Jumah Amayreh

Polyacrylamide (PAM) effect on irrigation induced soil erosion and infiltration

Surface irrigation is the oldest and the most widely used method of irrigation. One disadvantage of surface irrigation is soil erosion. New technology employing water-soluble polymers may provide a technique that is effective and affordable to control soil erosion. Water-soluble anionic organic compound known as polyacrylamide polymer (PAM) is the most successful polymer in controlling soil erosion. This study investigated the effect of spraying PAM on the soil surface to control soil erosion and to increase soil infiltration on a Jordanian clay loam soil. Different PAM concentrations, namely 5, 10, and 20 mg/l in addition to the control (0 mg/l) were used in this study. The highest effect of PAM on the measured properties was attained at 20 mg/l. We noticed that PAMs efficiency was decreased with subsequent irrigations. The reduction in soil erosion was 72 and 47.6%, the reduction in runoff water turbidity was 83 and 35%, the increase in water advance time was 6 and 0.9% and the increase in soil infiltration was 36 and 20.8% for the first and fourth irrigation, respectively. PAMs efficiency in flocculating soil particles was studied in the lab where we noticed that its efficiency in sedimentation was increased as its concentration increased.

Erosion Control of Arid Land in Jordan with Two Anionic Polyacrylamides

Field experiments were conducted to test the influence of two types of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) on soil erosion and runoff of sloping land in Jordan under natural rainfall conditions. The two PAMs used in this study, Superfloc A-836 and Superfloc A-870, varied widely in molecular weight ranging qualitatively from high, 15 Mg/mol, to very low and surface charge from 20% to 70%, respectively. Fourteen 2-m × 10-m field plots with a 12% slope gradient were constructed in the field. Collection barrels were installed at the end of plots to monitor the amount of runoff and sediment loss after each storm. The PAMs were applied at two rates of 10 and 30 kg/ha plus a control. The experimental design includes seven treatments with two replicates. Experimental results showed that PAM was effective in reducing runoff and soil loss at the two application rates. Application of A-836 reduced runoff and sediment loss by 23% and 35%, respectively, compared to control and the corresponding average decrease in runoff and soil loss for A-870 were 16% and 8%, respectively. Differences in runoff among PAM-treated plots at 10 and 30 kg/ha were negligible, but soil loss was slightly lower in the 30 kg/ha PAM-treated plots. Polyacrylamide application increased dry matter crop yield, and the application rate seemed to have a greater influence than the PAM type. The average dry matter yield for both PAMs at 30 kg/ha and 10 kg/ha increased by 56% and 35%, respectively, compared to control.

Single Event Watershed Model for Simulating Runoff Hydrograph in Desert Regions

This study is aimed to use the available limited meteorologicaland hydrological data for two catchments located in the westernIraqi desert, to develop and apply a simple single event watershed model to simulate and predict the surface runoff hydrograph. The single event watershed model is based on the water balance equation. The inputs to the model are rainfall,evaporation, and soil properties data. The Resonbrock optimization technique is employed to determine the optimum parameters of the model. Also a simple and a modified versionof this model is suggested and tested for the study area. Theavailable rainfall and runoff data in these catchments have beenused in calibrating and testing the model. In model testing, theoptimized parameters for a particular storm are used to test themodel performance on other available storms and so on. Sensitivity analysis has been used to determine the most sensitive parameters.

Bioremediation of a Jordanian Saline Soil: A Laboratory Study

Abstract Soil salinity is a major problem that threatens the productivity of agricultural lands, so there is a need to manage and remediate saline soils. Bioremediation of saline soil was studied at a laboratory scale. Saline soils from six different locations in Jordan were treated at the start of this study with a product called SLR-80, which is a blend of TRX-80 catalysts and aerobic bacteria. Three replicates of each soil sample were treated with SLR-80 at the start of the study. Soil moisture was kept at field capacity during the study as recommended. The treated soils had the following textural classification: clay, silt clay loam, sandy clay loam, and silt loam. The soil electrical conductivity was measured using three methods and they were the extract (EC e ), the paste (EC p ), and the centrifuge (EC c ). There was no significant difference between the three methods used at 95% confidence interval. The EC e values at the start of this study ranged from 24 dS m−1 for Amman Airport soil (clay) to 8.7 dS m−1 for the Khaledieh soil samples (silt loam). The bacteria were very efficient in reducing the EC e values in the first week of application by almost 50% for all of the soil samples. After that the reduction of EC e was gradual and reached to almost 99.9% after 104 days for some samples.

Modeling a Rotation Supply System in a Pilot Pressurized Irrigation Network in the Jordan Valley, Jordan

Many farmers in the Jordan Valley have switchedfrom traditional surface irrigationto pressurized irrigation systems. Inorder for these pressurized irrigationmethods to be effective, farmers must have adequate flow andpressure at each FarmTurnout Assembly (FTA). No on-demandirrigation concept has yet been implemented inthe Jordan Valley, and the rotation concept is still in use today. The JordanValley Authority (JVA) is the agency responsiblefor the distribution of water to farmers in the Valley. JVA engineers wereused to implement the irrigation rotationschedule, without any attention being paid to itseffect on the pressure in the network. Using MS Excel, a computer spreadsheet model was createdto examine the effect of selected rotation on thepressure in the network. This model was called theTurnout Pressure Simulation Program (TPSP).The TPSP model was used to map and identifyfarms that will incur pressure problems with any of the selected rotation schedules. This modelwas tested in the northern part of a pilotpressurized irrigation network known as TO2,and included 131 irrigated farm units (400 ha)located in Adassiyeh at the northern end of the Jordan Valley. The TPSP model was also usedto study illegal openings and the effect of these on the pressure in the network. The effect of four, eight, and 12 illegal openings was studied for a selectedrotation schedule, and an average reduction in pressure of 12%, 30%, and 44% was noted compared to when there were no illegal openings.

