Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151762
Title: WATER USE AND DEPLETION BY DIVERSE CROP SPECIES IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Author
item Merrill, Stephen
item Tanaka, Donald
item Krupinsky, Joseph

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2003
Publication Date: 11/4/2003
Citation: Merrill, S.D., Tanaka, D.L., Krupinsky, J.M. 2003. Water use and depletion by diverse crop species in the northern great plains. No. S06-merrill649303. In Annual Meeting Abstracts CD-ROM, November 2-6, Denver, CO, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In a semiarid-to-subhumid region, water use by crop species can have a considerable impact on both crop production and soil landscape hydrology. Crop production following high water-using crops can be decremented while ephemeral streams and wetlands can be increased by lower water-using crops. Water use and soil water depletion (SWD) were determined with neutron moisture meters in ten crop species (barley, canola, crambe, dry bean, dry pea, flax, safflower, spring wheat, soybean and sunflower) which were growing after spring wheat. Sunflower was the greatest water user, followed by safflower and soybean. Dry pea was the lowest water user, followed by barley, crambe, and spring wheat. During an above average precipitation year, the depth distribution of soil water depletion among four crop species was similar. In contrast, during a year of relatively low seasonal precipitation, differences were evident. Sunflower and canola drew 49% and 45% of their SWD, respectively, from soil depths greater than 60 cm, while spring wheat and dry pea drew 33% and 27% of their SWD from below 60 cm depth. Using a 3-year dataset, it was found that water use and SWD were highly correlated with seasonal precipitation, significantly correlated with median depth of water depletion and days from seeding to harvest, but not correlated with root growth parameters.