Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS submitted to NRP
ADVANCED SENSING AND MANAGEMENT TO OPTIMIZE WATER AND NITROGEN USE IN TREE CROPS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0215934
Grant No.
2008-51180-19563
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2009-01169
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2008
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2013
Grant Year
2014
Program Code
[SCRI]- Specialty Crop Research Initiative
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
410 MRAK HALL
DAVIS,CA 95616-8671
Performing Department
PLANT SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
Situation: Water and nitrogen management in deciduous perennial crops is constrained by a lack of information and an inability to provide targeted management. Purpose: This project will address this situation by examining nutrient and water use in deciduous perennial crops at the field level, by remote sensing from above the canopy and by aerial and satellite imagery, and by modeling to provide growers with the ability to manage water and nitrogen with more efficiency.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1021219106034%
1111219106033%
2051219106033%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1219 - Edible tree nuts, general/other;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
Water and nitrogen management in deciduous perennial crops is constrained by a lack of information and an inability to provide targeted management. Currently, the application of fertilizers and water follows standardized practice with little consideration of spatial, temporal and crop variability resulting in lost income and negative environmental impact. Rising fertilizer prices, water shortages in the major production regions, market and environmental demands and the recognition that over 50% of the green house gas production can be attributed to N2O production by agriculture, has resulted in great interest among the deciduous tree industries to develop improved management practices. In 2008, an extensive stakeholder analysis was conducted to catalog current practice and perceptions and identify priority research and extension needs. Stakeholders identified the following as the primary constraints and research needs. 1)Development of improved tools to monitor and predict nutrient demand and nutrient status 2)Improved ability to integrate irrigation and fertilization 3)Site specific management technologies 4)Management of problem soils and resource limited conditions 5)Improved extension methodology.
Project Methods
This project addresses these needs through a multi-discipline, multi-scale activity that integrates remote and local sensing, with modeling and on-farm validation to derive grower appropriate management tools and sound knowledge to inform policy decisions. Initial activities will be conducted in Almond, Pecan, Grape and Pistachio and will be adapted to the full range of perennial fruit and nut species through collaborative agreements in years 3 through 5 of this project. Three integrated activities will be conducted: 1. Demand Estimation 2. Status Determination 3. Integration and Validation

Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Target Audiences include, growers of tree crops in California, industry boards for tree crops in California (Almond, Walnut, Pistachio). Horticulturalists working in California, US and internationally. Professional societies for horticulture, plant nutrition, agricultural water use, meteorology, remote sensing. USDA, Califorinia Dept Fodd and Agriculture. Fourteenth International Colloquium on Plant Nutrition, Istanbul 2013 Brown, P. 2012. Foliar fertilization of tree crops. ASHS. Miami FL. 60 Attendees. Brown, P. 2012. Management of N in Almonds. CDFA-FREP and WPHA Annual Workshop. Modesto CA. 400 atten. Expert Panel Member presentation and discussion. Brown, P. 2012. Managing large scale collaborative research projects. Pomology Extension Continuing Conference. Davis CA. 50 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Northern San Joaquin Almond Day. Merced CA. 420 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. ISHS Meeting on Nutrition of Tree Crops, Chakrabourty Thailand. 250 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Australian Almond Industry Annual Meeting, Nuriootpa, SA. 220 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Management in Pistachio. Pistachio Day. Visalia CA. 280 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Plant Nutrition in a Changing Environment. German Soc. for Plant Nutrition. 200 atten. Brown, P. USDA Grant Review SCRI CAP Project Panel, Washington DC. Chabrillat, S. et al. 2012. Quantitative mapping of surface soil moisture with hyperspectral imagery using the HYSOMA interface. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Munich, Germany. Sanden, B. 2012. “Irrigation Management to Maximize Almond Production in the SJV”, Organic Almond Farming Workshop, Selma CA. 64 atten. Sanden, B. 2012. Kern almond meeting, irrigation management and workshop. Kern Soil and Water Newsletter. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. Almond Workgroup Tour, Kern County. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. California’s Effort to Improve Almond Orchard Kc. European Geosciences Union General Assembly. Vienna, Austria. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Management of Almonds. Almond Board of California: Sacramento CA.1800 atten. Schellenberg D. et al. 2012. Gross N transformations and 15N assimilation after arid land fertilization at the tree scale. ESA. Portland OR. Ustin,S. 2012. NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). 27 students. FREP/WPHA Member Panel Discussion Nitrate in Ag, Modesto October 30, 2012 Managing Nitrogen in Almonds, Almond Board Conference December, 2012, 1,000 Attendees ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Miami, 2011. ‘Transient Nutrient Deficiency – A rationale for foliar fertilizers’. ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Miami, 2011. ‘Zinc foliar fertilizers’. ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Palm Desert, 2011. ‘Building University-Industry Partnerships’. Western Nutrient Management Meeting, California Agronomy Society Meeting, Reno, March 7th, 2013. Managing Nitrogen in Orchards’. Tri-County Walnut and Almond Day, Feb, 2012 Fluid Fertiizer Foundation Annual Meeting, 2010, 2012 International Symposium of Foliar Fertilization, Thailand 2012 New Agriculture International Conference, Miami, 2011. California Association of Pest Control Advisers, Jan 10th, 2012 Anaheim California Tehama County Walnut Day, Feb 2012. Western Nutrient Management Meeting, CASS Meeting, Reno, March 7th, 2013 Brown, P. 2011. Update on Nutrient Management of Almonds. Almond Board of California: Modesto CA.1800 atten. Brown, P. 2011. CDFA-FREP Annual Conference. Management of N in Tree Crops. Paso Robles CA. 300 atten. Brown, P. 2011. Sampling strategies for Nutrient Management in Tree Crops. Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Meeting. Stockton CA. 55 atten. Brown, P. 2011. Stakeholder Meeting Paramount Farming: Bakersfield CA. 18 atten. Almond Board Tour for Californian Legislators, May 2011 InfoAg, Springfield, July, 2011 CDFA FREP Regional Meeting, Stockton, Boron in Agriculture, Nov 6th, 2011 CDFA FREP Regional Meeting, Paso Robles, Boron in Agriculture, Nov 7th, 2011 California Agronomy Society Annual Meeting, Salinity in Tree Crops, August 2011 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Besides the PI and co-PIs, training opportunities and collaborative researchers included 12 Doctoral students, 3 Master, 2 undergraduate, 2 visiting scholars, 3 Post Doctoral scholars, 3 UC Extension Specialists, 7 technical staff, and 8 USDA-ARS researchers, 27 NASA students and staff. Results of this project have played an integral part in informing new regulatory guidelines for nitrogen management in almond and pistachio in California. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? This work has been presented at numerous meetings to communities of interest and has been reported on in many newspaper and popular press articles: Including Brown, P. 2012. Foliar fertilization of tree crops. ASHS. Miami FL. 60 Attendees. Brown, P. 2012. Management of N in Almonds. CDFA-FREP and WPHA Annual Workshop. Modesto CA. 400 atten. Expert Panel Member presentation and discussion. Brown, P. 2012. Managing large scale collaborative research projects. Pomology Extension Continuing Conference. Davis CA. 50 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Northern San Joaquin Almond Day. Merced CA. 420 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. ISHS Meeting on Nutrition of Tree Crops, Chakrabourty Thailand. 250 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Australian Almond Industry Annual Meeting, Nuriootpa, SA. 220 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Management in Pistachio. Pistachio Day. Visalia CA. 280 atten. Brown, P. 2012. Plant Nutrition in a Changing Environment. German Soc. for Plant Nutrition. 