Waste Water Reuse for Agriculture Pilot Project at the Jordan University of Science and Technology

ABSTRACT Due to scarcity of water resources in Jordan, the use of marginal water (treated waste water in particular) in agriculture is highly required. However, this needs to be done with precautions to avoid harming the valuable agricultural soils and to prevent any consumer health risk. The Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) has a large campus (11 km 2 ) and has reused water from the university treatment plant for almost 20 years. The campus plant has a design capacity of 2,500 m 3 /d but is currently operating at about 600 m 3 /d. The other source of effluent water is located off campus at Wadi Hassan area about 4 Km south of the university campus. The design capacity of this plant is 2,200 m 3 /d and it has been in operation since September 2001. There are two storage lakes on campus: a 132,000 m 3 lined pond and a 110,000 m 3 capacity reservoir. These sources of effluent water and the existing infrastructure have encouraged the University to irrigate additional portions of the campus and to support the production of cash crops, field crops and forest trees by reclaimed wastewater. There is also a desire to have local community involvement and to train local farmers in the management and use of reclaimed water. JUST pilot has been involving researchers and students in the water reuse activities. Local farming communities and other stakeholders have also been exposed through visits and field days to the reuse activities at JUST so that a more positive attitudes can be created about reuse. The USAID funded water reuse activities at JUST are of great value also for JUST as a university and for the country due to the great research and demonstration value of this activity. JUST water reuse pilot continues its activities that aim to demonstrate and document safe reuse of reclaimed water and reaching at a wider social acceptance of this valuable resource for Jordan. The goal of the pilot project is to evaluate the efficacy and economics of growing new types of crops in the northern area of Jordan utilizing the flow from the existing JUST WWTP as well as the Wadi Hassan WWTP. The crops for the pilot study are selected based on their applicability to the climate and soils of JUST, as well as to be marketed at a profit.

Polyacrylamide polymer (PAM) effect on the propagation of the wetting front on a Jordanian soil under trickle irrigation system

Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the efficiency of PAM in controlling soil erosion under surface irrigation; however, there are fewer studies that have examined the effect of PAM on soil-water relations. This trickle irrigation laboratory study on a Jordanian clay loam soil addressed the effect of PAM on the spreading of the wetting front. PAM was added to the irrigation water under a trickle irrigation experiment where we irrigated the soil for 30 min. Four PAM concentrations (0.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg l−1) were used to examine its effect on the wetting front propagation in the soil. We also examined the effect of PAM on the soil water content, where we irrigated for 45 min, using two concentrations of PAM, 0.0 and 20.0 mg l−1. The soil water content was measured at depths of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 cm, 4 h, 24 h, and one week after completion of irrigation. PAMs effect on the soil water characteristic curve was studied using PAM concentrations of 0.0, 25, 50, and 100 mg l−1. In this study the spread of the wetting front on the soil surface and in the vertical and horizontal directions inside the soil profile increased when PAM was added to the irrigation water. As the PAM concentration increased the spreading of the wetting front increased. The average wetting front spreading increased in the vertical direction from 7.8 cm when PAM was not used to 8.3, 9.6, and 12.1 cm, for PAM concentrations of 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg l−1, respectively. At the same time the average increase in the horizontal direction was from 18.4 to 18.5, 18.6, and 21.7 cm for PAM concentrations of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg l−1, respectively. The second experiment showed that at a soil depth of 20 cm, volumetric soil water content (θv) was 15.2% when the irrigation water contained 20.0 mg l−1 of PAM compared to 13.9% when no PAM was added to the irrigation water. PAM did not have a significant effect on soil moisture characteristic curve.

Determination of actual evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of broad bean (Vicia Faba L.) grown under field conditions in the jordan valley, jordan: Bestimmung der aktuellen evapotranspiration und pflanzenbestandskoeffizienten von bohnen (Vicia Faba L.) unter feldbedingungen im jordantal, jordanien

This study was conducted to determine actual evapotranspiration and crop coefficients at different growth stages of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) grown in an open field in the Jordan Valley, Jordan using a precise and accurate approach. The study involved 30-min fluxes measurements of energy budget components over broad bean crop using a complete setup of an Eddy Correlation (EC) system. The measurements were conducted during the three main crop growth stages namely initial, development, and midseason growth stages following the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) crop coefficient model for green harvested broad bean crop. The average crop coefficients during the initial (KC ini), development (KC dev) and midseason (KC mid) growth stages were 0.37, 0.8 and 1.05, respectively. The measured weighted average crop coefficient over the entire growing season KC GS was 9.5% lower than the FAO corresponding value. Results showed that there was a clear decrease of (bulk) surface resistance (rs) as crop canopy developed. Daily average rs values were 855, 337, and 166 s/m for initial, development, and midseason growth stages, respectively. Moreover, rs was found to be highly correlated to crop height (hc). A simple linear relation between rs and hc with R2 of 0.91 was found. This relation will enable future direct determination of crop evapotranspiration (ETC) using Penman-Monteith equation without the need to calculate both grass reference evapotranspiration (ETO) and crop coefficient (KC) values.