The Sahel region is characterized by its semi-arid climate and open-canopy agroforestry systems, which play an important role in global carbon dynamics. Parkland agroforestry has the potential to sequester carbon at an average rate of 0.4 tC ha−1 yr−1, which, if expanded to its maximum potential extent, would correspond to an additional carbon stock of approximately 558 TgC compared to treeless croplands. However, land surface models (LSM) used in global climate modeling struggle to represent carbon dynamics in these ecosystems due to the inadequate representation of deep-roots tapping groundwater during dry periods, key environmental control for many agroforestry systems such as the widespread parklands based on the phreatophytic species Faidherbia albida. This study explores the sensitivity of Faidherbia albida parklands to tree density and water availability (rainfall and soil water content in the capillary fringe of the groundwater table) using a new configuration of the ORCHIDEE LSM. To this aim, the ORCHIDEE LSM was modified to simulate the growth of Faidherbia albida by simulating its inverted phenology based on forced temporal series of soil water content of soil layers between 4 and 5 m and water saturation below 5 m and by adjusting the photosynthesis and carbon allocation parameters for Faidherbia albida and associated crops. The model was evaluated against independent eddy covariance and meteorological data from the Niakhar agroforestry site in Senegal. Simulation outputs were analyzed in terms of leaf area index (LAI), gross primary productivity (GPP), latent heat (LE), sensible heat (H) and net radiation (Rn). The model simulated tree GPP of 4.08 ± 0.21 tC ha−1 yr−1 compared to observed GPP of 5.06 ± 0.49 tC ha−1 yr−1. For croplands, the model produced GPP of 7.97 ± 0.89 tC ha−1 yr−1 compared to observed values of 7.78 ± 1.75 tC ha−1 yr−1. Simulations revealed that tree density positively influenced annual carbon uptake but reduced crop harvest at highest tree densities, indicating a trade-off between carbon sequestration and crop yield. Sensitivity analyses showed that interannual variability in soil water content in the capillary fringe of the groundwater table and rainfall influenced differently crop, tree and ecosystem carbon and energy fluxes. Despite its strengths, the model exhibited limited responsiveness of tree productivity to soil water content variability in the capillary fringe of the groundwater table, highlighting the need for enhanced representation of water uptake by tree roots in the model. These findings emphasize the importance of accurately modeling both surface soil water and groundwater dynamics and phenology to predict the responses of semi-arid agroforestry systems to climate variability. This study enhances our understanding of carbon and energy flux partitioning in complex, water-stressed and groundwater dependent agroforestry systems.

The comprehension of hydrological processes inherent in the water cycle and its constituents is of paramount significance when formulating adaptation strategies to address climate and global changes. The Sahel region serves a crucial role as a buffer zone between the arid desert and the more verdant and precipitation-laden areas of Senegal. The savanna region comprises a dynamic amalgamation of woody perennials intermixed with agricultural crops and pastures. The sustained vitality of this ecosystem hinges upon sustainable agriculture, mandating the judicious utilization of water resources. The formulation of strategies geared towards optimizing water resource management necessitates a comprehensive understanding of hydrological processes. This includes the investigation of water infiltration at the soil surface, the dynamics of water redistribution within the soil profile, and the mechanisms governing groundwater recharge. These scientific insights will help to develop effective strategies for the sustainable utilization of water resources within the Sahel region. The intended investigation seeks to characterize the hydraulic properties of sandy soils that extensively prevail within the savanna ecosystem.The utilization of water infiltration experiments coupled with corresponding modeling presents a robust framework for non-intrusive on-site hydraulic soil characterization. These methodologies have been widely employed across diverse contexts (Angulo-Jaramillo et al., 2019, for a review). To achieve this objective, the Beerkan method, initially proposed by Braud et al. (2005), involving the controlled infiltration of known water volumes into a designated ring, has been identified as a pertinent approach. Recently, Di Prima et al. (2016) have introduced an automated infiltrometer as a substitute for the manual Beerkan method, thereby streamlining and enhancing the procedural aspects of hydraulic soil characterization.The study pursues a dual objective: (i) to characterize the hydraulic properties of sandy soil and delineate their spatial variability, both horizontally and vertically across the soil profile; and (ii) to assess the influence of the chosen water infiltration setup (Manual versus Automated Beerkan) on the obtained results. The investigation involved the excavation of three pits arranged as steps, providing access to five distinct horizons that spanned from the soil surface to a perched aquifer positioned at 2.5/3 m depth. Both Manual and Automated Beerkan experiments were conducted at the soil surface and for each horizon. Cumulative infiltrations were subjected to analysis using the BEST methods for precise determination of hydraulic parameters. Furthermore, bulk density and particle size distributions were determined for each Beerkan run by coring the soil at the conclusion of the experiment.The examination of infiltration rates and hydraulic parameter profiles across the soil profiles, along with the comparative analysis of values derived from manual versus automated Beerkan runs, furnished pertinent insights to address the study's dual objectives.ReferencesAngulo-Jaramillo, R., et al., 2019. Journal of Hydrology. 576, 239–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.06.007Braud, I., et al., 2005. European Journal of Soil Science 56, 361–374. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2004.00660.xDi Prima, S., et al.,2016. Geoderma 262, 20–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.

