A qualidade da água utilizada para irrigação é fator primordial na produção agrícola, principalmente no cultivo de hortaliças, como a berinjela, que podem ter seu crescimento e produção comprometidos pela salinidade. Com isso, objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o desenvolvimento e a produção de berinjela irrigada com águas de diferentes salinidades. O estudo foi realizado na área experimental do Departamento de Ciências Ambientais e Tecnológicas da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), em Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por quatro níveis de salinidade (0,5; 2,0; 4,0 e 6,0 dS m-1). O efeito da salinidade sobre a cultura foi analisado por meio das seguintes variáveis: diâmetro de caule, altura, número de folhas, área foliar, acúmulo de massa seca (caule, folhas, frutos e da parte aérea) e produção de frutos. O aumento da salinidade da água de irrigação afetou negativamente o desenvolvimento e a capacidade de produção da cultura da berinjela. O uso de água com salinidade acima de 0,5 dS m-1 afeta negativamente o desenvolvimento da planta e a produção de frutos de berinjela. Para as condições ambientais em que foi desenvolvido o estudo, a berinjela foi classificada como sensível à salinidade; para cada aumento unitário da salinidade há perda de 13,5% na produção de frutos. = The quality of water used for irrigation is a main factor for agricultural productivity, mainly in the cropping of vegetables, like eggplant, which growth and yield can be impaired by salinity. Thus, this work had as objective evaluating growth and yield off eggplant irrigated with water of different salinity levels. The trial was carried out at the experimental area of the Environmental and Technological Sciences Department of Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The experimental design was an entirely randomized with four treatments and four replications. Treatments consisted of four water salinity levels (0.5, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 dS m-1). Salinity effect on the crop was analyzed through the following variables: stem diameter, plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, dry mass accumulation (stem, leaves, fruits and shoots) and fruit yield. The increase in irrigation water salinity affected negatively growth and production ability of eggplant crop. The use of water with salinity higher than 0.5 dS m-1 affected negatively plant growth and fruit yield of eggplant. For the environmental conditions faced by eggplant in the trial, this plant was classified as sensitive to salinity. Each unitary increase in salinity corresponded to a 13.5% loss in fruit yield.

A field experiment was carried out in southern Xinjiang, China, to reveal soil-water flow pattern beneath a combined plastic-mulch (film) and drip-irrigation system using brackish water. The soil-water flow system (SWFS) was characterized from soil surface to the water table based on observed spatio-temporal distribution of total soil-water potential, water content and electric conductivity. Root suction provided a strong inner sink. The results indicated that SWFS determined the soil salinity and moisture distribution. Drip-irrigation events could leach excess salts from the root zone and provide soil conditions with a tolerable salinity level that supports the growth of cotton. High-salinity strips were formed along the wetting front and at the bare soil surface. Hydrogeology conditions, irrigation regime, climate, plant growth and use of mulch would affect potential sources and sinks, boundary conditions and the size of the SWFS. At depth 0–60 cm, the soil salinity at the end of the irrigation season was 1.9 times that at the beginning. Beneath the mulch cover, the soil-water content in the ‘wide rows’ zone (55 cm between the two rows with no drip line) was higher than that in the ‘narrow rows’ zone (15 cm between the two rows with a drip line) due to the strong root-water uptake. The downward water flow below the divergent curved surface of zero flux before irrigation, and the water-table fluctuation with irrigation events, indicated that excessive irrigation occurred.

A utilização de águas de moderada e alta salinidade na agricultura é uma realidade cada vez mais próxima, tendo em vista a limitada disponibilidade de águas de baixa salinidade para expansão da agricultura irrigada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar os efeitos da aplicação de água salina sobre o crescimento e a extração de nutrientes pela cultura nos diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão-de-corda. O experimento foi conduzido em condições de campo, no delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos empregados foram: T1 - água do poço (CEa de 0,8dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T2 - água salina (CEa de 5,0dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T3, T4 e T5 - água salina de zero a 22 dias após a semeadura (DAS), de 23 a 42DAS e de 43 a 62DAS, respectivamente. As plantas dos tratamentos T3, T4 e T5 foram irrigadas com água do poço nas demais fases do ciclo. Aos oito, 23, 43 e 63DAS, grupos de, no mínimo, quatro plantas foram coletadas para a determinação da produção de matéria seca e dos teores de Na, Cl, K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn e Mn. Foram avaliados os totais extraídos e a distribuição dos nutrientes na planta. A aplicação de água salina durante todo o ciclo (T2) e na germinação e fase inicial de crescimento (T3) inibiu e retardou, respectivamente, o crescimento da cultura. As plantas de feijão-de-corda extraíram os minerais analisados na seguinte ordem decrescente: N > K > Cl > Ca > Na > P > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu, e a aplicação contínua de água salina (T2) reduziu a extração da maioria dos nutrientes, com exceção do Na. Os minerais Na, Cl, K, Ca, Fe e Mn permaneceram preferencialmente nas partes vegetativas, enquanto N e P foram translocados, em maiores proporções, aos frutos.<br>Due to the limited availability of low salinity waters, the use of water of moderate to high salinity in agriculture is a close reality in the expansion of irrigated farms. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of irrigation with saline water, applied at different development stages of cowpea plants, on growth and nutrient uptake. The experiment was set up in the field during the dry season. A completely randomized block design, with five treatments and five replications was adopted. The treatments studied were: T1 - groundwater with electrical conductivity (ECw) of 0.8dS m-1 during the whole crop cycle; T2 - saline water (ECw = 5.0dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T3, T4 and T5 - saline water from 0 to the 22nd day after sowing (DAS), from the 23rd to the 42nd DAS and from the 43rd to 62nd DAS, respectively. The plants subjected to T3, T4 and T5 were irrigated with groundwater in the other stages of the crop cycle. At 8, 23, 43 and 63DAS plants were collected for evaluation of plant growth, Na, Cl, K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn contents and distribution in plant parts. The application of saline water during the whole crop cycle (T2) and during the germination and initial plant development (T3) caused, respectively, inhibition and retardation of plant growth. Cowpea plants removed the minerals in the following decreasing sequence: N > K > Cl > Ca > Na > P > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu, but the continuous use of saline water (T2) reduced the total uptake of all nutrients, except for Na. The minerals Na, Cl, K, Ca, Fe and Mn were distributed preferentially in the vegetative parts of the plant, while most of the N and P were translocated to the pods.

