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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #286046
Title: Variable-rate irrigation management using an expert system in the eastern Coastal Plain

Author
item Stone, Kenneth
item Bauer, Philip
item BUSSCHER, WARREN - Retired ARS Employee
item Millen, Joseph
item Evans, Dean
item Strickland Jr, Ernest

Submitted to: Irrigation Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2014
Publication Date: 4/13/2015
Citation: Stone, K.C., Bauer, P.J., Busscher, W.J., Millen, J.A., Evans, D.E., Strickland Jr, E.E. 2015. Variable-rate irrigation management using an expert system in the eastern Coastal Plain. Irrigation Science. 33(3):167-175.

Interpretive Summary: Conventional irrigation systems apply water uniformly over an entire field. However, many fields have varying soil types with different water storage capacities; uniform water application in these fields can either over or under supply needed water for optimal plant production. To address these situations, variable-rate irrigation systems were developed to optimally apply water spatially. Compared to conventional irrigation systems, management of variable-rate irrigation systems is more complex. In this research, we compared three methods for variable-rate irrigation system management for peanut. Two of the methods used an expert system to manage the irrigation applications in regions of the fields either for individual soils or for a group of soils. An expert system aids producers in making decisions on whether to irrigate. The two expert system methods were compared with a traditional method of measuring soil moisture to maintain plant available water at an appropriate level. Over the study period, the three irrigation methods had greater yields than a non-irrigated check; however, the irrigated yields were similar. In two years with below normal rainfall, the irrigated yields were similar, but the expert system treatments irrigated the peanuts significantly more than the treatment using measured soil moisture. Yet throughout most the season, the expert system treatments maintained higher soil moisture levels. Overall, the two expert system treatments functioned as well as the soil moisture-based treatment, and we determined that the expert system could be effectively used for site-specific management where soils do not greatly differ. Further refinement of the expert system may be needed to improve its application in spatial irrigation applications.

Technical Abstract: Conventional irrigation systems apply water uniformly over an entire field. However, many fields have varying soil types with different water storage capacities; uniform water application in these fields can either over or under supply needed water for optimal plant production. To address these situations, variable-rate irrigation systems were developed to optimally apply water spatially. Compared to conventional irrigation systems, management of variable-rate irrigation systems is more complex. In this research, we compared three methods for variable-rate irrigation system management for peanut. Two of the methods used an expert system to manage the irrigation applications in regions of the fields either for individual soils or for a group of soils. An expert system aids producers in making decisions on whether to irrigate. The two expert system methods were compared with a traditional method of measuring soil moisture to maintain plant available water at an appropriate level. Over the study period, the three irrigation methods had greater yields than a non-irrigated check; however, the irrigated yields were similar. In two years with below normal rainfall, the irrigated yields were similar, but the expert system treatments irrigated the peanuts significantly more than the treatment using measured soil moisture. Yet throughout most the season, the expert system treatments maintained higher soil moisture levels. Overall, the two expert system treatments functioned as well as the soil moisture-based treatment, and we determined that the expert system could be effectively used for site-specific management where soils do not greatly differ. Further refinement of the expert system may be needed to improve its application in spatial irrigation applications.