Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

See attached meeting minutes.

Objective 1: Compare irrigation scheduling technologies and develop grower-appropriate scheduling products The apple-specific Penman-Monteith (P-M) equation for water use for irrigation scheduling in the Northeast has been programmed into the daily calculations of the Northeast Climate Center at Cornell University (NY). It provides daily crop basal ET based on weather inputs from stations in apple-growing regions of NY and calculates water balance. Since it has been available online, many growers in NY have indicated interest, but the season in 2013 was particularly wet with consistent rains so few growers needed to irrigate. Three alfalfa cultivars for hay production were grown on a sub-surface drip irrigated field using four irrigation strategies: 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent of ET with four replicates (WY). The experiment is conducted at the University of Wyoming Research & Extension Center in Powell, WY. Watermarks were installed at depths of 12, 18, 24, and 36 inches. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of limited irrigation on dry-matter yield, water-use efficiency, and forage quality of alfalfa grown on a sub-surface drip irrigation system. The Watermarks at the depth of 18 were good indicator of irrigation water needs. No significant difference between varieties. Irrigation amount had no significant effect on WUE or forage quality, which showed very small decreases across irrigation treatments. This may evidence that even in times of water stress, good quality alfalfa can be produced when proper irrigation scheduling practices are followed that match water needs of the crop. A corn experiment was planted on a sub-surface drip irrigated field. The crop was submitted to three irrigation regimes, including full irrigated and 70 and 50 percent of full irrigated. Canopy temperature using infra-red thermometers (IRT)was monitored at each irrigations treatment. Our results show that IRTs were adequate tools to on the determination of water stress. A dynamic crop simulation model was used to mimic the experimental results. The crop model was not as effective as the IRTs to determine the onset of water stress. A number of studies were performed in OR. A. Due to commercial interest in the manufacturing sweet potato fries, sweet potatoes were grown with various drip irrigation SWT criteria (25, 40, 60, and 80 kPa) were for potato yield and grade. Sweet potato yield and grade data was highest at 25 kPa for Covington and Beauregard and ay 40 kPa for and Evangeline. B. Irrigation criteria continued to be examined for seed production of 20 native perennial plant species that the US Forest Service and BLM have determined would be highly desirable for rangeland restoration. Each species was being grown in a semi-arid environment at Ontario, OR using subsurface drip irrigation in replicated plots with three irrigation treatments (0, 100, and 200 mm/yr total irrigation) repeated over years. Species requirements for optimal seed yield differed tremendously between species from 0 to 200 mm. None of the species needed more than 200 mm to optimize seed yield. In years of considerably above average rainfall (more than 300 mm) fewer species responded positively to irrigation. C. Onion response to drip-irrigation scheduling and criteria was examined. Onions are in storage to evaluate the irrigation treatments this winter. D.Optimize fertigation strategies for drip-irrigated onion. Onions are in storage to evaluate the fertigation treatments. E.Research was initiated on the irrigation criteria of annual native plants for seed production. F. Results of A-E above were communicated to growers by means of field days, workshops, grower meetings, written, and "on line" reports. Results from a three year study of subsurface drip irrigated alfalfa indicated that the nutritional value of the alfalfa was affected by distance from the dripline and the irrigation regime (KS). Nutritional value was slightly increased at further distances from the 1.5-m spaced driplines and was slightly increased by reducing irrigation levels designed to replace 70 to 85% of the reference ET. A journal article concerning this research was published in Forage and Grazinglands. A low pressure irrigation system was installed at the Agricultural Experiment Station to determine the suitability for irrigation to vegetable crops (VI). The system includes treadle pump, a water tank (250 gal.) at the height of 6 and drip lines. An observation trial on leafy greens conducted. Lettuce, kale and coriander were grown successfully. System will serve as a demonstration site for this technology in the U.S. Virgin islands. Second trial on watermelon was conducted using drip irrigation. Data on the yield and growth recorded. Variety 'Jubilee' was grown in a conventional management system in replicated design with four replications. Fertigation and chemigation applied to the fields when needed and weed control was done mechanically or with herbicide applications. A 5 year water production function (WPF) trial for commercial almonds was begun in a total of 3 grower cooperator fields located in the north, central and south portion of Californias central valley (CA). In each location, irrigation levels ranging from 70% to 110% ETc are being applied, and both plant- and soil-based monitoring performed on a weekly basis. In this first year of treatment application, the 70% ET treatment reduced kernel size