S1018: Irrigation Management for Humid and Sub-Humid Areas
(Multistate Research Project)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
Date of Annual Report: 10/11/2005
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 09/12/2005
- 09/14/2005
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2004 - 09/05/2005
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2004 - 09/05/2005
Participants
Keith Admire, Keith.Admire@ar.usda.gov;Ramon Arancibia, raranci@uvi.edu;
Ed Barnes, ebarnes@cottoninc.com;
Brian Boman, BJBoman@ifas.ufl.edu;
Bill Branch, BBranch@agctr.lsu.edu;
Ernest Clawson, eclawson@agcenter.lsu.edu;
Paul Counce, pcounce@uark.edu;
Mark Dougherty, doughmp@auburn.edu;
Ken Fisher, dkfisher@ars.usda.gov;
Axel Garcia y Garcia, agarcia@griffin.uga.edu;
Garry Grabow, garry_grabow@ncsu.edu;
Larry Guerra, lguerra@griffin.uga.edu;
Winston Hagler, Winston_hagler@ncsu.edu;
Kerry Harrison, kharriso@uga.edu;
Jim Hook, jimhook@tifton.uga.edu;
Ahmad Khalilian, akhlln@clemson.edu;
Marshall Lamb, mlamb@nprl.usda.gov;
Ian McCann, mccann@udel.edu;
Tom Owino, towino@clemson.edu;
Larry Parsons, lrp@crec.ifas.ufl.edu;
Joel O. Paz, jpaz@griffin.uga.edu;
Calvin Perry, perrycd@tifton.uga.edu;
Lyle Pringle, lpringle@drec.msstate.edu;
Brad Rein, brein@csrees.usda.gov;
Diane Rowland, drowland@nprl.usda.gov;
Gretchen F. Sassenrath, gsassenrath@ars.usda.gov;
Ken Stone, stone@florence.ars.usda.gov;
Phil Tacker, ptacker@uaex.edu;
Dan Thomas, thomasdl@bae.lsu.edu;
Earl Vories, VoriesE@missouri.edu;
Rad Yager, ryager@arches.uga.edu;
Chair: Jim Hook, jimhook@tifton.uga.edu;
Chair-elect: Dorota Z. Haman, DZHaman@ifas.ufl.edu;
Secretary: Gretchen F. Sassenrath, gsassenrath@ars.usda.gov;
Brief Summary of Minutes
S1018 Business Meeting:The members present decided that presentations (PowerPoint) will be included in the Annual Report sent to all participants, but will not be included with the Annual Report submitted to the advisors. The list of project participants and their contact information will be included with the Annual Report.
The fiscal year for S1018 begins in October. The Annual Report and minutes of the Business Meeting are due 60 days after the meeting.
Sassenrath discussed what is needed for the Annual Report. Reports are the responsibility of the designated lead investigator at each state or ARS unit participating. In states with more than one participating scientists, the lead project investigator will summarize the research of all participants.
Reports should include: names of all participants, and for each objective results, impact, future plans, and collaborations with others in the group, and publications. Publications are limited to the current year, according to the guidelines for preparation of annual reports outlined in the website. The 2005 location reports must be turned in to Sassenrath by October 15.
The members voted to continue to meet at research stations, and not at major hotels near airports. The tours of research facilities were considered a major portion of the interaction within the meeting. The pre-meeting tour from this annual meeting was excellent. The details of the tours will be left up to the chair of the meeting to arrange as to length and time.
Ian McCann, from Delaware, was elected Secretary. In October, 2005, Jim Hook rotates off as Chair, Dorota Haman becomes Chair, and Gretchen Sassenrath becomes Vice Chair.
Haman will chair the next meeting in Florida. She would prefer to have the meeting in March or April. Those in attendance concurred and agreed to allow the chair and host to determine location and time of year.
The NIMSS web site will be used to post information and Annual Reports from this meeting. The site can also be used to link to other websites, and to upload pfd files with publications.
As regards time of meeting fall is often a busy time, with harvest and final field activities, Agronomy Society meetings, Irrigation Association, and holidays. Spring may be a better time, but concern there may be sufficient time to rewrite the project proposal in 2007-08.
The timeline for this project is:
Oct. 2004 Sept. 2005 Year 1 Griffin, GA
Oct. 2005 Sept. 2006 Year 2 Gainesville, Florida
Oct. 2006 Sept. 2007 Year 3 Stoneville, MS
Oct. 2007 Sept. 2008 Year 4 Delaware rewrite of proposal for
continuation
Oct 2008 Sept 2009 Year 5 Project termination Final report due
In deciding the time-frame for the meetings, the members should consider whether the beginning or the end of the fiscal year is better for completing reports and submitting renewals. The second proposal will be due Sept. 30, 2008, for approval during the next year, with the new project plan beginning in October of 2009, immediately after the termination of the current project.
Keith Admire (NRCS-AR) reviewed his agency programs that impact irrigation in various states. Several, notably the Conservation Innovations Grant that supports new irrigation and applications like the VRI systems grant funded in Georgia and South Carolina and the Conservation Security Program Research and Demonstration Grants that pays cooperating farmers who assist in data collection. Depending on state priorities, EQIP funds may be available for irrigation system efficiency improvements, water development and storage, and related projects, usually on a cost-share basis with farmers.
Brad Rein (CSREES) reviewed the status of the FY2006 budget and its opportunities for water related research. Most water programs appear in the Plant and Animal Systems area. Special grants still appear to hold appeal to members of both House and Senate, but new rules are requiring better definition of project objectives, clear statement of expected outcomes, and methods for measuring that success. These are no longer to be long term with renewals of existing projects. Other funding opportunities include an expected late September 2005 RFP in the NRI Watershed program. Mike ONeill will be heading up that program. Also water quality programs may support some irrigation-related research. He reminded us of the Agriculture Water Security Listening Sessions and their report that was recently released following the Utah meeting.
In his wrap-up comments, Brad reminded the group to consider how the social science components competition for water among users, perceptions of urbanites towards irrigation, state and local laws and rules, water ownership, and other issues that have impacted irrigation in the west can be considered as we move forward in irrigation research in the east.
Winston Hagler (SAES Administrative Advisor) reminded the group to keep our goals and outcomes in focus to keep the project on track. He will be available to follow-up to be sure all participants are able to get into the NIMSS record and help correct problems created there. He congratulated the group for a successful meeting.
