Numerical evaluation of subsurface trickle irrigation with brackish water

In this study, an assessment for a proposed irrigation system in the El-Salam Canal cultivated land, Egypt, was conducted. A numerical model (HYDRUS-2D/3D) was applied to investigate the effect of irrigation amount, frequency, and emitter depth on the wetted soil volume, soil salinity levels, and deep percolation under subsurface trickle irrigation (SDI) of tomato growing with brackish irrigation water in three different soil types. The simulations indicated that lower irrigation frequency increased the wetted soil volume without significant increase in water percolate below the plant roots. Deep percolation decreased as the amount of irrigation water and emitter depth decreased. With the same amount of irrigation water, the volume of leached soil was larger at lower irrigation frequency. The salinity of irrigation water under SDI with shallow emitter depth did not show any significant effect on increasing the soil salinity above tomato crop salt tolerance. Based on the results, it appears that the use of SDI with brackish irrigation water is an effective method for growing tomato crop in El-Salam Canal cultivated land especially with shallow emitter depth.