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Title: SUBSURFACE DRIP AND FURROW IRRIGATION OF ALFALFA: ET, SALINITY, AND GROWTH RESPONSES

Author
item Hutmacher, Robert
item Mead, Richard
item Shouse, Peter
item PHENE, C - FRESNO
item SWAIN, R - FRESNO
item Peters, Merle
item Pflaum, Tommy
item Clark, David

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Alfalfa was grown in the Imperial Valley of southern California's low desert in a four-year evaluation of yield response and evapotranspiration (ET) requirement under subsurface drip and furrow irrigation regimes. During the first two years, drip laterals were installed 40 cm deep, while 60 cm deep laterals were evaluated during the third and fourth years. Two drip lateral spacings (1.02 m and 2.04 m) were evaluated in all years. The 40 cm deep lateral installation allowed surface soil wetting, causing problems with harvest, while the 60 cm deep laterals eliminated harvest problems with no loss in yield. Applied water and ET were similar (within 10%) across drip and furrow treatments; however, forage yields averaged over 30% higher in drip treatments. Salinity distributions, while different for each treatment, did not affect forage yield.