Respectfully submitted
Gretchen F. Sassenrath
Secretary
Accomplishments
Accomplishments and Impact:<br /> <br /> Objective 1: Improved automation, control, and distribution technology to increase irrigation efficiency.<br /> <br /> Production fields commonly display high variability in soil type, topography and water holding capacity, making accurate application and even distribution of irrigation water a challenge. Cooperative studies in Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi are testing the efficacy of a multiple inlet application strategy, in conjunction with intermittent flooding, to conserve water requirements associated with rice production. A new project in Louisiana is evaluating zero-slope level-basin irrigation in comparison to conventional surface irrigation. The project, in collaboration with USDA-ARS Phoenix, evaluates inflow and outflow characteristics, wetting progression and recession, and soil water penetration for the different practices. The project will expand to include the Missouri and Arkansas groups in the near future. <br /> <br /> Conventional, uniform-rate overhead irrigation systems tend to over-apply or under-apply water to the crop due to inherent within-field variability. Researchers in Delaware have established a program in cooperation with NRCS to measure the performance of center-pivots using the catch can method. While the majority of the systems have greater than 80% uniformity, major problems, such as leaking, obstructed or incorrect sprinkler heads, and so on, have been identified through the testing program. Researchers in Georgia are also surveying irrigation systems throughout the state to quantify effects of over-pressurization on application amounts and losses. Recommendations are expected for changes in pumping, end-gun operation, timer charts, and/or pressure regulation. Systems for automated application of irrigation water based on soil and environmental conditions are being developed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. Researchers in South Carolina have developed a variable-rate lateral irrigation (VRLI) system for site-specific application of water. The system monitors and applies water based on measured soil water content, pan evaporation data, or the U.S. Climate Reference Network data. A control and data acquisition (CDA) system gathers information from various sensors via radio signals and a wireless internet installed on the lateral move system. The CDA controls the rate of water application in each section, in conjunction with the integrated GPS signal. By means of changes in nozzle on/off and travel speed, the system is able to control irrigation rate from 0 to 2.5 cm of irrigation water, with an average water application rate error less than 2%. A Quantified Irrigation Controller (QIC) was developed by FL-IFAS to control irrigation based on soil water content. When tested in tomatoes, it was proved to reliably reduce water use by 70% compared to typical farmer practices, with no negative impacts on yield. In North Carolina, soil water content is used in conjunction with rainfall data to trigger irrigation from buried (SDI) dripline in blueberries. While the system performed well, extreme weather events such as thunder storms could disrupt the electronic transfer of data upon which the program logic relied. Improvements in the system are expected to circumvent these errors. <br /> <br /> Water for irrigation of agricultural production in the U.S. Virgin Islands is limited to that stored in ponds and collected from rainwater, since most of the underground water is used for urban consumption. Studies at AES-VI are exploring the effectiveness of micro-irrigation systems for fruit and ornamental crop production. The Fl-IFAS group is also comparing three irrigation systems, sprinkler, microjet and outdoors ebb and flow system, for production of large ornamental plants. The efficiency of water use will be determined in these different irrigation systems. <br /> <br /> Improvements in irrigation application technologies, and automation and increased precision of irrigation systems, will greatly improve the accuracy of irrigation. Better applications will reduce the inaccurate and over application of irrigated water, reducing costs of production and conserving water. <br /> <br /> Objective 2. Improve irrigation scheduling methods and the knowledge/application base associated with crop coefficients, reference evapotranspiration predictions, precipitation forecasting, and field-based sensor systems as they relate to plant water use.<br /> <br /> Substantial progress has been made in the development and implementation of irrigation scheduling guidelines. Researchers at Missouri and Arkansas have updated the Arkansas Irrigation Scheduler by incorporating weather data for improved evapotranspiration estimates. In collaboration with researchers in Louisiana, the team is testing the program for soybean and cotton production, and irrigation termination timing in soybean and cotton. The Arkansas research group has developed a flood termination computer program for rice, which has shown an approximate $10-$12 per acre savings in water. The system has potential savings in the range from $10 to $47 per acre, depending on water costs and land forming cost savings. Researchers in Florida have developed irrigation scheduling guidelines for citrus, and have shown that an earlier termination of irrigation in citrus improves the fruit quality by increasing the fruit soluble solids (brix). Through the efforts of the research team to develop and disseminate the irrigation guidelines to growers, citrus growers were able to comply with the recent 25-30% water restrictions imposed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. It is estimated that termination of irrigation in citrus production during fall and winter would result in a water savings of an additional 108 million gallons of irrigation water per year. <br /> <br /> Researchers at nearly all locations are involved in exploring and comparing methods for detection of plant and soil water content. Soil water content is measured within the rooting profile using TDR systems, tensiometers (Irrometer), atmometers (ET Gage), electrical resistance (Watermark), and other capacitance sensors (ECH2O). Researchers in Delaware are also exploring the newly introduced dual frequency capacitance probe (Triscan) for determination of both soil water content and salinity, which has often been correlated with soluble N content. Preliminary analysis indicates that differences in soil water dynamics result from the location of measurements relative to the dripline. Researchers in Florida, comparing the different sensors for use in citrus groves, have noted that some sensors are influenced by fertilizer salts. Based on their results, grove operations in Florida have started using the recommended probes, reducing water use by more than 5%, equivalent to more than 81 million gallons of water per year. One grove manager reported a $250,000 savings in fuel pumping costs by using the recommended soil moisture probe. Researchers in Florida are also testing the probes for use in irrigation scheduling of ornamental plants in greenhouses, and for residential landscape irrigation water conservation. Average monthly irrigation was reduced 16% in predominantly turfgrass residential areas, and reduced 39% in homes with landscape beds irrigated with microirrigation. <br /> <br /> In addition to direct measure of soil moisture, calculations based on weather and pan evaporation are used to estimate crop water use. Researchers in North Carolina are comparing soil moisture measurements from atmometers with reference evapotranspiration estimates generated from Penman-Monteith, Priestly-Taylor, Blaney-Criddle and Hargreaves methods. If a reasonable correlation is found, the ET Gage measurements will serve as a replacement for the equations which require multiple climatological parameters. <br /> <br /> Time and personnel constraints limit the frequency of data collection from soil moisture samplers. Researchers at Mississippi have developed an inexpensive system for collecting soil moisture data from Watermark soil moisture sensors. Researchers in Alabama have automated the data collection and downloading of data from time domain trnasmissometry (TDT) soil moisture probes with radio wave transmitters. Drip tape is installed using auto-steer precision guidance, and cotton and corn are planted using the same precision guidance system for accurate placement of seed in relation to subsurface drip irrigation tape. Yield monitors provide spatially registered yield maps for correlation of soil moisture to yield. Researchers in South Carolina are comparing irrigation scheduling of various soil moisture sensors, pan evaporation data and a crop coefficient, tensiometers, and weather forecasts in a variable rate lateral