Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of fertigation strategies on nitrate leaching and its uptake into maize plants. Field experimental data were employed to calibrate a numerical model (HYDRUS 2D/3D) for a surface drip irrigation system in a sandy clay loam soil. The calibrated model was used to simulate nitrate plant uptake and its leaching in different fertigation scenarios based on various fertigation durations and different start times of fertigation. Finally, nitrogen plant uptake was compared with maize N requirement during growth stages in two fertigation frequency scenarios. These simulations were also performed in sandy loam soil. The results show that, if fertigation is done at the end of irrigation, nitrate leaching in shorter fertigation duration will be less than the leaching in longer fertigation duration. However, in the case of fertigation at the beginning of irrigation, the nitrate leaching is higher if the fertigation duration is short, and vice versa. Furthermore, reducing the number of fertigation events in the sandy clay loam soil increases the nitrate plant uptake. However, in the sandy loam soil, a lesser number of fertigation events reduce nitrate uptake.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbasi F, Jacques D, Šimůnek J, Feyen J, van Genuchten MT (2003) Inverse estimation of the soil hydraulic and solute transport parameters from transient field experiments: heterogeneous soil. Trans ASAE 46(4):1097–1111. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.13961
Abendroth LJ, Elmore RW, Boyer MJ, Marlay SK (2011) Corn growth and development. PMR 1009. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Ames
Ahmad M, Chakraborty D, Aggarwal P, Bhattacharyya R, Ravender Singh R (2018) Modelling soil water dynamics and crop water use in a soybean-wheat rotation under chisel tillage in a sandy clay loam soil. Geoderma 327:13–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.04.014
Ajdary K, Singh DK, Singh AK, Khanna M (2007) Modelling of nitrogen leaching from experimental onion field under drip fertigation. Agr Water Manage 89:15–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2006.12.014
Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop evapotranspiration – guidelines for computing crop water requirements. Irrigation and Drainage Paper. 56. FAO, Rome
Bremner JM, Edwards AP (1965) Determination and isotope-ratio analysis of different forms of nitrogen in soil: I. Apparatus and procedure for distillation and determination of ammonium. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 29:504–507. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1965.03615995002900050011x
Bremner JM, Keeney DR (1965) Steam distillation methods for determination of ammonium, nitrate and nitrite. Anal Chim Acta 32:485–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)88973-4
Bremner JM, Keeney DR (1966) Determination and isotope-ratio analysis of different forms of nitrogen in soils: 3. Exchangeable ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite by extraction-distillation methods. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 30:577–582. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1966.03615995003000050015x
Chen LJ, Feng Q, Li FR, Li CS (2015) Simulation of soil water and salt transfer under mulched furrow irrigation with saline water. Geoderma 241–242:87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.11.007
Christiansen JE (1941) The uniformity of application of water by sprinkler systems. Agric Eng 22:89–92
Cote CM, Bristow KL, Charlesworth PB, Cook FJ, Charlesworth PJ (2003) Analysis of soil wetting and solute transport in subsurface trickle irrigation. Irrig Sci 22:143–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-003-0080-8
De Jong R, Drury CF, Yang JY, Campbell CA (2009) Risk of water contamination by nitrogen in Canada as estimated by the IROWC-N model. J Environ Manag 90:3169–3181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.034
Eberhart RC, Kennedy J (1995) A new optimizer using particle swarm theory. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Micro Machine and Human Science. IEEE Press. Piscataway
Farneselli M, Benincasa P, Tosti G, Simonne E, Guiducci M, Tei F (2015) High fertigation frequency improves nitrogen uptake and crop performance in processing tomato grown with high nitrogen and water supply. Agr Water Manage 154:52–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.03.002
Feddes RA, Kowalik PJ, Zaradny H (1978) Simulation of field water use and crop yield. Simulation Monographs Pudoc, Wageningen
Filipović V, Coquet Y, Pot V, Houot S, Benoit P (2016) Modeling water and isoproturon dynamics in a heterogeneous soil profile under different urban waste compost applications. Geoderma 268:29–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.01.009
Gardenas AI, Hopmans JW, Hanson BR, Šimůnek J (2005) Two-dimensional modeling of nitrate leaching for various fertigation scenarios under micro-irrigation. Agr Water Manage 74:219–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2004.11.011
Gelhar LW, Welty C, Rehfeldt KR (1992) A critical review of data on field scale dispersion in aquifers. Water Resour Res 28(7):1955–1974. https://doi.org/10.1029/92WR00607
Gheysari M, Mirlatifi SM, Homaee M, Asadi ME, Hoogenboom G (2009) Nitrate leaching in a silage maize field under different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer rates. Agr Water Manage 96:946–954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2009.01.005
Haas MB, Guse B, Fohrer N (2017) Assessing the impacts of best management practices on nitrate pollution in an agricultural dominated lowland catchment considering environmental protection versus economic development. J Environ Manag 196:347–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.02.060
