Available water content for the management of irrigated crops in the northwestern region of Parana State

Abstract

Pedotransfer functions of the available water content (AWC) as a function of the granulometric variability may contribute to irrigation management. The aim of this study was to generate pedotransfer functions to estimate soil water retention curves and AWC fractions in soils in the Northwestern Region of Parana State (Brazil) to manage water in irrigated systems with different crops. In 2016, soil sampling was carried out for granulometric determinations (total sand content, five sand fractions, silt, clay), total organic carbon, and water retention for eight soil water tensions at 0-0.20, 0.20-0.40, and 0.40-0.60 m deep. These evaluations were made in eleven irrigated areas of six watersheds in the Northwestern of Parana, having pasture in fixed conventional sprinkler irrigation systems. The soil water retention of this region is highly dependent on the proportion of fine sand fraction and practicality to be estimated by the total sand content between 550 to 910 g kg -1 . The pedotransfer functions of the AWC fractions between 20% and 65% will allow estimating the water content and tensions as a function of the total sand content in the soil for the water management of crops of these regions.

Physical quality of sandy soils under orange orchards in Southern Brazil

“…Soil organic carbon and moisture (Table 1) are within the variability of soils in the Northwest region of the state of Paraná, Southern Brazil (Fidalski and Helbel Junior, 2020). The organic carbon content remained statistically equal between the three sampling positions for the three soils after 8-18 years after the establishment of the orange orchards, in line with Conant et al (2017).…”

“…Approximately 8 % of Brazilian land area is characterized as sandy soil, corresponding to the sand, loamy-sand or sandy-loam textural classes up to a depth of 0.75 m or more, belonging to the Neossolos Quartzarênicos (Arenosols), Latossolos (Ferralsols) and Argissolos (Lixisols), according to the Brazilian System of Soil Classification (Donagemma et al, 2016). In the Northwest region of the state of Paraná, Southern, there are approximately 30,000 km 2 of sandy soils, corresponding to 16 % of the State's area (Fidalski and Helbel Junior, 2020). These soils are formed by rocks belonging to the Caiuá Group, which is formed by the Paraná River, Goioerê and Santo Anastácio geological formations (Etchebehere et al, 2007), and referred to locally as the Arenito Caiuá.…”

“…The classes of soils representative of Caiuá group are the Ferralsols, Lixisols and Arenosols which are in catenas located between the water divisions up to the drainage networks and are characterized, in the same sequence, by an increase in sand content in the superficial layer (Thomaz and Fidalski, 2020). These soils are predominantly fine sands, providing weak aggregation and low water retention capacity (Fidalski and Helbel Junior, 2020). Under agricultural use, there is an even greater reduction in organic matter levels and the physical quality of these soils due to soil compaction (Fidalski et al, 2010).…”

“…Studies carried out in orange orchards on Ferralsol and Lixisol sandy soils have found that soil resistance to penetration (PR) was the physical property that most often reduces the least limiting water range (LLWR), mainly in pastures areas (Flávio Neto et al, 2015;Benevenute et al, 2020). In this context, these Ferralsols and Lixisols are differentiated by the presence of Bw and Bt horizons, in which different proportions of sand contents in the surface layer were verified (Fidalski and Helbel Junior, 2020;Thomaz and Fidalski, 2020). The reference bulk density has been frequently used to evaluate the degree of compaction (Dc) under different soils and management systems (Etana et al, 1999;Reichert et al, 2009).…”

Bean yield under irrigation depths and tillage systems

“…Due to the low water holding capacity of sandy soils, even proper soil management and fertilization practices may compromise crop yields under water deficit (Fidalski & Helbel Junior 2020). Volsi et al (2020) carried out experiments in the northwest Paraná state with different crops associated with the no-tillage system and, because of the soil water availability, concluded that there is low profitability for the bean cultivation in this region without irrigation.…”