irrigation system. Moisture data is transmitted via radio signals to the control and data acquisition system. A second system uses wireless internet to acquire real time weather data from NOAA websites. The data are downloaded onto the map created by the computer so a recommended irrigation rate can be assigned to each plot. <br /> <br /> Researchers in Georgia have developed a simple irrigation scheduler, the UGA EASY Pan, made from readily available parts. The EASY pan takes into account the water holding capacity of the soil, crop water use, and water applied from irrigation or rainfall. The system is simple to build and easy to use, as the indicator arm for the float systems can be read from the edge of the field. The Georgia group is collaborating with researchers in Louisiana and Mississippi to implement the system in other crops and with other soil types. Preliminary results from Mississippi indicate that a potential water savings of 25-33% could be possible by using the EASY pan for irrigation scheduling. To date, over 500 commercial units, representing approximately 50,000 acres, have been sold across the southeast and as far away as North Dakota. <br /> <br /> Direct measures of crop water use are being determined in weighing lysimeters in Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina. The accurate measurements of crop evapotranspiration made with the lysimeters is used to calibrate models of crop water use, and compare with other measures of ET estimation, such as weather-based models. <br /> <br /> Future work will continue to refine and calibrate models of crop water use and irrigation needs with more accurate data provided by the research. Proper irrigation scheduling will allow growers to maximize yields while reducing input costs and conserving water resources. Advanced irrigation technologies, linked with precise irrigation scheduling, have the potential to further refine water application for maximal return on investment. <br /> <br /> Objective 3. Enhance water supplies and reduce water quality impacts of irrigation management where rainfall is primary component of the water supply issue.<br /> <br /> Competition between urban and agricultural users for limited water resources has led to an increased interest in the collection and storage of surface water in ponds and off-stream storage. An extreme example of this occurs in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where ground water is used almost exclusively for urban needs. Rain water collection systems and storage ponds are the only water resources available for irrigation of agricultural fields. Researchers in the Virgin Islands are developing storage and irrigation systems for small-scale cut flower production. In a similar production system, researchers in Florida have developed a Multi-Pot Box System (MPBS) for water harvesting and water conservation for the production of containerized ornamental plants. When tested in a commercial nursery, grower evaluations consistently rated the MPBS plants higher in visual quality than the control plants. On a larger scale, researchers in Alabama are testing the efficacy of an earthen off-stream storage reservoir to provide water for sprinkler irrigation of row crops. Off-stream water storage modeling studies were initiated in Georgia to determine the potential of additional farm ponds to supply irrigation in the face of added evaporation losses and the impacts of pond managements on stream hydrology. Reclaimed water is a second source of water for irrigation and agricultural production. In Florida, tests showed that reclaimed water can safely be used for edible crops and residential irrigation, and has led to a 168% increase in edible crop acreage, helping to increase aquifer levels. <br /> <br /> Additional research in rice is examining the impacts of quality of the runoff from rice fields to the watershed. The research is investigating the year-round impacts of water quantity and quality from rice production systems on the farm and watershed. Results from North Carolina demonstrated no significant differences in nitrate concentrations between sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigation plots in cotton on a fine sandy loam soil. <br /> <br /> Decreasing the amount of water used for irrigation through more efficient design and management will help keep agricultural, horticultural and turf industries viable by decreasing competition for limited water resources. Reducing losses of nutrients from these systems will help prevent degradation of downstream water resources. <br /> <br /> Objective 4. Enhancing the transfer of irrigation technologies and management strategies emphasizing economic and environmental benefits. <br /> <br /> Technology transfer activities have included data surveys of irrigation use, development of decision aids, and direct transfer of technologies and information to producers through conferences, educational presentations, and technical and growers publications. A survey of irrigated crops, irrigation distribution system, water source, materials applied with irrigation water, energy source, and some cost information is being summarized for Louisiana. Water use (pumped and via rainfall) for irrigation of rice and soybeans for different irrigation systems is continuing to be monitored. Cost benefit analysis of adopting Microirrigation systems is also being planned by researchers in the US-Virgin Islands. <br /> <br /> Extensive work is being performed by the researchers to educate producers and other users of irrigation technologies of the recent research findings. An irrigation ontology, designed to enable knowledge sharing and reuse for irrigation information resources, is being created as a web-based tool with graphical interface for real time editing at the University of Florida. Researchers at Florida have also developed an extension publication with an easy-to-understand irrigation schedule developed for citrus. Researchers at Auburn University participated in the development of the Alabama Irrigator Pocket Guides, published by NRCS as a resource guide for irrigators in Alabama. Researchers at Arkansas State University host an annual meeting entitled Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Education Conference. This conference had over 250 attendees in 2005, and covers a wide range of conservation related information in conjunction with water and irrigation issues. Researchers at Florida IFAS provided in-service landscape irrigation and water management training for more than 50 people. <br /> <br /> During 2005, researchers in Georgia served as members of the Flint River Basin Water Development and Conservation Plan. The plan will guide state regulatory actions with respect to permitting and conservation programs for agricultural irrigation. Results from the 6-year Ag Water Pumping study became the de facto inputs to models and irrigation scenarios used in development of the plan.<br /> <br /> The surveys and economic studies will demonstrate the benefits of adopting various irrigation strategies on crop production. These studies will provide information on land management effects on total water use and need, and with the coordination of surveys in other humid and sub-humid regions, may provide a better perspective on the extent and needs for irrigation research and extension activities. The irrigation guides improve irrigation efficiency by meeting crop water needs while preventing over-irrigation and water loss. <br />Publications
Publications, Oct. 1, 2004 Sept. 30, 2005.<br /> <br /> Alarcon, V.J., Sassenrath, G.F. 2005. Synthetic imagery for visualization of crop canopy status. American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Baltimore, MD, March 7-11, 2005. 7 pgs. <br /> <br /> Bajwa, S. and E. D Vories. 2005. Plant response to irrigation treatments in Arkansas Cotton. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publication (in press).<br /> <br /> Baum, M.C., M.D. Dukes, and G. L. Miller. 2004. Comparison of irrigation uniformity by soil moisture to catch-can test. ASAE paper no. FL04-1011. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Boken, V. K., G. Hoogenboom, J. E. Hook, D. L. Thomas, L. C. Guerra and K. A. Harrison. 2004. Agricultural water use estimation using geospatial modeling and a geographic information system. Agricultural Water Management. 67(2004):185-199.<br /> <br /> Boken, V. K., G. Hoogenboom, F. N. Kogan, J. E. Hook, D. L. Thomas, and K. A. Harrison. 2004. Potential of using NOAA-AVHRR data for estimating irrigated area to help solve an interstate water dispute. International Journal of Remote Sensing, vol. 25(12): 2277-2286.<br /> <br /> Borhan, M. S., L. R. Parsons, W. Bandaranayake. 2004. Evaluation of a Low Cost Capacitance ECH2O Soil Moisture Sensor for Citrus in a Sandy Soil. Irrigation Assoc. Conf. Proceedings. Pp. 447-458.