （Kcp2） and 70% （Kcp3））. Results indicated that lower irrigation quantities provided statistically lower yield and yield components. The highest seasonal fruit yield （80.0 t ha-1） was determined in the Kcp1 treatment, which applied the highest volume of irrigation water （452.9 mm）. The highest early fruit yield, average fruit weight and fruit diameter, length and number per plant were also determined in the Kcp1 treatment, with values of 7.25 t ha-1, 264.1 g, 5.49 cm, 19.95 cm and 10.92, respectively. Although the IWUE value was the highest in the Kcp1 treatment （176.6 kg ha-1 mm-1）, it was statistically similar to the value for Kcp3 treatment （157.1 kg ha-1 mm-1）. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fruits was higher in the Kcp1 （44.27 μg gallic acid equivalents （GAE） mg-1 fresh sample） and in the Kcp2 （84.75%） treatments, respectively. Major （Na, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S） and trace （Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and B） mineral contents of squash fruits were the highest in the Kcp2 treatment, with the exception of P, Ca and Cu. Mineral contents and total phenolic content were signiifcantly affected by irrigation quantities, but antioxidant activity was not affected. It can be concluded that the Kcp1 treatment was the most suitable for achieving higher yield and IWUE. However, the Kcp2 treatment will be the most suitable due to the high fruit quality and relatively high yield in water shortage conditions.

Investigation on the Quality of Irrigation Water in Southern Anhui and the Effects of Metal Elements in Irrigation Water on the Coke Sweet Aroma Style of Tobacco Leaves

[Objectives]The effects of metal elements in irrigation water in the tobacco areas of southern Anhui on the coke sweet aroma of tobacco leaves was determined.[Methods]53 representative areas for tobacco planting in southern Anhui were selected,and the quality of irrigation water,especially the content of metal elements,was investigated.[Results]The contents of micro(medium)elements in the irrigation water were too low to have a significant effect on the formation of the coke sweet aroma style of tobacco leaves.The contents of Mg,Ca and Zn were 0.7-8.0,<40 and 0.002-0.029 mg/L,respectively.The heavy metal contents of the irrigation water and other basic control items all met corresponding national standards.Furthermore,the tobacco planting experiment under controlled irrigation using paddy soil in the greenhouse proved that Zn was a negative correlation factor for forming the coke sweet aroma style of tobacco and the threshold value was≥10 mg/L in the irrigation water.Meanwhile,Mg was a positive correlation factor and the content of Mg to promote the coke sweet aroma style should be maintained at 40-90 mg/L.Ca and Mg had a synergistic effect,which was mainly appropriate for acid paddy soils.[Conclusions]This study improves the quality and yield of the coke sweet aroma of tobacco leaves,and has important theoretical and practical value for the formation of a popular agronomic control method.

Implications of future climate change on crop and irrigation water requirements in a semi-arid river basin using CMIP6 GCMs

Agriculture faces risks due to increasing stress from climate change,particularly in semi-arid regions.Lack of understanding of crop water requirement(CWR)and irrigation water requirement(IWR)in a changing climate may result in crop failure and socioeconomic problems that can become detrimental to agriculture-based economies in emerging nations worldwide.Previous research in CWR and IWR has largely focused on large river basins and scenarios from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3(CMIP3)and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5)to account for the impacts of climate change on crops.Smaller basins,however,are more susceptible to regional climate change,with more significant impacts on crops.This study estimates CWRs and IWRs for five crops(sugarcane,wheat,cotton,sorghum,and soybean)in the Pravara River Basin(area of 6537 km^(2))of India using outputs from the most recent Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6)General Circulation Models(GCMs)under Shared Socio-economic Pathway(SSP)245 and SSP585 scenarios.An increase in mean annual rainfall is projected under both scenarios in the 2050s and 2080s using ten selected CMIP6 GCMs.CWRs for all crops may decline in almost all of the CMIP6 GCMs in the 2050s and 2080s(with the exceptions of ACCESS-CM-2 and ACCESS-ESM-1.5)under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios.The availability of increasing soil moisture in the root zone due to increasing rainfall and a decrease in the projected maximum temperature may be responsible for this decline in CWR.Similarly,except for soybean and cotton,the projected IWRs for all other three crops under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios show a decrease or a small increase in the 2050s and 2080s in most CMIP6 GCMs.These findings are important for agricultural researchers and water resource managers to implement long-term crop planning techniques and to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and associated rainfall variability to avert crop failure and agricultural losses.

