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This article describes the development and validation of accurate whole body sweat rate prediction equations for individuals performing indoor cycle ergometer and treadmill exercise, where power output can be measured or derived from simple inputs. For cycle ergometry, 112 trials (67 participants) were used for model development and another 56 trials (42 participants) for model validation. For treadmill exercise, 171 trials (67 participants) were used for model development and another 95 trials (63 participants) for model validation. Trials were conducted over a range of dry-bulb temperature (20°C to 40°C), relative humidity (14% to 60%), and exercise intensity (∼40% to 85% of peak aerobic power) conditions, which were matched between model development and model validation. Whole body sweat rates were measured, and proprietary prediction models were developed (accounting for all relevant biophysical factors) and then validated. For model validation, mean absolute error for predicted sweating rate was 0.01 and 0.02 L·h−1 for cycle and treadmill trials, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals were modest for cycle ergometer (+0.25 and −0.22 L·h−1) and treadmill exercise (+0.33 and −0.29 L·h−1). The accounted for variance between predicted and measured values was 92% and 78% for cycle and treadmill exercise, respectively. Bland–Altman analysis indicated that zero and one predicted value exceeded the a priori acceptable level of agreement (equivalent to ±2% of total body mass in 3 h) for cycle and treadmill exercise, respectively. There were fewer trials with female subjects, but their values did not differ from those expected for males. This is the foremost study to develop and validate whole body sweat rate prediction equations for indoor treadmill and cycle ergometer exercise of moderate to high intensity. These prediction equations are publicly available for use (https://sweatratecalculator.com). NEW & NOTEWORTHY: This study presents the development of new proprietary whole body sweat rate prediction models for people exercising indoors on a cycle ergometer or treadmill using simple input parameters and delivered through a publicly available online calculator: https://sweatratecalculator.com. In an independent validation group, the predictive models for both indoor cycling and treadmill exercise were accurate across moderate to high exercise intensities in temperate to hot conditions. These equations will enable individualized hydration management during physical training and exercise physiology experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was aimed to identify the concepts of water footprint and virtual water and how these two concepts could be used to achieve water savings at the local level to meet the water supply deficit in Iraq, which is expected to increase in the coming years through studying the water footprint and virtual water and their impact on the foreign trade for wheat and rice crops during the period 2000-2020 and estimating the most important indicators of virtual water and the water footprint of the study crops due to the importance of these criteria in determining the amount of increase or decrease in the area of the studied crops. According to the foreign trade policy. This study was concluded that the average total water footprint of the wheat and rice crops during the study period is 20.27,13.89 billion m3 respectively, and the average percentage of dependence on external water resources for both crops are 20.49%,67.98% respectively, and the average percentage of self-sufficiency in water resources are 79.51%,32.01%respectivly,and the average unit productivity of irrigation water for both crops is 0.19,0.10 kg/m3 respectively during 2000-2020.The average for the water needs of wheat and rice crops during the study period were 6.04,10.19 m3 /kg respectively, the average amounts of water used in local production for both crops are 14.23,4.01 billion m3 respectively, the average amounts of virtual water imported for both crops are 6.19,10.03 billion m3 respectively, and the average value of the imported virtual water for both crops is 382,529 thousand dollars during the period 2000-2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryland farming is one of the main agricultural models farmers use on the islands of North Maluku, so it is very dependent on the availability of rainwater. The water for crops is available in the rainy season, and drought is experienced in the dry season, one of which occurs on Hiri Island. This study aimed to analyze the availability and water needs of plants based on land characteristics and use to provide information for the development of dryland farming on Hiri Island. The method for calculating water availability used the land water balance approach using rainfall data for the last ten years, while the analysis of plant water needs was based on the soil moisture content and plant coefficient approach. The results of the analysis of water availability based on the land water balance of 2,236.4 mm with an average monthly rainfall of 186.4 mm and according to the type of land use on Hiri Island show that the highest available water in agroforestry was 40.92% in the secondary forest was 39.04%, in coconut, plantations was 35.72%, in fields was 35.18%, and undergrowth was 34.67%. Plant cultivation businesses must meet the water needs of plants to increase production. The people on Hiri Island need 29,340 L of water to fulfill their daily needs.

Our aim was to develop and validate separate whole body sweat rate prediction equations for moderate to high-intensity outdoor cycling and running, using simple measured or estimated activity and environmental inputs. Across two collection sites in Australia, 182 outdoor running trials and 158 outdoor cycling trials were completed at a wet-bulb globe temperature ranging from ∼15°C to ∼29°C, with ∼60-min whole body sweat rates measured in each trial. Data were randomly separated into model development (running: 120; cycling: 100 trials) and validation groups (running: 62; cycling: 58 trials), enabling proprietary prediction models to be developed and then validated. Running and cycling models were also developed and tested when locally measured environmental conditions were substituted with participants' subjective ratings for black globe temperature, wind speed, and humidity. The mean absolute error for predicted sweating rate was 0.03 and 0.02 L·h−1 for running and cycling models, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals for running (+0.44 and −0.38 L·h−1) and cycling (+0.45 and −0.42 L·h−1) were within acceptable limits for an equivalent change in total body mass over 3 h of ±2%. The individual variance in observed sweating described by the predictive models was 77% and 60% for running and cycling, respectively. Substituting measured environmental variables with subjective assessments of climatic characteristics reduced the variation in observed sweating described by the running model by up to ∼25%, but only by ∼2% for the cycling model. These prediction models are publicly accessible (https://sweatratecalculator.com) and can guide individualized hydration management in advance of outdoor running and cycling. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: We report the development and validation of new proprietary whole body sweat rate prediction models for outdoor running and outdoor cycling using simple activity and environmental inputs. Separate sweat rate models were also developed and tested for situations where all four environmental parameters are not available, and some must be subsequently estimated by the user via a simple rating scale. All models are freely accessible through an online calculator: https://sweatratecalculator.com. These models, via the online calculator, will enable individualized hydration management for training or recreational cycling or running in an outdoor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryland farming is one of the main agricultural models farmers use on the islands of North Maluku, so it is very dependent on the availability of rainwater. The water for crops is available in the rainy season, and drought is experienced in the dry season, one of which occurs on Hiri Island. This study aimed to analyze the availability and water needs of plants based on land characteristics and use to provide information for the development of dryland farming on Hiri Island. The method for calculating water availability used the land water balance approach using