The main focus of my work is the study of the movement of water in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) and the associated dissipation of radiant energy, with particular emphasis on agroforestry systems irrigated with runoff water. Within these systems I seek to develop the appropriate technologies in order to minimize above and below ground competition for resources between the perennial and annual components. A particular interest of mine is the studying and modeling of the evaporation of water from the surface of bare soils and between the rows of crops with the practical objective of devising the agrotechniques that will minimize this flux and thus increase the water use efficiency of crops. Lately I have turned my attention to the study of the effects of using treated wastewaters of various qualities on previously mentioned processes.
Research in progress
Effect of various mulches on the productivity and water use efficiency of dryland wheat and irrigated cotton
Water evaporation from trenches in the presence of trees
Testing and modeling of a runoff irrigated olive orchard in which the trees are planted in the runoff collecting trenches
Modeling the effect interrow polyethylene mulches of varying width on the energy balance, energy and mass fluxes in the soil, and the evaporation of water from the soil surface of irrigated row crops
Evaporation from irrigated gardens in an Open-Air Scaled Urban Surface
Response of isolated trees to partial soil covering
Irrigation of various loessial soils with treated wastewater
Bio
Pedro Berliner is a part of the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