Xylem sap flow measurement is a key method to quantify plant water use and assess the responses to environmental conditions and climatic change. However, available methods are generally invasive and of limited portability. This paper presents a non-invasive approach called TIMFLOW that combines microwave heat pulse and infrared thermography, while having a high portability and versatility potential. The methodology was tested in laboratory conditions for black poplar (Populus nigra) stems of various diameters (10-45 mm) and for the known sap flow velocity range (10-100 cm h-1). The heat pulse was generated by microwaves with a power amplifier supplying a bi-quad antenna at 2.45 GHz frequency located near the stem. The scene was filmed using a relatively low-cost light and compact InfraRed (IR) thermography camera. A stem temperature map was used to determine the heat pulse propagation velocity. The calculated heat velocity was highly correlated with the applied flow velocity with a unique relationship regardless of the diameter. The latter result confirms the equation of Marshall (1958) which links the sap velocity to the heat velocity with a vessel fraction of around 25 % within samples. The feasibility of outdoor measurements was also successfully tested. The assumed potentials and limitations of the proposed methodology are discussed. In summary, the study demonstrates the concept and validates, in woody stems, this new methodology for non-invasive portable sap flow velocity measurement.

<p>In the Sahel region, agroforestry is a land-use system widely adopted as a more sustainable agricultural production system. In this type of system, woody perennials that are grown in association with agricultural crops and pastures, constitute spatially disconnected zones where microclimate and soil’s infiltrability, physical, chemical, and biological conditions are assumed locally improved. Particularly the stemflow concentrates a part of the intercepted rainfall from the canopies to the stems. Hence stemflow can induce preferential infiltration around the stem base and promote groundwater recharge.</p> <p>In the West African Sahel, <em>Faidherbia albida</em> (Delile) A.Chev. is commonly adopted as multi-purpose woody perennial in agroforestry systems. It is a deciduous tree with an inverse phenology as it loses the leaves during the rainy season. Although, the absence of leaves during the rainy season is expected to decrease the interception and to consequently decrease stemflow, evidence of stemflow at the base of <em>F. albida</em> trees were reported in the literature when the stems were partially covered with green leaves (Chinen, 2007).</p> <p>In this study, we carried out timelapse ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys in conjunction with a simulated stemflow event to investigate stemflow-induced infiltration by an <em>F. albida</em> tree trunk and root system. We established a survey grid (2.1 m × 2.1 m) around an <em>F. albida</em>, consisting of twelve horizontal and ten vertical parallel survey lines with 0.3 m intervals between them. Two stemflow pulses, each of 20 L, were poured on the tree trunk using a PVC pipe with a 1-mm-diameter hole every 50 mm. The pipe was connected to a plastic funnel and positioned around the tree trunk at 0.4 m from the soil surface. One grid GPR survey was carried out before the stemflow simulation experiment. A total of 40 L of water was used during the experiment. A second survey was carried out after the injection of the first 20 L, while the last survey was carried out after the second stemflow pulse. We collected a total of 66 (3 GPR surveys × 22 survey lines) radargrams using a GSSI (Geophysical Survey System Inc., Salem, NH) SIR 3000 system with a 900-MHz antenna. We therefore obtained for each survey line a pre-wetting and two post-wetting radargrams. Next, we created other forty-four matrixes based on absolute differences between pre- and post-wetting amplitude values. Higher differenced values occurred because of amplitude changes and time shifts related to wave propagation.</p> <p>The analysis of the differentiated radargrams provided evidence of deep infiltration along the tap roots. The wetted zone extended mainly in-depth providing evidence of the potential role played by the <em>F. albida</em> trees in groundwater recharge processes due to their deep rooting, preferably reaching the groundwater table. Put all together, this study shows a first signal of the importance of accounting for stemflow infiltration in the water balance of agroforestry systems with <em>F. albida</em> trees.</p> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p>Chinen, T., 2007. An observation of surface runoff and erosion caused by acacia albida stemflow in dry savanna, in the south-western republic of Niger 10.</p>

