irrigation, agronomy and the environment

Workshop with Water User Associations of Southeast Anatolian Project (Turkey) Ramón Aragüés and Enrique Playán Research group Irrigation, Agronomy and the Environment

Mediterranean Agronomic Institute Zaragoza, 8 April 2013

Aula Dei Campus (Zaragoza, España)

• • • •

CITA (DGA) E. E. Aula Dei (CSIC) IAMZ (CIHEAM) Leading Spanish Campus in agricultural sciences

RESEARCH GROUP “IRRIGATION, AGRONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT”

• CITA and EEAD staff • Largest national group in the area • One of group leaders in Europe

Personnel in 2013 - 12 staff researchers - 4 temporary researchers - 11 students - 9 staff technicians - 9 temporary technicians - Total: 45

Objective Generate scientific and technological information in the “soil-water-cropatmosphere” interface leading to more competitive, efficient and sustainable agricultural systems with emphasis on irrigation, agronomy and the environment, and with an applied-research focus.

Priority lines: 1- Sustainable use of water and soil resources 2- Environmental impact of agricultural activities 3- Crop agronomy

Irrigated Agriculture in the Ebro Valley

Enrique Playán

Where are we? A slide show on dryfarming and irrigated agriculture

Where are we today?      

The central Ebro valley depression Precipitation: 250 – 400 mm Reference evapotranspiration of about 1,100 mm per year Shallow, poorly developed soils Salinity resulting from lake like evaporation Rivers and wind have modeled the landscape

Dryfarming in Monegros     

Rich agricultural tradition Barbecho system Deforestation boosted by diesel power Linked to the 20th century history Now a days: – –

Poor yields Harvest only a fraction of the years

A bit of irrigation history, XIX and XX     

Regeneracionisn Looking inside Water for rural development Strong governmental intervention A popular policy

Irrigation systems Identifying limiting factors to sustainable Mediterranean agriculture

Sustainable Mediterranean Agriculture    

Mediterranean climate is naturally characterized by variability Pending issues on water quality, derived from the WFD: irrigation return flows Need to adjust inputs to improve energy, pollutant and economic budgets Soil protection: key issue in an extremely vulnerable area – –

Erosion Salinity

Sustainable Mediterranean Agriculture 

Our best farmers are using resources rather well… what can we do for the rest? – – –

Part-time farmers Poorly educated farmers To what extent can technology alleviate deficits in dedication or training?

Surface irrigation     

Initial irrigation system The only one available Applied to all soils and conditions Successes and failures In clear regression

The beginning: surface irrigation

Sprinkler irrigation (1970+)   

Started as individual fields Continued with collective networks Today we are in the middle of rebuilding about half of the surface irrigated area, switching to collective sprinkler (and drip) irrigation networks

Drip irrigation     

Relevant in some areas: fruit production Warm climate Large properties: industrial Aggregated supply Associated to labor intensive crops

Collective Water Management Specific challenges derived from collective structures

Collective water management    

Difficult access to water, surface water developments Large initial investments required Strong initial public intervention Mandatory “irrigation districts” – – –



Not only irrigation now Long tradition in overland water Accounting efforts

Districts + Basin authorities – – –

Public-private interaction Embryo of some WFD concepts 80 years old here

Challenges for the 21st century 

Inspiring the National Irrigation Plan: – –

Improve irrigation efficiency Improve irrigation structures 

– –



Sustainable, profitable irrigated farming

Protect water quality Improve water management

The Plan has been in operation for about 10 years now – – – –

Projects in about 1 Mha Large public-private investments From surface to sprinkler/drip irrigation Collective networks

Two paths to improve irrigation efficiency: 

Structures –



99 % of the Spanish National Irrigation Plan

Management – –

1 % of the Spanish National Irrigation Plan (26 M€) Advantages:   



Bottom - up Slow and endogenous Much cheaper (€/m3 of conserved water)

Need to combine both approaches for optimum results (Styles, 1999; Vidal et al., 2001)

Irrigation management principles Transparency  Participation  Traceability  Effectiveness  Standarization  Certification 

…These are the ingredients we used to build Ador, an irrigation district water management software

Ador: a tool for collective water management And also a Trojan horse…

Ador: Strength gained at the districts 

Cooperation between: – – – – –

  

researchers, farmers, companies, public administration and water managers.

