This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
The use of hydrogeophysical methods provides insights for supporting optimal irrigation design and management. In the present study, the electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) was applied for monitoring the soil water motion patterns resulting from the adoption of water deficit scenarios in a micro-irrigated orange orchard (Eastern Sicily, Italy). The relationship of ERI with independent ancillary data of soil water content (SWC), plant transpiration (T) and in situ measurements of hydraulic conductivity at saturation (K s, i.e., using the falling head method, FH) was evaluated. The soil water motion patterns and the maximum wet depths in the soil profile identified by ERI were quite dependent on SWC (R 2 = 0.79 and 0.82, respectively). Moreover, ERI was able to detect T in the severe deficit irrigation treatment (electrical resistivity increases of about 20%), whereas this phenomenon was masked at higher SWC conditions. K s rates derived from ERI and FH approaches revealed different patterns and magnitudes among the irrigation treatments, as consequence of their different measurement scales and the methodological specificity. Finally, ERI has been proved suitable for identifying the soil wetting/drying patterns and the geometrical characteristics of wet bulbs, which represent some of the most influential variables for the optimal design and management of micro-irrigation systems.
Daniela Vanella; Juan Miguel Ramírez-Cuesta; Alessandro Sacco; Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo; Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli; Simona Consoli. Electrical resistivity imaging for monitoring soil water motion patterns under different drip irrigation scenarios. Irrigation Science 2020, 39, 145 -157.
AMA StyleDaniela Vanella, Juan Miguel Ramírez-Cuesta, Alessandro Sacco, Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli, Simona Consoli. Electrical resistivity imaging for monitoring soil water motion patterns under different drip irrigation scenarios. Irrigation Science. 2020; 39 (1):145-157.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniela Vanella; Juan Miguel Ramírez-Cuesta; Alessandro Sacco; Giuseppe Longo-Minnolo; Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli; Simona Consoli. 2020. "Electrical resistivity imaging for monitoring soil water motion patterns under different drip irrigation scenarios." Irrigation Science 39, no. 1: 145-157.
While there have been numerous studies on the rate and development of clogging in horizontal subsurface treatment wetlands (HSTWs) and, consequently, the effects on its hydraulic characteristics, research has not shown a clear understanding of the processes. The existing methods for measuring the impact of clogging provide limited information on the extension and degree of the phenomenon. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of various measurement techniques to assess the degree and variation in space and time of clogging in HSTWs. Hydraulic conductivity at saturation (Ks) measurements were conducted using a newly implemented scheme, the drainage equation method, and traditional tracer tests, which were carried out in a full-scale HSTW system, located in Sicily, Italy, during 2019. After five years of operation, the results highlighted a severe decrease in Ks (−1) in the inlet zone (despite the fact that the filter gravel was replaced in 2017), a very high reduction of Ks along the central path inside the bed, a nonuniform flow through the HSTW, the presence of stagnant zones, and a reduction of the porosity of the bed gravel. Nonetheless, the mean values of the physical–chemical and bacteriological parameters at the hybrid treatment wetland (hybrid TW) outlet indicated that the partial clogging had no significant effect on the quality of the discharged water. Moreover, the results obtained using the different measurement techniques (in terms of both the Ks values and the flow distribution inside the bed) were consistent with each other and with results obtained previously for the same system. Finally, the most efficient combination of methods to assess clogging in HSTWs was identified.
Feliciana Licciardello; Alessandro Sacco; Salvatore Barbagallo; Delia Ventura; Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli. Evaluation of Different Methods to Assess the Hydraulic Behavior in Horizontal Treatment Wetlands. Water 2020, 12, 2286 .
AMA StyleFeliciana Licciardello, Alessandro Sacco, Salvatore Barbagallo, Delia Ventura, Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli. Evaluation of Different Methods to Assess the Hydraulic Behavior in Horizontal Treatment Wetlands. Water. 2020; 12 (8):2286.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFeliciana Licciardello; Alessandro Sacco; Salvatore Barbagallo; Delia Ventura; Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli. 2020. "Evaluation of Different Methods to Assess the Hydraulic Behavior in Horizontal Treatment Wetlands." Water 12, no. 8: 2286.