Hanson BR, Šimůnek J, Hopmans JW (2006) Evaluation of urea–ammonium–nitrate fertigation with drip irrigation using numerical modeling. Agr Water Manage 86:102–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2006.06.013
Hartmann A, Šimůnek J, Aidoo MK, Seidel SJ, Lazarovitch N (2018) Implementation and application of a root growth module in HYDRUS. Vadose Zone J 17(1). https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.02.0040
Hoffman GJ, van Genuchten MT (1983) Soil properties and efficient water use: water management for salinity control. In: Taylor HM, Jordan WR, Sinclair TR (eds) Limitations and efficient water use in crop production. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 73–85
Hou Z, Chen W, Li X, Xiu L, Wu L (2009) Effects of salinity and fertigation practice on cotton yield and 15 N recovery. Agr Water Manage 96:1483–1489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2009.04.019
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Department of Agriculture (IEPA and IDOA), 2015. Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. IEPA and IDOA, IL. https://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/water-quality/watershedmanagement/excessutrients/nutrient-loss-reduction-strategy/index. Accessed 10 Nov 2016
Jacques D, Šimůnek J, Mallants D, van Genuchten MT (2008) Modelling coupled water flow, solute transport and geochemical reactions affecting heavy metal migration in a podzol soil. Geoderma 145(3–4):449–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.01.009
Jeong H, Bhattarai R (2018) Exploring the effects of nitrogen fertilization management alternatives on nitrate loss and crop yields in tile-drained fields in Illinois. J Environ Manag 213:341–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.02.062
Kandelous MM, Šimůnek J (2010) Numerical simulations of water movement in a subsurface drip irrigation system under field and laboratory conditions using HYDRUS-2D. Agr Water Manage 97:1070–1076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2010.02.012
Karandish F, Šimůnek J (2017) Two-dimensional modeling of nitrogen and water dynamics for various N-managed water-saving irrigation strategies using HYDRUS. Agr Water Manage 193:174–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2017.07.023
Kennedy J, Eberhart RC (1995) Particle swarm optimization. In Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks. IEEE Press, Piscataway
Kumar M, Rajput TBS, Kumar R, Patel N (2016) Water and nitrate dynamics in baby corn (Zea mays L.) under different fertigation frequencies and operating pressures in semi-arid region of India. Agr Water Manage 163:263–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.10.002
Li J, Zhang J, Rao M (2004) Wetting patterns and nitrogen distributions as affected by fertigation strategies from a surface point source. Agr Water Manage 67:89–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2004.02.002
Li J, Zhang J, Rao M (2005) Modeling of water flow and nitrate transport under surface drip fertigation. Trans ASAE 48(2):627–637. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.18336
Marinov I, Marinov AM (2014) A coupled mathematical model to predict the influence of nitrogen fertilization on crop, soil and groundwater quality. Water Resour Manag 28:5231–5246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0664-5
Meisinger JJ, Palmer RE, Timlin DJ (2015) Effects of tillage practices on drainage and nitrate leaching from winter wheat in the Northern Atlantic Coastal-Plain USA. Soil Tillage Res 151:18–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2015.02.007
Nakamura K, Harter T, Hirono Y, Horino H, Mitsuno T (2004) Assessment of root zone nitrogen leaching as affected by irrigation and nutrient management practices. Vadose Zone J 3:1353–1366. https://doi.org/10.2113/3.4.1353
Okeeffe K (2009) Maize growth & development. NSW Department of Primary Industries (Orange, NSW)
Phogat V, Skewes MA, Cox JW, Alam J, Grigson G, Šimůnek J (2013) Evaluation of water movement and nitrate dynamics in a lysimeter planted with an orange tree. Agr Water Manage 127:74–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2013.05.017
Phogat V, Skewes MA, Cox JW, Sanderson G, Alam J, Šimůnek J (2014) Seasonal simulation of water, salinity and nitrate dynamics under drip irrigated mandarin (Citrus reticulate) and assessing management options for drainage and nitrate leaching. J Hydrol 513:504–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.04.008
Pinto VM, Bruno IP, de Jong van Lier Q, Dourado-Neto D, Reichardt K (2017) Environmental benefits of reducing N rates for coffee in the Cerrado. Soil Tillage Res 166:76–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2016.10.006
Rajput TBS, Patel N (2006) Water and nitrate movement in drip-irrigated onion under fertigation and irrigation treatments. Agr Water Manage 79:293–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2005.03.009
Ramos TB, Šimůnek J, Goncalves MC, Martins JC, Prazeres A, Pereira LS (2012) Two-dimensional modeling of water and nitrogen fate from sweet sorghum irrigated with fresh and blended saline waters. Agr Water Manage 111:87–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2012.05.007
Ravikumar V, Vijayakumar G, Šimůnek J, Chellamuthu S, Santhi R, Appavu K (2011) Evaluation of fertigation scheduling for sugarcane using a vadose zone flow and transport model. Agr Water Manage 98:1431–1440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2011.04.012
