Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #99217
Title: COMPARING DEEP PERCOLATION SOIL WATER AND SOLUTE LOSSES FROM CONVENTIONAL VS. POLYACRYLAMIDE-MANAGED FURROW IRRIGATION

Author
item Lentz, Rodrick
item Sojka, Robert
item Kincaid, Dennis
item BAHR, G. - IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF AG
item Westermann, Dale

Submitted to: Water Quality Beyond 2000
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Nontoxic water-soluble anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) is added to irrigation-advance flows (10 ppm) during furrow irrigation to control soil erosion and increase net infiltration. PAM-treated advance-phase inflows can be 3X greater than those of conventional furrow inflows because PAM prevents soil loss. We surmised that the PAM treatment would produce different irrigation uniformity patterns and water percolation rates, but not alter soil water solute concentrations, when compared with the conventional approach. This hypothesis was tested on Portneuf silt loam plots 179 m long with 1.5% slopes, planted to corn and irrigated using either conventional or PAM treatment. Percolation samplers and soil water sensors installed at locations 30 m and 150 m down-field from the furrow head were used to monitor soil water flux, nitrate-N, Br, Cl, and alachlor concentrations in percolation water, and to measure soil wetting patterns. An initial season's data indicate no overall, season-long effect of the PAM on cumulative amounts of water or solute leached. PAM either had no effect, or slightly decreased solute concentrations in percolating water, relative to the conventional approach. The PAM treatment produced a slight, but significant, increase in drainage volumes at down-field positions, compared to the control, suggesting that Pam increased irrigation water application uniformity.