Assessing the effects of deficit irrigation on alfalfa grown in Northern Nevada
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Authors
Cholula Rivera, Uriel
Issue Date
2025
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alfalfa , Canopy cover , Crop water productivity , Deficit irrigation , Leaf area index , Nutritive value
Alternative Title
Abstract
Increasing water demands and prolonged periods of drought are forcing many farmers in Nevada to grow alfalfa without meeting its full irrigation demands, a practice known as deficit irrigation. Deficit irrigation (DI) is a strategy that can help increase crop water productivity (CWP), but it can also lead to water stress conditions that negatively impact alfalfa hay yield and may influence hay quality. This research is focused on alfalfa due to its importance for Nevada in terms of its economic benefits, widespread cultivation in the state, and its relatively high consumptive water use in comparison to the water demands of other crops, such as sorghum or corn. The main objective of this research was to assess the effects of practicing DI on alfalfa grown in northern Nevada. The main agronomic indicators that were considered to analyze such effects were alfalfa dry yield, CWP, and nutritive value of two alfalfa varieties that were expected to have contrasting water demands, as one is marketed as drought-tolerant and the other as highly productive. Additionally, the relationship between leaf area index (LAI) and canopy cover (CC) was determined due to their importance as indicators of biophysical processes of plant canopies and their correlation with yield. Finally, root biomass and diameter were estimated using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to assess the effects of DI on root development, as roots play an essential role in water acquisition and the storage of carbohydrates.