Search results for "water saving"
showing 10 items of 14 documents
Sustainability of pistachio production (Pistacia vera L.) under supplemental irrigation in a Mediterranean climate
2018
Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the effects of supplemental micro-irrigation, in a commercial rainfed orchard, on tree water status, gas exchange and productivity of Pistacia vera L. (cv Bianca) grafted on P. terebinthus. Irrigating with 10–15% of estimated full evaporative demand significantly increased average annual productivity by increasing yield in the on-crop year of this alternate bearing species. Irrigation increased yield by 30%, resulting in 1600 kg of in-shell product per ha. Irrigation delayed leaf senescence while flower bud abscission was not reduced until the third year of experiment. Irrigation did not improve gas exchange during Stage I (pericarp growth…
Reuse of urban-treated wastewater from a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system in Sicily (Italy) for irrigation of Bermudagrass (Cynodon dact…
2016
Constructed wetlands (CW) are one of the most important biological technology for the treatment and reuse of wastewaters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) from CW for irrigation of Bermudagrass turf (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) and assess the effects of TWW on the biometric and qualitative parameters of the turfgrass and on chemical–physical soil properties. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) in a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system which was fed with urban TWW following secondary treatment from an activate sludge wastewater treatment plant. The pilot-system included three separate parallel units. The outflow TWW flowed downh…
Assessing actual evapotranspiration via surface energy balance aiming to optimize water and energy consumption in large scale pressurized irrigation …
2017
Satellite imagery provides a dependable basis for computational models that aimed to determine actual evapotranspiration (ET) by surface energy balance. Satellite-based models enables quantifying ET over large areas for a wide range of applications, such as monitoring water distribution, managing irrigation and assessing irrigation systems’ performance. With the aim to evaluate the energy and water consumption of a large scale on-turn pressurized irrigation system in the district of Aguas Nuevas, Albacete, Spain, the satellite-based image-processing model SEBAL was used for calculating actual ET. The model has been applied to quantify instantaneous, daily, and seasonal actual ET over high- …
Water-saving techniques for restoring desertified lands: some lessons from the field
2022
Nature-based solutions can significantly contribute to restoration projects in areas affected by desertification processes, where they are necessary for reversing land degradation. Currently, one innovative solution is The Cocoon™, which has been designed as a new ecotechnology for improving seedling establishment. The Cocoon consists of a doughnut-shaped container made of recycled cardboard that provides water and shelter at least during the first year of a seedling, which is the most critical for plant establishment. To determine the effectiveness of this ecotechnology under different conditions, the Cocoon was tested on a variety of soils, climates, vegetation, and land uses. Six plantin…
Wastewater management using a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system in Western Sicily (Italy) for irrigation of Paspalum vaginatum Sw. turf
2017
The reuse of treated wastewater represents an attractive prospect for sustainable water management in urban areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reuse of treated wastewater from constructed wetland systems for the irrigation of Seashore paspalum turf (Paspalum vaginatum Sw.) and assess the effects of treated wastewater on the soil and turfgrass. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) in a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system (HSSF). Seashore paspalum plots were irrigated with freshwater and treated wastewater. In treated wastewater-irrigated plots, we estimated the amounts of nitrogen and potassium, supplied by irrigating with treated wastewater. The productive …
Assessment of yield and water productivity of clementine trees under surface and subsurface drip irrigation
2018
Abstract Irrigation systems aimed to optimize water use efficiency in agriculture have become essential due to the increasing water limitations that agriculture is currently facing. Assessment of crop responses to different irrigation systems and strategies are therefore encouraged to find the most efficient options for each specific case. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of a citrus crop under a surface (SI) and subsurface drip irrigation (SSI) with 7 (SI7, SSI7) or 14 emitters (SI14, SSI14) per plant, as well as a third SS treatment (SSIA), identical to SSI7 but equipped with and additional drip line buried between the tree rows. Evaluations were made in term…
Rainwater Reuse in Urban Areas: A Mathematical Model and a Long-Term Modelling Approach
2018
Natural water resources are becoming increasingly limited due to global-scale climate change and water availability issues have become so severe that they must be addressed. Given these issues, reuse of wastewater and rainwater provides a promising way to cope with water shortages. This paper describes an investigation into the efficiency of rainwater usage systems. A conceptual model was built to assess the behaviour of rainwater tanks and their effectiveness in coping with water shortages. The study is based on a long-term simulation (12 years) of different rainwater reuse tank schemes. The associated reductions in residential freshwater demand (water reuse efficiency) and wet-weather run…
Assessing opportunities for water savings in large-scale pressurized irrigation systems using actual evapotranspiration retrieved by surface energy b…
Remote sensing allows the observation of large land stretches and the acquisition of worthwhile information that can be used efficaciously in agro-hydrologic systems. Satellite imagery associated to computational models provide a reliable resource in estimating evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes based on surface energy balance. On irrigated crops, quantifying the spatial distribution of actual ET enables a broad range of applications such as irrigation management, monitoring water distribution, assessing crop water status and irrigation system performance. The general objective of the research was to propose a methodology to estimate ET by using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images and surface e…
Assessing the performance of a large-scale irrigation system by estimations of actual evapotranspiration obtained by Landsat satellite images resampl…
2019
Abstract Remote sensing techniques allow monitoring the Earth surface and acquiring worthwhile information that can be used efficiently in agro-hydrological systems. Satellite images associated to computational models represent reliable resources to estimate actual evapotranspiration fluxes, ETa, based on surface energy balance. The knowledge of ETa and its spatial distribution is crucial for a broad range of applications at different scales, from fields to large irrigation districts. In single plots and/or in irrigation districts, linking water volumes delivered to the plots with the estimations of remote sensed ETa can have a great potential to develop new cost-effective indicators of irr…
The use of constructed wetlands for the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater for the irrigation of two warm-season turfgrass species under Mediter…
2017
Constructed wetlands (CWs) represent low-cost technology for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in urban areas. This study aimed to evaluate the pollutant removal efficiency of a CW system and to assess the effects of irrigation using treated urban wastewater on soil and on two warm-season turf species. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) on a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system which was fed with treated urban wastewater following secondary treatment from an activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant. The pilot system was located in an open urban park and comprised two separate parallel planted units. Experimental fields of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Paspalum …