Benefits of oxygation of subsurface drip-irrigation water for cotton in a Vertosol
L. Pendergast A C , S. P. Bhattarai B and D. J. Midmore BA Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Queensland, LMB 6, Emerald, Qld 4720, Australia.
B School of Medical and Applied Science (SMAS), Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: lance.pendergast@daff.qld.gov.au
Crop and Pasture Science 64(12) 1171-1181 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP13348
Submitted: 9 October 2013 Accepted: 5 December 2013 Published: 18 December 2013
Journal Compilation © CSIRO Publishing 2013 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Australian cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is predominantly grown on heavy clay soils (Vertosols). Cotton grown on Vertosols often experiences episodes of low oxygen concentration in the root-zone, particularly after irrigation events. In subsurface drip-irrigation (SDI), cotton receives frequent irrigation and sustained wetting fronts are developed in the rhizosphere. This can lead to poor soil diffusion of oxygen, causing temporal and spatial hypoxia. As cotton is sensitive to waterlogging, exposure to this condition can result in a significant yield penalty. Use of aerated water for drip irrigation (‘oxygation’) can ameliorate hypoxia in the wetting front and, therefore, overcome the negative effects of poor soil aeration. The efficacy of oxygation, delivered via SDI to broadacre cotton, was evaluated over seven seasons (2005–06 to 2012–13). Oxygation of irrigation water by Mazzei air-injector produced significantly (P < 0.001) higher yields (200.3 v. 182.7 g m–2) and water-use efficiencies. Averaged over seven years, the yield and gross production water-use index of oxygated cotton exceeded that of the control by 10% and 7%, respectively. The improvements in yields and water-use efficiency in response to oxygation could be ascribed to greater root development and increased light interception by the crop canopies, contributing to enhanced crop physiological performance by ameliorating exposure to hypoxia. Oxygation of SDI contributed to improvements in both yields and water-use efficiency, which may contribute to greater economic feasibility of SDI for broadacre cotton production in Vertosols.
Additional keywords: drip irrigation, hypoxia, oxygation, root development, SDI, water productivity.
References
Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) ‘Crop evapotranspiration: Guidelines for computing crop requirements.’ Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. (FAO: Rome)Améglio T, Archer P, Cohen M, Valancogne C, Daudet F, Dayau S, Cruiziat P (1999) Significance and limits in the use of predawn leaf water potential for tree irrigation. Plant and Soil 207, 155–167.
| Significance and limits in the use of predawn leaf water potential for tree irrigation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Armstrong W (1979) Aeration in higher plants. Advances in Botanical Research 7, 225–332.
Bange MP, Milroy SP, Thongbai P (2004) Growth and yield of cotton in response to waterlogging. Field Crops Research 88, 129–142.
| Growth and yield of cotton in response to waterlogging.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Barrett-Lennard EG (2003) ‘Saltland pastures in Australia—A practical guide.’ 2nd edn (Department of Agriculture of Western Australia: South Perth, W. Aust.)
Bhattarai SP (2005) The physiology of water use efficiency of crops subjected to subsurface drip irrigation, aeration and salinity in a heavy clay soil. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Arts, Health and Sciences, Central Queensland University, Qld, Australia.
Bhattarai SP, Midmore DJ (2004) Oxygation of rhizosphere with subsurface aerated irrigation water improves lint yield and performance of cotton on saline heavy clay soil. In ‘New directives for a diverse planet. Proceedings 4th International Crop Science Congress’. 26 Sept.–1 Oct. 2004. Brisbane, Qld. (The Regional Institute Ltd: Gosford, NSW) Available at: www.cropscience.org.au/icsc2004/poster/3/6/2/665_bhattarrai.htm
Bhattarai SP, Midmore DJ (2009) Aeration enhances growth, gas exchange and salt tolerance of vegetable soybean and cotton in a saline vertisol. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 51, 675–688.
| Aeration enhances growth, gas exchange and salt tolerance of vegetable soybean and cotton in a saline vertisol.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXptlOisbs%3D&md5=9005a4d43ff48a811b411838baecd165CAS | 19566646PubMed |
Bhattarai SP, Huber S, Midmore DJ (2004) Aerated subsurface irrigation water gives growth and yield benefits to zucchini, vegetable soybean and cotton in heavy clay soils. Annals of Applied Biology 144, 285–298.
| Aerated subsurface irrigation water gives growth and yield benefits to zucchini, vegetable soybean and cotton in heavy clay soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bhattarai SP, Su N, Midmore DJ (2005) Oxygation unlocks yield potentials of crops in oxygen-limited soil environments. Advances in Agronomy 88, 313–377.
| Oxygation unlocks yield potentials of crops in oxygen-limited soil environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXitlKisro%3D&md5=febdf057e3a123101e423594106191f3CAS |
Caldwell MM, Virginia RA (1991) Root systems. In ‘Plant physiological ecology: Field methods and instrumentation’. (Eds RW Pearcy, J Ehleringer, HA Mooney, PW Rundel) pp. 367–398. (Chapman and Hall: London)
Cotton Australia (2013) Statistics. Cotton Australia, Sydney, NSW. Available at: http://cottonaustralia.com.au/cotton-library/statistics
Dhungel J, Bhattarai SP, Midmore DJ (2012) Aerated water irrigation (oxygation) benefits to pineapple yield, water use efficiency and crop health. Advances in Horticultural Science 26, 3–16.