Half of the Aragonese irrigated land is managed with Ador (about 180,000 ha) The project has boosted water management utilities nationwide Currently released version: 1.2.9 (free download)

Water pricing: a matrix

Water users

Cadastral plots and water uses

Water uses

A diagram of the irrigation network

Secondary network elements

Registering and allocating water orders

Registering water meter readings

Billing for general costs: by the hectare

Billing for water use: by the m3

The educational water bill

Drought management: water restrictions

GIS support: plot identification

GIS support: searches and queries

GIS support: supply lines and cadastral plots

N

N

Castejón del Puente

Castejón del Puente

Selgua

Selgua

Conchel

Irrigation Efficiency SIPI (%) (%)

N

3

Water de useriego (m(m3/ha) /ha) Volumen 0 - 2000 2000 - 4000 4000 - 6000 6000 - 8000 8000 - 10000 10000 - 15000 15000 - 20000 >20000 Sin dato

Conchel

W Pomar de Cinca

E S

0 - 50 50 - 80 80 - 120 120 - 200 > 200 Sin dato

N W Pomar de Cinca

E S

Irrigation and salinity of waters and soils

Ramón Aragüés

• Salinity is one of the most important problems in agriculture (around 1000 m ha worlwide). • Of the 230 ha irrigated land, about 10% is seriously affected and 30% is moderately affected. Each year, about 0.25-0.50 m ha are lost due to salinization. • Areas affected by salinity: USA (28%), China (23%), Pakistan (21%), India (11%), Ebro river (20%)…

Irrigated agriculture and salinity ¿Why is there salinity? Because both the irrigation water and the soil water dissolve salt minerals

• Why is salinity a problem?

Plant without salt stress

Plant with salt stress

Relative yield

- Because it affects negatively crop yield

100

0 Salinity

Salinity effects on crops OLIVE

COTTON CORN (sprinkler)

BARLEY

• Why is salinity a problem? Because if sodium is preponderant (“sodicity”) it may affect negatively soil’s structural stability.

Pakistan: saline, sodic, alkaline soil, impermeable

Effects of sodicity on soils

Crusted soil Drain clogging

• Why soil salinity increases in irrigated agriculture? - Because plants extract water from the soil, but not the salts that accumulate in the soil. - Because water evaporates from the soil as vapor, leaving the salts in the soil.

- Thus, soil evaporation (E) and plant transpiration (Tc), in other words ETc, is one main reason for salinity increases in irrigated agriculture.

SOIL SALINIZATION IN IRRIGATION  Evapotranspiration effect: soil water evapoconcentration IRRIGATION

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

SALTS WATER

ROOT ZONE SOIL SALINIZATION

 Weathering effect: dissolution of mineral/salt deposits due to deep-percolation waters.

RECHARGE AREA

DISCHARGE AREA ET

Evap.

Canal

DEEP PERCOLATION seepage

RIVER

SALINE GEOLOGIC STRATA

SOIL SALINIZATION IN IRRIGATION  Excessive application of irrigation water in soils with limited drainage.  Creation of shallow watertables that: (1) prevent the leaching of salts (2) induce the capillary rise of water and salts and the subsequent evapoconcentration at the soil surface. Irrigation

Irrigation

EVAPOCONCENTRATION salinization

Impervious horizon

Impervious horizon

Impervious horizon

Critical WT depth 1 - 2.5 m (texture dependent)

Irrigation and soil salinization: the inefficiency of irrigation in the recharge areas provokes soil salinization in the discharge areas Recharge area IRRIGATION DEPTH Low High

Discharge area

SOIL ROOT ZONE

Evapoconcentration salts xxxxxx xxxxxx Original watertable

Rising watertable

¿How to avoid soil salinization in the discharge areas? 1. Increase efficiency/uniformity of irrigation 2. Plantation of high-ET, deep-rooted trees

