Model describes sustainable long-term recycling of saline agricultural drainage water
Due to high water tables, the western San Joaquin Valley is prone to high salinity in drainage water, which requires appropriate management and disposal in order to sustain agricultural productivity. We developed a model that describes a farming system for irrigating a sal...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2003-01-01
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| Series: | California Agriculture |
| Online Access: | http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.v057n01p24 |
| Summary: | Due to high water tables, the western San Joaquin Valley is prone to high salinity
in drainage water, which requires appropriate management and disposal in order to
sustain agricultural productivity. We developed a model that describes a farming system
for irrigating a salt-tolerant crop with high-salinity drainage water from a salt-sensitive
crop. The farming system would include the collection of subsurface drainage water
from the salt-sensitive crop, which would then be combined with good, low-salinity
water for an average electrical conductivity (EC) of 5 deciSiemens/meter (dS/m); irrigation
of the salt-tolerant crop(s) (cotton, in this case) for several cycles; and final
disposal of the drainage water in an evapor-ation pond. The main benefits of this
system are that the proportion of the farm required for evaporation ponds decreases
and fresh water is saved. According to our calculations, this farming system could
be physically sustainable for centuries. However, the costs related to mitigating
wildlife impacts caused by ecotoxic salts such as selenium in the evaporation ponds
must be fully evaluated to determine the system's economic viability. |
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| ISSN: | 0008-0845 2160-8091 |