The Chari-Baguirmi region, southeastern of the Lake Chad (Africa), has a wide naturally occurring piezometric depression with values deeper than the expected regional groundwater level. To date, the most widely accepted hypotheses to explain its origin and dynamics are based on lack of rainwater infiltration and exfiltration processes. The code HYDRUS-1D is applied to numerically simulate the hydrological flow processes along the unsaturated zone in two soil profiles located in the central part and on the boundary of this piezometric depression under bare and vegetated soil coverage. The simulated time period is 2004–2015 with 715 mm annual rainfall average. The computed recharge with respect to total precipitation accounts for 21% on the boundary and 12% in the central part, which is limited by thick silty low permeability layer on the top surface. Considering modelling uncertainty and limitations under the simulated climatic conditions, the rainfall effect is observed only at upper soil layers, which leads to low aquifer recharge, while the upward water flux causing water table evaporation is very low. Past climate conditions, capable of developing a drying front to reach the water table after thousands of years of drying and geological structural constraints, may explain the current depressed area.

Description of the subject. In central-west Senegal, agroforestry parklands dominated by Faidherbia albida trees might protect the millet crop against drought and increase agricultural production. Only few studies examined the water relations between the trees and the crop in farmers’ field conditions. Objectives. Our aim was to explore the effect of F. albida trees on millet water potential and the implications for millet yield in F. albida parklands. Method. Sixty-eight F. albida plots scattered in five villages were selected in the 2019 rainy season. In each plot, a pair of millet subplots, “close-to-tree subplot” and “open subplot”, was monitored. We measured millet predawn and midday leaf water potential (Ψp, Ψm), top soil bulk density, water content and temperature, and grain and straw yields at harvest. Results. Pairwise comparisons of Ψp and Ψm of millet indicated better and more stable water status and lower soil temperature and bulk density in close-to-tree subplots. Soil water was sometimes lower in close-to-tree subplots, perhaps because the higher crop biomass in this location resulted in higher water loss through crop transpiration. Tree effects on millet grain and straw yield were positive or null. Correlations between millet yield and Ψp, Ψm measured around flowering were weak. Conclusions. Given their common positive effects on millet water status and yield, F. albida trees could play a key role in promoting sustainable agriculture under the changing climate conditions. Millet yield increase due to the tree proximity was likely due to changes induced by the tree on multiple environmental resources. The interactions of micro-pedoclimatic conditions, livestock and tree management (e.g. density, pruning intensity) on the tree effects should be the focus of future studies.

