BiotechMashup

Expanded irrigation has made it possible to feed the world's growing billions -- and it may also temporarily be counteracting the effects of climate change in some regions, say scientists. But some sources of irrigation water are projected to dry up in coming decades and when they do, people may face the double whammy of food shortages and higher temperatures. A new study pinpoints where the trouble spots may be.

Marketable yield, yield components, quality, and phenolic compounds of artichoke heads were investigated in response to three irrigation regimes and four nitrogen rates under subsurface drip irrigation. Results showed that irrigation was more effective than N management for optimizing artichoke yield. Time of harvest had the largest effect on artichoke nutritional quality, followed by deficit irrigation. The study will help introduce artichoke cultural practices into commercial production in water-limited regions of the southern United States.

Climate change will drastically reduce the discharge of snow and ice meltwater in a region of the Himalayas, threatening the food security of more than 60 million people in Asia in the coming decades, according to new research in Science. The Indus and Brahmaputra basins are expected to be the most adversely affected, while in the Yellow River basin the availability of irrigation water will actually increase.

(American Society for Horticultural Science) Marketable yield, yield components, quality, and phenolic compounds of artichoke heads were investigated in response to three irrigation regimes and four nitrogen rates under subsurface drip irrigation. Results showed that irrigation was more effective than N management for optimizing artichoke yield. Time of harvest had the largest effect on artichoke nutritional quality, followed by deficit irrigation.

Conserving water and reducing the environmental impact of runoff are two important issues confronting container nursery operations. Current regulations in five states limit water consumption and/or nutrient concentrations in runoff. Researchers investigated whether irrigation scheduling based on daily water use (DWU) -- the combined loss of water from plant transpiration and substrate evaporation -- could conserve water. According to the study, "scheduling irrigation according to plant DWU substantially reduced the amount of irrigation applied.

(Elhuyar Fundazioa) Neiker-Tecnalia (the Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development) has been working with Arson engineering company in the creation of an irrigation telecontrol system which will enable saving up to 20 percent of water for each harvest, compared to traditional irrigation methods. This technology is known as Aquarson.

(American Society for Horticultural Science) Conserving water and reducing the environmental impact of runoff are two important issues confronting container nursery operations. Current regulations in five states limit water consumption and/or nutrient concentrations in runoff. Researchers investigated whether irrigation scheduling based on daily water use (DWU) -- the combined loss of water from plant transpiration and substrate evaporation -- could conserve water.

Researchers in Spain have developed an irrigation telecontrol system which will enable saving up to 20 percent of water for each harvest, compared to traditional irrigation methods.

(University of East Anglia) China's groundwater irrigation system is responsible for polluting the atmosphere with more than 30 million tons of CO2 per year -- according to research from the University of East Anglia.Groundwater used for crop irrigation in China has grown from 10 billion cubic meters in 1950 to more than 100 billion today.A research paper, published today in Environmental Research Letters, estimates that the pumping systems which support this immense irrigation network annually produce 33.1 MtCO2e.