rainfall data for the last ten years, while the analysis of plant water needs was based on the soil moisture content and plant coefficient approach. The results of the analysis of water availability based on the land water balance of 2,236.4 mm with an average monthly rainfall of 186.4 mm and according to the type of land use on Hiri Island show that the highest available water in agroforestry was 40.92% in the secondary forest was 39.04%, in coconut, plantations was 35.72%, in fields was 35.18%, and undergrowth was 34.67%. Plant cultivation businesses must meet the water needs of plants to increase production. The people on Hiri Island need 29,340 L of water to fulfill their daily needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Objectives: For the reduction of water deficiency effects in the agricultural sector, it is necessary to manage optimal water consumption. Irrigation scheduling should be based on the actual water requirement during the crop growth period. So, the crop growth stage sensitivity is considered in the water uptake process. Applying water uptake reduction functions (α(h)) in water stress conditions is one of the methods for irrigation scheduling. In past research, the calibration and evaluation of water uptake reduction functions have been done by constant coefficients in the crop growth period. But the aim of this research, is to compare the water uptake reduction functions by application of constant and separate coefficients, in crop growth stages. Therefore, the accuracy of estimation of actual a(h) data, is investigated in crop growth period. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted on maize S. C 704 in the Qazvin region. The mini-lysimeter with a diameter of 40 cm and a height of 70 cm was used for crop cultivation. The main factor was defined as soil water depletion at levels of 45%(I1), 55%(I2), 60%(I3), 65%(I4), 70%(I5), 75%(I6), 80%(I7) and 85%(I8), relative to total available water. The sub-main factor was selected as the sensitivity to water stress in the growth stages of initial (P1), development (P2), mid (P3) and late (P4). Thus, the effect of soil water depletion (water stress) on water uptake amount was investigated in maize growth stages (separately). The experiment was performed as factorial and in a completely randomized design, with 32 treatments and three repetitions. Daily soil moisture was measured by moisture meter (HH2 model and made by ΔT company). For simulation the water uptake reduction (in water stress conditions), were applied the models of Van Genuchten (1987), Dirksen et al. (1988) and Homaee et al. (2002). The actual data of α(h) in I1, I3, I5, and I7 treatments were used for model calibration. For this work, the model coefficients were estimated constantly (in whole growth period) and variably (in 4 growth stages). The model evaluation was performed for the estimation of α(h) actual values in I2, I4, I6, and I8 treatments. The statistics indicators of CRM, EF, R², RMSE, and ME were used for model evaluation. Results: The effect of soil water depletion and crop growth stages sensitivity on water uptake was significant at the level of 1%. From I1 to I8 treatments, the water uptake amount in the whole growth period decreased by slope of 7.4%. But the water uptake amounts in the initial, development, mid and late stages were decreased to 5%, 6.9%, 9% and 4.6%, respectively. As a result, the most sensitive growth stage of maize (relative to water stress) was included the mid, development, initial and late, respectively. The models calibration showed that in a specific model, the function coefficients amounts were different in growth stages (compared to whole of growth period). The best priorities for optimal model choosing, was assigned to application of separate coefficients in the crop growth stages. Among the different models, the Van Genuchten model with statistical indices of CRM=0.032, EF=0.928, R²=0.942, RMSE=0.057 and ME=0.1, was determined as the optimal model. Conclusion: The results of this research showed that the modeling accuracy was increased by applying variable coefficients in water uptake reduction functions. Due to different sensitivity in crop growth stages, a better estimation of the actual water uptake amount is done in water stress conditions. As a result, the actual crop water requirement is calculated more accurately. Also, the water consumption amount is considered according to actual crop needs, which will cause better management of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Teknologi dan Rekayasa Sumber Daya Air is the property of Brawijaya University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Desert Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is critical in agriculture and irrigation water management, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Our study aimed to develop an accurate and efficient model for estimating ET0 using various climatic variables as predictors. This research evaluated two model techniques, i.e., stepwise regression and artificial neural networks (ANNs), to identify the most effective model for calculating ET0. The two models were developed and tested based on climate data obtained from the whole climatic station of Egypt. The CLIMWAT 2.0 program was used to acquire the climate data for Egypt from a total of 32 stations. This software is a dedicated meteorological database created specifically to work with the CROPWAT computer program. The models were developed using average climate data spanning 29 years, from 1991 to 2020. The obtained data were utilized to compute reference evapotranspiration using CROPWAT 8, based on the Penman–Monteith equation. The results showed that the ANN model demonstrated superior performance in ET0 calculations compared to other methods, achieving a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.99 and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.7%. In contrast, the stepwise model regression yielded an R2 of 0.95 and an MAPE of 8.06. On the other hand, the most influential climatic variables were maximum temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. The findings of this study could be applied in various fields, such as agriculture, irrigation, and crop water requirements, to optimize crop growth under limited water resources and global environmental changes. Furthermore, our study identifies the limitations and challenges of applying these models in arid regions, such as data availability constraints and model complexity. We discuss the need for more extensive and reliable datasets and suggest future research directions, including ensemble modeling, remote sensing data integration, and evaluating climate change's impact on ET0 estimation. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of ET0 estimation in arid regions and provides valuable insights into the applicability of regression models and ANNs. The superior performance of ANNs offers potential advancements in water resource management and agricultural planning, enabling more accurate and informed decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted at the experimental area of Horticulture Research Station at El-Kanater El-Khayria, Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt, throughout two seasonsof2019 and 2020 to estimate water requirement of Paulownia hybrid T121 seedlings irrigated at three regimes each 3, 5 and 7 days intervals .The obtained results indicated that, all parameters of vegetative growth e.i, seedling height, stem diameter, leaves area, bio mass fresh and dry weights significantly exceeded when irrigated each 3 days interval followedby5 days then 7 days was the latest one. Meanwhile root length was the longest at 7daysinterval and the shortest was with 3 days. The amounts of irrigation water applied and water consumption (L/seedling) increased under irrigation at 3 days intervals since gave the highest significant water applied and consumption followed by irrigation at 5 days interval, then the latest at 7 days interval. Average of water productivity at 3 days interval declared that, one liter of water applied produced 4.45 and 1.16g biomass fresh and dry weights respectively. While at 5 days it gave 3.99 and 0.98 g in addition, at 7 days interval induced 3.95 and0.93gbiomass fresh and dry weight during two seasons respectively. Also water use efficiency(WUE)was influenced by different irrigation intervals and the differences between 3 and 5 or 7daysintervals were significant in two seasons due to reduction of biomass fresh or dry weights, furthermore, Paulownia hybrid T121 had taken higher