In Senegal, the groundnut basin is the main agricultural region under a semi-arid climate, heavily cultivated in an agrarian system combining agricultural rotation and agroforestry dominated by Faidherbia albida trees. The soils of the groundnut basin, essentially sandy, have a low water retention capacity. In this area, water is a limiting factor, and the climate variability represents an additional constraint on an already precarious agricultural production system. It is therefore essential to improve knowledge on water saving practices and soil humidity dynamics. The management of water resources in agricultural fields requires reliable information about soil hydraulic properties, which control the partition of rainfall into infiltration and runoff, and their spatio-temporal variability. To investigate the variability of soil hydraulic parameters we have carried out infiltration measurement in open space without tree and below tree canopies. A total of 24 infiltration measurements were carried out using an automatic single-ring infiltrometer in the nearby of each plot (4 measurements × 6 plots), and after removing the first 10 cm of uncompacted sand. The infiltration tests were carried out in June, October and December, respectively before, during and after the crop season. We used the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer Parameters (BEST) method to retrieve the soil hydraulic parameters from infiltrometer data and field measurements of soil porosity, initial and saturated soil water contents and soil bulk density. The statistical analysis of the data showed a high variability during the cultivating period, both in time and space, especially of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity Ks. However, the Ks seems higher under tree cover, around 0.186 mm/s, for 0.167mm/s without any tree canopy influence. Despite the expected homogeneity of the investigated sandy soil, the presence of the perennials triggered a patchy distribution of soil hydraulic conditions. These preliminary results evidenced the importance of taking into account parameters variability and landscape structure when simulating soil water dynamics in the Senegalese groundnut basin.

The Faidherbia tree (Faidherbia albida) is frequently used as an intercrop in Sahelian agroforestry parklands due to its multi-purpose advantages and reverse phenology. However, its effect upon the water balance remains unclear, due to the challenges in directly measuring water fluxes in the underlying vadose zone. Mechanistic hydrological models can be inversely calibrated on transient observations and used to partition different hy-drological components, but the computational burden of the analysis can become impractical if the model itself is computationally expensive. To overcome this limitation, and to provide novel insights into the hydrological role of Faidherbia, we combine a low-fidelity, one-dimensional hydrological model (HYDRUS-1D) with a kriging-based correction function to emulate the response of a high-fidelity, two-dimensional axisymmetric descrip-tion of the system (HYDRUS-2D). Multiannual measurements of soil moisture and sap flow in a Senegal agro-forestry parkland are used in conjunction with Bayesian inference to calibrate the resulting validated multifidelity surrogate, and to inversely estimate soil hydraulic and root water uptake parameters. Results show that the model can reproduce observations with good accuracy and limited uncertainty for both the calibration and the validation phases, and also confirm the phreatophytic behaviour of Faidherbia by indicating the exis-tence of a moderately compensated root water uptake. Moreover, a local sensitivity analysis suggests that a fully compensated uptake could potentially reduce groundwater recharge by 13%. Interestingly, estimated soil hy-draulic parameters hint at the possibility of root-induced changes in soil hydraulic properties that mimic pref-erential and/or macropore flow, resulting in sustained recharge fluxes (approximate to 26% of the annual precipitation). The analysis indicates that overall, Faidherbia could have a net positive effect upon the water balance in arid areas.

Description of the subject. Faidherbia albida is recognized as a promising agroforestry species. In agroforestry systems, tree water use (TWU) dynamics is a key component of its impacts on associated crop yield and the water balance. Little is known about F. albida water uptake while an estimation of the ecosystem water balance is crucial in the context of climate change.Objectives. The aim of this study is to assess F. albida water use along a year and the implication of tree size, season and phenology. Method. Five mature trees were selected in an agroforestry parkland in the groundnut basin near Niakhar village in Senegal to monitor sap flow. Tree water use (TWU) or (Q) was calculated and climate conditions, soil water content and leaf phenological phases were also continuously recorded. Results. Results revealed a significant TWU variability between rainy and dry seasons and between leaf phenological stages. The maximal water use values were observed in the first part of the dry season between December and January, when the trees are in full leaf, with large between-tree variability, from 118 to 261 l.tree-1.d-1. The TWU slowly decreased during the dry season and reached minimal values during the leafless phase which takes place during the rainy season.Conclusions. The average annual water use was estimated at about 40,000 l.tree-1.year-1, i.e. 27 mm.tree-1.year-1, which represents 5.3% of 2019 annual rainfall (513 mm). The significant relationship of TWU with leaf phenological phases (R2 = 0.81) supports the possibility that a simple model can estimate the tree water use.