Goorahoo D, Carstensen G, Zoldoske DF, Norum E, Mazzei A (2002) Using air in subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) to increase yields in bell peppers. International Water and Irrigation 22, 39–42.
Hodgson AS, Chan KY (1982) The effect of short-term waterlogging during furrow irrigation of cotton in a cracking grey clay. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 33, 109–116.
| The effect of short-term waterlogging during furrow irrigation of cotton in a cracking grey clay.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hodgson AS, Constable GA, Duddy GR, Daniells IG (1990) A comparison of drip and furrow irrigated cotton on a cracking clay soil: Water use efficiency, waterlogging, root distribution and soil structure. Irrigation Science 11, 143–148.
| A comparison of drip and furrow irrigated cotton on a cracking clay soil: Water use efficiency, waterlogging, root distribution and soil structure.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huber S (2000) New uses for drip irrigation—partial root zone drying and forced aeration. MSc thesis, Technische Universitat Munchen, Germany.
Isbell RF (2002) ‘The Australian Soil Classification.’ Rev edn (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Klimant L, Meyer V, Kuhl M (1995) Fibre-optic oxygen micro-sensors, a new tool in aquatic biology. Limnology and Oceanography 40, 1159–1165.
| Fibre-optic oxygen micro-sensors, a new tool in aquatic biology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXpsVCrur8%3D&md5=2b38f2784277928a1f6a96d41c4f5df6CAS |
Machado RMA, Oliveira G, Rosario MD, Portas CAM (2003) Tomato root distribution, yield and fruit quality under subsurface drip irrigation. Plant and Soil 255, 333–341.
| Tomato root distribution, yield and fruit quality under subsurface drip irrigation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXotV2jsr8%3D&md5=a6f75b8c6732d4496ce20f98e89cf31dCAS |
McHugh AD, Bhattarai SP, Lotz G, Midmore DJ (2008) Effects of subsurface drip irrigation rates and furrow irrigation for cotton grown on a vertisol on off-site movements of sediments, nutrients and pesticides. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 28, 507–519.
| Effects of subsurface drip irrigation rates and furrow irrigation for cotton grown on a vertisol on off-site movements of sediments, nutrients and pesticides.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhsFekurbI&md5=11bff34cc24b1d10edf4f0c7a0f255f8CAS |
Meyer WS, Smith DJ, Shell GE (1999) Estimating reference evaporation and crop evapotranspiration from weather data and crop coefficients. CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report 34/98.
Milroy SP, Bange MP, Thongbai P (2009) Cotton leaf nutrient concentrations in response to waterlogging under field conditions. Field Crops Research 113, 246–255.
| Cotton leaf nutrient concentrations in response to waterlogging under field conditions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Payero JO, Tarkalson DD, Irmak S, Davison D, Petersen JL (2008) Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate. Agricultural Water Management 95, 895–908.
| Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pendergast L (2011) Benefits of aeration of subsurface drip irrigation water: field evidence on CQ highlands vertosols. PhD Thesis, Central Queensland University Australia, Rockhampton, Qld, Australia.
Raine S, Foley J (2002) Comparing systems for cotton irrigation. The Australian Cottongrower 23, 30–35.
Shi K, Hu WH, Dong DK, Zhou YH, Yu JQ (2007) Low O2 supply is involved in the poor growth. Environmental and Experimental Botany 61, 181–189.
| Low O2 supply is involved in the poor growth.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXpvF2qtbg%3D&md5=1e04c7baf2085a7a4734e2fac7295161CAS |
Smith RJ, Raine SR, Minkovich J (2005) Irrigation application efficiency and deep drainage potential under surface irrigated cotton. Agricultural Water Management 71, 117–130.
| Irrigation application efficiency and deep drainage potential under surface irrigated cotton.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Soil Survey Staff (2010) ‘Keys to Soil Taxonomy.’ 11th edn (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service: Washington, DC)
Thongbai P, Milroy S, Bange M, Rapp G, Smith T (2001) Agronomic responses of cotton to low soil oxygen during water logging. In ‘Proceedings of the 10th Australian Agronomy Conference’. January, Hobart, Tas. (Australian Society of Agronomy/The Regional Institute Ltd: Gosford, NSW) Available at: http://regional.org.au/au/asa/2001/2/b/thongbai.htm
Vartapetian BB, Jackson MB (1997) Plant adaptations to anaerobic stress. Annals of Botany 79, 3–20.
| Plant adaptations to anaerobic stress.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXhtlWrs78%3D&md5=715584cf1fd70e06622c74203a2b9a54CAS |
Zoldoske DF (2013) Subsurface drip irrigation: The future of irrigation is underground. Geoflow, Corte Madera, CA, USA. Available at: www.geoflow.com/agriculture/zoldoske.htm
