Does turbulent-flow conditioning of irrigation water influence soil chemical processes: II. Long-term soil and crop study

Lentz, R.D. and Ippolito, J.A. and Spokas, K.A. (2022) Does turbulent-flow conditioning of irrigation water influence soil chemical processes: II. Long-term soil and crop study. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 53(5):636-650. 7 February 2022. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2021.2017963

Text 1723.pdf Download (6MB)

Abstract

Recent laboratory evidence suggests that the intrinsic behavior of molecular water in soil is altered by turbulent-flow conditioning (CTap) of mineralized irrigation water (Tap). This 9-yr (2009 to 2017), irrigated, outdoor, cropped pot study evaluated the effect of Tap and CTap irrigation water on soil leachate chemistry, nutrient availability, and aboveground crop biomass yield and nutrient uptake. CTap increased cumulative mass losses of: NO3-N 2.5-fold; Mn 2-fold; K 1.6-fold; Mg, DOC, and NH4-N an average 1.2-fold; and increased the mean EC of leachate 1.2-fold. In both the current and a previous laboratory study (see Part 1), K, NH4-N, and Mg were leachate components most consistently selected by multivariate analysis as best discriminating between water treatments. The evidence also suggests that CTap increased mean available soil: Zn 2.4-fold; Cu, K, and Olsen P an average 1.4-fold; Na and Fe 1.2-fold; and decreased soil TC (4%), TIC (8%) and Mg (9%) relative to the Tap. In addition, CTap increased average crop biomass element concentrations of: Zn, Fe, and Al an average 1.3-fold; TN, Ca, K, and S 1.1-fold; and decreased TC (2%) relative to Tap. If the capacity of this simple device to increase soil cation leaching can be confirmed in broader applications, it could potentially provide an economical means of increasing the availability of nutrients in treated soils and managing or remediating degraded, salt-affected soils.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1723
Subjects:	Soil > Chemistry Soil > Soil water (soil moisture) Soil Water > Water quality Water
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	09 Feb 2022 23:55
Last Modified:	09 Feb 2022 23:55
Item ID:	1761
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/1761