ABSTRACT:
Spraying phreatophytic saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis, Lour.) with a non-toxic, wax-based antitranspirant can reduce evapotranspiration (ET) without eradicating the vegetation and eliminating its benefits for soil erosion control and wildlife habitat. In field studies, an antitranspirant sprayed with a backpack mistblower reduced saltcedar ET 20 to 35 percent initially and 10 percent after a month. No ET reduction occurred when the antitranspirant was sprayed by helicopter because the large droplet size resulted in poor foliar adherence. Although a properly applied antitranspirant clearly reduces the irrecoverable loss of pure water through transpiration, an operational program for antitranspirant spraying on phreatophytes cannot be recommended because of (1) the high cost, (2) the need to improve aerial application, and (3) the need to investigate more completely the effects of antitranspirants on wildlife. In the future, as water becomes more scarce and costly, antitranspirant spraying programs, with improvement, may become economical in preventing irrecoverable water losses.
Footnotes
David C. Davenport is an associate research water scientist, Paul E. Martin is a staff research associate, and Robert M. Hagan is a professor of water science in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, 95616. This work was supported in part by funds from the Office of Water Research and Technology, U.S. Department of the Interior, as authorized under the Water Resources Act of 1964, as amended.
- Copyright 1982 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.