Interactive effects of deficit irrigation and vermicompost on yield,quality,and irrigation water use efficiency of greenhouse cucumber

Water scarcity is the most significant barrier to agricultural development in arid and semi-arid regions.Deficit irrigation is an effective solution for managing agricultural water in these regions.The use of additives such as vermicompost(VC)to improve soil characteristics and increase yield is a popular practice.Despite this,there is still a lack of understanding of the interaction between irrigation water and VC on various crops.This study aimed to investigate the interaction effect of irrigation water and VC on greenhouse cucumber yield,yield components,quality,and irrigation water use efficiency(IWUE).The trials were done in a split-plot design in three replicates in a semi-arid region of southeastern Iran in 2018 and 2019.Three levels of VC in the experiments,i.e.,10(V_(1)),15(V_(2)),and 20 t/hm^(2)(V_(3)),and three levels of irrigation water,i.e.,50%(I_(1)),75%(I_(2)),and 100%(I_(3))of crop water requirement were used.The results showed that the amount of irrigation water,VC,and their interaction significantly affected cucumber yield,yield components,quality,and IWUE in both years.Reducing the amount of irrigation water and VC application rates reduced the weight,diameter,length,and cucumber yield.The maximum yield(175 t/hm^(2))was recorded in full irrigation using 20 t/hm^(2)of VC,while the minimum yield(98 t/hm^(2))was found in I_(1)V_(1)treatment.The maximum and minimum values of IWUE were recorded for I_(1)V_(3)and I_(3)V_(1)treatments as 36.07 and 19.93 kg/(m^(3)•hm^(2)),respectively.Moreover,reducing irrigation amount decreased chlorophyll a and b,but increased vitamin C.However,the maximum carbohydrate and protein contents were obtained in mild water-stressed conditions(I_(2)).Although adding VC positively influenced the value of quality traits,no significant difference was observed between V_(2)and V_(3)treatments.Based on the results,adding VC under full irrigation conditions leads to enhanced yield and IWUE.However,in the case of applying deficit irrigation,adding VC up to a certain level(15 t/hm^(2))increases yield and IWUE,after which the yield begins to decline.Because of the salinity of VC,using a suitable amount of it is a key point to maximize IWUE and yield when applying a deficit irrigation regime.

Assessment of Irrigation Water Quality Parameters of Nyandungu Wetlands

The present paper sought to assess some physico-chemical parameters above permissible guidelines of irrigation water standard, the study was carried during establishment of Ecotourism Park. The field survey design was used and it was accompanied by laboratory tests to analyze the levels of physico-chemical parameters in both seasons (dry season and wet seasons) for water bodies as well as groundwater. The physical chemical parameters analysed were Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP) Magnesium Adsorption Ratio (MAR) Kelly Index (KI) Total Hardness (TH), pH, the Electric conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Our analyzed samples fall into permissible limit of irrigation water quality, the mean values of electrical conductivity were high. The knowledge from this study will be used in establishment of Nyandungu recreation park irrigating with water quality on gardens surrounding recreation park and local community.

Migration of Heavy Metal Elements in Reclaimed Irrigation Water-Soil-Plant System and Potential Risk to Human Health

[Objectives]To study the impact of heavy metal pollution of soil and plants during the process of reclaimed water for irrigation of green land in arid areas and the potential health risks to humans during use.[Methods]Taking Zhongwei City in Ningxia,a typical arid area,as the research area,the irrigation water,soil and green grass in the reclaimed water irrigation region and the original green water irrigation region were sampled,the heavy elements Hg,As,Zn,Pb,Cd,Cr were detected,and the Nemerow method,biological absorption coefficient,and health risk assessment were employed to evaluate the degree of soil pollution,plant absorption capacity,and human health risks.[Results]Compared with the original green water,the Hg,Cd,and Cr pollution of the reclaimed water irrigated green land was higher,the As,Zn,Pb pollution was lower,and the content of Hg and Cd was higher than the environmental background values of soil in Ningxia;the Cr content exceeded the risk intervention values of the first type of land in the Soil Environmental Quality—Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Development Land(GB 36600-2018).Compared with the original green water irrigation region,it is found that the reclaimed water irrigation reduced the heavy metal pollution of the soil to a certain extent.The heavy metal content of tall fescue grass(Festuca arundinacea)in the reclaimed water irrigation region was Zn,Cr,Pb,As,Cd,and Hg from high to low;the order of the biological absorption coefficient was Cd>As>Zn>Pb>Hg>Cr;irrigation water exerted a certain effect on the content of heavy metals in plants and the biological absorption coefficient through the soil.Using the health risk assessment method recommended by Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America(USEPA),it was found that the reclaimed water has the highest risk through the inhalation route,and the occupational population has a higher risk of skin contact with soil and plants.[Conclusions]This study is intended to provide data support and theoretical basis for the environmental safety risk research of the application of reclaimed water in arid areas to urban greening.

