Project Number: 6209-13000-010-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Jan 10, 2002
End Date: Jan 09, 2007

Objective:
Determine water use of irrigated and dryland crop systems, and its temporal and spatial variability impacting management and precision farming systems. Develop and evaluate drip and sprinkler irrigation control systems to minimize application losses and enhance water use efficiency while reducing management effort by using remotely sensed data. Devlop soil, crop, and water management to use rainfall effectively and to improve effectiveness of irrigated and dryland systems for sorghum production. Develop technologies for water users and provide scientifically sound data that will result in balancing economic, environmental, and social concerns with regard to the utilization, conservation, and protection of the Ogallala aquifer as well as sustain rural economies of the High Plains.

Approach:
Water use and water use efficiency (WUE) of both irrigated and dryland crops are measured with weighing lysimeters and with soil water balance methods using measurements of soil profile water content. Accurate soil water content measurement systems are determined/developed. Water use is predicted with well-established but limited models, and more experimental methods, including those providing spatially varying predictions (maps). Effects on water use and WUE of irrigated methods, timing and depth, tillage, and plant density, row spacing, and other management methods are investigated using sprinkler, surface and microirrigation. Crop coefficients that are compatible with the new FAO 56 guidelines for computing crop water requirements are determined for alfalfa, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean, wheat, and several turf varieties using both newly measured data and our previous thirteen years of data. A research quality database of water use, weather, and soils data measured at Bushland is created and shared with cooperators testing water use and quality models. A strategic research plan will be modified in conjunction with the Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research Unit at Lubbock and university partners of Texas Tech University, Texas A&M; University, West Texas A&M; University, and Kansas State University. Distribution of funds among the ARS and the university partners will be done according to the revised strategic plan. Funding will support the development of regional strategies that optimize the use of water among various economic and public activities and maximize the value of agricultural output per unit of water consumed.

Project Team

Evett, Steven Colaizzi, Paul Tolk, Judy Howell, Terry

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002