IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v5y2013i9p3839-3857d28688.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modeling a Sustainable Salt Tolerant Grass-Livestock Production System under Saline Conditions in the Western San Joaquin Valley of California

Author

Listed:
  • Máximo F. Alonso

    (Department of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Chile, Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile)

  • Dennis L. Corwin

    (USDA-ARS United States Salinity Laboratory, 450 West Big Springs Road, Riverside, CA 92507, USA)

  • James D. Oster

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California at Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA)

  • John Maas

    (Department of Animal Science, University of California at Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Stephen R. Kaffka

    (Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA)

Abstract

Salinity and trace mineral accumulation threaten the sustainability of crop production in many semi-arid parts of the world, including California’s western San Joaquin Valley (WSJV). We used data from a multi-year field-scale trial in Kings County and related container trials to simulate a forage-grazing system under saline conditions. The model uses rainfall and irrigation water amounts, irrigation water quality, soil, plant, and atmospheric variables to predict Bermuda grass ( Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) growth, quality, and use by cattle. Simulations based on field measurements and a related container study indicate that although soil chemical composition is affected by irrigation water quality, irrigation timing and frequency can be used to mitigate salt and trace mineral accumulation. Bermuda grass yields of up to 12 Mg dry matter (DM)·ha −1 were observed at the field site and predicted by the model. Forage yield and quality supports un-supplemented cattle stocking rates of 1.0 to 1.2 animal units (AU)·ha −1 . However, a balance must be achieved between stocking rate, desired average daily gain, accumulation of salts in the soil profile, and potential pollution of ground water from drainage and leaching. Using available weather data, crop-specific parameter values and field scale measurements of soil salinity and nitrogen levels, the model can be used by farmers growing forages on saline soils elsewhere, to sustain forage and livestock production under similarly marginal conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Máximo F. Alonso & Dennis L. Corwin & James D. Oster & John Maas & Stephen R. Kaffka, 2013. "Modeling a Sustainable Salt Tolerant Grass-Livestock Production System under Saline Conditions in the Western San Joaquin Valley of California," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:9:p:3839-3857:d:28688
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/9/3839/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/9/3839/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grattan, S.R. & Grieve, C.M. & Poss, J.A. & Robinson, P.H. & Suarez, D.L. & Benes, S.E., 2004. "Evaluation of salt-tolerant forages for sequential water reuse systems: III. Potential implications for ruminant mineral nutrition," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 137-150, November.
    2. Overman, A. R. & Angley, E. A. & Wilkinson, S. R., 1989. "A phenomenological model of coastal bermudagrass production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 137-148.
    3. Editorial Article, 0. "Contents," Economics of Contemporary Russia, Regional Public Organization for Assistance to the Development of Institutions of the Department of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, issue 3.
    4. Wichelns, Dennis & Oster, J.D., 2006. "Sustainable irrigation is necessary and achievable, but direct costs and environmental impacts can be substantial," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(1-2), pages 114-127, November.
    5. Grieve, C.M. & Poss, J.A. & Grattan, S.R. & Suarez, D.L. & Benes, S.E. & Robinson, P.H., 2004. "Evaluation of salt-tolerant forages for sequential water reuse systems: II. Plant-ion relations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 121-135, November.
    6. Editorial Article, 0. "Contents," Economics of Contemporary Russia, Regional Public Organization for Assistance to the Development of Institutions of the Department of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, issue 2.
    7. Editorial Article, 0. "Contents," Economics of Contemporary Russia, Regional Public Organization for Assistance to the Development of Institutions of the Department of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, issue 3.
    8. Suyama, H. & Benes, S.E. & Robinson, P.H. & Grattan, S.R. & Grieve, C.M. & Getachew, G., 2007. "Forage yield and quality under irrigation with saline-sodic drainage water: Greenhouse evaluation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(1-3), pages 159-172, March.