Effect of Rural Sewage Irrigation Regime on Water-Nitrogen Utilization and Crop Growth of Paddy Rice in Southern China

Reclaimed water irrigation has become an effective mean to alleviate the contradiction between water availability and its consumption worldwide.In this study,three types of irrigation water sources(rural sewage’s primary treated water R1 and secondary treated water R2,and river water R3)meeting the requirements of water quality for farmland irrigation were selected,and three types of irrigation water levels(low water levelW1 of 0–80 mm,medium water level W2 of 0–100 mm,and high water level W3 of 0–150 mm)were adopted to carry out research on the influence mechanismS of different irrigation water sources and water levels on water and nitrogen use and crop growth in paddy field.The water quantity indicators(irrigation times and irrigation volume),soil ammonium nitrogen(NH4+-N)and nitrate nitrogen(NO3−-N),rice yield indicators(thousand-grain weight,the number of grains per spike,and the number of effective spikes),and quality indicators(the amount of protein,amylose,vitamin C,nitrate and nitrite content)of rice were measured.The results showed that,the average irrigation volume under W3 was 2.4 and 1.9 times of that under W1 and W2,respectively.Compared with R3,the peak consumption of rice was lagged behind under R1 and R2,and the nitrogen form in 0–40 cm soil layers under rural sewage irrigation was mainly NH4+-N.The changes of NO3−-N and NH4+-N in the 0–40 cm soil layer showed the trend of declining and then increasing.The water level control only had a significant effect on the change of NO3−-N in the 60–80 cm soil layer.Both irrigation water use efficiency and crop water use efficiency were gradually reduced with the increase of field water level control.The nitrogen utilization efficiency under rural sewage irrigation was significantly higher than that under R3.Compared with the R3,rural sewage irrigation could significantly increase the yield of rice,and as the field water level rose,the effect of yield promotion was more obvious.It was noteworthy that the grain of rice under R1 monitored the low nitrate and nitrite content,but no nitrate and nitrite was discovered under R2 and R3.Therefore,reasonable rural sewage irrigation(R2)and medium water level(W2)were beneficial to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency,crop yield and crop quality promotion.

Effects of arrangement of surge-root irrigation emitters on growth,yield and water use efficiency of apple trees

Six-year old apple trees were selected for field experiment.The objective of this study was to obtain the reasonable arrangement of surge-root irrigation emitters in apple orchards.There were three factors:the buried depth H(25,40,55 cm),the horizontal distance L(30,40,60 cm)between the emitters and the trunk of the experimental tree,and the number of the irrigation emitters N(1,2,4).The effect of the arrangement of surge-root irrigation emitters on the growth,yield and irrigation water use efficiency(IWUE)of apple trees were studied in Northern Shaanxi where the irrigation quota takes 60%-75%of the field water capacity.The results showed that the arrangement of emitters for surge-root irrigation had a significant effect on apple tree yield and IWUE,especially,the yield and IWUE reached 28388.17 kg/hm2 and 16.83 kg/m3 in treatment T3,respectively.At the same L and N levels(T1,T2,and T3),the yield and IWUE in treatment T3 were the highest,and the yields in treatments T1 and T2 were decreased by 26.22%and 31.48%,while IWUE is reduced by14.02%and 18.12%compared with T3,respectively.At the same H and N levels(T3,T4,and T5),the yield and IWUE of apple trees were decreased with increasing L level.Especially,when L was 30 cm(T3),the yield and IWUE were the highest.The same L and H levels(T3,T6,and T7)could promote the growth of apple trees when N was 2(T3).Compared with treatment T3,it was found that the increment of new shoots was decreased by 8.07%-18.71%,and the fruit diameter was decreased by 5.41%-9.11%.Therefore,two emitters should be arranged symmetrically on both sides of an apple tree,each was buried at a 40 cm depth and 30 cm away from the trunk of the tree to effectively improve the yield and IWUE of the apple tree in mountainous areas in Northern Shaanxi.