amount of water applied and water consumption but the most has been depleted by higher transpiration without using it in metabolism synthesis. Total chlorophyll was influenced by different water regimes it is significantly increased at abundance of water at (3 days) intervals mean while total carbohydrate and proline content significantly decreased at same water regimes of (3days)and the opposite occurred at water stress of (7 days). The obtained results indicated that, it is not preferable mainly to depend upon Paulownia spp. in setting up forestation schemes owing to poverty of water resources in Egyptian condition. Therefore it can be recommended that economically can depend on another fast-growing timber trees species in a forestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruits of kiwifruit are well known for their abundant nutritional value and health benefits, but kiwifruit vines are susceptible to environmental factors such as drought or waterlogging. Optimum substrate moisture content (SMC) can decrease cultivation costs and improve the quality of seedlings in soilless cultivation. To quantify the water requirements of kiwifruit seedlings, a greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the growth, antioxidant defense, and photosynthetic parameters of seedlings of Actinidia valvata Dunn at six levels of SMC (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%, and 120%). Results showed that shoot and root dry matter accumulation increased gradually with the increase in SMC from 20% to 100% and was lower at 120% SMC than at 100% SMC. Electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content were the lowest at 80% and 100% SMC. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, photosynthetic electron transfer rate, and actual quantum yield were the highest at 80% and 100% SMC, but there was no significant difference in these parameters between the two treatments (80% and 100% SMC). However, the shoot and root dry weights of seedlings at 100% SMC were 13.20% and 33.02% higher than those at 80% SMC, respectively. In summary, 100% SMC provided optimal water supply for the photosynthetic efficiency and dry matter accumulation of shoots and roots. The results are expected to be useful for the mass production of high-quality kiwifruit seedlings in greenhouse or nursery containers, with the potential to save water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective The history of using American mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) for desertification control especially sand stabilization in Iran, is long. Considering the non-native nature of this species, attention should be paid to its ecological requirements, especially water needs or evapotranspiration (ET). This can contribute to the sustainability of sand stabilization programs and fine dust control and play an influential role in ecosystem development. Determining plants' evapotranspiration rates through lysimetry is one of the most accurate direct measurement methods. Methodology The experiment using weighing and drainage lysimeters began in 2021 by planting seedlings inside lysimeters located at the Yazd Shahid Sadoughi Desert Research Station. It continued for two years. Nine lysimeters with a volume of 1.95 m³ (height: 170 cm, diameter: 121 cm) and a surface area of 1.15 m² were used. The ET rates and the crop coefficient (Kc) of Prosopis juliflora were studied under different soil moisture levels, including field capacity (no stress), 67% of field capacity (mild stress), and 34% of field capacity (severe) for various growth stages. Irrigation was performed by drip irrigation based on a fraction of field capacity with an appropriate number of droppers calculated for each treatment. For field capacity, 67% and 34% of field capacity treatments, 6, 4, and 2 droppers with an 8 liters per hour flow rate were used, respectively. Each treatment was irrigated twice with the appropriate amount of water based on soil moisture levels. Results The results showed that Prosopis juliflora, under lysimeter conditions and the local climate, had an annual ET rate of 496.5 mm and a Kc 0.21. These values for the 67% and 34% field capacity treatments were 445.4 mm with Kc 0.18 and 275.2 mm with Kc 0.11, respectively. The ET rates of Prosopis juliflora at different growth stages revealed that the highest ET occurred during the development period of 124 days. This corresponds to rapid shoot, branch, and leaf growth. The ET rates in different irrigation regimes for field capacity, 67%, and 34% of soil moisture were 322.1 mm, 281.7 mm, and 158.3 mm, respectively. The lowest ET rate was associated with the final growth stage. The Kc for various growth stages in the field capacity treatment were 0.19, 0.24, and 0.14 for the first, second, and third growth periods, respectively. Under these conditions, a sigmoid growth curve (initial growth, development, and end of growth) can be defined for this plant. Conclusion It is recommended for afforestation with this species in Iran's southern regions, considering its optimal planting density to reduce competition. It is also recommended to pay attention to its ET rate, especially during the hot months of the year when it can exceed 2.5 mm per day. By examining and calculating the ET rates of mature trees with appropriate efficiency in sand stabilization and dust control, it was found that to create a canopy cover area, as mentioned, it is necessary to have 4846 m3 of water per hectare (equivalent to 484.6 mm per year) available to the plant. In other words, with this amount of ET, the plant can expand its canopy cover area to 19.5 m2 and, with 155 individuals per hectare (8×8 meters), cover 30% of the area, which is suitable for sand stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) rates in large-scale irrigation schemes is of great importance to improve water use efficiency. Crop types can be determined by employing remote sensing techniques coupled with ground truth data. This study aimed to: (a) conduct a water balance study by making in-situ water balance measurements, (b) derive cropping pattern maps, (c) acquire crop evapotranspiration (ETc), (d) generate fully distributed ETa maps, and (e) compare ETa estimations with ETc and in-situ water balance. Landsat 7 and 8 satellite data, and meteorological data were used to estimate ETa in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey in the 2021 hydrological year. Crop types were classified using Sentinel 2A–2B satellite images. The change in catchment storage was +67.08 mm with a 3.34% water balance closure error. The correlation between ETa and ETc for irrigated wheat, potato, lettuce, corn-1, peanut-1, soybean-2, and citrus was significant in the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing crop production per unit volume of water consumption requires recognizing the most dependent variable in drip irrigation to the volume of water consumption and also identifying the most important variables independent of water productivity in surface and subsurface drip irrigation for optimal use of available water resources. The present research was carried out in Behbahan Agricultural Research Station during four cropping seasons (2013-2017) on a Kabkab date variety. Experimental treatments include the amount of water in the subsurface drip irrigation method based on two levels of 75% and 100% water requirement and in surface drip irrigation based on 100% water demand. Data were analyzed using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results of the analysis of variance of the mean of different irrigation treatments in quantitative traits showed that the effect of irrigation was significant at the level of 1% in terms of cluster weight index, fruit weight, and fruit flesh to kernel weight ratio. The results of regression analysis of variance showed that in the dependent variable of cluster weight, the consumption water volume explained 19.1% (R2 = 0.191) of the fluctuations of the dependent variable (cluster weight). Among all the studied variables, the volume of water consumption explained the most significant changes in date cluster drying. Fruit moisture with t (2.096) and equivalent beta coefficient (0.046) had a significant positive effect on water productivity at the level of 5%. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that the effect of yield on changes in water productivity was much greater than the volume of water consumed so the yield caused significant changes in water productivity. While the effect of water consumption on water productivity was not significant.

