Influence of Plant Soil and Water on the

Reducing the amount of drainage water that contains salts, nutrients, and trace elements may mitigate environmental contamination to groundwater through improved nutrient uptake and chemical precipitation of salts. This study models yield and salt-water budgets under conditions of extended irrigation using water of varying quality, specifically electrical conductivities of 1.2, 3, 6, and 9 dS/m at an irrigation to reference evaporation ratio (I/E0) of 1.0, following a field trial with melon crops. The modeling approach employed one-dimensional solutions to Richards’ equation and the continuity equation for salt transport, with conservative treatment of solutions. Key findings reveal a minimum leaching fraction corresponding to irrigation levels that control salinity—specifically 0.11, 0.24, 0.44, and 0.54 for increasing salinity levels. Yield reductions were observed at 80%, 60%, and 40% of maximum yields based on these irrigation levels, highlighting economic implications for drainage minimization. The research implies effective management strategies for crop yield and salinity under deficit irrigation conditions, showing nonlinear yield loss as salinity increases. The results provide insights into the complex relationships between plant, soil, and irrigation management, particularly under varying water quality conditions.