Sustainable water management in semi-arid agriculture practices requires quantitative knowledge of water fluxes within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system. Therefore, we used stable-isotope approaches to evaluate evaporation (E), transpiration (T), and groundwater recharge (R) at sites in Senegal’s Groundnut basin and Ferlo Valley pasture region during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons of 2021. The approaches were based upon (i) the isothermal evaporation model (for quantifying E); (ii) water and isotope mass balances (to partition E and Tfor groundnut and pasture); and (iii) the piston displacement method (for estimating R). E losses derived from the isothermal evaporation model corresponded primarily to Stage II evaporation, and ranged from 0.02–0.09 mm d in the Groundnut basin, versus 0.02–0.11 mm d in Ferlo. At the groundnut site, E rates ranged from 0.01 to 0.69 mm d; T was in the range 0.55–2.29 mm d; and the T/ET ratio was 74–90%. At the pasture site, the ranges were 0.02–0.39 mm d for E; 0.9–1.69 mm dfor T; and 62–90 % for T/ET. The ET value derived for the groundnut site via the isotope approach was similar to those from eddy covariance measurements, and also to the results from a previous validated HYDRUS-1D model. However, the HYDRUS-1D model gave a lower T/ET ratio (23.2%). The computed groundwater recharge for the groundnut site amounted to less than 2% of the local annual precipitation. Recommendations are made regarding protocols for preventing changes to isotopic compositions of water in samples that are collected in remote arid regions, but must be analysed days later. The article ends with suggestions for studies to follow up on evidence that local aquifers are being recharged via preferential pathways

Knowledge about soil water balance and ecosystem water partitioning is crucial for managing soils in semi-arid areas like the Sahel, but hydraulic parameters are hardly available to run either parsimonious or detailed process models. This study aims at bridging this parameterization gap in a typical deep (> 2m) loamy sand soil from the groundnut basin in Senegal[1]. Five approaches of soil hydraulic parameterization with a range of different complexity were compared: (1) the lookup table of Carsel and Parrish (1988) that use only the soil texture class known as “Class PTFs”, (2) Rosetta PTFs from only topsoil characterization, (3) Rosetta PTFs with a detailed multilayer soil characterization, and inverse estimation from soil moisture using Hydrus-1D, considering the soil column either as (4) a single soil material and (5) with three-layered soil material. We compared the predicted (i) soil water content (SWC) with high-frequency measurements from 15 cm down to 200 cm deep and (ii) actual evapotranspiration (ET) with Eddy Covariance (EC) data during four consecutive growing seasons under a rotation of pearl millet and peanut crops. The simplest methods (1 & 2) resulted in a significant bias of the predicted SWC, with, however, some predictive ability of Method 2 to simulate the general trends of Swc, especially under peanut crops. Method 3 behaved reasonably with average RMSE for SWC, varying between 0.029 and 0.023 cm-3 cm-3. Method 4 further improved the predictions with RMSE ranging from 0.013 to 0.020 cm-3 cm-3. The best agreement was found under peanut using Method 5 (RMSE ≤ 0.013 cm3 cm-3). Methods 3, 4 or 5 behaved satisfactorily for predicting ET whatever the crop, e.g. Method 4 (RMSE= 0.05 cm day-1, NSE= 0.9 and R²= 0.93) for pearl millet. We showed that inverse modelling should be preferred over using PTFs when studying water fluxes and evapotranspiration in cultivated Sahelian soils. [1] Faidherbia-Flux (FLUXNET: SN-Nkr): https://lped.info/wikiObsSN/?Faidherbia-Flux

Soil hydraulic parameters (SHPs) required as inputs for numerical models are scarce in Sahelian regions. Instead, they are estimated using pedotransfer functions (PTFs), but their ability to simulate soil water dynamics has not been evaluated. This study aims to parameterize SHPs with seven different PTFs and inverse modelling to examine their ability to simulate water fluxes in Senegal's Groundnut basin. We used four years of field measurements of soil water content (SWC) and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) under pearl millet and groundnut crop rotation for model evaluation. Inverse modelling for SWC (root mean square error [RMSE] <= 0.015 cm(3) cm(-3)) and ETa (RMSE <= 0.62 mm d(-1)) yielded the best model performance compared to PTFs (0.024-0.175 cm(3) cm(-3) and 0.68-0.96 mm d(-1), respectively). Where field measurements are lacking for inverse estimation, three of the seven tested PTFs yielded good modelling results and could be used as a parsimonious approach for cultivated Sahelian soils.