Reynolds WD, Elrick DE (1985) In situ measurements of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, and the α-parameter using the Guelph permeameter. Soil Sci 140:292–302. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-198510000-00008
Reynolds WD, Elrick DE (1986) A method for simultaneous in situ measurements in the vadose zone of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity, sorptivity, and the conductivity-pressure head relationship. Ground Water Monit Rev 6:84–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6592.1986.tb01229.x
Reynolds WD, Elrick DE (1987) A laboratory and numerical assessment of the Guelph permeameter method. Soil Sci 144(4):282–299. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-198710000-00008
Rezapour S, Samadi A (2012) Assessment of inceptisols soil quality following long-term cropping in a calcareous environment. Environ Monit Assess 184:1311–1323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2042-6
Richards LA (1931) Capillary conduction of fluid through porous mediums. J Appl Phys 1:318–333. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1745010
Shrestha RK, Leslie R, Cooperband LR, MacGuidwin AE (2010) Strategies to reduce nitrate leaching into groundwater in potato grown in sandy soils: case study from North Central USA. Am J Potato Res 87:229–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12230-010-9131-x
Silber A, Xu G, Levkovitch I, Soriano S, Bilu A, Wallach R (2003) High fertigation frequency: the effects on uptake of nutrients, water and plant growth. Plant Soil 253:467–477. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024857814743
Šimůnek J, Hopmans JW (2009) Modeling compensated root water and nutrient uptake. Ecol Model 220:505–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2008.11.004
Šimůnek J, Suarez DL (1993) Modeling of carbon dioxide transport and production in soil: 1. Model development. Water Resour Res 29(2):487–497. https://doi.org/10.1029/92WR02225
Šimůnek J, van Genuchten MT, Šejna M (2008) Development and applications of the HYDRUS and STANMOD software packages, and related codes. Vadose Zone J 7(2):587–600. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2007.0077
Šimůnek J, van Genuchten M Th, Sejna M (2011) The HYDRUS software package for simulating two- and three-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably-saturated media. In: Technical Manual, Version 2. PC Progress, Prague, Czech Republic
Šimůnek J, van Genuchten MT, Šejna M (2016) Recent developments and applications of the HYDRUS computer software packages. Vadose Zone J 15(7):1–25. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.04.0033
Tafteh A, Sepaskhah AR (2012) Application of HYDRUS-1D model for simulating water and nitrate leaching from continuous and alternate furrow irrigated rapeseed and maize fields. Agr Water Manage 113:19–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2012.06.011
Tian X, Li C, Zhang M, Li T, Lu Y, Liu L (2018) Controlled release urea improved crop yields and mitigated nitrate leaching under cotton-garlic intercropping system in a 4-year field trial. Soil Tillage Res 175:158–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2017.08.015
van Genuchten MT (1980) A closed form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:892–898. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400050002x
van Genuchten MTh, Leij FJ, Yates SR (1991) The RETC code for quantifying the hydraulic functions of unsaturated soils. EPA/600/2-91/065, R.S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Ada, p 85
Vrugt JA, Hopmans JW, Šimůnek J (2001a) Calibration of a two-dimensional root water uptake model. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65(4):1027–1037. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2001.6541027x
Vrugt JA, van Wijk MT, Hopmans JW, Šimůnek J (2001b) One-, two-, and three-dimensional root water uptake functions for transient modeling. Water Resour Res 37(10):2457–2470. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000WR000027
Wang Z, Li J, Li Y (2014) Simulation of nitrate leaching under varying drip system uniformities and precipitation patterns during the growing season of maize in the North China Plain. Agr Water Manage 142:19–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2014.04.013
Wesseling JG, Elbers JA, Kabat P, van den Broek BJ (1991) SWATRE: instructions for input. Internal note. Winand Staring Centre, Wageningen
Wick K, Heumesser C, Schmid E (2012) Groundwater nitrate contamination: Factors and indicators. J Environ Manage 111:178-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.06.030
Zeng WZ, Huang JS, Wu JW, Xu C (2013) Modeling soil salt and nitrogen transport under different fertigation practices with Hydrus-1D. Adv J Food Sci Technol 5(5):592–599. https://doi.org/10.19026/ajfst.5.3133
Zhang JJ, Li JS, Zhao BQ, Li YT (2015) Simulation of water and nitrogen dynamics as affected by drip fertigation strategies. J Integr Agric 14(12):2434–2445. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61231-X
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the critical guidance of Prof. J. Šimůnek of University of California for his useful comments on dynamically simulation of root growth with HYDRUS (2D/3D) during this research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Marcus Schulz
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Azad, N., Behmanesh, J., Rezaverdinejad, V. et al. Evaluation of fertigation management impacts of surface drip irrigation on reducing nitrate leaching using numerical modeling. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 36499–36514 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06699-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06699-2