Water harvesting for improved water productivity in dry environments of the Mediterranean region case study: pistachio in Turkey

TY - JOUR

T1 - Water harvesting for improved water productivity in dry environments of the Mediterranean region case study

T2 - pistachio in Turkey

AU - Yazar, A.

AU - Kuzucu, M.

AU - Çelik, I.

AU - Sezen, S. M.

AU - Jacobsen, Sven-Erik

N1 - Special Issue: Food Production in Dry Areas of the Mediterranean Region Guest Editor: Sven-Erik Jacobsen

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Low rainfall, water scarcity and land degradation severely intimidate the production capacities of the rangelands in the arid environments. Water harvesting focuses on improving the productive use of rainwater on the local scale (field to subcatchment scale) before the runoff water leaves the geographical unit in question. The aim is to mitigate the effects of temporal water shortages to cover both domestic and agricultural needs. This paper provides a review on water harvesting techniques focusing on microcatchment methods, and information on performance of a small-basin water harvesting system (negarim) under a typical arid environment in Turkey as a case study. In the negarim case study, we analysed rainfall, runoff, catchment area, soil water storage and crop evapotranspiration. The microcatchment area (36 m2) included five surface treatment methods (natural, plastic cover, stone cover, hay cover and compaction), which were studied in a pistachio plantation by monitoring soil water balance in the root zone. The overall efficiency of the water harvesting system was determined as the ratio of the amount of water stored and used by the crop to the amount of rainfall received in the catchment area. It was demonstrated that the overall efficiency of the system varied from 2.9 % to 79 % depending on the surface treatments and the root zone capacity. Plastic cover had the greatest efficiency. Gains in runoff improvement were lost when the soil moisture in the cultivated area was near field capacity. Surface treatments had a significant effect on plant height and stem diameter. Plant height with different treatments was 158 cm with plastic cover, 128 cm with surface compaction, 121 cm with hay cover, 117 cm with stone cover and 102 cm of control. Among the surface treatments, plastic cover was superior to the other treatments on plant growth, but the use of plastic may cause environmental problems.

AB - Low rainfall, water scarcity and land degradation severely intimidate the production capacities of the rangelands in the arid environments. Water harvesting focuses on improving the productive use of rainwater on the local scale (field to subcatchment scale) before the runoff water leaves the geographical unit in question. The aim is to mitigate the effects of temporal water shortages to cover both domestic and agricultural needs. This paper provides a review on water harvesting techniques focusing on microcatchment methods, and information on performance of a small-basin water harvesting system (negarim) under a typical arid environment in Turkey as a case study. In the negarim case study, we analysed rainfall, runoff, catchment area, soil water storage and crop evapotranspiration. The microcatchment area (36 m2) included five surface treatment methods (natural, plastic cover, stone cover, hay cover and compaction), which were studied in a pistachio plantation by monitoring soil water balance in the root zone. The overall efficiency of the water harvesting system was determined as the ratio of the amount of water stored and used by the crop to the amount of rainfall received in the catchment area. It was demonstrated that the overall efficiency of the system varied from 2.9 % to 79 % depending on the surface treatments and the root zone capacity. Plastic cover had the greatest efficiency. Gains in runoff improvement were lost when the soil moisture in the cultivated area was near field capacity. Surface treatments had a significant effect on plant height and stem diameter. Plant height with different treatments was 158 cm with plastic cover, 128 cm with surface compaction, 121 cm with hay cover, 117 cm with stone cover and 102 cm of control. Among the surface treatments, plastic cover was superior to the other treatments on plant growth, but the use of plastic may cause environmental problems.

KW - Microcatchment

KW - Pistachio (Pistacia vera)

KW - Runoff

KW - Water storage

U2 - 10.1111/jac.12070

DO - 10.1111/jac.12070

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84906944141

SN - 0931-2250

VL - 200

SP - 361

EP - 370

JO - Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science

JF - Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science

IS - 5

ER -