Plant transpiration links physiological responses of vegetation to water supply and demand with hydrological, energy, and carbon budgets at the land–atmosphere interface. However, despite being the main land evaporative flux at the global scale, transpiration and its response to environmental drivers are currently not well constrained by observations. Here we introduce the first global compilation of whole-plant transpiration data from sap flow measurements (SAPFLUXNET, https://sapfluxnet.creaf.cat/, last access: 8 June 2021). We harmonized and quality-controlled individual datasets supplied by contributors worldwide in a semi-automatic data workflow implemented in the R programming language. Datasets include sub-daily time series of sap flow and hydrometeorological drivers for one or more growing seasons, as well as metadata on the stand characteristics, plant attributes, and technical details of the measurements. SAPFLUXNET contains 202 globally distributed datasets with sap flow time series for 2714 plants, mostly trees, of 174 species. SAPFLUXNET has a broad bioclimatic coverage, with woodland/shrubland and temperate forest biomes especially well represented (80 % of the datasets). The measurements cover a wide variety of stand structural characteristics and plant sizes. The datasets encompass the period between 1995 and 2018, with 50 % of the datasets being at least 3 years long. Accompanying radiation and vapour pressure deficit data are available for most of the datasets, while on-site soil water content is available for 56 % of the datasets. Many datasets contain data for species that make up 90 % or more of the total stand basal area, allowing the estimation of stand transpiration in diverse ecological settings. SAPFLUXNET adds to existing plant trait datasets, ecosystem flux networks, and remote sensing products to help increase our understanding of plant water use, plant responses to drought, and ecohydrological processes. SAPFLUXNET version 0.1.5 is freely available from the Zenodo repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3971689; Poyatos et al., 2020a). The “sapfluxnetr” R package – designed to access, visualize, and process SAPFLUXNET data – is available from CRAN.

Vegetation strongly affects the water cycle, and the interactions between vegetation and soil moisture are fundamental for ecological processes in semiarid regions. Therefore, characterizing the variation in soil moisture is important to understand the ecological sustainability of cropping systems towards food security. The present study aims at exploring factors and mechanisms influencing soil moisture variability in the Faidherbia albida (FA) parkland at Sob basin located in the center of Senegal [1]. Volumetric soil moisture content at multiple depths was monitored at 15 locations distributed along a transect (upper slope, mid-slope and lower slope) and different FA tree position (under, at the limit and outside canopy) from August to October 2020. A portable TRIME Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) Tube Probe (IMKO, Germany) was used to determine soil volumetric moisture content while being placed at specific depth intervals inside a PVC access tube set up at each location. Soil moisture was monitored at 10 cm interval from 20 to 420 cm during the rainy season from July to October 2020. Results of soil moisture profiles along the transects exhibit two main zones based on the standard deviation (SD) and the inflection of the coefficient of variation (CV): shallow soil moisture (SSM) and deep soil moisture (DSM). For SSM observed at 20-60 cm of the soil layer, both mean soil moisture and SD increase with depth, the lowest mean value (8%) being observed at the top surface. This soil layer is influenced by rainfall infiltration and daily evaporation. For DSM observed at 70-420 cm, the moisture pattern can be further divided into 4 soil sublayers taking the mean soil moisture vertical distribution as reference: (i) a rainfall infiltration layer (70-160 cm) which appears mainly influenced by cumulative rainfall infiltration in addition to transpiration of grassland and crops (shallow root system); (ii) a rainfall-transpiration layer (170-250 cm) which is still an infiltration layer but more influenced by crops transpiration; (iii) a transpiration layer (260-350 cm) which can be recharged by rainfall infiltration during heavy rainfall and supply deep root system; and (iv) deep transpiration layer (360-400 cm) which has DSM that can be influenced by extremely deep root vegetation such as FA. The factors influencing the soil water content varied with the topography. The soil water content SWC (mean and median value of 27.2 and 29.6% respectively) in the lower slope was significantly higher than that at middle (mean and median value of 14.4 and 13.2 % respectively) and upper slope (mean and median value of 16.8 and 18.4 % respectively). At last, soil water content was positively correlated with the distance from the FA, regardless the slope. The higher water content for both SSM and DSM was observed outside the FA canopy. This result refutes the initial hypothesis of higher SWC under trees and support a more detailed analysis of the infiltration capacity in relationship with the FA position. [1] Faidherbia-Flux : https://lped.info/wikiObsSN/?Faidherbia-Flux