in all locations (from 8 -13%), but only the Kern County site exhibited a clear and progressive yield reduction (10%) from the highest to the lowest ET treatment. More severe carry-over effects are expected in subsequent years. Objective 2: Develop design, management and maintenance recommendations A subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system was installed in a center pivot corner in May, 2012 using support from a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant to determine the suitability of SDI for corn silage production under Idaho soil, climate, and harvest conditions (ID). Three drip tape depths and 2 tape spacings were installed. In 2013 corn silage was planted about 2 weeks later than the adjacent center pivot area, with irrigation on both areas managed by the farmer. At harvest, corn ear weight (highly correlated with total crop tonnage and feed value) was measured from all 18 plots. System performance and crop yield and quality will be measured for at least 3 years and the system will serve as a demonstration site for this technology. An oral presentation with written paper was made to the annual international meeting of the ASABE concerning sediment transfer within driplines (KS). The results suggest that ASABE recommended minimum flushing velocity of 0.3 m/s is adequate for most microirrigation systems operating under typical conditions. This paper was extended and published in the Transactions of the ASABE. A one-hour webinar was presented on the Grange Network discussing the challenges and opportunities for SDI in row crop production. This webinar had both national and international participants and is archived for future viewings. An extensive portion of the seminar was dedicated to examining the minimum design requirements for successful SDI. An oral powerpoint presentations was made at the Governors Water Conference entitled SDI for Crop Production in the Great Plains - Approaching the 25th Anniversary of K-States Research and Extension Efforts which outlined progress made with developing this technology for the Great Plains. An oral presentation entitled SDI, the basics of successful systems was made to the North Carolina Irrigation Society. Joint technology transfer efforts concerning SDI involving Kansas State University, Texas AgriLife and USDA-ARS were continued in 2013. These efforts included presentations at local, regional and national meetings. Objective 3: Develop best management practices for application of agrochemicals Research continued on compensated root water uptake using partial rootzone drying (PRD) techniques (NM). The experiments were conducted using chile plants (NuMex Joe Parker; Capsicum annuum). Results supported previous observations that chile plants were able to take up more water from less water stressed part of the soil profile while maintaining the transpiration rate at the same rate as control treatment. No significant differences were noted in the plant heights between treatments. Water balance analysis showed that PRD techniques have a potential to be adopted as water saving practices in chile production especially for environments with limited water. Two separate oral presentations were made to the annual international meeting of the ASABE concerning nitrogen fertigation for subsurface drip irrigated corn production (KS). The results suggest that kernel set can be enhanced by timely nitrogen Fertigation when irrigation is adequate or greater. Objective 4: Evaluate use of non-potable water through microirrigation Salinity responses and salinity-related suppression of budbreak of drip irrigated pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] seedlings under different irrigation water salinity levels were investigated in the pot-in-pot system (NM). No pecan seedlings under the irrigation treatment levels of 5.5 and 7.5 dS/m survived to the end of the 2-year growing period. Thus, threshold EC1:1 was somewhere between 0.89 and 2.71 dS/m beyond which plant injury increases with increasing EC threatening the survival of pecan seedlings. Paper was submitted to HortSci and is accepted for publication. An oral presentation entitled Using Livestock Wastewater with Subsurface Drip Irrigation was made to the North Carolina Irrigation Society (KS).

Abritta, M.A., Soler, C.T.M., Green, A., and Garcia y Garcia, A. 2013. Relationship between measured canopy temperature and simulated drought stress. 42nd Biological Systems Simulation Conference. April 23-25, 2013. State College, PA. Carter, C. A. Garcia y Garcia, A. Islam, and K. Hansen. 2013. Effect of Deficit Irrigation on Water Use and Water Use Efficiency of Alfalfa. ASABE paper # 131603513. Kansas City, MO Carter, C., A. Islam, K. Hansen, and A. Garcia y Garcia. 2013. Effects of Limiting Water on the Yield, Water Productivity, and Forage Quality of Alfalfa. In: 2013 Field Days Bulletin, UW Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming. Available online at: www.uwyo.edu/uwexpstn/_files/docs/2013-field-days-bulletin.pdf Deb S.K, P. Sharma, M.K. Shukla and T. W. Sammis. 2013. Drip-irrigated pecan seedling response to irrigation water salinity. Hort. Science (In Press). Deb S.K., M.K. Shukla Uchanski, M.E., and Bosland, P.W. 2012. Evaluation of compensated root water uptake pattern of greenhouse drip irrigated chile. 2012 Irrigation Show & Education Conference, Agriculture Track-1, Nov. 2-6, Orlando, Florida. Doniger, A.R. 2012. Establishing irrigation criteria for the cultivation of Veratrum californium. MS thesis in Water Resource Science, oregon State University, 16 November. Garcia y Garcia, A.C. Carter, and A. Islam. 