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Soil, Leaf, and Spectral Indicators of Impending Water Stress

Glen L. Ritchie and Craig W. Bednarz

ABSTRACT

Drought conditions and water demands from nonagricultural sources can limit the water available to grow a cotton crop during a given year. In water-limited situations, crop yield is affected by the severity and timing of drought events. The effects of water stress on cotton (DP 555 BG/RR) were studied at various stages of plant growth using soil moisture, plant evapotranspiration, and remote sensing measurements of plant health. In another experiment, the effects of irrigation rate during the growing season were measured with irrigation rates of 160%, 100%, and 50% of normal, as well as an unirrigated treatment. Results from these experiments suggest that plants can recover from short periods of water stress; however, fruit development and retention can be affected by these events.





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Document last modified 04/27/04