PREMISE The expression of shade adaptation traits is expected to be stronger in low light and can be detrimental to flowering and yield. Our study focused on the expression of shade adaptation traits of apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh. 'Dalinette') in an agroforestry system. METHODS The architecture of 45 apple trees in their third and fourth year was extensively described and analyzed at the tree scale and compared depending on the light quantity received during the growing season. Flower cluster phenology and the relation between leaf area and floral initiation were also investigated. RESULTS The number of growing shoots and the leaf area were reduced by shade even if specific leaf area increased with increasing shade. Shade did not modify primary growth but did decrease secondary growth, so that apple tree shoots in shade were slender, with a lower taper and reduced number and proportion of flower clusters. The correlation between floral initiation and leaf area was high both in full and moderate light but not for apple trees in low light. Shade did not impact the date of bud burst and the early phenological stages of flower clusters, but it reduced the number of days at full bloom. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that while the architecture of apple trees is modified by a reduction in light intensity, it is not until a reduction of 65% that the capability to produce fruit is impeded. These results could help optimize the design of apple-tree-based agroforestry systems.

The soil hydraulic properties controlling infiltration are dynamic depending on interrelated factors such as soil texture and structure, climate (rainfall intensity), land use, vegetation cover and plant root systems. These physical and biological factors directly influence the size and geometry of the conductive pores, and therefore the bulk density, soil structure and finally water infiltration at surface. In the Sahelian zone, the slightest modification of the physical properties of the soil has severe consequences on the soil properties and thus on hydrological processes. It is therefore essential to improve knowledge on the spatial distribution of the hydraulic behavior of soils for optimization of agricultural uses. We used the BEST method (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) on a toposequence of the Senegalese groundnut basin (Fatick region) in the Faidherbia-Flux observatory[1] where the average rainfall is 590 mm/yr. The studied toposequence (400 m long) is representative of a common agroforestry zone with annual cultivation of millet and peanuts and a sparse density of Faidherbia albida. The slope is low (1%) with small lowland areas made up of sandy soil with more clay (clay soil), while the glacis is represented by more or less compacted sand. The infiltrometry measurements were made with the automatic single-ring infiltrometer developed by Di Prima et al. (2016), used here for the first time in West Africa. The explicative variables tested are the type of soils, including: clay soils under tree (CLUT) and outside tree (CLOT), sandy soils under tree (SSUT) and outside trees (SSOT), and cattle trampled soils outside trees (TSOT) particularly compacted and largely present in the study area. BEST algorithms were applied to the experimental data to determine the hydraulic properties of the soils of the different variables and to draw water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves. There are significant differences in infiltration rates between the sampled zones and in relation with the studied factors. The highest infiltration rate is found on sandy soils under tree (SSUT) with an average infiltration rate of 14.0 mm/min, followed by SSOT with 11.6 mm/min. Then the clay soils CLUT and CLOT are characterized by similar lower hydraulic responses with average infiltration rates of 6.9 mm/min and 6.2 mm/min, respectively. The average infiltration rate is the lowest on the compacted sandy soils TSOT, with only 5.4 mm/min. The study of the variability of the infiltration rates measured by class of variable shows a large variability for CLOT, CLUT and SSUT (decreasing order of variability). These results are in agreement with the measured values of dry soil bulk density. The high infiltration rates in the clay soils outside and under trees can be explained by the higher content of organic matter observed on the sampling, and probably by the existence of preferential flow activated by the macropores particularly present on clay soils (CLOT and CLUT) and on sandy soils under tree (SSUT). Di Prima, S., et al., 2016. Testing a new automated single ring infiltrometer for Beerkan infiltration experiments. Geoderma, 262, 20–34. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.006 [1] Faidherbia-Flux : https://lped.info/wikiObsSN/?Faidherbia-Flux

