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A smart capillary barrier-wick irrigation system for home gardens in arid zones

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Abstract

New water-conserving irrigation technologies are vital in arid countries. We investigated the effects of (i) soil substrates made of Smart Capillary Barrier Wick (SCB-W), consisting of silt loam blocks surrounded by sand-sheathes and irrigated with a sand wick cylinder (WC) as compared to a control (homogenous soil irrigated by the same wick system, HW), (ii) WC diameters (2.54 cm vs. 1.27 cm), and (iii) 2-cm sand mulch layer on soil–water dynamics during wetting–drying cycles. Field experiments with pots and HYDRUS (2D/3D) modeling were performed in two consecutive phases (with and without sand mulch). Analysis of variance at p < 0.05 was used to assess significant differences in measured water contents, θ, between the two substrates. For the wetting/drying cycles, the modeled and measured θ are in satisfactory/tolerable agreement, as documented by the model evaluation criteria, which are within acceptable ranges (the root mean squared error, RMSE 0.01–0.06; Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient, NSE 0.51–0.97, and Willmott index, d = 0.97–1). SCB-W wets the soil substrate about two times faster than HW during the wetting cycles (p < 0.05). Reducing the WC diameter prolonged the wetting time by 1 and 2 days for SCB-W and HW, respectively, the same trend of two times faster wetting of SCB-W compared to HW was maintained. SCB-W showed higher θ storage (by 44.3–52.4%) at the bottom part of the composite than HW (p < 0.05). The sand mulch layer reduced evaporation and resulted in 20 and 38.9% higher θ during the drying cycle for both the bottom and top sensors, respectively, in both substrates (p < 0.05). SCB-W could improve water conservation in home gardens.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by a grant from the Sultan Qaboos Higher Center for Culture and Science—Diwan of Royal Court and the Research Council of Oman (TRC) (RC/AGR/SWAE/17/01). The authors appreciate the additional in-kind support from SQU, Oman. Special thanks also go to Ms. Marwah Al-Batashi, Mr. Mohammed Al-Belushi, Mr. Hamid Al-Handhali, and Mr. Khalifa Al-Hinai for their help in the experiments. Thanks to Dr. Michel Claereboudt for guidance with the statistical analysis. Helpful comments, critique, and editing by three anonymous referees and editors are appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, Muscat, 123, Oman

    A. Al-Mayahi, S. Al-Ismaily, A. Al-Maktoumi, H. Al-Busaidi & A. Kacimov

  2. Department of Crop Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, Muscat, 123, Oman

    R. Janke

  3. Emeritus Professor Soil Science, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    J. Bouma

  4. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    J. Šimůnek

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  1. A. Al-Mayahi
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Correspondence to S. Al-Ismaily.

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Al-Mayahi, A., Al-Ismaily, S., Al-Maktoumi, A. et al. A smart capillary barrier-wick irrigation system for home gardens in arid zones. Irrig Sci 38, 235–250 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-020-00666-3

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