Physical, chemical and microbiological effects of suspended shade cloth covers on stored water for irrigation

The present study aims to identify the effect of installing Suspended Shade Cloth Covers (SSCCs) on the water quality of Agricultural Water Reservoirs (AWRs) for irrigation. Four AWRs located in the irrigated coastal plane of the Segura River Basin (south-eastern Spain) were monitored for 1 year. Two of them were covered with a black polyethylene SSCC, whereas the two others remained uncovered during the trial. The main physical, chemical and microbiological water quality parameters were monthly monitored with a multi-parametric instrument OTT-DS5 and water samples analysis. Additionally, a laboratory experiment replicating covered and uncovered AWR conditions was carried out to analyze the influence of water temperature and light intensity on the evolution of bacteria populations.