2013. Automated Monitoring of Soil Moisture on Irrigated Alfalfa. In: 2013 Field Days Bulletin, UW Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming. Available online at: www.uwyo.edu/uwexpstn/_files/docs/2013-field-days-bulletin.pdf Garcia y Garcia, A. and Mesbah, A. 2013. Irrigation Water Management. In: High Tunnel Manual (Panter et al., eds.). College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming Extension. Harmoney, K. R. F. R. Lamm, A. A. Aboukheira, and S. K. Johnson. 2012. Reducing water inputs with subsurface drip irrigation may improve alfalfa nutritive value. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2013-117-01-RS. 8 pp. Hines, S and H. Neibling. 2013. Center Pivot Irrigation for Corn: Water Management and System Design Considerations in Southern Idaho. Bulletin 881. University of Idaho Extension. 10pp. Irmak, S., L.O. Odhiambo, J.E. Specht, and K. Djaman. 2013. Hourly and daily single and basal evapotranspiration crop coefficients as a function of growing degree days, days after emergence, leaf area index, fractional green canopy cover, and plant phenology for soybean. Transactions of the ASABE 56(5):1785-1803. Kong M, Lampinen B, Shackel K, Crisosto CH. 2013. Fruit skin side cracking and ostiole-end splitting shorten postharvest life in fresh figs (Ficus carica L.), but are reduced by deficit irrigation. Postharvest Biology and Technology 85: 154-161. Lamb, M., Sorensen, R.B., Nuti, R.C., Butts, C.L., Faircloth, W.H., Eigenberg, D., and Rowland, D.L. 2011. Agronomic and Economic Effect of Irrigation Rate in Corn Produced in Georgia. Online. Crop Management. doi:10.1094/CM-2011-00000-01-RS Mutiibwa, D., and S. Irmak. 2013. Transferability of Jarvis-type models developed/re-parameterized for specific crops to estimate stomatal resistance for other crops: Analyses on model calibration, validation, performance, sensitivity, and elasticity. Transactions of the ASABE 56(2):409-422. Nandwani D. 2012. Growth and yield response of four tomato cultivars in the US Virgin Islands. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico (comm.) Paoli, ER. 2013. Respuesta de lima Tahití a varios métodos de fertilización. 58th PCCMCA Annual Meeting. April 22-26, 2013. La Ceiba, Honduras. Puig-Bargués, J. and F. R. Lamm. 2013. Effect of flushing velocity and flushing duration on sediment transport in microirrigation driplines. Trans. ASABE 56(5):1821-1828. Sharma H., *Deb S.K., M.K. Shukla, P Bosland, B. Stringam and M. Uchanski. 2013. Chile root water uptake under partial root drying: a greenhouse drip irrigated study. 2013 Irrigation Show & Education Conference, Nov. 4-8, Austin, TX. Shock, C.C., F.X. Wang, R.J. Flock, E.B.G. Feibert, C.A. Shock, A.B. Pereira, and L.B. Jensen. 2013. Irrigation monitoring using soil water tension. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service. EM 8900 10p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/37569/em8900.pdf Shock, C.C. T. Welch, F.X. Wang R. Flock, E.B.G. Feibert, C.A. Shock, y A.B. Pereira. 2013. El control del riego mediante la tensión matricial del suelo. Tecnicas para la agricultura sostenible, Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis. EM 8900-S-E. 10p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/37648/em8900-s.pdf Shock, C.C. 2013. Drip Irrigation: An Introduction. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis. EM 8782-E 8p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/37461/em8782.pdf C.C. Shock y T. Welch. 2013. El riego por goteo: Una introducción. Tecnicas para la agricultura sostenible, Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis. EM 8782-S 9p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/37462/em8782-S.pdf Shock, C.C., F.X. Wang, R.J. Flock, E.P. Eldredge, and A.B. Pereira. 2013 Successful potato irrigation scheduling. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis. EM 8911-E. 8p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/43731/em8911.pdf Shock, C.C., F.X. Wang, R.J. Flock, E.P. Eldredge, and A.B. Pereira. 2013. Drip Irrigation Guide for Potatoes in the Treasure Valley. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service, Corvallis. EM 8912-E. 8p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/43803/em8912.pdf Shock, C.C., R.J. Flock, E.B.G. Feibert, C.A. Shock, L.B. Jensen, and J. Klauzer. 2013. Drip irrigation guide for onion growers in the Treasure Valley. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service. EM 8901 8p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/43725/em8901.pdf Shock, C.C., B.M. Shock, and T. Welch. 2013. Strategies for efficient irrigation water use. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service. EM8783. 7p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/37465/em8783.pdf Shock, C.C., R.J. Flock, E.B.G. Feibert, A.B. Pereira, and M. ONeill. 2013. Drip irrigation guide for growers of hybrid poplar. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, Oregon State University Extension Service. EM 8902 7p. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/43729/em8902.pdf Sorensen, R.B., Butts, C.L., and Nuti, R.C. 2011. Deep Subsurface Drip Irrigation for Cotton in the Southeast. Jour. Cotton Sci. 15:233-242. Sorensen, R.B., Lamb, M.C., Nuti, R.C., and Butts, C.L. 2012. Corn yield and economic return with nitrogen applied through drip tubing. Online. Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM-2012-0127-01-RS.