In southern Europe, irrigation is the major water user and thus, development of operational tools that support decisions aiming to improve irrigation management, is of great importance. In this study, a web-based participatory decision support system for irrigation management (DSS), based on the principles of UN FAO's paper 56, without requirement for any special monitoring hardware to be installed in each field, is evaluated for the case of a commercial wine grapevine (Vitis vinifera 'Vertzami') located at Epirus (northwest Greece), for two successive years (2021 and 2022). The soil moisture time series that were generated by the DSS's model were compared to those measured by soil moisture sensors. The Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) ranged between 2.98–3.22% and 3.63–4.06%, respectively, under various irrigation practices and goals. Irrigation resulted very high yields and Crop Water Productivity (WPC) was 20–44% improved when following the DSS's recommendations. The results also confirm potential pitfalls of sensor-based soil moisture monitoring and rainfall estimations using mathematical models. Finally, the value of water meters as practical sensors, which could support efficient irrigation management, is underlined. In every case, mindful application of decision support systems that require minimum or no hardware to be installed in each field, could extensively support growers and agronomic consultants to test, document and disseminate good practices and calculate environmental indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista IRRIGA - Brazilian Journal of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Revista IRRIGA (Brazilian Journal of Irrigation & Drainage) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

IntroductionThe constructive effects of green spaces on the quality and livability of the urban environment have been reported in many studies. Therefore, using methods that can accurately estimate the evaporation of transpiration in green space can help to reduce water loss. The purpose of estimating water demand for urban green space is also different from the purpose of determining water demand for an agricultural farm. In urban green space, the goal is to maintain good growth, appearance and acceptable plant health, while biomass production is the main goal on agricultural farms. Therefore, urban green space can typically be managed using an irrigation area that is less than the amount of water needed to produce agricultural products. Due to the limited water resources in arid areas, the use of less irrigation in urban green space can be desirable to save water consumption.Materials and MethodsThe Wucols method for estimating Water requirements in green space was developed by Castello et al. (4). They developed the Wucols water taxonomy guidelines for planting green space in California. The Wucols method estimates evapotranspiration in green space using reference evapotranspiration and a set of coefficients (Species factor, density factor and microclimate factor). PF method is the minimum acceptable irrigation for green space plants that emphasizes maintaining the beauty of the plant. In this method, the water required by green space plants is considered as a percentage of ET0 so as not to reduce their appearance and performance. In this approach, PF is a regulatory factor that is actually considered instead of Kc and multiplied by ET0, except that the emphasis is on the appearance of the plant and not on its optimal growth and yield. The IPOS method has been developed by the Government of South Australia for planning and managing water needs in public open spaces, especially sports lawns and amusement parks. In this method, the water requirement of grass in urban open space is calculated. In this method, plant transpiration evaporation (ETL) is calculated by multiplying reference transpiration evaporation factors (ET0) by grass vegetation coefficient (Kc) by plant stress factor (Kst).Results and DiscussionThe results showed that the highest rate of evapotranspiration obtained by Wucols method was 83.38 mm during 21 Jun-21 Jul. Also, the rate of transpiration evaporation during one year of the experimental period was estimated to be 556.5 mm. The results of estimation of transpiration evaporation by PF method also show the maximum amount of transpiration evaporation during 21 Jun-21 Jul and is 75.55 mm. The evapotranspiration rate during one year was estimated to be 505.9 mm. For the Ipos method, the highest rate of transpiration evaporation was estimated to be 36.38 mm during 21 Jun-21 Jul and 242.9 mm during the experimental period. Gross irrigation requirement is estimated by considering 70% irrigation efficiency for each month using all three methods. For the Wucols method, the gross irrigation need during one year was estimated to be 794.8 mm. For the PF method was 722.7 mm and for the IPOS method was 346.9 mm. According to the reported irrigation records for the study area, which is 900 mm per year, the Wucols method has the closest result to the irrigation records.ConclusionThe results showed that the Wucols method has the best and closest estimate according to the irrigation records of the study area. The gross irrigation requirement calculated by the Wucols method during a year is 794.8 mm, which is 12% less than the gross annual irrigation requirement of the studied green space. While PF and IPOS methods determined the amount of gross demand 20 and 62% less than the annual irrigation rate in the region, respectively. The results of this study show that the Wucols method for estimating the water requirement of plants in urban green space where there is a combination of different plant species is more reliable than the PF and IPOS methods due to the diversity of species, vegetation density and different climates.

This investigation was conducted under full sun conditions at the nursery of Hort. Res. Inst., A.R.C., Giza, Egypt during 2020 and 2021 seasons to examine the effect of salicylic acid (SA) as a foliar spray at concentrations of 0, 50, 75 and 100 ppm on growth, flowering and chemical composition of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. transplants grown in 16-cm-diameter plastic pots filled with about 1.6 kg of clay and subjected to four water treatments: 100% field capacity (F.C.) as control, 75, 50 and 25% of F.C. as water stress treatments. The effect of interactions between SA and water treatments was also studied. The results indicated that mean values of various vegetative and root growth parameters were progressively increased with increasing either water amount or SA concentration compared to the means of low levels of both, with few exceptions. Thus, the highest means of the different growth traits were attained by the highest levels of both water treatments (75 and 100% of F.C.) and SA ones (75 and 100 ppm) as well as their interactions, with the superiority of a combination between 75% of F.C. water treatment and SA spray at 75 ppm, giving almost the highest records. A similar trend was also obtained regarding flowering parameters and chemical composition of the leaves with the exception of chlorophyll a concentration that was slightly affected by the different treatments used in this study, and the percentages of P and K which were fluctuated, as well as proline concentration that was descendingly decreased with increasing either SA concentration or water quantity and their interactions. Thus, it can be recommended to spray Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. plants with salicylic acid at 75 ppm, 3 times at 3-weeks intervals and irrigate them with only 75% of F.C. to save as much water as 25% of F.C. with keeping growth, flowering and quality of the plants.

