Managing irrigation water to enhance crop productivity under water-limiting conditions: a role for isotopic techniques - D1.20.09


Objective:

The overall objective is to improve the water productivity (production per unit of water input) of crops under water-limiting conditions. The specific research objectives are: 1) Quantify, and develop means to manage soil evaporative losses to maximise the beneficial use of water - the transpirational component of evapotranspiration, 2) Quantify, and develop means to improve the amount of biomass produced per unit of transpiration, 3) Devise irrigation and related management techniques to enhance the yield component of biomass production (Harvest Index).

Activities:

This CRP was formulated on the basis of recommendation of a Consultants' Meeting held at IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, 26-29 June 2006. The first RCM of the CRP took place at IAEA HQ during 26-30 November 2007. Nine research contract holders from Burkina Faso, Malawi, Morocco, China Peoples Republic (2 participants), Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam and Zambia, and two Agreement Holders from Austria and Spain (Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna and IAS-CSIC and University of Cordoba, Spain) and two Technical Contractors from USA (University of California-Davis and University of Wyoming-Laramie) attended the meeting. In addition one observer from China and staff of the Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition (SWMCN) subprogramme were among the participants. Experimental designs, the characteristics (soil type, annual rainfall etc.) of the trial sites and work plan of the participants were presented. They were subsequently revised after discussion and recommendations from the group. At the 2nd RCM, all participants presented their progress reports on their research covering the period 2008-2009. The progress made in the project was reviewed and future activities were discussed. Work plans were established for future research activities in each participating country and in line with the project objectives. A field campaign comparing soil evaporation and crop transpiration using isotopic and conventional methods was also carried out.

Participants:

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Reports:

Project Officer:

Minh Long Nguyen and Lee Heng