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Deficit Irrigation for Efficiency and Water Saving in Poplar Plantations

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Listed:
  • Giulio Sperandio

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Mauro Pagano

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Andrea Acampora

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Vincenzo Civitarese

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Carla Cedrola

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Paolo Mattei

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Roberto Tomasone

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via delle Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

Abstract

Water resources are increasingly limited and less available, so improving water use efficiency is particularly pressing in the agricultural sector, where inefficient irrigation systems are often in operation. Drip irrigation is one of the most water-saving systems that can optimize distribution according to the actual needs of the crop. In the present study, an engineered drip irrigation system was applied to a poplar crop dedicated to the production of biomass for energy use. The aim was to evaluate the influence of the supply of different volumes of irrigation water on crop growth. Four levels of water supply were tested (theses T1, T2, T3, and T4), each determined by different intervention thresholds established by using four soil moisture sensors, one for each thesis (PLOT) (20, 30, 40, and 50 percent, respectively). In the third growing season, the effect of the different amounts of irrigation water supplied on plant growth was particularly evident between control T1 (104 m 3 ha −1 ) compared with T2 (540 m 3 ha −1 ), T3 (1924 m 3 ha −1 ) and T4 (4549 m 3 ha −1 ). Regarding biomass production, no statistical differences were found between T2 (8.97 Mg DM ha −1 year −1 ), T3 (9.99 Mg DM ha −1 year −1 ) and T4 (10.02 Mg DM ha −1 year −1 ), but they were all different from T1 (7.09 Mg DM ha −1 year −1 . This leads to the conclusion, at least up to the third growing season, that with equal satisfactory levels of biomass production, water and energy savings can be achieved by choosing intermediate levels of water supply (e.g., with the sensor at 30%) as compared to the maximum value tested.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulio Sperandio & Mauro Pagano & Andrea Acampora & Vincenzo Civitarese & Carla Cedrola & Paolo Mattei & Roberto Tomasone, 2022. "Deficit Irrigation for Efficiency and Water Saving in Poplar Plantations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:13991-:d:955098
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    References listed on IDEAS

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