RECHARGE AREA

3. Interceptor or belt drainage

DISCHARGE AREA 5. Pumping drainage

Original water table

Rising water table

4. Horizontal drainage

THE APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE ARE THE TWO KEY STRATEGIES FOR CONTROLLING SALINITY IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE

• Soil salinity must be measured in space and time. • Today, we have remote sensors that are able to estimate salinity of large-scale irrigation districts: 1- Terrestrial vehicles with electromagnetic sensor 2- Aerial vehicles with electromagnetic sensor 3- Image satellites as Landsat

Terrestrial vehicles: mobile and geo-referenced electromagnetic sensor. Prototype designed at CITA

GPS Field computer

PVC sled with EM sensor

Dualem 1-S EM sensor

Salinity maps performed with the terrestrial EM sensor in Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey (INCO project) Morocco (Beni Amir)

ECe-h (dS m-1)

Spain (Lerma)

EC ECe-he-h-1 -1 ) (dS (dS mm ) < 1.0 1.0 - 2.5 2.5 - 4.0 4.0 - 5.5 > 5.5

Tunisia (Kalaât Landalous)

ECe-h (dS m-1)

Turkey (Akarsu)

ECe-h ECe-h -1 (dS m (dS m)-1) < 0.33 0.33 - 0.40 0.40 - 0.47 0.47 - 0.54 > 0.54

Aerial vehicles: helicopter with RESOLVE EM sensor

Landsat satellite images Barley, Pompenillo farm (Huesca, España)

NDVI may-09

CEe (dS m-1) NS (CEe = 4) LS (4 < CEe = 8) MS (8 < CEe = 16) FS (CEe > 16)

0,23

Mapa de NDVI obtenido con Landsat

NDVI (5-m ayo-09)

y = 1,068 - 0,0272x 2

R = 0,698; n = 220

0,8 0,6 0,4 y = 0,817 - 0,0007x

0,2

2

R = 0,00; n = 432

0,0 0

2

4

6

8

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

CEe dS/m

N D V I m edio (m ayo-09)

Mapa de salinidad obtenido con SEM 1,0

Zonas problemáticas Zonas intermedias Zonas sin problemas

0,86

Mapa de NDVI (junio - abril)

1,0 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0,0 MS

FS

Salinidad

MFS

Irrigation systems and salinity: synthesis of potential problems and corrective measures System

Potential problem

Corrective measures

Flood

Low distribution uniformity  differential leaching of salts

Reshape of plot/laser leveling Soil mulching

Furrow

Evaporation of water  salt accumulation in the upper part of ridges

Wetting of leaves and foliar absorption of ions Sprinkler  specific ion toxicity (Na, Cl, B) Drip

Salt accumulation at soil surface and edges of wetted areas

Avoid wetting of leaves; irrigate at times of low evaporation Increase drip density

The European Water Framework Directive and the National Hydrologic Plan • Objective of the WFD: Framework for the protection of water quality in Europe. • All water bodies must attain a good chemical and ecological status in year 2015. • “Polluters pay”... A difficult task when pollution is diffuse (as in agriculture). Role of WUA… • Increasing pressure towards agricultural systems that garanty the quality of waters: increasing need to quantify pollution induced by irrigation.

The Spanish Environmental Monitoring Program • Monitoring of environmental impacts. • Research of “cause-effects”. • Elaboration of codes of good agricultural practices. • Establishment of agro-environmental indicators. • Network of environmental monitoring stations in each Spanish hydrological basin.

