Crop Water Use from Shallow, Saline Water Tables

The effect of shallow, saline water tables on the irrigation requirements of corn, alfalfa, and winter wheat was determined using lysimeters in western Colorado. The crops were grown with no water table and with water-table depths of 0.60 and 1.05 m supplied with water having electrical conductivities of 0.66, 3.0, and 6.0 dS/m. The portion of total seasonal evapotranspiration supplied from shallow groundwater was strongly affected by water-table depth and, for corn and wheat, slightly affected by salinity of the water in the saturated zone. Results suggest that surface irrigations may be reduced when shallow water tables are present.