<br /> <br /> Cornejo C., H. Beck, D.Z. Haman. 2005. Developing an Ontology for Irrigation Information Resources - ASAE Annual International Meeting - Paper Number : 053034 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers,2950 Niles Road, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA<br /> <br /> Cornejo C., D.Z. Haman, T.H. Yeager. 2005. Evaluation of Soil Moisture Sensors and Their Use to Control Irrigation Systems for Containers - ASAE Annual International Meeting - Paper Number : 054056 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers,2950 Niles Road, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA<br /> <br /> Dougherty, M., Fulton, J., Curtis, L.M., Harkin, H.D., and C.H. Burmester. 2005. Subsurface drip irrigation and fertigation in Northern Alabama. ASAE/CSAE Annual International Meeting, July 17-20, Tampa, FL.<br /> <br /> Dukes, M.D., M.B. Haley, and G.L. Miller. 2004. Reducing residential irrigation water use in Florida. Irrigation Association Annual Show, Nov. 14-16 CD-ROM. Irrigation Association, Falls Church, VA.<br /> <br /> Dukes, M.D. and J.M. Scholberg. 2004. Automated subsurface drip irrigation based on soil moisture. ASAE Paper No. 04-2188. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Dukes, M.D., S. Irmak, and J.M. Jacobs. 2004. An automatic system for recording evaporation for ET gages. ASAE Paper No. 04-2191. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Dukes, M.D., M.C. Baum, and G.L. Miller. 2004. Determination of residential irrigation water use in Florida. Proceedings of the 2004 ASCE/EWRI World Water and Environmental Resource Congress CD-ROM, June 27-July 1, Salt Lake City, UT.<br /> <br /> Fares, A., P. Buss, M. Dalton, A. I. El-Kadi, and L. R. Parsons. 2004. Dual field calibration of capacitance and neutron soil water sensors in a shrinking-swelling clay soil. Vadose Zone J. 3:1390-1399.<br /> <br /> Fares, A., L. R. Parsons, T. A. Obreza, and K. T. Morgan. 2004. Spatial and Temporal Plant Water Use and Rain Inputs as Affected by Citrus Canopy and Microsprinkler Irrigation System. Irrigation Assoc. Conf. Proceedings. Pp. 37-45.<br /> <br /> Fares, A., M. Zekri, and L. R. Parsons. 2004. TheHelper, a User-Friendly Irrigation Scheduling Tool in Florida and Hawaii. Irrigation Assoc. Conf. Proceedings. Pp. 413-423.<br /> <br /> Fisher, D.K. 2004. Simple and Inexpensive Lysimeters for Monitoring Reference- and Crop-ET. Paper No. IA04-1117. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Irrigation Show, Tampa, Florida USA, 14 - 16 November 2004. Irrigation Association. pp 161-169, CD-ROM.<br /> <br /> Fisher, D.K. 2004. Modern Electronics for Agriculture. Paper No. IA04-1118. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Irrigation Show, Tampa, Florida USA, 14 - 16 November 2004. Irrigation Association. pp 302-313, CD-ROM.<br /> <br /> Fulton, J., Shaw, J., Dougherty, M., and R. Raper. 2005. An overview: Merging of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and autoguidance for cotton production in Alabama. 2005 Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference, June 27-29, Florence, SC. <br /> <br /> Fulton, J., Dougherty, M., Curtis, L.M., Harkin, H.D., and C.H. Burmester. 2005. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) scheduling and tape placement for cotton production in Alabama. ASAE/CSAE Annual International Meeting, July 17-20, Tampa, FL.<br /> <br /> Grabow, G. L., K. Harrison, M. D. Dukes, E. Vories, W. B. Smith, H. Zhu, and A. Khalilian. Considerations for the design and installation of SDI systems in humid areas. Proceedings World Water Congress 2005, ASCE, Reston, VA. Online at: http://ascelibrary.aip.org/getpdf/servlet/GetPDFServlet?filetype=pdf&id=ASCECP000173040792000518000001&idtype=cvips<br /> <br /> Grabow, G.L., K. Harrison, W. B. Smith, E. Vories, H. Zhu, A. Khalilian. 2005. Design of Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems in Humid Areas. Presented at the 2005 World Water and Environmental Resources Congress, EWRI, ASCE. Egan Civic and Convention Center, Anchorage, AK, May 15-19.<br /> <br /> Grabow, G.L., R. L. Huffman, and K. Edmisten. 2004. Automated Control of Subsurface Drip Irrigation using Rainfall and Soil-Water Data. Paper No. 042190 presented at the 2004 ASAE/CSAE Annual International Meeting Sponsored by ASAE/CSAE Fairmont Chateau Laurier, The Westin, Government Centre Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1 - 4 August 2004.<br /> <br /> Grabow, G.L. R. L. Huffman, R.O. Evans, and K. Edmiston. 2004. Evaluating Subsurface Drip Irrigation Applicability and Drip Line Spacing for Cotton in North Carolina. Presented at the Annual Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, Marriot Riverwalk, Jan. 6-9.<br /> <br /> Guerra, L. C., G. Hoogenboom, J. E. Hook, D. L. Thomas, V. K. Boken, and K. A. Harrison. 2005. Evaluation of on-farm irrigation applications using the simulation model EPIC. Irrigation Science 23(4):171-181. 10.1007/s00271-005-0105-6 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00271-005-0105-6.<br /> <br /> Guerra, L. C., G. Hoogenboom, V. K. Boken, J. E. Hook, D. L. Thomas, and K. A. Harrison. 2004. Evaluation of the EPIC model for simulating crop yield and irrigation demand. Transactions of ASAE. 47(6):2091-2100.<br /> <br /> Haman D.Z. 2005. Irrigation and Fertigation of Fresh Market Tomatoes. The Tomato Magazine. February 2005:20-21<br /> <br /> Haman D. Z. 2005. Produccion de Tomate Saquelle Jugo al Tomate . Productores de Hortalizas. March 2005. 14(3): 13-14.<br /> <br /> Haman D.Z., C. Cornejo, T.H. Yeager, S. Irmak. 2005. Use of Multipot Box System for Container Production of Parennial Plants - ASAE Annual International Meeting - Paper Number : 054058 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers,2950 Niles Road, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA<br /> <br /> Haman D.Z., L.C. Nogueira, R.H. Stamps, M.D. Dukes. 2005. Outdoor Ebb and Flow Irrigation System for Containerized Ornamental Plants in Humid Climate. 19-th ICID Congress, Beijing, China. Conference proceedings.<br /> <br /> Haman D. Z., R. B. Sorensen, D. S. Ross, R. O. Evans, P. Tacker. 2005. Critical Management Issues When Using SDI In Humid Areas Proc. of EWRI World Water & Environmental Resources Congress 2005 - Anchorage, AK <br /> <br /> Haman D. Z. 2005. Media Filters for Micro-irrigation. Encyclopedia of Water. Surface and Agricultural. John Wiley & Sons Publishing: 752-754.<br /> <br /> Haman D. Z. 2005. Screen filters for Micro-irrigation. Encyclopedia of Water. Surface and Agricultural. Wiley & Sons Publishing . 748-550.<br /> <br /> Haman D. Z. 2005. Microirrigation. Encyclopedia of Water. Surface and Agricultural. John Wiley & Sons Publishing : 615-620.<br /> <br /> Hook, J. E., K. A. Harrison, G. Hoogenboom, and D. L. Thomas. 2005. Ag Water Pumping, Statewide irrigation monitoring. Project Report 52 for EPD Cooperative Agreement Number 764-890147. 145 pp. (Received a peer review from a CAST panel). http://www.nespal.org/awp/previous.asp <br /> <br /> Huffman, R. L., G. L. Grabow, R. O. Evans, and K. L. Edmisten. 2004 Nitrate concentrations in the soil water under subsurface drip- and sprinkler-irrigated cotton. Paper No. 042035 presented at the 2004 ASAE/CSAE Annual International Meeting Sponsored by ASAE/CSAE Fairmont Chateau Laurier, The Westin, Government Centre Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1-4 August 2004.<br /> <br /> Irmak, S. D.Z. Haman, A. Irmak, J.W. Jones, B. Tonkinson, D. Burch, T.H. Yeager, and C. Larsen. 2005. Root-zone temperatures of V. odoratissimum grown in the MPBS and Conventional Systems: Measurement and analyses of temperature profiles and predicting root-zone temperatures. J. Am. Soc. HortSci Vol. 40(3):808-818.<br /> <br /> Khalilian, A., Young Han, Sam Moore, Tom Owino and Burhan Niyazi. 2005. "Variable-Rate Lateral Irrigation System, . Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, National Cotton Council of America, Memphis, http://www.cotton.org/beltwide/proceeding. <br /> <br /> Moore, S., Y. J. Han, A. Khalilian, T. O. Owino, B. Niyazi. 2005. Instrumentation for Variable-Rate Lateral Irrigation System. ASAE Technical Paper No. 05-2184, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI 49085.<br /> <br /> Morgan, K., Obreza, T., Scholberg, J., Parsons, L. R., and Wheaton, T. A. 2005. Citrus Water Uptake Dynamics on Central Florida Sandy Soils. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. In press.<br /> <br /> Munoz-Carpena, R., M.D. Dukes. 2004. Water conservation through soil moisture sensing field evaluation. Vegetarian Newsletter, 04-10. Department of Horticultural Sciences. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.<br /> <br /> Munoz-Carpena, R., M.D. Dukes, and L.W. Miller. 2004. Design and field evaluation of a new controller for soil moisture based irrigation. ASAE Paper No. 04-2244. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Nogueira L.C., D.Z. Haman, R.H. Stamps, M.D. Dukes. 2005. Effects of Three Irrigation Systems on Runoff Water Quality in Containerized Plant Production ASAE Annual International Meeting - Paper Number : 054059 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers,2950 Niles Road, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA<br /> <br /> Nogueira L.C., D.Z. Haman, R.H. Stamps, M.D. Dukes. 2005. Water Harvesting and Recycling Ebb and Flow System in a Container Nursery ASAE Annual International Meeting - Paper Number : 054060 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers,2950 Niles Road, Saint Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA<br /> <br /> Noling, J. W., L. R. Parsons, & T. A. Wheaton. 2004. 2005 Florida citrus pest management guide: Best Management Practices for soil-applied agricultural chemicals. HS-185. 5 pp. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/CG027<br /> <br /> NRCS, 2005. Alabama Irrigator Pocket Guide. National Center for Appropriate Technology. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Office, Auburn, AL. <br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. and K. T. Morgan. 2004. Management of microsprinkler systems for Florida citrus. HS-958. 7 pp. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS204<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2004. Unwanted Visitors. Florida Grower. Vol. 97(10). October. P. 28.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2004. Is a Freeze Likely this Winter? Florida Grower. Vol. 97(12). December. P. 26.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2005. Weather and irrigation for the New Year. Citrus Industry. Vol. 86(1). Pp. 16-17.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2005. Essential IrrigationThe Right Time. Florida Grower. Vol. 98(2). Feb. P. 30.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2005. Sensors Equal Savings. Florida Grower. Vol. 98(4). April. P. 42.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2005. Population Boom. Florida Grower. Vol. 98(7). July. P. 29<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2005. Predictions for the 2005 Hurricane Season. Florida Grower Vol. 98(9). Sept. P. 34.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R., E. Etxeberria. 2004. Effects of Reduced Fall and Winter Irrigation on Citrus Fruit Quality. HortScience 39(4). Pp. 886.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. 2004. Changes in Reclaimed Water Use in Florida. HortScience 39(4). Pp. 855-856.<br /> <br /> Parsons, L. R. and B. Boman. 2005. Best Management Practices in Florida Citrus Production. HortScience 40(4). P. 942.<br /> <br /> Perry, C.D., M.Dukes, S. Pocknee, and K. Harrison. 2004. Effects of variable-rate sprinkler cycling on irrigation uniformity. ASAE Paper No. 04-1117. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Popp, M., P. Manning, P. Counce and T. Keisling. 2005. Rice-soybean rotations: opportunities for enhancing whole farm profits or water savings. Agricultural Systems 86:223-238.<br /> <br /> Sadler, E.J., K. A. Sudduth, N. R. Kitchen, R. N. Lerch, R. J. Kremer, and E. D. Vories. 2005. Newly developed technologies for soil and water conservation. Proc. International Workshop on Newly Developed Innovative Technology for Soil and Water Conservation. May 31 June 02, 2005, Suwon, Korea. Chung, N.-J., Kim, W.-S., Kim, H.-S., Kim, J.-K., Eom, K.-C., Lee, I.-W., eds. Rural Development Administration, Suwon, Korea. <br /> <br /> Simonne, E., D. Studstill, M. Dukes, J. Duval, R. Hochmuth, G. McAvoy, T. Olczyk, and E. Lamb. 2004. How to conduct an on-farm dye test and use the results to improve drip irrigation management in vegetable production. HS980, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.<br /> <br /> Thomas, D. L., K. A. Harrison, and J. E. Hook. 2004. Sprinkler irrigation scheduling with the UGA EASY Pan: Performance Characteristics. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 20(4): 439-445.<br /> <br /> Thomas, D. L., K. A. Harrison, M. D. Dukes, R. M. Seymour, F. N. Reed. 2004. Landscape and turf irrigation auditing: A mobile laboratory approach for small communities. GA Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin no. 1253 (also LAES in Louisiana and IFAS in Florida). http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1253.htm<br /> <br /> Thomson, S.J. and J.E. Hanks. 2004. Thermal Imaging, Soil Characterization, and Yield Response for Site-Specific Crop Management. Abstract, Applications Showcase Session 1, ASPRS Annual Conference, Denver, CO, May 23-28<br /> <br /> Thomson, S.J., Sudbrink, D.L. 2004. Digital imaging from agricultural aircraft: system configurations and constraints for integrated pest management, weed detection, and determination of crop status. Proceedings of the 18th Biannual Workshop in color Photography and Videography in Resource. American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Amherst, MA. CD-ROM, paper number 0025. pdf. 4 pgs. <br /> <br /> Tichenor, J., M.D. Dukes, and L.E. Trenholm. 2004. Using the irrigation controller for a better lawn on less water. Fact Sheet ENH-978. Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.<br /> <br /> Triebel, G.W., M.D. Dukes, and J.M. Jacobs. 2004. Estimation of crop water use of bahia grass using lysimeters. ASAE paper no. FL04-1003. American Society of Agricultural Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Vellidis, G., M. A. Tucker, C. D. Perry, D. L. Thomas, N. Wells, and C. K. Kvien. 2004. Predicting cotton lint yield maps from aerial photographs. Precision Agriculture 5:547-564. <br /> <br /> Vories, E. D., P. L. Tacker, and R. Hogan. 2005. Multiple inlet approach to reduce water requirements for rice. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 21(4):611-616.<br /> <br /> Vories, E. D., P. L. Tacker, and I. Chaubey. 2005. Field studies of water requirements for rice production and the effect on water quality. Proceedings World Water Congress 2005, ASCE, Reston, VA. Online at: http://ascelibrary.aip.org/getpdf/servlet/GetPDFServlet?filetype=pdf&id=ASCECP000173040792000531000001&idtype=cvips<br />Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 06/16/2006
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 04/10/2006
- 04/11/2006
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
Irrigation Management for Humid and Sub-humid AreasS-1018 Regional Project Meeting
10-11 April, 2006, Gainesville, FL
Minutes
In Attendance (Research Presentations *)
Winston Hagler (SAES Administrative Advisor)
Ramon Arancibia* (VI)
Ed Barnes (Cotton Inc)
Ernie Clawson* (LA)
Dorota Haman* (FL)
Michael Dukes* (FL)
Larry Parsons* (FL)
Paul Counce* (AR)
Ken Fisher* (MS-ARS)
Gretchen Sassenrath* (MS-ARS)
Garry Grabow* (NC)
Kerry Harrison* (GA)
Jim Hook* (GA)
Ian McCann* (DE)
Tom Owino* (SC)
Dan Thomas* (LA)
Clarence Prestwich* (NRCS)
Keith Admire (NRCS)
Mark Dougherty (AL) was unable to attend but provided a presentation
The meeting began on 10 April with a tour to the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU). A general tour of the facility to provide an overview and background information was followed by detailed information on several individual projects, including
· Turfgrass sensor irrigation
· Weighing lysimeters and ET/Kc for grass
· Sensors for irrigation and nitrogen management on vegetables
· Blueberry irrigation
· Remote sensing.
Following lunch at PSREU the tour visited Robrick Nursery, which uses various versions of ebb and flow irrigation, and Grandiflora Nursery, which produces a large variety of plants using a water drainage and reuse system.
The business meeting as well as presentations and updates from those present was held on the following day in Rogers Hall at the UF campus,
The group extended thanks and appreciation to the chair, Dorota Haman, and to Michael Dukes and all the UF personnel involved in hosting the meeting and arranging a very good tour.
Topics discussed at the business meeting included:
· Reporting deadline: The deadline to send reports to the secretary was one month following the meeting (11 May). One report should be sent from each state after coordination between participants within each state.
· Active participation. The current list includes many non-active participants. Sassenrath indicated that annual reports/CDs were sent to many people last year who are probably not active, and so presented a motion to define active participation as:
1. Attendance at an annual meeting at least once every three years, and
2. Contribution to the annual report.
The motion was seconded by Haman, and passed. The mailing list currently will be that provided on the NIMSS website. A final email should be sent to non-active participants. Winston Hagler suggested identifying people who have not been involved so far, and that an Excel list will be generated to use for mailings. He will maintain the mailing list.