RECOREBRO: Ebro River Basin Network for the assessment of irrigation-induced pollution ##

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Estaciones de aforos actuales Rios Embalses actuales Urgell Arba en Tauste Barranco de la Violada en Zuera Peraltilla Jalón en Grisén Clamor Amarga Valcuerna en Candasnos Alcanadre en Ballobar Canal.shp Regadíos actuales Regadíos futuros Ambito cuenca

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100 kilómetros

CHE-CITA Convenios de Collaboration Agreements colaboración CITA-CHE

Measurement of flows and water quality at the exit of an irrigation district

Measurement of flows and water quality at the exit of an irrigation district

Flow and quality station in Lerma (Bardenas)

oct-06 nov-06 dic-06 ene-07 feb-07 mar-07 abr-07 may-07 jun-07 jul-07 ago-07 sep-07 oct-07 nov-07 dic-07 ene-08 feb-08 mar-08 abr-08 may-08 jun-08 jul-08 ago-08 sep-08 oct-08

Nitrato (NO3-, mg/l) oct-06 nov-06 dic-06 ene-07 feb-07 mar-07 abr-07 may-07 jun-07 jul-07 ago-07 sep-07 oct-07 nov-07 dic-07 ene-08 feb-08 mar-08 abr-08 may-08 jun-08 jul-08 ago-08 sep-08 oct-08

Salinidad (CE, dS/m)

Bardenas: Arba in Tauste

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Mean 07+08 2,7 dS/m

6,0 T/ha·year

80

60

Mean 07+08

40

37 mg/l

20

114 Kg NO3/ha·year = 26 Kg N/ha·year

0

24% with NO3 > 50

68% with NO3 > 25

1800

Martín-Hijar Arba-Gallur Tirón-Cuzcurrita Jalón-Huérmeda Ega-Andosilla Jalon-Grisen Ebro-Zaragoza Cinca-Fraga Arga-Peralta Ebro-Ascó Ebro-Tortosa Segre-Balaguer Segre-Serós Ebro-Castejón Matarraña-Maella Oca-Oña Ebro-Mendavia Bayas-Miranda Ebro-Miranda Najerilla-Torremont. Noguera-La Piñana Zadorra-Arce Gállego-Anzánigo Aragón-Caparroso Iregua-Islallana Irati-Liédena Aragón-Jaca Segre-Seo

Solidos Disueltos Solids Totales(mg/L) (mg/L) Total Dissolved

Mean 1975-2008 salt concentrations (Total Dissolved Solids) in 28 rivers of the Ebro Basin. The red line at 450 mg/L indicates the FAO threshold value above which waters are moderately restricted for irrigation purposes of salt-sensitive crops

(b)

1500

1200

900

600

300

0

Salinity tendencies (SDT = total dissolved solids in mg/L) in 28 rivers of the Ebro Basin based on 19752008 data. The percent SDT increase over the mean SDT is also shown.

1,7 % 1,7 % 1,7 % 1,4 % 2,2 % 0,9 % 1,3 % 1,6 % 1,1 % 0,6 % 1,1 % 1,2 % 0,3 % 1,0% 1,1 % 0,6 % 1,1 % 0,8 % 0,9 % 1,3 % 0,8 % 1,1 % 0,5 % 0,8 % 0,4 % 0,6 % 0,0 % -0,9 %

SDT SDTaj

Several of the most problematic rivers collect the IRF of important irrigation districts… -10

0

10

20

Arba-Gallur (a) Ega-Andosilla Jalon-Grisen Ebro-Zaragoza Matarraña-Maella Jalón-Huérmeda Cinca-Fraga Segre-Balaguer Ebro-Tortosa Tirón-Cuzcurrita Ebro-Ascó Ebro-Castejón Martín-Hijar Segre-Serós Oca-Oña Arga-Peralta Ebro-Miranda Ebro-Mendavia Najerilla-Torremont. Aragón-Caparroso Bayas-Miranda Gállego-Anzánigo Zadorra-Arce Aragón-Jaca Irati-Liédena Segre-Seo Iregua-Islallana Noguera-La Piñana

30

anualin SDT (mg/L año) year) MeanVariación annualmedia variation SDT (mg/L

Aragón-Jaca

Noguera-La Piñana

Iregua-Islallana

Segre-Seo

Gállego-Anzánigo

Irati-Liédena

Najerilla-Torremont.

