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Timing First Irrigations for Cotton Productivity and Water Conservation

R. P. Flynn and C. E. Barnes


 
ABSTRACT

Increased demands to conserve agricultural water in the Pecos River Valley of New Mexico has resurrected the importance of irrigation scheduling for cotton production. A study was conducted at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Artesia to evaluate timing first irrigations for furrow irrigated cotton based on calculated soil water potentials. Irrigations were scheduled with GOSSYM based on soil water potentials of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 bar. First irrigations scheduled at 0.5 bar and 0.8 bar negatively affected cotton yields. Cotton yields did best when irrigations were scheduled at soil water potentials of 0.6 or 0.7 bars. Water savings were realized fifty percent of the time when first irrigations were scheduled at soil water potentials of 0.6 bars. As much as six inches of water was conserved when first irrigations were scheduled at 0.7 bars. However, delayed maturity occurred half the time when irrigations were scheduled at 0.7 bars. Computer aided decisions for scheduling first irrigations should be set at 0.6 bars and always be accompanied with visits to the field to confirm program estimates.



Reprinted from Proceedings of the 1998 Beltwide Cotton Conferences pp. 670 - 673
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998