Skip to main content

Experiences with microirrigation for agronomic crops in the southeastern USA

Camp, C.R. and Sadler, E.J. and Busscher, W.J. and Sojka, R.E. and Karlen, D.L. (1995) Experiences with microirrigation for agronomic crops in the southeastern USA. pp. 638-644. In: Proc. of the Fifth International Microirrigation Congress. USA-FL-Orlando, 1995/04/02-06.

[img] PDF
884.pdf

Download (343kB)

Abstract

Microirrigation offers several advantages over sprinkler irrigation in humid areas, including
ease of automation; lower water pressure and flow rate; improved management of water and
nutrients; and easy seasonal start-up, especially for subsurface placement. Microirrigation
system cost could be reduced and made more profitable for agronomic crops by using wider
spacing and subsurface placement of microirrigation laterals. Results are reviewed from five
experiments involving microirrigation of agronomic crops (corn, soybean, and cotton) and
including 14 site-years of data. Agronomic crops can be effectively and efficiently irrigated
in the southeastern Coastal Plain with microirrigation systems. In three experiments involving
nine site-years of data, both normal (0.76 - 1.0 m) and wide (1.5 - 2.0 m) lateral spacings
were used to irrigate corn and cotton; yields were equal except in one year when corn yield
was reduced by about 10% for the wide spacing. With corn, there was no yield difference
between surface and subsurface placement of laterals at the normal spacing (every row).
Other data indicate that wider spacing of laterals in subsurface installations produces cotton
lint yields similar to those for the same spacing in surface placements. Consequently, it
appears that surface or subsurface placement of laterals at wider spacings (alternate furrow,
1.5 - 2.0 m) has significant potential for profitable irrigation of agronomic crops such as corn,
cotton, and soybean in the southeastern USA.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
NWISRL Publication Number: 0884
Subjects: Mass Import - unclassified
Depositing User: Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2010 21:57
Last Modified: 22 Nov 2016 23:50
Item ID: 1075
URI: https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/1075