200 atten. Brown, P. USDA Grant Review SCRI CAP Project Panel, Washington DC. Chabrillat, S. et al. 2012. Quantitative mapping of surface soil moisture with hyperspectral imagery using the HYSOMA interface. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Munich, Germany. Sanden, B. 2012. “Irrigation Management to Maximize Almond Production in the SJV”, Organic Almond Farming Workshop, Selma CA. 64 atten. Sanden, B. 2012. Kern almond meeting, irrigation management and workshop. Kern Soil and Water Newsletter. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. Almond Workgroup Tour, Kern County. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. California’s Effort to Improve Almond Orchard Kc. European Geosciences Union General Assembly. Vienna, Austria. Brown, P. 2012. Nutrient Management of Almonds. Almond Board of California: Sacramento CA.1800 atten. Schellenberg D. et al. 2012. Gross N transformations and 15N assimilation after arid land fertilization at the tree scale. ESA. Portland OR. Ustin,S. 2012. NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). 27 students. FREP/WPHA Member Panel Discussion Nitrate in Ag, Modesto October 30, 2012 Managing Nitrogen in Almonds, Almond Board Conference December, 2012, 1,000 Attendees ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Miami, 2011. ‘Transient Nutrient Deficiency – A rationale for foliar fertilizers’. ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Miami, 2011. ‘Zinc foliar fertilizers’. ASHS Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Palm Desert, 2011. ‘Building University-Industry Partnerships’. Western Nutrient Management Meeting, California Agronomy Society Meeting, Reno, March 7th, 2013. Managing Nitrogen in Orchards’. Tri-County Walnut and Almond Day, Feb, 2012 Fluid Fertiizer Foundation Annual Meeting, 2010, 2012 International Symposium of Foliar Fertilization, Thailand 2012 New Agriculture International Conference, Miami, 2011. California Association of Pest Control Advisers, Jan 10th, 2012 Anaheim California Tehama County Walnut Day, Feb 2012. Western Nutrient Management Meeting, CASS Meeting, Reno, March 7th, 2013 Brown, P. 2011. Update on Nutrient Management of Almonds. Almond Board of California: Modesto CA.1800 atten. Brown, P. 2011. CDFA-FREP Annual Conference. Management of N in Tree Crops. Paso Robles CA. 300 atten. Brown, P. 2011. Sampling strategies for Nutrient Management in Tree Crops. Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Meeting. Stockton CA. 55 atten. Brown, P. 2011. Stakeholder Meeting Paramount Farming: Bakersfield CA. 18 atten. Almond Board Tour for Californian Legislators, May 2011 InfoAg, Springfield, July, 2011 CDFA FREP Regional Meeting, Stockton, Boron in Agriculture, Nov 6th, 2011 CDFA FREP Regional Meeting, Paso Robles, Boron in Agriculture, Nov 7th, 2011 California Agronomy Society Annual Meeting, Salinity in Tree Crops, August 2011 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have achieved all specified research needs and have received new grants to further extend the research and education programs commenced under this project . 1) We have developed new guidelines for almond and pistachio leaf sampling and almond and pistachio nutrient management. 2 and 3) We have produced numerous workshops and publications adressing the integration of irrigation adn fertilizer management, 4) we have made substantial contributions to understanding the interactions between drought, salinity adn nutrient management and 5) we have published a prototype webpage added for weather tools for irrigation schedule linked to State weather station network and ACASA-WRF modeling, with Landsat phenology-landcover ETo improvement. MASTER imagery analyses for detectable vineyard canopy water content change between morning and afternoon inconclusive, though accurately determined LAI and airborne imagery and we have completed development of publicly available website for communicating the research objectives and progress http://ucanr.org/sites/scri/, as well as, database of all data collections promoted collaborative exchange among investigators through a non-public website at UCD. The research results have also been published on the Almond Board of California Website where they will serve to advise growers and consultants on new management practices see http://www.almondboard.com/Growers/OrchardManagement/PlantNutrition/Pages/Default.aspx. Research need 4) is being further adressed through supplemental funding received by the PI's on the basis of the results achieved in this grant. Smart, D.R. (PI) Brown, P.H. (PI) Harter, T (PI) Hopmans, J. (PI) Sanden, B (coop), Fulton, A. (coop) Alsina, MM (coop). Project Title: Optimizing the Use of Groundwater Nitrogen for Nut Crops. (2013-2015). Funded by CDFA Fertilizer Research & Education Program (~400,000). Non-state funds: California Pistachio Research Board (80,000), California Almond Board (50,000) and D.R. Smart/Blake Sanden/P Brown, “N-loss During High Frequency Low Nitrogen Fertigation”, addresses soil NO3-absorption by tree crops from dilute N solutions and N-loss (Almond Board of California, $40,000, 2013). The experimental results of these recently funded projects are expected to set the basis for the development of guidelines to meet pending legislative requirements to control nitrate ground water pollution in California.The experimental results from this project are being utilized as the basis for a series of Califronian Dept. Food and Agriculture sponsored workshops as the basis for the new legislated requirement for growers in California to adopt a Nitrogen Management plan for their agricultural lands that will come into effect in 2014-15.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Schellenberg, D.L., M.M. Alsina, S. Muhammad, C.M. Stockert, M.W. Wolff, B.L. Sanden, P.H. Brown, and D.R. Smart. 2012. Yield-scaled global warming potential from N2O emissions and CH4 oxidation for almond (prunus dulcis) irrigated with nitrogen fertilizers on arid land. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment. 155:7-15.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Zarate-Valdez, J.L., M.L. Whiting, B.D. Lampinen, S. Metcalf, S.L. Ustin, and P.H. Brown. 2012. Prediction of leaf area index in almonds by vegetation indexes. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 85:24-32.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pope, K.S., V. Dose, D. Da Silva, P.H. Brown, C.A. Leslie, and T.M. Dejong. 2013. Detecting nonlinear response of spring phenology to climate change by bayesian analysis. Global Change Biology. 19:1518-1525
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Saa S., S. Muhammad, P. H. Brown. 2013. Development of leaf sampling and interpretation methods and Nutrient Budget Approach to Nutrient Management in Almond; Acta Hort. 984:291-296.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Saa S., S. Muhammad, S. J. Castro, P. H. Brown. 2013. Effect of Spur Type, Foliar Sprays, and Differential Nitrogen Rates on Leaf Nutrient Content and Spur Leaf Area of Almond Trees; Acta Hort. 984:139-142.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Johnson S., S. Saa, P. Brown. 2013. Testing the Effectiveness of Zinc Formulations Using Peach Seedlings; Acta Hort. 984:125-130


Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In California, field data continued collection from 4 almond (Set A) and 4 pistachio (Set B) orchards. Samples from one extensive fertigation experiment (Set C), consisting of 24 treatments in 5-6 replicates, with various N and K rates and sources and 2 irrigation systems, with individual tree yield. Leaf samples from 30, 114 or 768 trees (sets A,B & C respectively) were collected monthly for five months. All samples analyzed for 11 major plant nutrients. Stem water potential (SWP) was measured monthly in same trees. In Set C, crop water use coefficients and soil-water relations determined. A draft website was developed to provide baseline (fully irrigated) SWP values in almonds, walnuts, prunes, and grapevines throughout California, allowing growers to locate the nearest CIMIS station to their location using a Google map application. The GHG emission data collected from the different scenarios in almonds and grapevines was spatially and temporally analyzed and results were published. Sampled Year 3 of 15N recovery in tree biomass and crop with scaling productivity to the field-scale. Fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) mapped using mobile platform correlated to field-level and remotely-sensed Leaf Area Index (LAI) each month in almond and pistachio. Ground data of SWP, leaf water content, and LAI for MASTER imagery covering 2 blocks of vineyard. Initial results of modeling phenology variation with Landsat imagery time-series from 2000 and 2011 begun for the 11 blocks, and widen to 100 another orchards throughout San Joaquin Valley. In New Mexico, empirical relationships between reflectance indices derived from Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper and in situ measurements of pecan foliar water potential were completed. Green reflectance showed significant relationships with water deficit in spring. Shortwave infrared (SWIR) and Band Ratio were significantly related to foliar water deficit in summer. Rootzone soil water depletion and SWP were monitored in drip irrigated pecans in sandy loam and silty clay loam soils. The RZWQM2 model was compared to the daily water balance method for the deep percolation calculation in 2 flood-irrigated pecan orchards with different depths to water table. The model provided satisfactory predictions of soil water dynamics, but consistently unpredicted soil water content after irrigation. HYDRUS-1D was used to simulate and quantify water fluxes in the vadose zone of a pecan orchard with and without root water uptake. Finally, a N model (included in the nut tree model by Andales) that simulates the interaction of N transformation, soil temperature, water, and N uptake to describe nitrate distribution in the root zone of a growing pecan tree for the entire growing season was developed and tested. In Texas, the analysis was completed for N content of leaf and root samples, nitrate content in soil samples, net CO2 assimilation, water potential, root images, and other plant metrics collected for 40 pecan seedlings that had received five N application rates in May and June of 2011 and 2012. Processing of root images collected using minirhizotrons is still underway. PARTICIPANTS: Besides the PI and co-PIs, training opportunities and collaborative researchers included 12 Doctoral students, 3 Master, 2 undergraduate, 2 visiting scholars, 3 Post Doctoral scholars, 3 UC Extension Specialists, 7 technical staff, and 8 USDA-ARS researchers, 27 NASA students and staff. Patrick Brown, PI/PD: oversight of overall project. S.Saa Silva, PhD student (PhDS): sampling almond. S. Muhammad, PhDS: fertilizer response of almond. I. Siddiqui, PhDS: sampling pistachio. J. Nunes, PhDS: assisted sampling. A. Olivos, PhDS: Root nutrient acquisition and turnover. Bruce Lampinen, coPI: mobile platform measurements; plot harvests. S. Metcalf, Tech Staff (TechS): field support for platform and harvests. M. L. Contador (MS) and Y. Bordes, TechS: assisted in field sampling. Leonardo Lombardini and A. Volder (co-PIs): oversaw TX pecan project. MS: H. Hannah and P. Graves. D. Slaughter, co-PI: lab spectroscopy. C. (Yun) Zhang, PhDS: optical data; plant analysis; model development. K. Chun, TechS: leaf chlorophyll determination. M. De Mesa, PhDS: sample processing. K. Shackel co-PI:water relations and irrigation information. W. Stewart, TechS: Field measurements. B. Sanden and two UC Extension Specialists: conduct fertigation studies at Set C and stem water potential measurements.T. Sammis, co-PI, Yahia Othman, and Rolston St. Hilaire: developed and evaluation of SATET remote sensing model of ET. M. Shukla: oversaw instrumentation, soil sampling in NM pecan. P. Sharma, PhDS, S. Deb, PhDS: field installation, sampling and analysis and data download. S. Leon, PhDS: soil sampling. D. R. Smart, co-PI: monitoring nitrogen loss from orchards and vineyards; spatial models for N2O emissions. M. M. Alsina, Post Doc: data processing, project database management from spatial and temporal models of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions, and directed experiments in quantifying below ground processes. D. Schellenberg, PhDS: gas sampling in almond, took and processed gas samples from orchards. C. Stockert, TechS: maintenance of gas measurement laboratory facilities; sample processing. S. Ustin, co-PI: development of higher resolution remotely sensed ET model, NCAR-WRF-ACASA. M. Falk, PostDoc: biometeorologist, programmer, Q. Hart, analyst, programmer, S-H. Chen, Assoc. Professor, mesoscale meteorologist, WRF development, G. Scheer, TechS: data manager. Collaborations of CSTARS staff, visiting scholars, and graduate students for field data collections, and two NASA funded project collaborations: D. Riano(Spain) (NNX09AN51G, Multiscale assessment of vegetation water content), T. Cheng, Post Doc & J.Gajardo, PhDS (Spain): Ground verification of hyperspectral images for canopy water content. NASA airborne SAR acquisitions and contributions from 8 USDA-ARS researchers (T. Jackson, Beltsville, MD) to detect and map soil moisture. M. Whiting, co-PI: ground reference measurements for Remote Sensing / GIS analysis. J. Zarate-Valdez (Sabbatical Professor, Mexico) correlated ground light measurements to MASTER imagery. S. Hogan, PhDS: GIS and database development. J. Martin, MS Student, S. Tran, Undergrad &M. Lay, TechS: field and lab assistance. TARGET AUDIENCES: Brown, P. 2011. Stakeholder Meeting Paramount Farming: Bakersfield CA. 18 atten. 2012. Foliar fertilization of tree crops. ASHS. Miami FL. 60 Attendees. 2012. Management of N in Almonds. CDFA-FREP and WPHA Annual Workshop. Modesto CA. 400 atten. Expert Panel Member presentation and discussion. 2012. Managing large scale collaborative research projects. Pomology Extension Continuing Conference. Davis CA. 50 atten. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Northern San Joaquin Almond Day. Merced CA. 420 atten. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. ISHS Meeting on Nutrition of Tree Crops, Chakrabourty Thailand. 250 atten. 2012. Nutrient Budget and development of new sampling strategies for N management. Australian Almond Industry Annual Meeting, Nuriootpa, SA. 220 atten. 2012. Nutrient Management in Pistachio. Pistachio Day. Visalia CA. 280 atten. 2012. Plant Nutrition in a Changing Environment. German Soc. for Plant Nutrition. 200 atten. USDA Grant Review SCRI CAP Project Panel, Washington DC. Chabrillat, S. et al. 2012. Quantitative mapping of surface soil moisture with hyperspectral imagery using the HYSOMA interface. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Munich, Germany. Deb S. et al. 2012. A peak at the other half of your orchard: The roots. 46th Annual Western Pecan Growers Assn. Conf. Las Cruces NM. Graves, P. et al. 2012. Comparing N treatment effects on pecan seedling root growth. 91st Texas Pecan Growers Assn. Annual Conference. San Marcos TX. 500 attendees (atten). Hannah H. et al. 2012. Growth and photosynthesis of young pecan seedlings in response to different N fertilization rates. 91st Texas Pecan Growers Assn. Annual Conference. San Marcos TX. 500 atten. Othman, Y. et al. 2012. Detecting physiological water stress in southern New Mexico orchards using remote sensing. Program of the Annual conference of the ASHS. Sanden, B. 2012. "Irrigation Management to Maximize Almond Production in the SJV", Organic Almond Farming Workshop, Selma CA. 64 atten. Sanden, B. 2012. Kern almond meeting, irrigation management and workshop. Kern Soil and Water Newsletter. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. Almond Workgroup Tour, Kern County. Sanden, B. et al. 2012. California's Effort to Improve Almond Orchard Kc. European Geosciences Union General Assembly. Vienna, Austria. Schellenberg D. et al. 2012. Gross N transformations and 15N assimilation after arid land fertilization at the tree scale. ESA. Portland OR. Shackel K., Sanden B. 2011. Fertigation: Interaction of Water and Nutrient Management in Almonds. Almond board of California annual report #09-HORT11. Ustin,S. 2012. NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). 27 students. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
In California, completed development of publicly available website for communicating the research objectives and progress http://ucanr.org/sites/scri/, as well as, database of all data collections promoted collaborative exchange among investigators through a non-public website at UCD. Prototype webpage added for weather tools for irrigation schedule linked to State weather station network and ACASA-WRF modeling, with Landsat phenology-landcover ETo improvement. MASTER imagery analyses for detectable vineyard canopy water content change between morning and afternoon inconclusive, though accurately determined LAI and airborne imagery. As a logical continuation of the project and because of the urge to understand the nitrate recharge causes in California Ground Water, and to find a potential remediation, the following proposals have been funded. Smart, D.R. (PI) Brown, P.H. (PI) Harter, T (PI) Hopmans, J. (PI) Sanden, B (coop), Fulton, A. (coop) Alsina, MM (coop). Project Title: Optimizing the Use of Groundwater Nitrogen for Nut Crops. (2013-2015). Funded by CDFA Fertilizer Research & Education Program (~400,000). Non-state funds: California Pistachio Research Board (80,000), California Almond Board (50,000). D.R. Smart/Blake Sanden, "N-loss During High Frequency Low Nitrogen Fertigation", addresses soil NO3-absorption by tree crops from dilute N solutions and N-loss (Almond Board of California, $40,000, 2013). The experimental results of these recently funded projects are expected to set the basis for the development of guidelines to meet pending legislative requirements to control nitrate ground water pollution in California.