This research examines the effects of two irrigation strategies on water use efficiency and fruit yield components of 'Royal Gala' and 'Brookfield Gala' apple orchards in south-central Chile. The study was carried out during the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 growing seasons at two sites. A randomized block experimental design was established with two water application treatments: theoretical volume required by the plant (T1) and farm protocol (T2). Soil water content, plant water potential and yield components were evaluated. The soil water content in T2 was near field capacity while T1 was between the permanent wilting point and field capacity for both seasons and varieties. With T1, the seasonal volume applied was 21 to 28% less compared to T2, with season savings of 1600 m3 ha−1. No effect on plant water potential was observed. In 'Royal Gala' the lower volume applied in T1 did not lead to significant differences in fruit diameter, weight, or yield in either season as compared to T2. In 'Brookfield Gala', yield during the 2008–2009 season increased significantly, by 22.9% in treatment T1, and in the 2009–2010 season, significant reductions (p < 0.05) in fruit diameter (5.3%) and weight (12.9%) were observed in T2. Productivity per volume of applied water in T1 was 32% to 56% greater than that obtained with T2. The results show the effectiveness of the irrigation strategy considering the theoretical volume of water required by the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A potential increase in the areas planted with avocado in Cuba will demand an increase in the areas under irrigation for this crop, which will require the most precise knowledge of their irrigation demands. In response to the above, the present work was carry out in a young plantation of avocado cv Govin planted with a 6 x 6 m frame in Red Ferralitic soil in the municipality of Alquizar, Artemisa Province, Cuba and irrigated through porous pipes. Water consumption was calculated using the simplified water balance equation and soil moisture variation was monitored with tensiometers placed at depths from 15 to 90 cm whose readings were converted to soil moisture using the calibration equations determined in situ. The ETo was determined using the Penman-Monteith equation. The total ETc in the period February/2020-May/2021, was 965.4 mm when the plants reached an average height of 126 cm vs. 20 cm at the planting date. Average daily values of decennial consumption were 2.72, 2.26 and 2.01 for the periods of February-April 2020, May to October 2020 and January-April 2021, with Kc values of 0.47 and 0.48 for the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. These coefficients can be used in determining the demand for water for avocado plantations in development. Given the scarcity of information on the irrigation demand and its effect on the production of this crop, it is necessary to continue research that includes plantations in production and other cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionWater deficit is one of the factors limiting the growth of plants in the world and is the most common environmental stress. Several studies show decreasing in growth, yield and plant death as a result of unfavorable water or water stress conditions. Management of nutrients consumption along with water consumption management influences the quantitative and qualitative yield of crops and medicinal plants. Although, chemical fertilizers provide plant nutrients for the plants faster and more effective, but to increase the quality of products, especially the medicinal and aromatic plants, the use of organic fertilizers is better than chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers cause decreasing in bulk density and increasing water retention in the soil. Manure is one of the organic fertilizer sources which its application is conventional in the sustainable management system of soil. Organic fertilizers, especially manures compare with chemical fertilizers having large amounts of organic materials and counted as a rich source of nutrients especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which provide these elements over the time for the plants.Materials and MethodsA split plot experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Shahrekord University. Main factor was three levels of irrigation regimes including: full irrigation (control), 75% and 50% of full irrigation while six levels of manure application including: 1) no amended fertilizer (control), 2) 25% urea + 75% manure 3) 50% urea + 50% manure 4) 75% urea + 25% manure 5) 100% urea and 6) 100% manure, were used as subplot. Water need of the other treatments was considered based on the water demand of control. Using the counter, the volume of required water was added to each plot. The period between two irrigations was determined using meteorological data and determining daily water requirement and the moisture regimes (water stress) was applied after the establishment of seedlings at eight leaf stage. Then at full flowering stage, the percentage of leaf water content (LWC), the amount of water to the dry weight (IWC), leaf water-retaining (RWP), water scarcity index of saturation (saturation deficit) (WSD), leaf relative water content (RWC), membrane stability (CMS), moisture retention capacity (MRC), relative water loss (RWL) and dry matter yield (DMY) were studied.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that the effect of irrigation regime on IWC, WSD, RWC, CMS and RWL was significant. The maximum IWC, RWC, CMS and RWL and the minimum WSD was observed in full water demand and 50% full irrigation treatments, respectively. Different fertilizer levels also showed significant effect on LWC, RWP, WSD, RWC, CMS, MRC, RWL and DMY. The interaction effect between irrigation regime and fertilizer was also significant on IWC, LWC, RWP, MRC, RWL and DMY. In general, in order to maintain the moisture balance of plant, application of 50% urea + 50% manure with supply of full water demand was recommended.Conclusion Based on the results obtained at this experiment, it can be said that the complete water requirement caused increases in IWC, RWC, CMS, RWL and DMY, while the WSD was decreased. Moreover, application of 50% urea + 50% manure could increase LWC, RWP, MRC, RWL, IWC and DMY, reflecting the positive effect of fertilizers combined application. In total, according to the results of this research, in order to maintain the moisture balance of the plant, the combined application of manure and chemical fertilizers for 50% urea + 50% manure and supply of full water demand is recommended.

Water resources is one of the inputs in rice production. In agricultural sector, water is considered as free good or priceless despite having a high use value. That implicated to the inefficient use of water in each provinces of Indonesia including East Java with no exception. This study aims to estimate the value of water and water requirements in agriculture especially rice in East Java. This study uses two quantitative analysis methods. The first method is the Penman-Montieth to calculate the water footprint and water requirements for rice. The second is benefit transfer method to estimate the value of water in rice production. Investigated areas are cities and municipals in East Java, while the study period is 2008 to 2011.The results showed that: (1) the average of water footprint in East Java from 2008 to 2011 was 3.556 m3/ton. This value is affected by climate change, fertilizers, and yields. (2) The average of water requirements for rice in East Java from 2008 to 2011 was 35.913.244.065 m3. This value is greater than the value of water allocation is determined by the government. (3) The estimated value of water for rice production in East Java was Rp 4.500.060 per hectare for one growing season. Keywords: Water Footprint, Water Requirements, Value of Water, Agriculture JEL: Q1, Q25

The fruits of kiwifruit are well known for their abundant nutritional value and health benefits, but kiwifruit vines are susceptible to environmental factors such as drought or waterlogging. Optimum substrate moisture content (SMC) can decrease cultivation costs and improve the quality of seedlings in soilless cultivation. To quantify the water requirements of kiwifruit seedlings, a greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the growth, antioxidant defense, and photosynthetic parameters of seedlings of Actinidia valvata Dunn at six levels of SMC (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%, and 120%). Results showed that shoot and root dry matter accumulation increased gradually with the increase in SMC from 20% to 100% and was lower at 120% SMC than at 100% SMC. Electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content were the lowest at 80% and 100% SMC. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, photosynthetic electron transfer rate, and actual quantum yield were the highest at 80% and 100% SMC, but there was no significant difference in these parameters between the two treatments (80% and 100% SMC). However, the shoot and root dry weights of seedlings at 100% SMC were 13.20% and 33.02% higher than those at 80% SMC, respectively. In summary, 100% SMC provided optimal water supply for the photosynthetic efficiency and dry matter accumulation of shoots and roots. The results are expected to be useful for the mass production of high-quality kiwifruit seedlings in greenhouse or nursery containers, with the potential to save water.

