Impacts of Different Irrigation Methods on Soil Chemical Properties in Desert Agriculture
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Reducing agricultural water use is a pressing issue for growers and policymakers in the US Southwest. As more irrigation water cutbacks loom, a shift in irrigation systems is evident. However, little is known about how different irrigation systems may impact soil health and sustain soil fertility for optimum crop production. We compared three major irrigation methods in the Arizona agroecosystem: drip, sprinkler, and furrow irrigation. Key soil properties were measured in multiple Arizona crops in rotation (cantaloupe and broccoli). We also tested a clay-based soil amendment, Liquid Natural Clay (LNC), manufactured by Desert Control® that can potentially improve soil water-holding capacity and contribute towards a reduction in agricultural water consumption. Our initial results highlighted an accumulation of excess nitrate-nitrogen and soluble salts in the soils of the drip-irrigated plots. Compared with furrow irrigation, drip irrigation uses less water but cannot flush soluble salts below the root zone. Although nitrogen recommendations are available for major Arizona crops, relatively little guidance is available on how recommended rates should be adjusted for fertigation via subsurface drip versus through furrow irrigation. As a result, a higher nitrogen fertilization rate is often used in subsurface drip-irrigated systems, leading to overapplication of nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, a revised nitrogen recommendation is needed for drip-irrigated crops based on their nitrogen requirements. This study helps to establish a fundamental understanding of soil fertility management under different irrigation systems. Outcomes from this study should seed future research in precision fertility management for drip and sprinkler irrigation in crop production systems of Arizona and similar arid environments.
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214812147