Publications

  • Zarate-Valdez, J.L., M.L. Whiting, B.D. Lampinen, S. Metcalf, S.L. Ustin, and P.H. Brown. 2012. Leaf area and Landsat vegetation indexes of fruit crops in California. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (in press)
  • Alsina, M.M., A.C Borges, and D.R. Smart. 2012. Spatiotemporal variation of event related N2O and CH4 emissions during fertigation in a California almond orchard. Ecosphere (in press).
  • Deb, S. K, M. K. Shukla, and J. G. Mexal 2011a. Numerical modeling of water fluxes in the root zone of a mature pecan orchard. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75 (5), 1667-1680.
  • Deb, S. K., M. K. Shukla, P. Sharma, and J. G. Mexal 2011b. Soil water depletion in irrigated mature pecans under contrasting soil textures for arid southern New Mexico. Irrig. Sci. DOI: 10.1007/s00271-011-0293-1.
  • Deb, S. K., M. K. Shukla, and J. G. Mexal 2012a. Simulating deep percolation in flood-irrigated mature orchards with RZWQM2. Trans. ASABE. (In Press).
  • Deb, S. K., M. K. Shukla, and J. G. Mexal. 2012b. Estimating midday leaf and stem water potentials of mature pecan trees from soil water content and climatic parameters. Hort. Sci. 47(7):907-916.
  • Engles, S., M. Funk, T. Sammis. 2012. Creating a Workflow Based Application to Process Geophysical Data for the Individual Researcher Journal of Scientific Programming (submitted).
  • Falk, M., R.D. Pyles, S. L. Ustin, B.L. Sanden and P.H. Brown. 2012 Long-term Estimates of Crop Evapotranspiration using the ACASA model at an irrigated Almond Orchard. Journal of Hydrometeorology (submitted).
  • Falk, M., R.D. Pyles, S.L.Ustin, K.T. Paw U, R.L. Snyder, L.Xu, Q. Hart, M.L. Whiting, and P.H. Brown. 2012 Regional water use over irrigated orchards with WRF-ACASA. Journal of Hydrometeorology (submitted).
  • Sammis, T. W., M. K. Shukla, J. G. Mexal, J. Wang and D. R. Miller. 2012 Pecan Research and Outreach in New Mexico: Logic Model Development and Change in Communication Paradigms. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (in press).
  • Sammis, Ted, Vince Gutschick, Junming Wang and David R. Miller 2012. Model of water and nitrogen management in pecan trees under normal and resource-limited conditions. Submitted to Agricultural Water Management.
  • Sammis. T. W, D. DuBois, S. Engle, J. Wang and D. R. Miller 2012. Use of Forecast data in irrigation scheduling models. Submitted to Agricultural water management.
  • Sanden, B, P.H. Brown, R. Snyder. 2012. New insights on water management in almonds. "Regulatory Issues Impacting California Agriculture" Visalia, California 7-8 Feb, 2012 Proceedings: Amer. Soc. Agron. Calif. Chap. pp. 88-93. Univ. Calf. Davis, http://calasa.ucdavis.edu
  • Schellenberg D.L., M.M. Alsina, S. Muhammad, C.M. Stockert, M.W. Wolff, B.L. Sanden, P.H. Brown and D.R. Smart. 2012. Yield-scaled global warming potential from N2O emissions and CH4 oxidation for almond irrigated with N fertilizers on arid land. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 155: 7-15.
  • Shackel K.A., T.L. Prichard, L.J. Schwankl. 2012. Irrigation scheduling and tree stress. In: Prune production manual, University of California, ANR publication no. 3507.
  • Valdez Zarate, J.L., M.L. Whiting, B.D. Lampinen, S. Metcalf, S.L. Ustin, and P.H. Brown. 2012. Prediction of leaf area index in almonds by vegetation indexes. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 85:24-32.


Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: In California, field data continued collection 2010-2011 from four almond (Set A) and four pistachio (Set B) orchards, with various N and K rates and sources and two irrigation systems, and individual tree yield. Between 30 and 114 trees in Sets A and B, and 768 trees in Set C leaf samples collected monthly for five months. All samples analyzed for 11 major plant nutrients. Stem water potential measured monthly in same trees at Set A and weekly at Set C. In Set C, evapotranspiration (two methods), crop water use coefficients and soil-water relations determined. Laboratory leaf spectral analysis builds upon relationship to chlorophyll, N and C contents. Laboratory spectroscopy and N isotope of leaves from Sets A and B, and from deficit irrigation experiment almond orchard in Firebaugh, CA, add to N spectroscopic model. Autosampler for N2O and CH4 volatilization have been completed for orchards under the treatment scenarios, and for vineyards under conventional tillage and conservation tillage conditions. Modeling exercises for calibration of the DeNitrification DeComposition model (DNDC) have been completed. Fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) mapped using mobile platform correlated to field-level and remotely-sensed Leaf Area Index (LAI) each month in the almond and pistachio orchards. Canopy data collection was combined with leaf water content for three MASTER and AVIRIS imagery covering 11 blocks surrounding intense study at Set C. Landsat phenology modeling the canopy variation through 2000 and 2011 time-series for these blocks. In New Mexico, remote sensing detected physiological variation in mature pecan trees due to water deficits among irrigation practices. Differences in photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and midday water potential measured correlated with vegetation indices from ASTER and LandSat-5 satellite images. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensors for temporal variation of pecan water stress on two sites. A mechanistic N transport model for Pecan developed in New Mexico predicted yield for Oklahoma and Texas experiments from the literature. In Texas, N application applied May, June on 40 trees, with leaf and root samples, net CO2 assimilation, water potential, root images, and other plant metrics collected every 2-3 weeks May to November. Added potassium stress function improved SATET evapotranspiration (ET) model daily estimates from satellite data to match ET data from micrometeorological approach (eddy covariance) in 2009 California data. NCAR's Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model now daily ET and CO2 flux estimates at km scale, with 3rd order turbulence ACASA model for fluxes at 100 m resolution. WRF model improved using USGS high spatial resolution land cover map, improved meteorology, and evaluated nested response variables. PARTICIPANTS: Training opportunities/Collaborative Researchers- 13 PhD students, 1 MS, 2 Undergrads, 3 visiting scholars from Spain and Mexico, 2 Post Doc. scholars, 3 UC Extension Specialists, 10 tech. staff, and 8 USDA-ARS researchers, 27 NASA students and staff. Patrick Brown,PI/PD: oversight of overall project. S.Saa Silva, PhD student(PhDS): sampling almond. S.Muhammad,PhDS: fertilizer response of almond. I.Siddiqui,PhDS: sampling pistachio. J.Nunes,PhDS: assisted sampling. A.Olivos,PhDS: Installed electrical conductivity sensors. Bruce Lampinen,coPI: mobile platform measurements; plot harvests. S. Metcalf, Tech Staff (TechS): field support for platform/harvests. M. Contador and Y. Bordes,TechS: assist in field sampling. Leonardo Lombardini and Astrid Volder, co-PIs:oversaw TX pecan project. PhDS: H.Hannah and P.Graves. David Slaughter, co-PI: lab spectroscopy. C. (Yun) Zhang, PhDS: optical data; plant analysis; model development. K. Chun, TechS: leaf chlorophyll determination. M. De Mesa, PhDS: sample processing. Ken Shackel(PI): water relations and irrigation information. W. Stewart, TechS: Field measurements. B. Sanden and 2 UC Exten. Specialists: conduct fertigation studies at Set C and stem water potential measurements. Theodore Sammis,co-PI, Yahia Othman, and Rolston St.Hilaire: developed and evaluation of SATET remote sensing model of ET. M. Shukla: oversaw instrumentation, soil sampling in NM pecan. P.Sharma, PhDS, S.Deb, PhDS: field install, sample and analysis and data download. S. Leon,PhDS: soil sampling. David R.Smart,co-PI: monitoring nitrogen loss from orchards and vineyards; spatial models for nitrous oxide emissions. M. Alsina, Post Doc: ground verification of spatial and temporal models of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions, and directed experiments in quantifying below ground processes. D. Schellenberg,PhDS: gas sampling in almond, took and processed gas samples from orchards. C. Stockert, TechS: maintenance of gas measurement laboratory facilities; sample processing. Susan Ustin,co-PI: development of higher resolution remotely sensed ET model, NCAR-WRF-ACASA. M. Falk, PostDoc: biometeorologist, programmer, Q. Hart, analyst, programmer, S-H. Chen, Assoc. Professor, mesoscale meteorologist, WRF development, G. Scheer, TechS:data manager. Collaborations of CSTARS staff, visiting scholars, and graduate students for field data collections, and two NASA funded project collaborations: D. Riano (NNX09AN51G, Multiscale assessment of vegetation water content) and NASA airborne SAR acquisitions and contributions from 8 USDA-ARS researchers (T. Jackson, Beltsville,MD) to detect and map soil moisture. S. Ustin's short course in NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) helped obtain additional NASA MASTER imagery in summer, and contributions of 27 SARP students and staff for field and lab assistance. Mike Whiting,co-PI: ground reference measurements for Remote Sensing/GIS analysis. J. Zarate-Valdez (Sabbatical Prof, Mexico) correlated ground light measurements to MASTER imagery. S. Hogan,PhDS: GIS and database development. J. Martin, MS Student, S. Tran, Undergrad: Field and lab assistance. M. Lay,TechS: field and lab assistance. TARGET AUDIENCES: Brown PH, USDA SCRI Annual Meeting Davis, January 20-22, 2011, 25 Attendees; Pistachio Day Visalia, January, 13 2011, 400 attendees; Brown PH - Fluid Forum, Scottsdale Az, Feb 18-22. 400 Attendees; Brown PH - Pomology Extension Conference, Davis, March 28-29, 55 attendees; Brown PH, and all Co-I's-SCRI Project Field Day, June 16, Belridge, Ca 500 attendees; Brown PH- InfoAg, Springfield Il, July 10-13, 1200 attendees; Brown PH- Lab analysis Workshop, Lodi Nov 8th, 32 attendees; Fertilizer Research Extension (FREP) Workshop, Lodi Ca, Nov 9th, 250 attendees; Brown PH- FREP Workshop Paso Robles Ca, Nov 30, 140 Attendees; Almond Board of California Annual Conference, Modesto, Ca, Nov 7, 2700 Attendees. Hannah H.M., A. Volder, and L. Lombardini. Evaluating the effects of nitrogen fertilization rates on growth and gas exchange in young pecan seedlings. 71st ASHS-SR Meeting. Corpus Christi, TX. Feb 5-7, 2011. Lombardini, L., Texas Pecan Short Course in Feb 2011 and Annual Meeting of the Texas Pecan Growers Association in Frisco, TX in July 2011. Shackel KA, Sanden B. 2010. Fertigation: Interaction of Water and Nutrient Management in Almonds. Almond board of California annual report #09-HORT11. Ustin, SL, NASA Student Airborne Research Program, instruction in crop ET from imagery and WRF-ACASA model results, UC Irvine, June 20-21, 2011. Ustin, S.L., J Rodriguez, T Cheng, A Koltunov, S Kefauver, and D Riano (2011) Use of optical and thermal infrared imagery from AVIRIS/MASTER to estimate evapotranspiration. 2011 HyspIRI Science Workshop. NASA Decadal Survey Mission, 23-25 Aug, 2011. Washington, D.C. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
In California, continued development of publicly available website for communicating the research objectives and progress http://ucanr.org/sites/scri/, as well as, database of all data collections promoted collaborative exchange among investigators through a non-public website at UCD. Prototype webpage added for weather tools for irrigation schedule linked to State weather station network and ACASA-WRF modeling, with Landsat phenology-landcover ETo improvement. MASTER imagery analyses determined canopy water content decline from morning to afternoon, and accurate determination of LAI by match mobile platform fPAR/LAI, and to Landsat imagery.

Publications

  • 6. Shackel KA. 2011. A Plant-based Approach to Deficit Irrigation in Trees and Vines. Hort.Sci. 46:173-177. 7. Smart, DR, M del Mar Alsina, MW Wolff, MG Matiasek, DS Schellenberg, JP Edstrom, PH Brown and KM Scow (2011) N2O emissions and water management in California perennial crops. In G. Luo (Ed.) Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions, American Chemical Society, Baltimore MD USA.
  • 8. Stewart WL, Fulton AE, Krueger WH, Lampinen BD, Shackel KA. 2011. Regulated deficit irrigation reduces water use of almonds without affecting yield. Cal Ag. 65: 90-99.
  • 9. Suddick, EM, GM Garland, KL Steenwerth, DR Smart and JW Six (2011) Discerning agricultural management effects on nitrous oxide emissions from conventional and alternative cropping systems: A California case study. In G. Luo (Ed.) Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions, American Chemical Society, Baltimore MD USA.
  • 10. Valdez Zarate, J, ML Whiting, B Lampinen, SL Ustin, and PH Brown (2011) Prediction of leaf area index in almonds by vegetation indexes. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (in review).