A utilização de águas de moderada e alta salinidade na agricultura é uma realidade cada vez mais próxima, tendo em vista a limitada disponibilidade de águas de baixa salinidade para expansão da agricultura irrigada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar os efeitos da aplicação de água salina sobre o crescimento e a extração de nutrientes pela cultura nos diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento de plantas de feijão-de-corda. O experimento foi conduzido em condições de campo, no delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos empregados foram: T1 - água do poço (CEa de 0,8dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T2 - água salina (CEa de 5,0dS m-1) durante todo o ciclo; T3, T4 e T5 - água salina de zero a 22 dias após a semeadura (DAS), de 23 a 42DAS e de 43 a 62DAS, respectivamente. As plantas dos tratamentos T3, T4 e T5 foram irrigadas com água do poço nas demais fases do ciclo. Aos oito, 23, 43 e 63DAS, grupos de, no mínimo, quatro plantas foram coletadas para a determinação da produção de matéria seca e dos teores de Na, Cl, K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn e Mn. Foram avaliados os totais extraídos e a distribuição dos nutrientes na planta. A aplicação de água salina durante todo o ciclo (T2) e na germinação e fase inicial de crescimento (T3) inibiu e retardou, respectivamente, o crescimento da cultura. As plantas de feijão-de-corda extraíram os minerais analisados na seguinte ordem decrescente: N > K > Cl > Ca > Na > P > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu, e a aplicação contínua de água salina (T2) reduziu a extração da maioria dos nutrientes, com exceção do Na. Os minerais Na, Cl, K, Ca, Fe e Mn permaneceram preferencialmente nas partes vegetativas, enquanto N e P foram translocados, em maiores proporções, aos frutos. | Due to the limited availability of low salinity waters, the use of water of moderate to high salinity in agriculture is a close reality in the expansion of irrigated farms. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of irrigation with saline water, applied at different development stages of cowpea plants, on growth and nutrient uptake. The experiment was set up in the field during the dry season. A completely randomized block design, with five treatments and five replications was adopted. The treatments studied were: T1 - groundwater with electrical conductivity (ECw) of 0.8dS m-1 during the whole crop cycle; T2 - saline water (ECw = 5.0dS m-1) during the whole crop cycle; T3, T4 and T5 - saline water from 0 to the 22nd day after sowing (DAS), from the 23rd to the 42nd DAS and from the 43rd to 62nd DAS, respectively. The plants subjected to T3, T4 and T5 were irrigated with groundwater in the other stages of the crop cycle. At 8, 23, 43 and 63DAS plants were collected for evaluation of plant growth, Na, Cl, K, Ca, N, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn contents and distribution in plant parts. The application of saline water during the whole crop cycle (T2) and during the germination and initial plant development (T3) caused, respectively, inhibition and retardation of plant growth. Cowpea plants removed the minerals in the following decreasing sequence: N > K > Cl > Ca > Na > P > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu, but the continuous use of saline water (T2) reduced the total uptake of all nutrients, except for Na. The minerals Na, Cl, K, Ca, Fe and Mn were distributed preferentially in the vegetative parts of the plant, while most of the N and P were translocated to the pods.

The rapid expansion of agriculture, industries and urbanization has triggered unplanned groundwater development leading to severe stress on groundwater resources in crystalline rocks of India. With depleting resources from shallow aquifers, end users have developed resources from deeper aquifers, which have proved to be counterproductive economically and ecologically. An integrated hydrogeological study has been undertaken in the semi-arid Madharam watershed (95 km²) in Telangana State, which is underlain by granites. The results reveal two aquifer systems: a weathered zone (maximum 30 m depth) and a fractured zone (30–85 m depth). The weathered zone is unsaturated to its maximum extent, forcing users to tap groundwater from deeper aquifers. Higher orders of transmissivity, specific yield and infiltration rates are observed in the recharge zone, while moderate orders are observed in an intermediate zone, and lower orders in the discharge zone. This is due to the large weathering-zone thickness and a higher sand content in the recharge zone than in the discharge zone, where the weathered residuum contains more clay. The NO₃ ⁻ concentration is high in shallow irrigation wells, and F⁻ is high in deeper wells. Positive correlation is observed between F⁻ and depth in the recharge zone and its proximity. Nearly 50 % of groundwater samples are unfit for human consumption and the majority of irrigation-well samples are classed as medium to high risk for plant growth. Both supply-side and demand-side measures are recommended for sustainable development and management of this groundwater resource. The findings can be up-scaled to other similar environments.