As the backbone of Vietnam's economy, the country has recently established a number of policies for promoting and investing in smart agriculture in the Mekong Delta, the country's largest agricultural hub, to foster overall socio-economic development. However, water remains a critical constraint for crop production, with progress being hindered by water scarcity and quality issues, and compounded by socio-economic transformation and climate change. Considering these challenges, this study used the CROPWAT model and a wide spectrum of climate change scenarios to investigate future total water demands in the 2030s and 2050s as well as drought levels in two underdeveloped semi-mountainous reservoir catchments, i.e., O Ta Soc and O Tuk Sa in An Giang province. The results suggest that the usable storage capacity of the O Ta Soc reservoir will increase to 650,000 m3 to meet water supply demands under all climate change scenarios and the medium-term, moderate drought conditions. The useable storage capacity of the O Tuk Sa reservoir will also be increased to 880,000 m3 and the irrigation area would see a marked 70% reduction compared to its design irrigation. Under these circumstances, the O Tuk Sa reservoir will continue to supply water under all climate change scenarios and medium-term droughts. As a core element for strategic planning and to ensure efficient management of water resources, the results highlight the importance of estimating potential runoff and rainfall in semi-mountainous reservoir catchments under various drought conditions in order to propose the suitable expansion of the useable water storage capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing crop production per unit volume of water consumption requires recognizing the most dependent variable in drip irrigation to the volume of water consumption and also identifying the most important variables independent of water productivity in surface and subsurface drip irrigation for optimal use of available water resources. The present research was carried out in Behbahan Agricultural Research Station during four cropping seasons (2013-2017) on a Kabkab date variety. Experimental treatments include the amount of water in the subsurface drip irrigation method based on two levels of 75% and 100% water requirement and in surface drip irrigation based on 100% water demand. Data were analyzed using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results of the analysis of variance of the mean of different irrigation treatments in quantitative traits showed that the effect of irrigation was significant at the level of 1% in terms of cluster weight index, fruit weight, and fruit flesh to kernel weight ratio. The results of regression analysis of variance showed that in the dependent variable of cluster weight, the consumption water volume explained 19.1% (R2 = 0.191) of the fluctuations of the dependent variable (cluster weight). Among all the studied variables, the volume of water consumption explained the most significant changes in date cluster drying. Fruit moisture with t (2.096) and equivalent beta coefficient (0.046) had a significant positive effect on water productivity at the level of 5%. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that the effect of yield on changes in water productivity was much greater than the volume of water consumed so the yield caused significant changes in water productivity. While the effect of water consumption on water productivity was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth and increasing food demand coupled with frequent droughts and famine have brought Ethiopia's agricultural growth to a crossroads. The Abbay River basin has untapped potential for irrigation and hydropower development. Numerous models and studies have suggested various irrigation schemes but have failed to precisely identify the irrigation potential or the cropping patterns and water withdrawal requirements of the basin. Investing in irrigation could provide a solution to meet the growing demands for food and development in Ethiopia. Using Mike Hydro model, our research goal was to map and assess the potential irrigation areas and water requirements for the entire Abbay River basin. Ethiopia's total potential irrigation area is estimated to be 7.5 million hectares (ha), and our study estimated that the potential irrigation area in the Abbay River basin is 738 183 ha, which is higher than that of the Abbay Master Plan estimation of 526,000 ha. The average irrigation efficiency in the basin was calculated to be 50%, and the cropping pattern ranged from 1 to 7 crops per year, and we found that maize, cotton, and sugarcane covered the highest proportions of the irrigation areas (22%, 16%, and 13%, respectively). We categorized the regions within the basin into six irrigation schemes and found that nearly all irrigation schemes required more water between December and March. The Megech, Beles, Abbay at Kessie, and Tis Abbay regions required notably more irrigation water than the others, and we estimated the total Abbay basin’s annual irrigation water requirement is 9 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM). Accordingly, our research suggests that the annual irrigation water requirement will increase significantly in the future. Thus, given the anticipated seasonal and interannual water flow variability due to climate change, our study suggests that more storage dams should be constructed to control water variability and satisfy irrigation water requirements in the basin.

Herein, we investigate the effects of a long-term release trenbolone acetate and estradiol implant (200 mg and 40 mg respectively, Revalor-XS; Merck Animal Health; Summit, NJ) on implanted [IMP; n = 9, body weight (BW) = 473.13 kg ± 25.22] and non-implanted (NIMP; n = 9, BW = 481.13 kg ± 21.78) finished Angus Hereford steers fed a single diet three times daily (0600, 1100, 1600 h). The objectives were to identify water and feed efficiency parameters and mechanisms of IMP and NIMP steers. Parameters evaluated included daily dry matter intake (DMI), freshwater intake (FWI), average daily gain (ADG), animal water units (AWU), drinking behavior, feed conversion (FC), feed conversion ratio (FCR), water conversion (WC), water conversion ratio (WCR), residual growth rate (RGR), and Kleiber index (KI). Linear mixed models were fitted to analyze the data under assumption of a completely randomized design, and variable relationships examined through partial correlation networks and principal component analysis. Implanted animals were more feed efficient than NIMP for FC (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.00), FCR (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.29), RGR (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.0.02), and KI (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.00). When evaluating water efficiency, IMP animals had less WCR (P < 0.001; SEM = 1.54) and greater WC (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.001). No differences were observed on marbling and carcass grades, but carcass weight, final BW, and rib eye area were greater for IMP groups (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.004, respectively). For IMP, multivariate variable contribution (values > 10) appeared to associate FWI on the first and second eigenvectors with DMI, FC, and FCR. For NIMP, FWI was associated with WC, WCR, and AWU. The FWI of Implanted animals was associated with AWU, WCR, while NIMP was associated with AWU. Feed conversion ratio and DMI had the greatest node strength for the IMP animals, whereas for NIMP, KI was the only node with strength greater than 2. Our results indicate that feed and water efficiencies may share mechanistic pathways. We present a simple metric that accurately remains relevant in evaluating water requirements for both IMP and NIMP steers as AWU. We show how relationship strength is related to gain and efficiency for IMP animals, whereas metabolic activity, potentially in relation to body composition changes, drives the variation and relationships for NIMP animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Penman-Monteith equation has been worldwide adopted as the standard for calculating daily reference crop evapotranspiration (ET o) and standardised procedures for computing meteorological data (air temperature and humidity) have been recommended for its calculation. In passive greenhouses, which predominate worldwide, this ET o equation is also used to calculate irrigation water requirements, but the standardised climate data computation procedures for its calculation do not appear to be applicable. The mean daily greenhouse air temperature measured over five representative horticultural crop cycles in two representative Mediterranean greenhouse areas was overestimated when calculated as the average of maximum and minimum daily greenhouse values, especially in cold crop periods, while the mean daily air relative humidity was underestimated. Consequently, the daily greenhouse ET o was overestimated when calculated using standardised procedures of computing greenhouse air temperature and humidity data (the RMSE ranged between 0.1 and 0.3 mm day−1) throughout all the studied crops cycles in two representative Mediterranean greenhouse areas. Consequently, mean daily values of greenhouse air temperature and humidity have to be determined from hourly or shorter time-period measurements. • Mean daily greenhouse air temperature was overestimated when calculated as the