Paper · 2021 · Agronomy Journal

Novel root zone soil water retention improves production with half the water in arid sands

Mahdi I. Aoda; Alvin J. M. Smucker; Shatha S. Majeed; et al.

5
claims
8
verbatim quotes
12
citations
2
research areas
—
Not open access

Abstract

Abstract Urbanization and industrial competition continue to reduce both farmland and available water for food production. Therefore, a new root zone soil water retention technology was modified to transform highly permeable soils into sustainable agriculture. This long‐term drought avoidance technology was tested in two arid regions of Iraq, an arid country with declining irrigation water supplies. Manually installed U‐shaped impermeable membrane troughs were compared with manually installed thin layers of partially decomposed organic matter. Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) variety Dafnis (Syngenta Sweden) and spicy pepper ( Capsicum solanaceae L.) crops were spring planted at Najaf and Diyala field sites during a 2‐yr study. Soil water, temperature, and salinity were measured hourly, and compared to crop growth parameters, yields, and irrigation water use efficiency. Combined weights of four tomato and spicy pepper harvests were ( P = .05) 15 and 25% greater on sand soils equipped with root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranes and required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils. Spicy pepper production on SWRT membranes ( P = .05) increased 30% with concomitant ( P = .05) 125% greater irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) than organic matter‐layered and control soils at Diyala.

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Claims 5

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Tomato harvest weight increased by 15% under SWRT membranes.

Treatment
root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranese0
Outcome
harvestse0
Direction
greatere0
Value
15e0
Comparator
locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soilse0
Setting
Najaf and Diyala field sitese1

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Combined weights of four tomato and spicy pepper harvests were ( P = .05) 15 and 25% greater on sand soils equipped with root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranes and required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 884–1198 · show in text ↑
e1

“Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) variety Dafnis (Syngenta Sweden) and spicy pepper ( Capsicum solanaceae L.) crops were spring planted at Najaf and Diyala field sites during a 2‐yr study.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 550–738 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Spicy pepper harvest weight increased by 25% under SWRT membranes.

Taxon
spicy peppere0
Treatment
root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranese0
Outcome
harvestse0
Direction
greatere0
Value
25%e0
Comparator
locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soilse0

Verbatim

e0

“Combined weights of four tomato and spicy pepper harvests were ( P = .05) 15 and 25% greater on sand soils equipped with root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranes and required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 884–1198 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The membrane crops required 61% less irrigation water.

Treatment
root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranese1
Outcome
irrigation watere0
Direction
lesse0
Value
61%e0
Comparator
locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soilse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Solanum lycopersicum
Solanum lycopersicum · TaxonKod B · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1068–1198 · show in text ↑
e1

“Combined weights of four tomato and spicy pepper harvests were ( P = .05) 15 and 25% greater on sand soils equipped with root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranes and required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 884–1198 · show in text ↑
e2

“Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) variety Dafnis (Syngenta Sweden) and spicy pepper ( Capsicum solanaceae L.) crops were spring planted at Najaf and Diyala field sites during a 2‐yr study.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 550–738 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Spicy pepper production increased 30% on SWRT membranes at Diyala.

Taxon
Spicy peppere0
Treatment
SWRT membranese0
Outcome
productione0
Direction
increasede0
Value
30%e0
Comparator
organic matter‐layered and control soilse0
Setting
Diyalae0

Verbatim

e0

“Spicy pepper production on SWRT membranes ( P = .05) increased 30% with concomitant ( P = .05) 125% greater irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) than organic matter‐layered and control soils at Diyala”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1200–1402 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Spicy pepper irrigation water use efficiency was 125% greater on membranes.

Taxon
Spicy peppere0
Treatment
SWRT membranese0
Outcome
irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE)e0
Direction
greatere0
Value
125%e0
Comparator
organic matter‐layered and control soilse0
Setting
Diyalae0

Verbatim

e0

“Spicy pepper production on SWRT membranes ( P = .05) increased 30% with concomitant ( P = .05) 125% greater irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) than organic matter‐layered and control soils at Diyala”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1200–1402 · show in text ↑

soil water · physiology: water · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results

11 papers: 7 positive, 4 negative or no effect

6 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction

  1. negative
  2. no effect
  3. negative

7 papers more in this group

See all 11 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.