    9. Grattan, S. R. & Grieve, C. M. & Poss, J. A. & Robinson, P. H. & Suarez, D. L. & Benes, S. E., 2004. "Evaluation of salt-tolerant forages for sequential water reuse systems: I. Biomass production," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 109-120, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jorge F. S. Ferreira & Monica V. Cornacchione & Xuan Liu & Donald L. Suarez, 2015. "Nutrient Composition, Forage Parameters, and Antioxidant Capacity of Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa , L.) in Response to Saline Irrigation Water," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Díaz, F.J. & Grattan, S.R. & Reyes, J.A. & de la Roza-Delgado, B. & Benes, S.E. & Jiménez, C. & Dorta, M. & Tejedor, M., 2018. "Using saline soil and marginal quality water to produce alfalfa in arid climates," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 11-21.
    3. Díaz, F.J. & Benes, S.E. & Grattan, S.R., 2013. "Field performance of halophytic species under irrigation with saline drainage water in the San Joaquin Valley of California," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 59-69.
    4. Dennis Coates & Brad R. Humphreys, 2008. "Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Subsidies for Sports Franchises, Stadiums, and Mega-Events?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(3), pages 294-315, September.
    5. Blair Jenkins, 2009. "Rent Control: Do Economists Agree?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 6(1), pages 73-112, January.
    6. Ann Mari May, 2008. "On Gender Balance in the Economics Profession," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(2), pages 193-198, May.
    7. Peter Hennecke, 2021. "The ECB’s New Monetary Policy Strategy," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 56(5), pages 295-298, September.
    8. Toma Lankauskiene, 2021. "Labour Productivity Growth Determinants in the Manufacturing Sector in the Baltic States," ConScienS Conference Proceedings 025tl, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    9. Lars P Feld & Volker Wieland, 2021. "The German Federal Constitutional Court Ruling and the European Central Bank’s Strategy," Journal of Financial Regulation, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 217-253.
    10. Núñez Ferrer, Jorge, 2021. "Avoiding the Main Risks in the Recovery Plans of Member States," CEPS Papers 32463, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    11. Garett Jones, 2008. "What Is the Right Number of Women? Hints and Puzzles from Cognitive Ability Research," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(2), pages 227-239, May.
    12. Lars Jonung & Eoin Drea, 2010. "It Can't Happen, It's a Bad Idea, It Won't Last: U.S. Economists on the EMU and the Euro, 1989–2002," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 7(1), pages 1-4–52, January.
    13. Ian Ayres & John J. Donohue, 2009. "Yet Another Refutation of the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis—With Some Help From Moody and Marvell," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 6(1), pages 35-59, January.
    14. Richard Jong-A-Pin & Jakob De Haan, 2008. "Growth Accelerations and Regime Changes: A Correction," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(1), pages 51-58, January.
    15. E. Frank Stephenson & Erin E. Wendt, 2009. "Occupational Licensing: Scant Treatment in Labor Texts," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 6(2), pages 181-194, May.
    16. Kjerstin Tevik & Geir Selbæk & Knut Engedal & Arnfinn Seim & Steinar Krokstad & Anne-S Helvik, 2019. "Mortality in older adults with frequent alcohol consumption and use of drugs with addiction potential – The Nord Trøndelag Health Study 2006-2008 (HUNT3), Norway, a population-based study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-24, April.
    17. Yoshihisa Amae & Jens Damm, 2011. "“Whither Taiwanization?†State, Society and Cultural Production in the New Era," Journal of Current Chinese Affairs - China aktuell, Institute of Asian Studies, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 40(1), pages 3-17.
    18. Yunhee Park & Hyun-Jung Yun, 2020. "A Multilevel Investigation of Fall Prevention Behavior Among Nursing Staff of South Korean Geriatric Hospitals," Global Journal of Health Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(10), pages 1-97, September.
    19. Arthur M. Diamond, Jr., 2007. "Thriving at Amazon: How Schumpeter Lives in Books Today," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 4(3), pages 338-344, September.
    20. Paul Trampe, 2008. "The EITC Disincentive: A Reply to Dr. Hilary Hoynes," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(1), pages 59-65, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:9:p:3839-3857:d:28688. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.