We tested a novel theoretical model that determines the steady water flux density in a porous medium from Fourier analysis of temperature variations induced by a cyclic heat pulse system. The model depends on the thermal diffusivity of the medium and on the relative spatial variation of the amplitude and phase of the first order sinusoidal component of the heat wave. The model was tested by using a hydraulic column made of a PVC pipe filled with sawdust. The sensor consisted of two hypodermic needles spaced 7 mm apart. One needle contained a heater and a thermocouple while the other contained only a thermocouple. Different combinations of heating and cooling cycles were tested. The flow was controlled by pressure head and volumetrically measured at the outlet of the tube. The experimental results supported the theoretical model. In particular, the convective index defined in terms of the variations of amplitude and phase of the first component of the heat wave was linearly related to the measured flux density, as predicted. The model was independent of the different combinations of heating and cooling cycles. The estimated water flux density was strongly related to the measured flux density (R2>0.99), having the same slope for the different combinations. The first results of this new approach of cyclic heat pulse system are very promising and suggest further studies and field applications.

Adaptation of rubber tree clones to water-limited areas and maintenance of trunk radial growth are important keys for performance of genetic material. The rubber farmers need to shorten the interim phases to produce latex, which is considered “immature” phase, i.e. the time without income. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of three important rubber tree clones: GT1, the elder clone as control, which is still widely used in Cambodia and West Africa; RRIM600, the “all-round” clone, the most planted clone in Thailand, the first world producer; and RRIT251, the expanding clone, recommended by the Rubber Authority of Thailand, all in the field condition. The investigation was conducted in a drought-prone area of Northeast Thailand, where the dry season lasts 5 to 6 months. The cumulated growth and the annual growth were analyzed 4.5 years after planting. The trunk girth and height were measured monthly. Main climatic variables were hourly recorded. The year was separated in three periods: the leaves-shed season from January to April, the wet season from May to September, and the dry season with canopy maintenance from October to December. The results showed significant clonal effect on both trunk girth and height; however, with relatively low differences. The trunk girth of clone RRIT251 was about 29 cm and 10% higher than GT1. The difference was not significant in RRIM600. The annual girth increment was mainly located in wet season (63%) without clonal effect. The clonal difference was occurred in the dry season, where RRIT251 was better performed particularly in the leave-shed period preceding wet season. On a monthly basis, the relative trunk girth increment rate was highly negatively related to the vapor pressure deficit. We hypothesized that rubber clones shared a common strategy of dehydration avoidance, while RRIT251 expressed a little less degree of avoidance.

Local peoples from Niakhar in the Senegalese peanut basin highlight a dramatic increase of water access problems due to marked rainfall deficits and salinization of surface and ground water resources. The chemical quality of groundwaters is often critical because of the salinization process, whereas water surfaces, which should be used in such situations, are up early. More and more, lowlands and rivers beds are pervaded by salt crusts. Then the salinization of wells is increasing, leading to the extension of tans (salty of acidified soils). To study the impacts of climatic pejoration on the agroecosystems and on the living conditions of the populations, we carried out the analysis of the time series of the precipitations with daily and annual time steps from 1950 to 2015 on 6 meteorological stations, in situ measurements on 78 wells for an area of 311 km2, as well as local population interviews and field observation. The results confirm an important climatic break in the region in 1970. The long dry period, from 1970 to 2009, has increased the annual rain variability, decreased the number of rainy days per year. We confirm a real and large extension of well salinization, and salt crusting in the lowlands and the riverbeds. From the local people, it seems the process of degradation of the aquifers continues to progress from a large tidal event in 1984. The rainfall increase noted in the last decade does not seem to be enough to reverse the trend and to ensure both the rise of the piezometric level of the aquifers and the desalinization of surface and ground waters.