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Ebb and Flow System Versus Overhead Sprinkler and Microirrigation for Container-Grown Woody Ornamental Production in Florida

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Ebb and Flow System Versus Overhead Sprinkler and Microirrigation for Container-Grown Woody Ornamental Production in Florida EBB AND FLOW SYSTEM VERSUS OVERHEAD SPRINKLER AND MICROIRRIGATION FOR CONTAINER-GROWN WOODY ORNAMENTAL PRODUCTION IN FLORIDA By LUIS CARLOS NOGUEIRA A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2005 Copyright 2005 by Luis Carlos Nogueira This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved parents, Luiz Nogueira and Ana Colli Nogueira, who always showed love, patience, understanding and hard work. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is always a good time to thank GOD! for the beautiful and powerful nature, full of all resources, for us to work with and learn from. I am very thankful to Dr. Dorota Zofia Haman, a great person and a smart adviser, for the guidance, opportunity, friendship and huge support. Many thanks go to the professors of my committee, Dr. Michael Dukes, Dr. John Schueller, Dr. Robert Stamps and Dr. Thomas Burks, for all the valuable teachings, patience, understanding, and encouragement at all times. I thank them all so much for always telling me to move forward despite the obstacles I faced during my journey here. Also many thanks go to the technician Danny Burch and engineers Larry Miller and Wayne Williams, for lending me their dedicated expertise, patience, and willingness, during all phases of my research. We enjoyed many hours of good times together in lab work, fieldwork, and traveling. I need to express my gratitude to all of my friends, in and out of the University, people with whom I shared good and bad times, reminding me that there are other things in life. All of that certainly added to my life experience. May all of us carry on and move forward. Finally, I need to mention that I am very thankful to (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for making this possible through their significant financial support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT.........................................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................1 2 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................4 Water Supply for Agriculture and Irrigation ................................................................4 Water and Nutrient Management in Nurseries .............................................................5 Growth Studies of Containerized Ornamentals ..........................................................12 Water Quality in Streams and Reservoirs...................................................................18 3 GENERAL METHODOLOGY..................................................................................24 4 GROWTH PARAMETERS OF CONTAINERIZED MAGNOLIA PLANTS UNDER THREE DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.......................................34 Introduction.................................................................................................................34 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................34 Results and Discussion ...............................................................................................35 Conclusions.................................................................................................................37 5 CALIBRATION OF TDR SENSORS FOR MONITORING CONTAINER SUBSTRATE MOISTURE CONTENT ....................................................................42 Introduction.................................................................................................................42 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................46 Results and Discussions..............................................................................................47 Conclusions.................................................................................................................48 v 6 CONCENTRATION AND LOADS OF NUTRIENTS FROM A WOODY ORNAMENTAL NURSERY USING THREE DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ..................................................................................................................52 Introduction.................................................................................................................52 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................53 Results and Discussions..............................................................................................54 Conclusions.................................................................................................................61 7 RAINWATER HARVESTING EFFECTIVENESS OF A RECIRCULATORY SYSTEM USED FOR IRRIGATION OF CONTAINER-GROWN WOODY ORNAMENTALS ......................................................................................................72 Introduction.................................................................................................................72 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................73 Results and Discussion ...............................................................................................76 Conclusions.................................................................................................................84 8 EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND CROP COEFFICIENT OF MAGNOLIA PLANTS UNDER THREE DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.......................89 Introduction.................................................................................................................89 Materials and Methods ...............................................................................................90 Results and Discussion ...............................................................................................94 Conclusions and Recommendations...........................................................................96 9 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................102 Plant Growth.............................................................................................................102 Calibration of TDR sensors and Field Monitoring...................................................102 Concentration and Loads of Nutrients......................................................................102 Rainwater Harvesting and Recycling System...........................................................104 Evapotranspiration and Crop Coefficients................................................................105 LIST OF REFERENCES.................................................................................................106 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...........................................................................................113 vi LIST OF TABLES Table page 4-1 Plant height of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period........................39 4-2 Trunk diameter of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period..................39 4-3 Growth index of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period.....................39 6-1 Concentration of nutrients (mg L-1) in water during a 12-month period..................64 6-2 Loads of nutrients (kg ha-1) in water during a 12-month period ..............................65 7-1 Monthly water harvesting effectiveness and storage effectiveness for the recirculatory system .................................................................................................88 7-2 Consolidated water harvesting effectiveness and storage effectiveness for the recirculatory system .................................................................................................88 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 3-1 General overview of the experimental plots at Holloway Tree Farm ......................29 3-2 Layout of the experimental plots at Holloway Tree Farm. ......................................30 3-3 Components of the recirculatory system at Holloway Tree Farm ...........................31 3-4 Some aspects of data collection system at Holloway Tree Farm.............................32 3-5 Boxes used for water sampling at the ebb and flow plot. ........................................33 4-1 Plant height of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period........................40 4-2 Trunk diameter of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period..................40 4-3 Growth index of magnolia trees measured during a 12-month period.....................41 4-4 Historical amount of precipitation compared to local rainfall for 12-month period........................................................................................................................41 5-1 Specifications of the Campbell Scientific CS616 TDR sensor used to monitor water content. ...........................................................................................................50 5-2 Time Domain Reflectometry
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