· There should be a link to meeting details, such as hotel arrangements, on the website. There should also be links to publications.
· Paul Counce was elected Secretary, so that the meeting in year 5 (the final year) will be in Arkansas. Gretchen Sassenrath moves to Chair, with the next meeting to be held in Mississippi. Ian McCann moves to Vice Chair.
· There was discussion on focusing reports on topic areas as well as on the stated objectives of the project. Suggested topic areas and participation included:
1. Drip irrigation (Hook, McCann, Arancibia, Grabow, Dukes, Haman
2. Lysimeters/crop coefficients (Fisher, Dukes, Haman, Clawson, Owino, Arancibia, Prestwich, Counce
3. Soil moisture measurement (Parsons, McCann, Hook, Dougherty, Owino, Fisher
4. Remote sensing (Sassenrath, Judge, Thomson)
5. Automation systems (Fisher, Hook, Dukes, Arancibia, Grabow
6. Evaluation of irrigation schedulers, decision support/models (Pringle, Counce, Tacker, Vories, Clawson, Owino, Hook)
7. On-farm water storage (Dougherty, Carmen, Hook, Arancibia)
8. Surface Irrigation (Thomas, Vories, Tacker, Admire, Prestwich
9. Sprinkler Irrigation (Pringle, Prestwich, Harrison, McCann)
10. E-Extension (Obreza, Harrison, Haman, Dukes, Owino, Counce, Prestwich, Grabow). There was discussion on developing training modules for irrigation in humid regions, and schools/short courses/extension material. Suggestions included partnership with the Irrigation Association on developing instructional modules, and on expanding existing workshops and publications, (including translations for an international audience). There was also discussion on the question of public vs. fee ownership. It was felt activities under this heading would greatly increase the impact of this project.
For the annual reports, it was suggested that writing teams be formed to help the secretary. This year Michael Dukes offered help with objective 1 and Dorota Haman offered help with objective 3.
Respectfully submitted
Ian McCann
Secretary
Accomplishments
Publications
Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 07/30/2007
Report Information
Annual Meeting Dates: 05/07/2007
- 05/08/2007
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2006 - 09/01/2007
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2006 - 09/01/2007
Participants
Brief Summary of Minutes
The Multi-state project S1018 Irrigation management for humid and sub humid areas has four objectives: 1. Improve automation, control, and distribution technology to increase irrigation efficiency. 2. Improve irrigation scheduling methods and the knowledge/application base associated with crop coefficients, reference evapotranspiration predictions, precipitation forecasting, and field-based sensor systems as they relate to plant water use. 3. Enhance water supplies and reduce water quality impacts of irrigation management where rainfall is an important component of the water supply issue; and 4. Enhance the transfer of irrigation technologies and management alternatives emphasizing economic and environmental benefits.These four objectives of the Multistate Project overall will lead to increased irrigation need determination, effectiveness, availability and education. Irrigation management includes many critical steps: (a) determining the need for irrigation effectively, (b) determining the amount of irrigation correctly, (c) timing the irrigation precisely, and (d) managing field and equipment variability adequately. Summary of a large number of Mississippi cotton irrigation tests demonstrated irrigation often did not increase yields and sometimes decreased yields. The Mississippi cotton field irrigation experimentation highlights the value and need for field tests of irrigation management technology as a valuable, if highly underutilized tool overall, to assess the efficacy of irrigation management strategies and methods. Consequently, irrigation application, soil water sensing, determination and application technology continue to develop. Considerable collaboration in soil water determination and distribution including sensors and application technology is ongoing among scientists working on cotton in Mississippi (both state and ARS), Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. This work is greatly facilitated and enhanced by the Multistate Project S1018. The weighing lysimeter research and facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina (Clemson University) provide valuable objective measurements of cotton crop water use based on a range of environmental experimental conditions. Water supply conservation and enhancement is obviously critical to effective irrigation strategies. Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Louisiana, in cooperation with the state agencies and NRCS, are effectively evaluating their water supply resources. Irrigation distribution research is ongoing in Delaware, South Carolina/Clemson University, Mississippi and North Carolina In Delaware, tests and assessments of growers aboveground irrigation systems is supported by the NRCS and is being extended into Maryland. The legal mandate in Georgia to include agricultural well flow meters and precise mapping of above- and below-ground irrigation resources will be useful to all states with irrigation utilization for agricultural crop production. Finally, effective educational outreach of such knowledge is greatly needed for producers. Educational and extension activities are critical to exploiting the knowledge gained from the research efforts. Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Louisiana are actively collaborating in various educational efforts with other states participating less formally. Collaborative efforts are extensive among scientists in the Multistate project S1018. The Multistate project S1018 Irrigation management for humid and sub humid areas members have provided significant advances in all four objectives of the project. The even more critical fact is that, through collaboration among the project members, the value of such efforts is multiplied greatly.
1)Improved automation, control, and distribution technology to increase irrigation efficiency.
In Florida, real-time measurements are essential in automated systems with feedback control based on soil water content. Such systems, particularly those targeted at high value crops, continue being developed and tested in the region. In Florida, disk rain sensors were tested for improving irrigation urban landscape irrigation.
In South Carolina, a pair of custom software was developed to support Clemson Lateral Irrigation System. The first one, Field Configuration Utility, collects the field information, including the length and width of the field, its GPS coordinates, number of irrigation control sections and zones. You can also graphically prescribe a site-specific irrigation depth map. The other software, Clemson Lateral Irrigation Control (CLIC), takes this map and actually controls the irrigation system. Using these two programs, fields with any size and configuration can be fitted with a Clemson Lateral Irrigation Control System with up to 23 control zones.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, research to optimize shade levels and irrigation for Anthurium and baby-arugula were conducted. For Anthurium, daily micro-sprinkler irrigation of 2.2 and 1.1 mm were optimal for 60% and 80%shade, respectively. Optimal shade level for baby arugula was 30%, which reduced water requirement by 20%. Yield of fresh green and dry biomass was maintained improving water use efficiency and productivity.
In rice, research has been conducted in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas on the use of multiple inlet irrigation technology. In Mississippi the use of intermittent, multiple inlet irrigation was researched.
In North Carolina, a research project to evaluate commercially available irrigation technologies was initiated in fall 2006. Forty plots with irrigation system, sensors and sod were installed. Data collection started in April 2007 comparing an ET controller, two soil-moisture feedback systems and standard irrigation clock with rain switches. Three irrigation frequencies are also being evaluated.
In Mississippi, inexpensive sensors, designed to sense continuously and accurately soil water tension relative to irrigation, are being developed and tested.
In Louisiana, assessments were made of "spin ditch" spacing, depth and depth to distribute water between furrows in zero grade (level basin) rice fields. Also in Louisiana the evaluation of EASY pans for estimating irrigation water needs was conducted.
Impact
Disk Rain sensors saved more than 1/3 water use compared with time based irrigation schedule with no sensor for residential landscapes in Florida.
Water use was reduced by 25 percent over three years with multiple inlet irrigation rice production combined with intermittent rice irrigation or with multiple inlet irrigation alone in another test.
Variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology is a relatively new concept in agriculture which applies irrigation water to match the needs of individual management zones within a field. It can lead to substantial water conservation while increasing crop yields. VRI technology is not commercially available for lateral irrigation systems. The new Clemson software and controller will make the VRI lateral system more efficient for researchers and also growers.
Automation of sensing/irrigation will allow timely irrigation decisions increasing yield and crop water use in cotton.
