Determination of crop coefficient for chufa crop (Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus Boeck.) for sustainable irrigation scheduling

Abstract

Chufa is a traditional crop in L'Horta de València (Spain), a historical agricultural system that has been recognised in the register of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and is one of the six protected Mediterranean and metropolitan horticultural fields as per the European Environment Agency. Chufa is a horticultural crop cultivated for its tubers. Our team has carried out different studies to improve the sustainability of chufa crop, particularly the efficiency of irrigation water use; however, the complete irrigation water requirements remain unknown. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the crop coefficient values for chufa crop along its crop cycle using a smart field weighing lysimeter for three consecutive seasons and to determine its irrigation water requirements. The single crop coefficient values are 0.32, 1.40, and 0.80 for the initial stage, mid-season stage, and end of the late season stage, respectively for local conditions and 1.24 and 0.73 for mid- and late season stages, respectively for standard conditions. FAO segmented and second-order polynomial functions are presented to describe the crop coefficient evolution throughout the cycle, and could be used for irrigation scheduling and may lead to important water savings. The average seasonal net irrigation water requirement for chufa crop was approximately 640 mm, representing around 57% of the irrigation depth usually applied by chufa growers. The water savings that may be achieved by the adjustment of irrigation water with irrigation water requirements, using the crop coefficient, would improve, to a great extent, the sustainability of the L'Horta de València historical agricultural system, in view of the water scarcity resulting from climate change. This sustainable irrigation scheduling will improve the ecosystem indices, which have been altered by the application of over-irrigation, in the area.

Keywords: Evapotranspiration; Irrigation water requirements; Smart field lysimeter; Tuber; Water savings.