Ebro-Miranda

Aragón-Caparroso

Segre-Serós

Cinca-Fraga

Ebro-Ascó

Matarraña-Maella

Segre-Balaguer

Ebro-Tortosa

Ebro-Mendavia

Bayas-Miranda

Ebro-Castejón

Arga-Peralta

Jalón-Huérmeda

Martín-Hijar

Ega-Andosilla

Oca-Oña

Tirón-Cuzcurrita

Jalón-Grisen

Ebro-Zaragoza

Zadorra-Arce

Arba-Gallur

0

10 20 30 40 50

Nitrate concentration (mg/L)

Mean 1980-2008 nitrate concentrations in 28 rivers of the Ebro Basin. The red line at 25 mg/L indicates the Nitrate threshold Directive above which waters are moderately contaminated by Nitrate

(b)

Nitrate tendencies (NO3, mg/L) in 28 rivers of the Ebro Basin based on 19802008 data. The percent NO3 increase over the mean NO3 is also shown.

2,8 % 3,0 % 3,2 % 1,5 % 2,7 % 1,4 % 1,3 % 1,2 % 0,6 % 0,6 % 0,8 % 1,1 % 0,5 % 0,7% 1,4 % 0,4 % 0,1 % 0,7 % 0,8 % 0,1 % -0,1 % -0,1 % -0,2 % -0,4 % -2,9 % -0,6 % -0,8 % -1,2 %

Several of the most problematic rivers collect the IRF of important irrigation districts… but disposal of pig slurry is also an important factor in some rivers -0,3

0

0,3

0,6

Mean annual variation in NO(mg/L Variación concentración de nitrato año) 3 (mg/L

TirCuz Tirón-Cuzcurrita

(a)

BayMir Bayas-Miranda Matarraña-Maella MatMae EgaAnd Ega-Andosilla Segre-Serós SegSer Segre-Balaguer SegBal EbrMen Ebro-Mendavia Cinca-Fraga CinFra JalGri Jalón-Grisen OcaOña Oca-Oña

EbrCas Ebro-Castejón EbrMir Ebro-Miranda EbrAsc Ebro-Ascó NajTor Najerilla-Torremont. IraLie Irati-Liédena EbrTor Ebro-Tortosa ArbGal Arba-Gallur SegSeo Segre-Seo Aragón-Jaca AraJac Gállego-Anzánigo GalAnz NgrLPi Noguera-La Piñana Aragón-Caparroso AraCap ZadArc Zadorra-Arce JalHue Jalón-Huérmeda IreIsl Iregua-Islallana EbrZar Ebro-Zaragoza MarHij Martín-Hijar

ArgPer Arga-Peralta

0,9 0,9

year)

Why IRF are important within the European WFD? Because the load of contaminants (i.e., volume of IRF and contaminant concentrations) largely determine the quality (i.e. the concentration of contaminants) in the receiving water bodies (rivers) Hence, salt and nitrate concentrations is a relevant and increasing problem in many rivers of the Ebro Basin…

How to minimize contaminant loads in IRF? (Load = Concentration x Volume) Reducing contaminant concentrations - Decreasing agrochemical inputs - Improving application dates - Improving the management of livestock wastes - Set up green filters/ wetlands in drainage courses

Reducing the volume of IRF

Source control

Sink control

- Optimize irrigation - Regulated deficit irrig.

Decreasing drainage Reuse - Internal - External

In all these activities, Water User Associations play a major role for: 1- Environmental monitoring of irrigation 2- Establishment of good agricultural practices for pollution control 3- Training and dissemination activities 4- Interaction with research

Irrigation diffuse pollution: load is the critical variable Irrigation district

RIVER

V = 10.000 C = 10 M = 100.000

Present scenario IRF V = 1.000 C = 100 M = 100.000 V = 11.000 M = 200.000 C = 18 (+80%)

La Violada IRF (inefficient surface irrigation) V = 989 mm C = 28 mg NO3/L M = 83 Kg N/ha (26% de Nf)

Scenario with reduced load IRF V = 100 C = 200 M = 20.000

RIVER

V = 10.100 M = 120.000 C = 12 (+20%) D-IX IRF (efficient sprinkler irrigation) V = 48 mm C = 125 mg NO3/L M = 14 Kg N/ha (10% de Nf)