  • 1. Cheng, T, D Riano, A Koltunov, ML Whiting, SL Ustin, PH Brown (2011) Remote detection of water stress in orchard canopies using MODIS/ASTER airborne simulator (MASTER) data. Remote Sensing and Modeling of Ecosystems for Sustainability VI, edited by Wei Gao, Thomas J. Jackson, Proc. of SPIE (IEEE).
  • 2. Rodriguez, J-R, RE Plant, J-J Lambert and DR Smart (2011) Using apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) to characterize vineyard soils of high clay content. Precision Agriculture (http://www.springerlink.com/content/vt71q6g658n01519)
  • 3. Schellenberg DL, MM Alsina, S Muhammad, CM Stockert, MW Wolff, BL Sanden, PH Brown and DR Smart(2011) Yield-scaled global warming potential from N2O Emissions and CH4 Oxidation for almond (Prunus dulcis) irrigated with nitrogen fertilizers on arid land. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment (Submitted)
  • 4. Schellenberg DL, MM Alsina, S Muhammad, JM Jenkins, CA Almanza, CM Stockert, BL Sanden, PH Brown and DR Smart (2011) Nitrous Oxide and Productivity Index for California Almond. ASA CSSA SSSA Abstracts, San Antonio, TX.
  • 5. Schellenberg DL, MM Alsina, CM Stockert and DR Smart (2010) Seasonal Variability of N2O Emissions from Two Nitrogen Sources in a California Almond Orchard. ASA CSSA SSSA Abstracts, Long Beach, CA.


Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: In California, field data collected 2009-2010 from four almond (Set A) and four pistachio (Set B) orchards. Samples from one extensive fertigation experiment (Set C), consisting of 24 treatments in 5-6 replicates, with various N and K rates and sources and two irrigation systems, with individual tree yield. Between 30 and 114 trees in Sets A and B, and 768 trees in Set C leaf samples collected monthly for five months. All samples analyzed for 11 major plant nutrients. Stem water potential measured monthly in same trees at Set A and weekly at Set C. In Set C, evapotranspiration (two methods), crop water use coefficients and soil-water relations determined. Laboratory leaf spectral analysis builds upon relationship to chlorophyll, N and C contents. Laboratory visible and near infrared spectral signatures and N isotope ratio mass spectrometry of leaves from Sets A and B, and from deficit irrigation experiment almond orchard in Firebaugh, CA, add to N spectroscopic model. Autosampler for N2O and CH4 determined event-related and bimonthly gas emissions from Set C. Parallel experiments conducted in no-till and conventionally tilled grapes. For both Set C irrigation systems, N2O emissions spatially modeled improved nutrient budget estimates. Fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) mapped using mobile platform correlated to field-level and remotely-sensed Leaf Area Index (LAI). Ground data collected to share MASTER imagery from NASA project covering 11 blocks surrounding intense study at Set C. A mechanistic N transport model for Pecan developed in New Mexico predicted yield for Oklahoma and Texas experiments from the literature. Based on 2009 almond data in California, added potassium stress function improved SATET evapotranspiration (ET) model daily estimates from satellite data to match ET data from micrometeorological approach (eddy covariance). At the regional scale, NCAR's Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model modified to daily ET and CO2 flux estimates at km scale, and added 3rd order turbulence model ACASA to scale fluxes to 100 m resolution. WRF model improved using USGS high spatial resolution land cover map, improved meteorology, and evaluated nested response variables. The results of these physical models will be compared to the empirical SATET model outputs and field data in developing next generation of automated flux models. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensors field calibration completed for temporal variation of pecan water stress on two sites at New Mexico rhizotron observation tubes and atmospheric towers. In Texas, five N application rates were applied May, June on 40 trees with half of the treated trees enriched (5%) with 15N, with leaf and root samples, net CO2 assimilation, other plant metrics collected every 2-3 weeks May to November. Dissemination events: see Target Audiences below. PARTICIPANTS: Besides the PI and co-PIs, training opportunities and collaborative researchers included 13 Doctoral students, 1 Master, 2 undergraduate, 3 visiting scholars from Spain and Mexico, 2 Post Doctoral scholars, 3 UC Extension Specialists, 10 technical staff, and 8 USDA-ARS researchers, 27 NASA students and staff. Patrick Brown, PI/PD: oversight of overall project. S.Saa Silva, PhD student (PhDS): sampling almond. S. Muhammad, PhDS: fertilizer response of almond. I. Siddiqui, PhDS: sampling pistachio. J. Nunes, PhDS: assisted sampling. A. Olivos, (PhDS): Installed electrical conductivity sensors. Bruce Lampinen, coPI: mobile platform measurements; plot harvests. S. Metcalf, Tech Staff (TechS): field support for platform and harvests. M. Contador and Y. Bordes, TechS: assisted in field sampling. Leonardo Lombardini, co-PI and Astrid Volder, co-PI: oversaw TX pecan project. David Slaughter, co-PI: lab spectroscopy. C. (Yun) Zhang, PhDS: optical data; plant analysis; model development. K. Chun, TechS: leaf chlorophyll determination. M. De Mesa, PhDS: sample processing. Ken Shackel (PI): water relations and irrigation information. W. Stewart, TechS: Field measurements. B. Sanden and two UC Extension Specialists: conduct fertigation studies at Set C and stem water potential measurements. Theodore Sammis, co-PI: developed and evaluation of SATET remote sensing model of ET. M. Shukla: oversaw instrumentation, soil sampling in NM pecan. P. Sharma, PhDS, S. Deb, PhDS: field installation, sampling and analysis and data download. S. Leon, PhDS: soil sampling. David R. Smart, co-PI: monitoring nitrogen loss from orchards and vineyards; spatial models for nitrous oxide emissions. M. Alsina, Post Doc: ground verification of spatial and temporal models of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions, and directed experiments in quantifying below ground processes. D. Schellenberg, PhDS: gas sampling in almond, took and processed gas samples from orchards. C. Stockert, TechS: maintenance of gas measurement laboratory facilities; sample processing. Susan Ustin, co-PI: development of higher resolution remotely sensed ET model, NCAR-WRF-ACASA. L. Lin, PhDS: programmer. G. Scheer, TechS: computer system administrator. Mike Whiting, co-PI: ground reference measurements for Remote Sensing / GIS analysis. J. Zarate-Valdez (Sabbatical Professor, Mexico)correlated ground light measurements to MASTER imagery. S. Hogan, PhDS: GIS and database development. R. Cariadi-Kimble, TechS: database development. J. Martin, Master Student, S. Tran, Undergrad, M. Cohodes, Undergrad, and A. Ito and F. Sanchez (Spanish visiting doctoral scholars): Field and lab assistance. A. Koltunov, PostDoc; M. Lay, TechS: field and lab assistance. One USDA-ARS and two NASA funded projects collaborated in field data collections included 8 USDA-ARS researchers (T. Jackson, Beltsville) and 27 students and staff of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program: field and lab assistance, and imagery acquisitions. TARGET AUDIENCES: Brown industry and society lectures on orchard management including: Brown, P.H., Growers Breakfast Speaker, Blue Diamond Almond Growers, Jan 2009 500 attendees. Brown, P.H., Fluid Fertilizer Foundation, Scottsdale, Feb 14-16, 2009 500 attendees. Brown, P.H., Tri Valley Almond Day, June 17, 2009 500 attendees. Brown, P.H., Int Soc, Plant, Soil Analysis, Santa Rosa, July 29-31. 