Evaluation of irrigation water salinity and leaching fraction on the water productivity for crops

In arid and semi-arid irrigated croplands,the excessive accumulation of soluble salts in the root zone is an extensive problem that seriously limits crop yield and water productivity(WP).To avoid affects the yield potential of crops,the application of extra irrigation for leaching of excessive salts from the root zone was required.Quantitative knowledge of effects of the irrigation water salinity and leaching fraction(LF)on the relative yield(RY)and the unit water productivity of crop evapotranspiration(UWPET)and the unit water productivity of irrigation water(UWPI)were becoming gradually important.This article provided theoretical models for estimating the UWPs(UWPET and UWPI)and optimizing leaching fraction according to irrigation water salinity.In the present study,eight levels of irrigation water salinity(ECw=0.25,0.50,0.75,1,2,3,4,and 5 dS/m)and 39 levels of LF values ranging from 0.04 to 0.80 were set and tested to assessing their effects on the RY and UWPs for four typical crops(barley,bean,wheat,and maize)with different salt tolerance levels.Almost every curve determined between the UWPs and LFs for the four crops had an inflection point.It was indicated that the UWPET and UWPI could be maximized by optimizing the LF under different irrigation water salinities.Furthermore,the linear regression relationships were established to estimate the maximum values of UWPs and their corresponding optimal LFs for four crops by using the irrigation water salinity.Moreover,the theoretical models for estimating the UWPs were validated by data of wheat from previous literature,and the models could be suitable with acceptable relative errors when LFs ranging from 0.07 to 0.17.

Irrigation water requirements of rice using Cropwat model in Northern Benin

Understanding crop water requirements(CWR)in semi-arid region is essential for better irrigation practices,scheduling and efficient use of water since the water supply through rainfall is limited.This paper estimated the crop reference and actual evapotranspiration(Eto and ETc)respectively and the irrigation water requirement of rice(Oryza sativa L.)in Benin’s sub-basin of Niger River(BSBNR)of west Africa,using CROPWAT model.The long recorded climatic data,crop and soil data from 1942 to 2012 were computed with the Cropwat model which is based on the United Nations’Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)paper number 56(FAO56).The Penman-Monteith method was used to estimate ETo.Crop coefficients(Kc)from the phenomenological stages of rice were applied to adjust and estimate the actual evapotranspiration ETc through a water balance of the irrigation water requirements(IR).The results showed the BSBNR annual reference evapotranspiration(ETo)was estimated at 1967 mm.The lowest monthly value of ETo of 123 mm,was observed in August month,middle of the rainy season while the highest value 210 mm was observed in March within dry season.The crop evapotranspiration ETc and the crop irrigation requirements were estimated at 651 mm and 383 mm,respectively in rainy season and 920 mm and 1148 mm,respectively within a dry season.Irrigation projects of these seasons can then be scheduled for water use efficiency based on these findings.

Biochars reduce irrigation water sodium adsorption ratio

Irrigation water quality plays a vital role in sustaining crop productivity and feeding a growing world population.In many countries,continued agricultural water reuse can lead to greater water-soluble salt concentrations,and in particular Na;finding means by which irrigation water Na,and thus sodium adsorption ratios(SAR),can be reduced would reduce the rate at which soil sodification occurs.Four biochars,containing a variety of organic functional groups and electrochemistries,were examined for their potential to sorb and remove Na from simulated irrigation water,and subsequently reduce water SAR.Two batch experiments examined the role that wheat straw biochar,lodgepole pine biochar,Kentucky bluegrass biochar,and hemp biochar played in terms of sorbing sodium over time or application rate.Of the four biochars examined,hemp biochar had the lowest oxidation-reduction potential(ORP;~0-100 mV),sorbed the greatest Na amount(up to 923 mg kg^(−1)),and released Ca and Mg(up to 115 and 63 mg kg^(−1),respectively)into solution,all of which led to a significant reduction in water SAR(from 8.8 to 7.3;17% decrease).Sodium sorption onto hemp biochar better fit a Langmuir versus a Freundlich isotherm,yet followed a pseudo-second-order model better than a pseudo-first-order kinetic model.The data suggest that Na ions formed a monolayer on the hemp biochar surface,influenced by associations withπelectrons,but given time the Na ions may diffuse into biochar pores or more slowly interact with biochar-borneπelectrons.Hemp biochar shows promise in reducing the SAR of Na-impacted waters.Future investigations should focus on additional laboratory,greenhouse,and field trials with hemp biochar and other biochars designed to have similar or superior properties for sorbing excess irrigation water Na and improving crop growth.