average of maximum and minimum daily values • Mean daily greenhouse air relative humidity was underestimated when calculated as average of maximum and minimum daily values • Daily greenhouse ET o was overestimated when calculated with standardised procedures of computing climate data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Narrow range endemics are believed to be adapted to local climate conditions across their distribution. • Reproductive traits and germination niche characteristics vary in Banksia arborea populations. • Different populations adapt to display different temperature and water stress tolerances. • Warming of the region could impact on future recruitment of the species. The temperature and moisture requirements for reproduction (i.e. seed production and germination) underpin the biogeographical relationships between climate, distribution and population dynamics of plants, particularly narrow range endemic species. We aimed to investigate reproductive outputs and the responses of seeds to temperature and moisture availability across three Banksia arborea populations that are distributed over a narrow range (< 200 km2) of semi-arid habitat on banded ironstone formations of Western Australia. We conducted reproductive trait assessments by quantifying follicles per cone, proportion of viable seed and associated seed mass followed by hydrothermal germination assessments for each population to characterise temperature and water stress tolerance. We found the southern-most population, that receives marginally higher rainfall, had heavier seeds (10 ± 0.02 mg), a cooler optimum temperature (16.1 °C) and wider germination capacity under water stress at 10 °C and 15 °C (Ψ b50 = -0.66 to -0.87 MPa) compared to the two northern populations (Ψ b50 = -0.60 to -0.65 MPa). By contrast, both northern populations had slightly warmer optimum temperatures for germination (16.9–17.5 °C) and a higher capacity to germinate under water stress at warmer temperatures of 22.5 °C (Ψ b50 = -0.43 to -0.56 MPa, compared to -0.29 MPa). Our work highlights that, even within the specific requirements of a narrow range endemic, different populations adapt to marginally different temperature and water stress tolerances. Warming of the southern populations could impact on future recruitment, and conservation action to promote resilient ecosystems are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was carried out during successive autumn seasons of 2019 and 2020 in EL-Kassasien Horticulture Research Station Ismailia Governorate to investigate the effect of water requirements rates (720, 960 and 1200 m³ / fed) combined with different amounts of organic manure (10, 20, 30 m3) on vegetative growth, chemical composition of plant foliage as well as green pods yield and its quality of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Poulista) grown under sandy soil condition using drip irrigation system. A split plot designed with three replicates was adopted. Irrigation quantities treatments were placed in the main plots and amounts of organic manure treatments were located randomly in the subplots. Results showed that all vegetative growth characteristics, chemical compision characteristics, pods quality and pods yield as well as WUE were significantly increased with increasing rate of applied irrigation water in both seasons. In addition increasing amount of applied irrigation water from 720 to 1200 m³/fed. exhibited the highest values of most studied parameters of snap beans plants in both seasons of study. Results show also clearly that studied paremeters were significantly increased with increasing amount of applied organic manure from 10 to 30 m³/fed. in both seasons of study. The highest values were obtained with adding highst amounts of organic manure (30 m³/Fed.) then irrigate plants by highest rate of water (1200 m³/Fed.) and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important economic market crops in the Egypt. Also, the water is one of the major resources that limit agricultural developments especially in the arid lands so the shortage of irrigation water is the most important factor constraining agricultural production in Egypt. So, the field experiments were carried out during successive autumn seasons of 2019 and 2020 in EL-Kassasien Horticulture Research Station Ismailia Governorate to investigate the effect of water requirements rates (720, 960 and 1200 m³ / fed) combined with different concentrations of amino acids (100 mg/l, 150 mg/l and 200 mg/l) on vegetative growth, chemical composition of plant foliage as well as green pods yield and its quality of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Poulista) grown under sandy soil condition using drip irrigation system. Results showed that all vegetative growth characteristics (plant hight, leaves area, number of leaves as well as branches and fresh as well as dry weights of snap bean plants), chemical compision characteristics (N%, P%, K% and total carbohydrates contents), pods quality (average pod length, diameter and weight of snap beans pods) and pods yield as well as WUE were significantly increased with increasing rate of applied irrigation water in both seasons. In addition increasing amount of applied irrigation water from 720 to 1200 m³/fed. exhibited the highest values of most studied parameters of snap beans plants in both seasons of study. Results show also clearly that studied paremeters were significantly increased gradully with increasing concentration of applied amino acids from 100 up to 200 mg/l. In this respect, the highest values of studied parmters were represented in plants which were sprayd by highest concentration of amino acids (200 mg/L.) and were irrigated by highest level of irrigation water (1200 m³/F) followed by the plants which were sprayed by middle concentration of amino acids (150 mg/L.) and were irrigated with the same level of irrigation water during both seasons. Meanwhile the lowest values were obtained the snape bean plants which were irrigated by 720 m3/F of irrigation water and were sprayed with 100 mg/L. of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important economic market crops in the Egypt. Also, the water is one of the major resources that limit agricultural developments especially in the arid lands so the shortage of irrigation water is the most important factor constraining agricultural production in Egypt. So, the field experiments were carried out during successive autumn seasons of 2019 and 2020 in EL-Kassasien Horticulture Research Station Ismailia Governorate to investigate the effect of water requirements rates (720, 960 and 1200 m³ / fed) combined with different concentrations of amino acids (100 mg/l, 150 mg/l and 200 mg/l) on vegetative growth, chemical composition of plant foliage as well as green pods yield and its quality of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Poulista) grown under sandy soil condition using drip irrigation system. Results showed that all vegetative growth characteristics (plant hight, leaves area, number of leaves as well as branches and fresh as well as dry weights of snap bean plants), chemical compision characteristics (N%, P%, K% and total carbohydrates contents), pods quality (average pod length, diameter and weight of snap beans pods) and pods yield as well as WUE were significantly increased with increasing rate of applied irrigation water in both seasons. In addition increasing amount of applied irrigation water from 720 to 1200 m³/fed. exhibited the highest values of most studied parameters of snap beans plants in both seasons of study. Results show also clearly that studied paremeters were significantly increased gradully with increasing concentration of applied amino acids from 100 up to 200 mg/l. In this respect, the highest values of studied parmters were represented in plants which were sprayd by highest concentration of amino acids (200 mg/L.) and were irrigated by highest level of irrigation water (1200 m³/F) followed by the plants which were sprayed by middle concentration of amino acids (150 mg/L.) and were irrigated with the same level of irrigation water during both seasons. Meanwhile the lowest values were obtained the snape bean plants which were irrigated by 720 m³/F of irrigation water and were sprayed with 100 mg/L. of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Strategic Universe Journal / Univers Strategic is the property of Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Institute for Security Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction The constructive effects of green spaces on the quality and livability of the urban environment have been reported in many studies. Therefore, using methods that can accurately estimate the evaporation of transpiration in green space can help to reduce water loss. The purpose of estimating water demand for urban green space is also different from the purpose of determining water demand for an agricultural farm. In urban green space, the goal is to maintain good growth, appearance and acceptable plant health, while biomass production is the main goal on agricultural farms. Therefore, urban green space can typically be managed using an irrigation area that is less than the amount of water needed to produce agricultural products. Due to the limited water resources in arid areas, the use of less irrigation in urban green space can be desirable to save water consumption. Materials and Methods The Wucols method for estimating Water requirements in green space was developed by Castello et al. (4). They developed the Wucols water taxonomy guidelines for planting green space in California. The Wucols method estimates evapotranspiration in green space using reference evapotranspiration and a set of coefficients (Species factor, density factor and microclimate factor). PF method is the minimum acceptable irrigation for green space plants that emphasizes maintaining the beauty of the plant. In this method, the water required by green space plants is considered as a percentage of ET0 so as not to reduce their appearance and performance. In this approach, PF is a regulatory factor that is actually considered instead of Kc and multiplied by ET0, except that the emphasis is on the appearance of the plant and not on its optimal growth and yield. The IPOS method has been developed by the Government of South Australia for planning and managing water needs in public open spaces, especially sports lawns and amusement parks. In this method, the water requirement of grass in urban open space is calculated. In this method, plant transpiration evaporation (ETL) is calculated by multiplying reference transpiration evaporation factors (ET0) by grass vegetation coefficient (Kc) by plant stress factor (Kst). Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest rate of evapotranspiration obtained by Wucols method was 83.38 mm during 21 Jun-21 Jul. Also, the rate of transpiration evaporation during one year of the experimental period was estimated to be 556.5 mm. The results of estimation of transpiration evaporation by PF method also show the maximum amount of transpiration evaporation during 21 Jun-21 Jul and is 75.55 mm. The evapotranspiration rate during one year was estimated to be 505.9 mm. For the Ipos method, the highest rate of transpiration evaporation was estimated to be 36.38 mm during 21 Jun-21 Jul and 242.9 mm during the experimental period. Gross irrigation requirement is estimated by considering 70% irrigation efficiency for each month using all three methods. For the Wucols method, the gross irrigation need during one year was estimated to be 794.8 mm. For the PF method was 22.7 mm and for the IPOS method was 346.9 mm. According to the reported irrigation records for the study area, which is 900 mm per year, the Wucols method had the closest result to the irrigation records. Conclusion The results showed that the Wucols method has the best and closest estimate according to the irrigation records of the study area. The gross irrigation requirement calculated by the Wucols method during a year is 794.8 mm, which is 12% less than the gross annual irrigation requirement of the studied green space. While PF and IPOS methods determined the amount of gross demand 20 and 62% less than the annual irrigation rate in the region, respectively. The results of this study show that the Wucols method for estimating the water requirement of plants in urban green space where there is a combination of different plant species is more reliable than the PF and IPOS methods due to the diversity of species, vegetation density and different climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction--The planting of 1 200 ha of citrus fruits is planned in the "Jiguaní" Agricultural Enterprise and, for the design and subsequent management of the irrigation systems, it is essential to previously establish the water needs of the crop. Objective--Calculate the water needs of citrus orchards using the procedures outlined by FAO-56, applying the most recent update of the Allen and Pereira (A&P) approach. Method--To calculate the water needs of the crop, the ETo × Kc approach established by FAO-56 was followed. Within this, the ETo values were calculated using the Hargreaves-Samani equation and those of Kc, from the update of the A&P approach. Results--Water needs vary between 1.0 d-1 and 1.9 mm d-1 for young orchards, from 1.7 mm d-1 to 3.5 mm d-1 for high-density adult plantations and low trees, and from 2.2 mm d-1 to 4.3 mm d-1 for tall trees. Conclusions--The pertinence of the A&P approach to estimate the Kcb and Kc coefficients to determine the water consumption of orchards benefited with localized and high-frequency irrigation techniques was corroborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction Soil compaction reduces soil porosity and thus, increases the resistance and bulk density of the soil. These changes limit water and air movement and root penetration in the soil and ultimately, they may reduce the seed germination and the crop yield. For planting sugar beets, tractors and equipment need to move several times on the ground, which is a factor in soil re-compaction and the loss of the effects of previous tillage. Therefore, if, after planting, inter-row tillage was done, it can have a positive effect on reducing the bulk density of the soil and it may even increase yield. Materials and Methods An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of inter-row tillage on the sugar beet yield and its quality and water use efficiency during two years cropping period (2016-2017) in Ekbatan Research Station, Hamadan with loam texture soil. A strip plot experiment with eight treatments and three replications was used. Irrigation regimes consist of 100% of sugar beet water requirement (I1) and 75% of sugar beet water requirement (I2) were considered as main plots. Inter-row tillage operations consist of combined cultivator equipped with chisel and crescent blades to 20-25 cm soil depth (T1), a simple cultivator equipped with crescent blades (T2), crescent cultivator + inter-row subsoiling to 30-35 cm soil depth (T3), combined cultivator equipped with rotary and sweep blades to 20-25 cm soil depth were considered (T4 ) as sub-plots. During the experiment, some physical properties of soil including bulk density and soil cone index were measured. At the end of the growth season, the root yield and yield of white sugar were measured and analyzed statistically. Results and Discussion The results showed that the effect of inter-row tillage methods on the soil bulk density and soil cone index was significant. The T3 treatment (crescent cultivator + inter-row subsoiling to 30-35 cm soil depth) had the highest effect on reducing the cone index and bulk density of soil, but the lowest root yield was obtained. Due to the low spacing of rows (50 cm) in the sugar beet cultivation, as well as the structure of the subsoiler and its depth, it is possible that the subsoiling caused the moving of the roots and minor damage to it. The effects of irrigation and inter-row tillage and their interactions on quantitative and qualitative yield of sugar beet were not significant. The results of analysis of variance of treatment effect on the water use efficiency showed that the effect of inter-row tillage on the water use efficiency was not significant. The effect of water requirement on the water use efficiency on the basis of sugar and white sugar performance was significant at 5% probability level. The treatment of 75% of water requirement increased the efficiency of water use based on the root yield, sugar yield and white sugar yield by 4%, 14% and 7%, respectively. Therefore, with the goal of reducing water consumption and not significantly reducing the yield, after plant establishment, it can reduce water use by about 25%. Conclusion The effect of inter-row tillage on the cone index and bulk density of soil was significant and subsoiling treatment caused a further reduction of these two indices compared to the other inter-row tillage methods. The effect of inter-row tillage and water requirement on root and sugar yields was not significant. According to the results, after planting completely establishment, the water use can be reduced by about 25% (this decrease in the total length of sugar beet growing was about 15%).

In southern Europe, irrigation is the major water user and thus, development of operational tools that support decisions aiming to improve irrigation management, is of great importance. In this study, a web-based participatory decision support system for irrigation management (DSS), based on the principles of UN FAO’s paper 56, without requirement for any special monitoring hardware to be installed in each field, is evaluated for the case of a commercial wine grapevine (Vitis vinifera ‘Vertzami’) located at Epirus (northwest Greece), for two successive years (2021 and 2022). The soil moisture time series that were generated by the DSS’s model were compared to those measured by soil moisture sensors. The Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) ranged between 2.98–3.22% and 3.63–4.06%, respectively, under various irrigation practices and goals. Irrigation resulted very high yields and Crop Water Productivity (WPC) was 20–44% improved when following the DSS’s recommendations. The results also confirm potential pitfalls of sensor-based soil moisture monitoring and rainfall estimations using mathematical models. Finally, the value of water meters as practical sensors, which could support efficient irrigation management, is underlined. In every case, mindful application of decision support systems that require minimum or no hardware to be installed in each field, could extensively support growers and agronomic consultants to test, document and disseminate good practices and calculate environmental indices.

The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small‐bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Desert Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)