Waters of poor quality are often used to irrigate crops in arid and semiarid regions, including the Fars Province of southwest Iran. The UNSATCHEM model was first calibrated and validated using field data that were collected to evaluate the use of saline water for the wheat crop. The calibrated and validated model was then employed to study different aspects of the salinization process and the impact of rainfall. The effects of irrigation water quality on the salinization process were evaluated using model simulations, in which irrigation waters of different salinity were used. The salinization process under different practices of conjunctive water use was also studied using simulations. Different practices were evaluated and ranked on the basis of temporal changes in rootzone salinity, which were compared with respect to the sensitivity of wheat to salinity. This ranking was then verified using published field studies evaluating wheat yield data for different practices of conjunctive water use. Next, the effects of the water application rate on the soil salt balance were studied using the UNSATCHEM simulations. The salt balance was affected by the quantity of applied irrigation water and precipitation/dissolution reactions. The results suggested that the less irrigation water is used, the more salts (calcite and gypsum) precipitate from the soil solution. Finally, the model was used to evaluate how the electrical conductivity of irrigation water affects the wheat production while taking into account annual rainfall and its distribution throughout the year. The maximum salinity of the irrigation water supply, which can be safely used in the long term (33 years) without impairing the wheat production, was determined to be 6 dS m -1 . Rainfall distribution also plays a major role in determining seasonal soil salinity of the root zone. Winter-concentrated rainfall is more effective in reducing salinity than a similar amount of rainfall distributed throughout autumn, winter, and spring seasons.
In order to assess the quality and suitability of waters in the Kor-Sivand river basin, 60 water samples from the Kor river and 90 water samples from wells in the basin were studied. Assessments were based on Piper's and Gibbs' diagrams for water quality, Food and Agricultural Organization's (FAO) guidelines, and US Salinity Laboratory diagram for water suitability. The results showed that the river water is of Ca-HCO(3) type, while well water is of Ca-Cl and Na-Cl type. Based on Gibbs' diagram, the source of soluble ions in the river water samples is the weathering of stones over which water flows, while evaporation was found to be the dominant process in the ion concentration of the well samples. According to the FAO Guidelines, the salinity of surface water for irrigation did not cause great restrictions; however, many of these waters could create potential permeability problems. In the groundwater samples, a high salt concentration is more important than the infiltration problem. Mg hazard values at some sites limit its use for agricultural purposes. One third of the river water samples and two thirds of well waters had more than 50% magnesium. Saturation indices showed that 94% of the analyzed water samples are supersaturated with calcite, aragonite, and dolomite. Based on the US Salinity Laboratory diagram, river water samples were classified as C(2)S(1) and C(3)S(1), while C(4)S(3), C(4)S(4), C(2)S(1), and C(3)S(1) were the most dominant classes in well samples. Some management practices necessary for sustainable development of water resources in the study area were discussed briefly, including appropriate selection of crops, adequate drainage, leaching, blending and cyclic use of saline water, proper irrigation method, and addition of soil amendment.
Background Chilling temperature reduces the rate of photosynthesis in plants, which is more pronounced in association with phosphate (Pi) starvation. Previous studies showed that Pi resupply improves recovery of the rate of photosynthesis in plants much better under combination of dual stresses than in non-chilled samples. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Results In this study, RNA-seq analysis showed the expression level of 41 photosynthetic genes in plant roots increased under phosphate starvation associated with 4 °C (-P 4 °C) compared to -P 23 °C. Moreover, iron uptake increased significantly in the stem cell niche (SCN) of wild type (WT) roots in -P 4 °C. In contrast, lower iron concentrations were found in SCN of aluminum activated malate transporter 1 (almt1) and its transcription factor, sensitive to protein rhizotoxicity 1 (stop1) mutants under -P 4 °C. The Fe content examined by ICP-MS analysis in -P 4 °C treated almt1 was 98.5 ng/µg, which was only 17% of that of seedlings grown under -P 23 °C. Average plastid number in almt1 root cells under -P 4 °C was less than -P 23 °C. Furthermore, stop1 and almt1 single mutants both exhibited increased primary root elongation than WT under combined stresses. In addition, dark treatment blocked the root elongation phenotype of stop1 and almt1. Conclusions Induction of photosynthetic gene expression and increased iron accumulation in roots is required for plant adjustment to chilling in association with phosphate starvation.
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