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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #203135
Title: WATER DISTRIBUTION FROM A SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND DRIPLINE SPACING EFFECT ON COTTON YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN A COASTAL PLAIN SOIL

Author
item GRABOW, GARY - NC STATE
item HUFFMAN, R - NC STATE
item EVANS, R - NC STATE
item JORDAN, D - NC STATE
item Nuti, Russell

Submitted to: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/16/2006
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system was installed in 2001 in the Coastal Plain of  North Carolina.  Initially, four zones were installed.  In 2002 a fifth zone was added.   This system irrigated a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) -peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) rotation on a sandy loam soil.  Seed cotton yield data was collected from 2001 to 2004.  In addition to SDI, overhead sprinkler irrigation was applied to cotton plots from 2001 to 2003.  This study was concurrent wit  another study that evaluated the effect of irrigation system type, cotton growth regulator (mepiquat chloride), and herbicide (glyphosate) treatments on lint yield and quality (2001-2003).  In 2004, two cotton planting dates were used as a treatment and glyphosate treatments were held constant.

Technical Abstract: A subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system was installed in 2001 in the Coastal Plain of  North Carolina.  Initially, four zones were installed each with a 0.91 m dripline spacing.  In 2002 a fifth zone with a  1.83 dripline spacing was added.   This system irrigated a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) -peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) rotation on a sandy loam soil.  Seed cotton yield data was collected from 2001 to 2004.  In addition to SDI, overhead sprinkler irrigation was applied to cotton plots from 2001 to 2003.  This study was concurrent wit  another study that evaluated the effect of irrigation system type, cotton growth regulator (mepiquat chloride), and herbicide (glyphosate) treatments on lint yield and quality (2001-2003).  In 2004, two cotton planting dates were used as a treatment and glyphosate treatments were held constant. Seed cotton yield averaged 3.44 Mg ha-1 for the 0.91 m dripline spacing and 3.22 Mg ha-1 for the 1.82 m spacing for the three year period 2002-2004 compared to an unirrigated average of 2.58 Mg ha-1 for the same period.  For 2001-2003, when sprinkler irrigated plots existed, seed cotton yield averaged 3.55 Mg ha-1 for the 0.91 m dripline spacing, 3.35 Mg ha-1 for the sprinker irrigated plots and 2.56 Mg ha-1 for the unirrigated plots.  Drought conditions existed in 2002, when 258 mm of rain occurred between planting and final irrigation.  The other growing seasons received relatively high amounts of rainfall; 524 mm, 555, and 643 mm in 2001, 2003, and 2004 respectively. Although the soil is classified as a sandy loam, water moved laterally to the midpoint of the 1.82 meter spaced dripline; this was likely due to the pan layer found at about 0.3 meters just below the dripline depth.