2. Improve irrigation scheduling methods and the knowledge/application base associated with crop coefficients, reference evapotranspiration predictions, precipitation forecasting, and field-based sensor systems as they relate to plant water use.
Irrigation scheduling in humid regions is a challenge for producers.
Tests were conducted in 2006 to determine the optimum irrigation scheduling method for cotton utilizing site-specific irrigation management. A variable rate linear-move sprinkler irrigation system was used to compare five different irrigation-scheduling methods. The soil electrical conductivity (EC) data was used to divide the test field into five management zones. The following treatments were applied at random to the plots of each zone: irrigation scheduling based on 1) soil moisture sensors; 2) pan evaporation data and a crop coefficient; 3) tensiometers; 4) reference evapotranspiration model (Jensen-Haise); and 5) no irrigation. The soil moisture-based treatments (tensiometer and TDT sensors) significantly increased seed cotton yields compare to the ET-based treatments (pan & NOAA). All irrigated plots yielded significantly higher then the non-irrigated plots. Moisture-based treatments applied significantly more water than ET-based treatment. The irrigation depth applied was a significant factor affecting the seed cotton yields. It was found that soil moisture sensors and tensiometers can be used successfully for site-specific irrigation scheduling in production fields. However, since the evaporation pan and ET models provide irrigation depths independent of the soil variations, it is not suitable for site-specific irrigation management. In order to move this innovative technology into practical use among growers, in 2006, three VRI systems were installed on farmers' center pivots in SC.
In Mississippi, accurate crop coefficient functions for irrigation scheduling of cotton are being developed in conjunction with lysimeter use to monitor cotton crop water use. Also in Mississippi, the accurate determination of crop water potential is being researched.
In Alabama, cotton yield responses to various sprinkler irrigation scheduling techniques were tested. These irrigation schedules were guided by remote transmission of soil volumetric water contents at 3 depths. These will be followed by yield monitoring techniques to measure scheduling efficacy. Fertigation study to evaluate N and K liquid fertilizer injected closer to the beginning off the season resulted in highest yield
In Arkansas, the Arkansas Irrigation Scheduler has been developed and utilized over several years. The product is utilized in several states including Louisiana and Missouri. Also, in Arkansas a computer program for scheduling the drainage of rice fields based on soil water holding capacity and timing of stages of development was field-tested in 2005 and 2006. The results indicate no reduction in yield or quality compared to conventional draining schedules. The testing is continuing in 2007. Research on irrigation termination timing on soybean has resulted in recommendations being fine tuned based on maturity group and growth stage. Research on affects of different irrigation termination times for cotton based on heat unit accumulation and crop growth stage. Work is focused on providing irrigation termination recommendations in a format similar to insect treatment termination recommendations.
A study in Delaware was continued in 2006 in which Multi-sensor Capacitance Probes (MCPs) are used to measure soil water content (SWC) and dynamics under plastic-mulched drip irrigation. Near-continuous measurements of SWC were made at 10, 20, 30, 50 and 70 cm depth under watermelon irrigated at low, medium and high rates. The measurements were made in the center of the mulched bed, halfway towards the edge of the bed, and outside the bed in bare soil. The measured SWC dynamics illustrate the complexity of mulched drip irrigation in a humid climate. The data also provide information on root distribution with depth, location and irrigation amount through water observations of water uptake by the roots.
Impact
High production costs and low cotton prices make it more important for our growers to maximize yields. There is no published information on optimum irrigation scheduling method in cotton production for site-specific irrigation management. Nor is there a standard procedure to schedule irrigation based on the fields spatial variability. Innovative irrigation practices that use the latest technology for irrigation scheduling will result in high water use efficiency and higher crop yields.
Development of accurate cotton crop coefficients for Mississippi Delta will improve irrigation scheduling. Accurate simple methods of measuring crop water potential will improve timing and accuracy or irrigation application saving producers time and money.
Use of the rice growth staging program to guide drainage of rice fields for harvested in a minimum savings of $4 to $18 per acre in pumping costs.
The Arkansas Irrigation Scheduler program is used extensively in Arkansas and also in other states. It is used effectively with cooperating growers for timing of irrigation in cotton, corn, milo and soybean. Later irrigations based on the fine tuning of soybean irrigation termination based on Maturity group and growth stage have been show in increase yields by up to 10 bushels/acre under some conditions have shown to increase yields by up to 10 bu/ac.
Although drip irrigation can be very efficient, it can be difficult to manage and so may result in excess water use and leaching under the drip line, particularly in sandy soils. This research should result in improved guidelines for drip irrigation in a humid climate that take into account the potential contribution that rain can make to crop water use, depending on the amount, frequency and intensity of the rain as well as irrigation management
3. Enhance water supplies and reduce water quality impacts of irrigation management where rainfall is primary component of the water supply issue
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, rainfall and evaporation under two shade levels were monitored to develop a water budget for a rain-based water-sustainable production system. Rainfall in 2006 was deficient 5 and 3 months for 60% and 80% shade, respectively. Therefore, rain collectors and storage would be necessary to satisfy water requirements.
In North Carolina, a subsurface irrigation system was installed at a research station to evaluate agronomic and environmental performance compared with a traditional spray irrigation system in the application of anaerobic swine effluent.
Off stream storage reservoir are being investigated for enhancing water supplies for irrigation in Alabama.
By applying the rice growth staging/soil water reservoir model will result in unnecessary irrigation and reducing irrigation without reducing yield and quality will lead to increased water supplies in the future.
. A 3-year program for in-field evaluations of growers center-pivot systems funded by NRCS in Delaware was completed in 2006. In 2006 the program was extended to Maryland, and has received a one-year renewal in Delaware for 2007. Two radial lines of specially constructed catch cans (rain gauges) are used under each pivot, following the standard published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Growers receive a chart of their systems performance showing the average irrigation amount, the coefficient of uniformity (CU) and the variation in application along the system, along with a comparison of measured and design irrigation amounts over a range of timer settings. If the measured average irrigation deviates significantly from the chart supplied with the system, (or if the chart is not available) a revised chart based on the measured irrigation is also provided. To date, over 150 center pivots have been evaluated, representing a significant portion of the irrigated area in Delaware.
Georgia studies have been initiated to determine the storage and yield potential for on-farm ponds and for larger reservoirs. Currently most farm ponds are in the Tifton and Vidalia uplands physiographic provinces where heavy clay sub-soils and parent material separate pond from underlying aquifers. Most of these ponds are small, averaging 2.6 acres, but more than 68,000 ponds have been identified and mapped in the agricultural region of Georgia. Agricultural permits indicate that in excess of 8,000 withdrawal permits have been issued for surface water withdrawals. Based on recent mapping efforts 40 to 50% of them are active. Not all withdrawals from ponds require permitting. Most ponds rely upon rainfall runoff, but a smaller number intercept perennial streams and springs. Of ponds used for irrigation approximately 20% are refilled from groundwater sources, exposing groundwater to evaporation before the water can be pumped to the irrigation field. The cumulative impact of their function on water flow is one of the study objectives.
Cooperative work in Arkansas, Mississippi (ARS) and Missouri (ARS) on development and testing of wireless water depth sensors that are more economical than what is currently available in the market. A CSP (Conservation Security Program) project with NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service) is being implemented on a farm in NE Arkansas for the evaluation of the sensors. On-farm studies on BMP (Best Management Practice) effectiveness in reducing irrigation water use and runoff and for protecting the watershed has been conducted in the LAnguille River Watershed in the Arkansas delta.