200 attendees. Brown, P.H., International Plant Nutrition Colloquium, Sacramento, Aug 25-30. 400 attendees Brown, P.H., Invited Lecturer, Univ Adelaide, Monash Univ, Australian Almond Board, Various Locations, Australia September 28-Oct 3, 2009. Brown, P.H., Mosaic International Ag 'College', Florida Jan 10-14, 2010 100 attendees Brown, P.H., Calif Agronomy Society, Visalia, Feb 2, 2010. 500 attendees. Brown, P.H., International Fertilizer Association and New Ag Conference, Miami March 23-26th, 2010. 800 attendees. Brown, P.H., Precision Agriculture for California, July 19, 2010 100 attendees. Deb S.K., M.K. Shukla, and J.G. Mexal. (2010) Water fluxes in the unsaturated zone of a mature pecan orchard in arid southern New Mexico. The 2010 New Mexico Water Research Symposium: Resource Interdependence, August 03, 2010, Macey Center, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico. Lombardini, L., "Green Acres, Blue Skies II" workshop in Davis in Jun 2009, at the Western Pecan Growers Association Meeting, Las Cruces, NM in Mar 2009 and at the Texas Pecan Short Course in Feb 2009, at the Annual Meeting of the Texas Pecan Growers Association in San Marcos, TX in July 2010. Sanden, B. (2010) Kern Irrigation Workshop: Irrigation scheduling in permanent crops- process, planning, programs and pressure bomb / Irrigation scheduling essentials. Apr. 8, 2010, Bakersfield, CA, 54 attendees. Sanden, B. (2010) Annual Meeting Almond Board of CA / Almond irrigation world roundup and almond water use. Dec. 9-10, 2010, Modesto CA, 300 attendees. Sanden, B. (2010) 2010 North San Joaquin Valley Almond Day / Irrigation 101: When, how much and how often should I irrigate Jan. 28, 2010, Modesto, CA, 210 attendees. Sanden, B. (2010) 2010 World Ag Expo / Irrigation management in a water short year. Feb. 10, 2010, Tulare, CA. 40 attendees. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The RESET remote sensing model has been published online, and provides email output to users. Researchers in California have tested the model against Almond data and have help improved the operation and user interface of the model. The email currently provides a link to a KML file which can be opened in the Google earth viewer. The KML 1km grid overlay for Google earth consists of different colors representing the calculated ET for each day requested for a 10km area around the point of interest and a second KML file that covers the whole MODIS satellite scene. Also another KML Google earth overlay shows the location of the hot and cold spots used in the calculations of ET which helps the user determine the best search distance for a hot and cold spot. In California, publicly available website for communicating the research objectives and progress at http://ucanr.org/sites/scri/ focuses on each investigator's work, while showing exchange and collaboration among the investigators. Database of all data collections, analysis, and products available to all project investigators through a non-public website at UCD. Adopted standardized naming conventions for files and data elements, and legacy data now converted to meet standards.

Publications

  • Alsina, M. Mar, D.R. Smart, T. Bauerle, F. de Herralde, C. Biel, C. Stockert, C. Negron and R. Save (2010). Seasonal changes of whole root system conductance by a drought tolerant grape root system. Journal of Experimental Botany (online publication September 17, 2010).
  • Browde, J., E. Carlisle and D.R. Smart (2010). Vineyard carbon footprints and management practices. California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Wine Institute of California. http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/publications.php, 53 pp.
  • Brown, P.H., et al. 2010. Advanced sensing and management technologies to optimize resource use in perennial crops: nutrient and water status. POSTER: Amer. Soc. Horticult. Sci., Annual Meeting, Aug. 2-5, 2010, Desert Hot Springs, CA.
  • Carlisle, E., D. R. Smart, L. Williams and M. Summers (2010). California Vineyard Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Assessment of the Available Literature and Determination of Research Needs. California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Wine Institute of California, California Association of Winegrape Growers, 48 pp.
  • Deb S.K., and M.K. Shukla. (2010) Numerical modeling of water vapor fluxes in the unsaturated zone of mature pecan orchards in arid southern New Mexico. The 2010 International Annual Meetings, ASA, CSSA and SSSA, Oct 31-Nov 04, 2010, Long Beach, CA.
  • Deb, S.K., and M.K. Shukla. (2010). Numerical modeling of water fluxes in the root zone of irrigated mature pecan field. The 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, 13-17 December, San Francisco, California.
  • Deb, S.K., M.K. Shukla, and J.G. Mexal. (2010) Soil moisture depletion patterns for some irrigated pecans. Technical Presentation, the 2010 New Mexico Section ASABE Meeting, April 23, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
  • Hung V. Dang and T. W. Sammis and M. A. Funk and S. C. Tran. (2010) Reference Evapotranspiration Tool Box. Presented at WRRI 2010 New Mexico Water Research Symposium NMTech Socorro Aug. 03.
  • Junming Wang, Ted W. Sammis, David Miller, and Chandra Reddy. (2010) Automation of Remote Sensing Calculation of Evapotranspiration. 2nd International Conference on Environmental Management -ICEM2010, Oct 25-25, Hyderabad, India http://www.icem2010jntuh.org
  • Sanden, B. (2010) Agricultural uses of fluidized gas digestion Agricultural Uses of Fluidized Gas Digestion Gypsum / Use of gypsum to improve infiltration in California agriculture and to enhance almond production. Nov. 17-19, 2010, Indianapolis, IN.
  • Sanden, B. (2010) Changing water demands of almonds. In CA Irrigation Institute 48th Annual Conference--California's Water Supply Running on Empty: Thinking outside the Tank. Feb. 1-2, 2010, Sacramento, CA.
  • Steenwerth K. L., D. L. Pierce, R. G. Spencer, E. A. Carlisle and D. R. Smart (2010). Disturbance and precipitation effects on soil respiration under Mediterranean conditions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 74:231-239.
  • Suddick E., K. M. Scow, W. R. Horwath, L. E. Jackson, D. R. Smart, J. P. Mitchell and J. Six (2010). The potential for California agricultural crop soils to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: A holistic approach. Advances in Agronomy 107:123-163.
  • Wang, Sammis, Miller, Reddy, and Lenkala1. (2010) An Online Tool for Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration. AGU Fall Meeting, Dec. 13-17, 2010, San Francisco, CA.


Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: In California, field data was collected from four almond (Set A) and four pistachio (Set B) orchards. Samples were also taken from one extensive fertigation experiment (Set C), consisting of 24 treatments in 5-6 replicates, with various N and K rates and sources and two irrigation systems. Individual tree yield is determined each year in all three sets. In 2008 (Set A) and 2009 (Sets A and B), between 30 and 114 leaf samples per sampling date and type were taken five times per season from 4 places in tree canopies. In both years, 768 trees in Set C were sampled. All samples were or will be analyzed for 11 major plant nutrients. Stem water potential was measured monthly in 24 trees per site of Set A and weekly in Set C. In Set C, evapotranspiration (two methods), crop water use coefficients and soil-water relations were determined. Hyperspectral signatures of leaf samples from Sets A and C were determined with portable and laboratory equipment and correlated with chlorophyll content, leaf area, fresh and dry weights, N and C contents. In Set A and one orchard from Set B, photosynthetically active radiation was mapped using a mobile platform and will be correlated to field-level and remotely-sensed information. An autosampler for N2O and CH4 was used to determine event-related and bimonthly gas emissions from Set C. Parallel experiments were done in no-till and conventionally tilled grape. For both Set C irrigation systems, N2O emissions were spatially modeled to improve nutrient budget estimates. Based on two airplane overflights (with Northrop Gumman and NASA), hyperspectral and multispectral (MASTER) imagery and LIDAR measurements of several almond and pistachio orchards were related to chlorophyll content, above-canopy temperature, above and below-canopy reflectance and Leaf Area Index. In New Mexico, a mechanistic N transport and uptake model for Pecan was developed and tested. A photosynthesis model for Pecan was used for parameterizing an N stress function in a pecan tree growth model. The SATET model for estimating ET from satellite data was automated and posted on the web. At two Pecan sites, soil moisture, temperature and leaf water potential, and soil particle size, pH and EC were measured for 35 samples per site. Three Rhizotron tubes were installed at both sites. Photosynthesis was measured in Oct on leaves under nitrogen stress. A new experimental orchard with 175 pecan trees was established in Texas. Root activity monitoring with a digital scanner in acrylic tubes in the soil was started in Aug. Dissemination events: Presentations at the Almond Board of California Meeting in Dec 2008, at the International Plant Nutrition Colloquium in Sacramento in Aug 2009, at the "Green Acres, Blue Skies II" workshop in Davis in Jun 2009, at the Western Pecan Growers Association Meeting, Las Cruces, NM in Mar 2009 and at the Texas Pecan Short Course in Feb 2009. The Remote Sensing component of the project was featured in the LA Times and on National Public Radio (Sac). An education video on stem water potential measurements was produced. A grower field meeting to demonstrate the use of the pressure chamber was held July 14, 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Patrick Brown, PI/PD: oversight and guidance of overall project Eike Luedeling: coordinated day-to-day of the project Sebastian Saa Silva: sampling strategies in almond, took and processed leaf samples Saiful Muhammad: fertilizer response of almond, took and processed leaf samples Ismail Siddiqui: sampling strategies in pistachio, took and processed leaf samples Jeremy Nunes: assisted in taking and processing samples Bruce Lampinen, coPI: mobile platform measurements; plot harvests and data processing Sam Metcalf: field support for mobile platform and harvests related to mobile platform sites Maria Contador and Yann Bordes: assistance in field data acquisition and sample processing. David Slaughter, co-PI: ground-based hyperspectral measurements Mike Whiting, co-PI: field spectral measurements; Remote Sensing / GIS; data analysis Carolyn (Yun) Zhang: optical data; plant analysis; data processing; model development. Kameron Chun: leaf chlorophyll extraction and determination Michelle De Mesa: sample processing and data entry. David R. Smart, PI: monitoring nitrogen loss from orchards and vineyards; spatial models for nitrous oxide emissions. Maria del Mar Alsina: coordinated field sampling for verification of spatial and temporal models of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions. Directed experiments in quantifying below ground processes. Daniel Schellenberg: gas sampling in almond, took and processed gas samples from orchards. Christine Stockert: maintenance of gas measurement laboratory facilities; sample processing. Anna Lue: canopy leaf area measurements (summer field staff - SFS). Emily Hom: leaf spectra and chlorophyll determination (SFS). Gabriel Chu: chemistry major--leaf spectra, and canopy temperature (SFS). Archilleas Psomas: field data collection; leaf and canopy spectroscopy. Manoj Shukla: oversaw and provided guidance for instrumentation, soil sampling in pecan. Parmodh Sharma, Sanjit Deb: field installation, sample collection, analysis and data download. Sheny Leon: collected soil samples analyzed in the lab Leonardo Lombardini, PI: oversaw and provided guidance on overall project (pecan) Astrid Volder, co-PI: oversaw and provided guidance on overall project (pecan) Ken Shackel (PI): water relations and irrigation information William Stewart: Field measurements and data entry Andres Olivos: Field measurements and data entry Paul Haverkamp: Field and lab assistance (FLA) Alexander Koltunov: FLA Leroy O. Garciano: FLA Mui Lay: FLA 23 students and staff of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program: FLA TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The pecan model has been verified for its response to moisture stress based on a literature-reported experiment conducted in Oklahoma that had both water stress and different nitrogen applications. The model and the experimental results showed no nitrogen stress from the Oklahoma experiment but the model and measurements were similar at the yield under different water stress conditions. It has been published online, and provides email output to users. The email currently provides a link to a KML file which can be opened in the Google earth viewer. The KML 1km grid overlay for Google earth consists of different colors representing the calculated ET for each day requested for a 10km area around the point of interest. Also another KML Google earth overlay shows the location of the hot and cold spots used in the calculations of ET. This report covers year 1 of experimental trials in Almond and Pistachio; outcomes and impacts from this activity will not be realized until a minimum of two years data has been collected.

Publications

  • A presentation by Rolston St. Hilaire (2009) to the Annual Western Pecan Growers Association brief the pecan growers about the USDA funding opportunity.
  • Justin Bannister 2009. Researchers to study pecan trees with satellite images. Las Cruces Sun News June 8, 2009. http://www.lcsun-news.com/archivesearch
  • Justin Banister 2009. Pecan tree care going high-tech. Albuquerque Journal June 29, 2009. http://www.abqjournal.com/archives/default.htm
  • Saa Silva S, Nunes JP, Luedeling E & Brown PH, 2009. Development of leaf sampling and interpretation methods for Almond. Proceedings of the 16th International Plant Nutrition Colloquium, Sacramento, CA, USA. Poster and Short Paper No. 1434.
  • Muhammad S., Luedeling E & Brown PH, 2009. A nutrient budget approach to nutrient management in Almond. Proceedings of the 16th International Plant Nutrition Colloquium, Sacramento, CA, USA. Poster and Short Paper No. 1441.
  • Carlisle, E., Smart, D.R., Browde, J. and Arnold, A. (2009) Carbon footprints of vineyard operations. Practical Winery & Vineyard, September/October 2009 San Rafael, CA USA http://www.practicalwinery.com/sepoct09/carbon1.htm
  • A poster entitled Automation of evapotranspiration calculation for MODIS data by Sammis and Wang was presented at the 4th Global Vegetation Workshop on June 16 to June 19 2009.
  • A talk and paper by V. Gutschick, Global Change Consulting Consortium, Inc.,T. Sammis, J. Wang, M. Shukla, R. St. Hilaire, Plant & Environmental Science, NMSU. 2009. Help from Physiological Models, Remote Sensing, & Ground-Based Measurements presentation at Pecan Scientists conference, Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK May 27-29, 2009.
  • Ted W. Sammis, Vince P. Gutschick, Junming Wang, Manoj K. Shukla, and Rolston St. Hilaire . 2009. Modeling pecan growth and fertilization under nitrogen and water stress Presented at the 2009 Irrigation Show, Innovations in Irrigation Conference, December 2-4 in Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX. pp1-21 submitted Oct 15, 2009
  • Leon S., and M. K. Shukla. 2009. Soil Physical Properties and Irrigation Scheduling for Two Pecan Orchards in Mesilla Valley of New Mexico. Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Symposium, Las Cruces, April 17.
  • Leon S., and M. K. Shukla. 2009. Soil Physical Properties and Irrigation Scheduling for Two Pecan Orchards in Mesilla Valley of New Mexico. Undergraduate Research Assistantship Symposium, Las Cruces, August 4.
  • Leon S., and M. K. Shukla. 2009. Soil Physical Properties and Irrigation Scheduling for Two Pecan Orchards in Mesilla Valley of New Mexico. New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, Annual Water Conference, Socorro, August. 11.
  • Phillips, K. 2009. Getting to the root of science in a nutty way. May 27. http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.phpid=1219