Characterization of irrigation water in 90 proposed farms for 18 agroecological models in Norte de Santander, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction— Water quality can significantly influence the development and productivity of crops.

Objective— The characterize irrigation water in the 90 farms in six municipalities of Norte de Santander (Colombia) where the "Plantar" project is developed, assessing its influence on the future validation of agroecological models.

Methodology— 180 composite samples were taken at the supply’s sources of irrigation water between the months of March and April 2018, two for each of the 90 farms of the "Plantar" project. The following variables were obtained in the laboratory: Concentration of six cations, seven anions, iron, copper, zinc and boron, total hardness, pH, electrical conductivity and the sodium absorption ratio.

Results— The mean values of the variables of the 180 water samples demonstrate that they can be used for agricultural purposes; however, high coefficients of variation are observed for most of the concentrations of anions and cations of the 15 farms per municipality, presenting sometimes the high pH and the waters with high hardness, as well as the concentration of chlorides very low.

Conclusions— Water from farm supply sources is suitable for irrigation, but there is a lot of variability in the parameters between farms of the same agroecological model, and some, must be monitored to avoid future effects on crops.