Impact
Developing water sustainable production system in the USVI will help small-scale farmers reduce their dependence on expensive water (the most cost limiting factor for crop production in the USVI).
In North Carolina, the potential impact is reduced impact of land application fields on water quality. More direct impact is the testing of the technical feasibility of such a system to land applied animal waste.
By utilization of the rice growth staging/soil water drainage program, water use in the critical water use areas (such as the Arkansas Grand Prairie) water supplies are, at a minimum, spared unwarranted depletions.
Accurate information on surface water resources will allow more rational management of these resources potentially increasing available water supplies without reducing aquifer levels.
Affordable wireless depth sensors can be an integral part for more exact management of surface irrigation systems for water and labor savings.
Results of the on-farm studies in the LAnguille River Watershed in the Arkansas delta indicate the BMPs (Best Management Practices) are effective in many cases and present economical information for growers to use in considering the installation and/or implementation of different BMPs. This information should be very applicable to many other delta watersheds, as well.
4. Enhance the transfer of irrigation technologies and management alternatives emphasizing economic and environmental benefits.
Throughout the region, traditional extension continues to provide much of the information. Examples include field days and tours in Arkansas to show interested parties the irrigation technology and management being studied; the Agronomy week in Delaware with presentations, exhibits and industry business meetings targeting the full range of clientele, including traditional agriculture, organic agriculture, small farms and alternative crops, and equine interests; the analysis and summarization of irrigation survey information in Louisiana with potential coordination of results across the region and the development of a decision aid for irrigation investment.
Georgia cooperators worked with the Suwannee Water Management District of Florida to bring automated water metering to the districts irrigators. A similar approach was used as part of research at 200 sites in Georgia.
Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission is now installing flow meters on all permitted withdrawals for agricultural irrigation, estimated at 25,000 statewide, as mandated by the Georgia General Assembly and under a June 2009 deadline. One percent of all sites will have satellite-linked, continuously monitored meters. Georgia cooperators are assisting farmers with information on use of meters for managing irrigation, especially for correcting application amounts based on pumped volume and wetter area. Previously most farm systems lacked meters, and many systems have outdated pivot timer/rate curves.
Georgia Cooperators, more than 30 county agents, and Albany State University collaborators are assisting the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission in mapping and updating contacts for all permitted irrigation withdrawals. Wetted area, pump locations, and pump activity status are being mapped in GIS for the Upper Suwannee, Ochlocknee, and Satilla basins in Georgia.
Georgia cooperators met with Alabama irrigation economists, regulators and irrigation specialists to review options for enhancing irrigation opportunities in central and southern Alabama counties that have traditionally depended upon rainfall only.
Two presentations were made at the joint Georgia-Louisiana Turfgrass Association Meeting in Baton Rouge, LA. Chemigation and Principles and Landscape Irrigation Auditing.
Three overhead irrigation workshops held in the Lower Suwanne River Basin with 122 row crop growers. These workshops were composed of morning discussions and afternoon field sessions.
Economic analysis showed the combination of irrigation and deep tillage on cotton on a silty clay loam soil was not as economical as irrigation or deep tillage, alone.
Irrigation surveys were conducted for North Missouri and the boot heel area of Missouri. A Missouri irrigation website has been developed: [http://agebb.missouri.edu/irrigate/index.htm]. Also in Missouri irrigation workshops were conducted. In Louisiana, a new irrigation investment decision aid was completed in a spreadsheet format to ensure that all the costs and revenues associated with adopting an irrigation system are adequately evaluated. This aid provides templates for alternative irrigation systems. Each template allows the user (cotton farmer) to either use the base data loaded in the template or preferably insert data that reflects their particular situation. Both technical operating data and cost data are used in the spreadsheet to develop the necessary information (cash inflows and cash outflows) for an investment analysis. The decision aid provides both a net present value (NPV) and a payback period approach to evaluating an investment decision. In addition, options are included to consider the cash flows associated with financing. Users may choose to finance all or a portion of the investment and have those cash flows considered in the investment analysis. Publication locations are in process.
Also in Louisiana, annual reports of rice irrigation water use were summarized by type of land forming. This report illustrates savings generated from use of level basins (zero grade). Level basin uses for crops other than rice were demonstrated. Two level basin workshops and tours were conducted for farmers, county agents. NRCS staff and agribusiness reps with presenters from AZ, MS and AR
In Mississippi ARS, educational efforts are being made on management of soil available moisture through alternative production systems. Conservation production systems can change the soil water available for plant production, and may reduce the need for supplemental irrigation. However, knowledge of how conservation tillage and cover crops impacts soil water for the heavy clay soils of the Mississippi Delta is limited. We measured changes in soil organic matter and soil moisture with conventional and reduced tillage, and with various cover crops, to determine the impact of management on soil moisture. Preliminary data indicate little differences in soil moisture for different production systems during a year of average rainfall. Both conservation and conventional production systems responded to irrigation.
Also, in Mississippi ARS, educational efforts are being made on common principles and drivers of agricultural production systems. Changes external to agriculture significantly impact agricultural production. The evolution of the US agricultural production system is being driven more and more by social, political and economic realities that are external to the farm gate. In collaboration with ARS and University scientists from across the country, scientists at Stoneville are exploring these drivers of agricultural production, and principles of production. The Stoneville research team hosted the second in a series of meetings between producers and researchers to delineated drivers and preliminary principles of agricultural systems, and explored the impact of drivers on production systems in the Southeastern US.
Presentations at field day, conference and scientific meetings on the results of tests on the Arkansas rice growth staging/soil water content program for draining rice fields.
In Delaware, some growers and consultants are using a spreadsheet (together with web based weather and ET data) that is based on the FAO 56 irrigation scheduling spreadsheet but which can be corrected by field measurements and which presents the output in a graphical form that is easy to understand.
A spreadsheet for Estimating Irrigation Pumping Cost has been developed in Arkansas and modified by Joe Henggeler in Missouri. A Fact Sheet for Estimating Irrigation Costs has also been updated.
The Missouri Irrigation website provides visitors with excellent irrigation information and tools.
Impact
More than 7,000 permitted systems have been located or noted as inactive or even cancelled. The Georgia Environmental. Protection Division, which issues agricultural water withdrawal permits, was provided with updated contact information, accurate withdrawal locations and status for both permits and pending applications.
Store more water in the soil limiting the need for supplemental irrigation and improving the economic return on investment.
Roadmap of successful production principles and indicator of future research needs.
Understanding and applying the rice growth staging/soil water reservoir model will increase knowledge and application of the model by growers and researchers.
The Delaware programs result in system specific information that a grower can use, such as to identify problems, to correct the amount of water being applied, or simply to provide confidence that the system is performing well. Lack of such information can lead growers to apply excess irrigation in order to reduce the risk of under-irrigation. Anecdotal feedback from growers has been very positive, with demand for the service increasing. The scheduling spreadsheet has also increased grower awareness of scientific irrigation scheduling and the importance of periodic soil water measurement. Increasing energy prices have also stimulated growers to more carefully consider their irrigation management, and these programs with NRCS likely have a positive impact on irrigation water management and a reduction in the environmental impact.
The pumping cost spreadsheet developed in Arkansas and modified in Missouri can be used to help growers evaluate their pumping costs and better determine their options for reducing their costs. The information in the Arkansas Fact Sheet on pumping costs should be applicable to much of the much of the agricultural areas in the Multistate Project participant states. Also in Arkansas and Mississippi, efforts with promoting MIRI (Multiple Inlet Rice Irrigation) have been significant. Additionally, the combination of MIRI and Intermittent Flooding of rice has been studied and introduced to growers.