Articles
Water footprint and energy used per kg by drip irrigation systems and sprinkler systems for frost protection in a blueberry crop in Concordia, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Article number
1357_43
Pages
305 – 312
Language
English
Abstract
Yield, water footprint and energy use for irrigation and frost protection purposes, were measured since 2010 in blueberry cultivar Snowchaser (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). A 30-ha commercial orchard in Concordia, Entre Rios province, Argentina with 3.5 m spacing between rows and 0.75 m spacing between plants was used.
An irrigation drip system with two laterals of drip tubes per crop row was used with drippers at 30 cm and a flow of 1.1 L h‑1. The system is operated by a submergible pump with a 60-kW electrical motor, working on a well of 60 m depth.
The crop was protected from the negative effects of frosts by an overhead sprinkler system, supplying 3 mm h‑1 of continuous precipitation, beginning when temperatures reached 0.5°C, and finishing when all the ice disappears from the plants.
To run the sprinklers, a pumping requirement of 900 m3 h‑1 of instant flow, was provided by 4 wells with turbine diesel engine pumps, working simultaneously.
The objective of this study was to quantify the fresh fruit harvested, the water footprint and the energy footprint per year from 2010 to 2018. Energy footprint is divided in blue energy footprint and gray energy footprint.
The blue energy footprint was measured in W kg‑1 of fresh fruit produced and the gray energy footprint in cL of diesel kg‑1 of fresh fruit, because the drip irrigation system used electrical energy and overhead sprinkler system used diesel engines.
Average yield of the crop from 2010 to 2018 was 11.14, 11.72, 12.60, 11.01, 13.15, 16.41, 13.53, 10.70 and 10.85 t ha‑1. The water footprint for the 30 ha was 981 in the first harvest season, 350, 257, 243, 196, 266, 209, 265 and 235 L of water kg‑1 of fresh fruit from 2010 to 2018. Energy used for blue footprint was 37, 23, 11, 13, 11, 18, 22, 29 and 22 W kg‑1 of fresh fruit from 2010 to 2018, while energy used for gray footprint was 13, 8, 4, 4, 4,6, 8, 10 and 8 cL of diesel kg‑1 of fresh fruit.
An irrigation drip system with two laterals of drip tubes per crop row was used with drippers at 30 cm and a flow of 1.1 L h‑1. The system is operated by a submergible pump with a 60-kW electrical motor, working on a well of 60 m depth.
The crop was protected from the negative effects of frosts by an overhead sprinkler system, supplying 3 mm h‑1 of continuous precipitation, beginning when temperatures reached 0.5°C, and finishing when all the ice disappears from the plants.
To run the sprinklers, a pumping requirement of 900 m3 h‑1 of instant flow, was provided by 4 wells with turbine diesel engine pumps, working simultaneously.
The objective of this study was to quantify the fresh fruit harvested, the water footprint and the energy footprint per year from 2010 to 2018. Energy footprint is divided in blue energy footprint and gray energy footprint.
The blue energy footprint was measured in W kg‑1 of fresh fruit produced and the gray energy footprint in cL of diesel kg‑1 of fresh fruit, because the drip irrigation system used electrical energy and overhead sprinkler system used diesel engines.
Average yield of the crop from 2010 to 2018 was 11.14, 11.72, 12.60, 11.01, 13.15, 16.41, 13.53, 10.70 and 10.85 t ha‑1. The water footprint for the 30 ha was 981 in the first harvest season, 350, 257, 243, 196, 266, 209, 265 and 235 L of water kg‑1 of fresh fruit from 2010 to 2018. Energy used for blue footprint was 37, 23, 11, 13, 11, 18, 22, 29 and 22 W kg‑1 of fresh fruit from 2010 to 2018, while energy used for gray footprint was 13, 8, 4, 4, 4,6, 8, 10 and 8 cL of diesel kg‑1 of fresh fruit.
Publication
Authors
A. Pannunzio, E.A. Holzapfel, P. Texeira Soria
Keywords
water management, water footprint, energy footprint. blueberry
Online Articles (56)