Quantitative analysis of irrigation water productivity in the middle reaches of Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

With the growing shortage of surface water resources,it is of great significance for improving the irrigation water productivity(IWP)to ensure the water and food security.The contribution of the driving factors of the IWP and the rational regulation of the input factors of agricultural production is required.In this paper,118 and 80 sampling points were selected in Pingchuan and Liaoquan irrigation districts(PLID,the spacing of sampling point is approximately 1 km)and the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin(MHRB,the spacing of sampling point is approximately 10 km),respectively.Soil characteristics and management measures near the sampling points were obtained.Results showed that the average value of the IWP in MHRB was 1.67 kg/m3,with a moderate heterogeneity in the space.The main driving factors of IWP were irrigation,fertilization and planting density.On the PLID,the contribution rates of soil factors and management measures to IWP were 20.6%and 35.2%,respectively,and the contribution of soil factors to IWP increased to 43.8%in the MHRB,while the contribution rate of management measures decreased to 24.8%.It shows that in a small irrigation districts,from the perspective of farmers,the improvement of IWP should be mainly controlled by management measures,while in the large area of watershed scale,the spatial differences in soil factors also need to be considered by the government management departments,when they want to increase IWP through regulating management measures.

Determination of the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water based on geographically weighted regression

This study uses geographically weighted regression to determine the spatial distribution of the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water in Zhejiang Province,China,owing to the influences of spatial attributes on the irrigation efficiency.The sample set of this study comprised 165 agricultural test sites.A multivariate linear regression model and a geographically weighted regression model were established using the effective utilization coefficient of agricultural irrigation water as the dependent variable in addition to a suite of independent variables,including the actual irrigation area,the percentage of farmland using water-saving irrigation,the type of irrigation area,the net water consumption per mu,the water intake method,the terrain slope,and the soil field capacity.Results revealed a positive spatial correlation and noticeable agglomeration features in the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water in Zhejiang Province.The geographically weighted regression model performed better in terms of fit and prediction accuracy than the multivariate linear regression model.The obtained findings confirm the suitability of the geographically weighted regression model for determining the spatial distribution of the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water in Zhejiang,and offer a new approach on a regional scale.

Soil Water Distribution and Irrigation Uniformity Under Alternative Furrow Irrigation

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the spatial-temporal distribution and the uniformity of soil water under alternative furrow irrigation in spring maize field in Cansu Province. Results showed that during the crop growing season, alternative drying and wetting furrows could incur crops to endure a water stress. thus the adsorptive ability of root system could be enhanced. As there was no zero flux plane between irrigated furrows and non-irrigated furrows under alternative furrow irrigation, lateral infiltration of water was obviously increased, thus decreasing the deep percolation. Compared with the conventional irrigation, although the water consumption in alternative furrow irrigation was reduced, the uniformity of soil water was not obviously affected.

Effect of irrigation water containing arsenic on elemental composition of bean and lettuce plants cultivated in calcareous sandy soil

