Author
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VORIES, EARL |
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Submitted to: University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Publication
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2008 Publication Date: 9/2/2008 Citation: Vories, E.D. 2008. USDA-Agricultural Research Service Irrigation Research. Delta Center 47th Annual Field Day, Portageville, MO., University of Missouri. p. 24. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The ARS irrigation research program at the Delta Center is part of the USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit located at Columbia, Missouri. It began in 2000 with cooperative research between ARS scientists at Columbia and Delta Center faculty. By 2003 the program had expanded enough to support additional faculty at Portageville. Earl Vories was hired as Lead Scientist in 2004 and Ray Benson as Agricultural Science Research Technician in 2005. In 2005, ARS scientists and stakeholders met in Denver, Colorado to begin the process of updating water-related research programs around the country. In addition, information was gathered from southeastern Missouri producers and agricultural leaders about local research needs. A five-year research plan titled Optimizing Irrigation Management for Humid Climates was developed that included projects led by both ARS and University of Missouri scientists. The project was reviewed by scientists outside of USDA as part of ARS's Congressional Mandate for peer review to insure quality research. After addressing the reviewers' concerns the plan was certified by the Office of Scientific Quality Review in 2007. Project objectives include: 1. Develop methods and techniques for design, operation, and management of irrigation systems in the Mid-South region. 2. Develop and evaluate the benefits and limitations of site-specific management technologies for irrigated agriculture in the Mid-South region. 3. Determine interactions between irrigation and agronomic practices, and identify cultivars/practices to overcome problems encountered in irrigated cotton and soybean production for the Mid-South region. 4. Determine the impacts of irrigation and irrigated crop production on water quality in the Mid-South region. Current studies in southeast Missouri address soil compaction effects on irrigation management, using sensors for nitrogen management of irrigated corn and cotton, determination of optimal seeding rates for rainfed and irrigated cotton, flood tolerance of soybean and cotton, minimizing water use for rice production, managing pumping costs, sensors for irrigation management, twin-row production, optimizing center pivot management, and drainage water quality. In addition to studies at the Delta Center and with cooperators on nearby farms, the program includes cooperative studies with researchers at other locations addressing problems pertinent to southeast Missouri agriculture. |
