In the coming decades, reclaimed wastewater reuse will intensify in Mediterranean countries due to water shortage, climatic condition, need for agricultural irrigation, etc. This paper studies the effects of irrigation with treated wastewater on the physical and hydro-pedological characteristic of soils. The objective of this work is the definition of an experimental layout aimed at analyzing soil moisture and evaluating the relationship between rainfall and soil moisture data. A field of olive trees has been used as an experimental area. The treated wastewater, coming from the wastewater treatment plant of Ferrandina (Matera, Italy), is received by a pilot plant which deals with chemical-physical tertiary treatment. This water is used for irrigating the olive trees by means of a drop-by-drop irrigation system. The experimental activity, still in progress, involved the moisture sensor calibrations, obtained by comparing the in-situ measured values with laboratory data obtained by thermo-gravimetric analysis. The statistical analysis of the data collected through the moisture monitoring plan in the period between December 2006 - December 2007, made it possible to verify a good correlation between measured soil moisture data and observed rainfall. Finally, the results showed that higher soil moisture values correspond to sensors at lower depths.
Monitoring of the soil moisture in an application of controlled irrigation with treated wastewater
CANIANI, Donatella;TRULLI, Ettore;TELESCA, Vito;
2008-01-01
Abstract
In the coming decades, reclaimed wastewater reuse will intensify in Mediterranean countries due to water shortage, climatic condition, need for agricultural irrigation, etc. This paper studies the effects of irrigation with treated wastewater on the physical and hydro-pedological characteristic of soils. The objective of this work is the definition of an experimental layout aimed at analyzing soil moisture and evaluating the relationship between rainfall and soil moisture data. A field of olive trees has been used as an experimental area. The treated wastewater, coming from the wastewater treatment plant of Ferrandina (Matera, Italy), is received by a pilot plant which deals with chemical-physical tertiary treatment. This water is used for irrigating the olive trees by means of a drop-by-drop irrigation system. The experimental activity, still in progress, involved the moisture sensor calibrations, obtained by comparing the in-situ measured values with laboratory data obtained by thermo-gravimetric analysis. The statistical analysis of the data collected through the moisture monitoring plan in the period between December 2006 - December 2007, made it possible to verify a good correlation between measured soil moisture data and observed rainfall. Finally, the results showed that higher soil moisture values correspond to sensors at lower depths.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
