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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #269544
Title: Subsurface drip irrigation emitter spacing effects on soil water redistribution, corn yield, and water productivity

Author
item ARBAT, GERARD - University Of Girona
item LAMM, FREDDIE - Kansas State University
item KHEIRA, ABDRABBO A - Soil, Water And Environment Research Institute (SWERI)

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2010
Publication Date: 2/15/2010
Citation: Arbat, G.P., Lamm, F.R., Kheira, A.A. 2010. Subsurface drip irrigatin emitter spacing effects on soil water redistribution, corn yield, and water productivity. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 26(3):391-399.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Emitter spacings of 0.3 to 0.6 m are commonly used for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) of corn on the deep, silt loam soils of the United States Great Plains. Subsurface drip irrigation emitter spacings of 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 m were examined for the resulting differences in soil water redistribution, corn grain yield, yield components, seasonal water use, and water productivity in a four-year field study (2005 through 2008) at the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby, Kansas. The results indicate that there is increased preferential water movement along the dripline (parallel) as compared to perpendicular to the dripline and that this phenomenon partially compensates for wider emitter spacings in terms of soil water redistribution. Corn yield and water productivity were not significantly affected by the emitter spacing with application of a full irrigation regime.