Background:The uptake of arsenic by vegetables from soil irrigated with arsenic enriched groundwater poses a major health hazard.The edible portion of these vegetables transfer arsenic to the human beings.The uptake of arsenic was studied in bean(Phaseolus vulgaris L.)and lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.)in a controlled greenhouse pot culture with calcareous sandy soil as substrate.The plants were irrigated with water containing sodium arsenate at concentrations 0.1,0.25 and 0.5 mg L^(-1).The total arsenic concentration of the different plants parts was determined by ICP-MS,following microwave-assisted acid digestion.The change in plant biomass production and essential macroelements(Mg,P,K)and microelements concentration(Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn)was also studied.Results:The As concentration in the bean was in the order:root>stem>leaf>bean fruit and in lettuce:root>leaves.At the highest dose(0.5 mg L^(-1))the As concentration in the bean fruit and lettuce leaves was 22.1μg kg^(-1)and 1207.5μg kg^(-1)DW,respectively.Increasing As concentration in the irrigation water resulted in decreased edible biomass production in bean,while in lettuce the edible biomass production increased.Neither plant exhibited any visible toxicity symptoms.No significant change was observed in the macro and microelements concentration.The total and the water-soluble arsenic in soil amounted to 3.5 mg kg^(−1)and 0.023 mg kg^(−1),respectively.The transfer factor was found to increase with increase in the As treatment applied.The transfer factor range for bean from root to fruit was 0.003–0.005,and for lettuce from root to leaves was 0.14–0.24.Conclusion:Considering the FAO-WHO recommended maximum tolerable daily intake(MTDI)limit of 2.1μg kg^(-1)body weight,and the biomass production,both plants should not be cultivated at As treatment level higher than 0.1 mg L^(-1).

Analysis of Gray Water Recycling by Reuse of Industrial Waste Water for Agricultural and Irrigation Purposes

Isfahan industrial province with its numerous industrial estates in its area and consequently the amount of wastewater produced by these settlements is very difficult to deal with.Therefore,the need for proper wastewater treatment and efficient management of industrial waste water from the industrial estates of this province should be seriously addressed and followed up by the authorities.The purpose of this study is the feasibility of reuse of wastewater from industrial settlements for agricultural and irrigation purposes.The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study.In this study,the average values obtained from the sampling and the results of the experiments on waste water from the industrial waste water treatment plant in Isfahan,2017,have been used.Average values of BOD5,COD,TSS and so on were compared with the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and analyzed in Excel software.According to the results,the average values of COD,BOD5,TSS,SO4,pH and catalyst quality parameters were determined from wastewater effluents of 315,162,93,164(mg/L),8.3 and 32.5(NTU)respectively.The results of the study show that the average values of the quality parameters examined from the effluent of the treatment plant other than BOD5 and COD are within the standard range and the limit for agricultural and irrigation purposes,which may lead to undesirable environmental performance of these two parameters.

Assessment of Groundwater Suitability for Drinking and Irrigation Purpose in the Dimbhe Command Area of River Ghod, Maharashtra, India

The management of the subsurface and surface water resources is important for various purposes. Since the quantity and quality of water available for irrigation in India is variable from place to place, groundwater quality in the Dimbhe command area was evaluated for its suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes by collecting 37 dug well samples during the post monsoon period of 2014. The suitability assessment was made by estimating pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and alkalinity besides major cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) and anions (, Cl-, , and ). Out of 37 groundwater samples, 5.41% represents good water, 62.16% indicate poor water, 29.73% indicate very poor water and 2.7% indicate water unsuitable for domestic purposes. Based on these analyses, irrigation quality parameters like, sodium absorption ratio, permeability index, Kelley’s ratio, soluble sodium percentage, residual sodium carbonate, %Mg, %Na, and Mg hazard ratio were calculated. Assessment of groundwater samples indicated that majority of them in both the seasons are suitable for irrigation purposes.

Geochemical analysis and quality assessment of geothermal water in Gujarat,India

Geothermal water can have a wide range of direct applications,including drinking,domestic use,irrigation and industrial use.This study analyses geothermal water from Dholera,Diu,Gandhar,Kutch,Porbandar,Tulsishyam,and Unai regions located in Gujarat,India,to determine the hydrochemistry for establishing the water's suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes.From each region,three different water samples were collected.For drinking purpose,total eleven water quality parameters such as pH,electrical conductivity,total dissolved solids,calcium,magnesium,sodium,potassium,chloride,sulphate,carbonate and bicarbonate were evaluated.Piper and Durov plots were used to understand the ionic composition and evolution of water.Whereas for irrigation,the parameters such as total dissolved solids,sodium absorption ration,electrical conductivity,and potential salinity were used for water quality check.Wilcox Plot was plotted to understand the sodium and salinity hazard of water.Water quality index and irrigation water quality index were used to assess the water quality for making the analytical procedure easy.The findings indicate that the water samples from the Dholera and Diu areas had extremely high values for both the water quality index and total dissolved solids content.Water in these places may be appropriate for making salt.All the other samples show adequacy for utilization in irrigation purpose.