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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 #414127
Research Project: Dryland and Irrigated Crop Management Under Limited Water Availability and Drought

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production in the Texas High Plains

Author
item SOTO, ANDREA LEVA - Texas A&M Agrilife
item SHRESTHA, RAJAN - Texas A&M Agrilife
item XUE, QINGWU - Texas A&M Agrilife
item Colaizzi, Paul
item Oshaughnessy, Susan
item WORKNEH, FEKEDE - Texas A&M Agrilife
item ADHIKARI, RANJEETA - Texas A&M Agrilife
item RUSH, CHARLES - Texas A&M Agrilife

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/4/2024
Publication Date: 8/6/2024
Citation: Soto, A., Shrestha, R., Xue, Q., Colaizzi, P.D., O'Shaughnessy, S.A., Workneh, F., Adhikari, R., Rush, C.M. 2024. Evaluation of three irrigation application systems for watermelon production in the Texas High Plains. Agronomy Journal. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21653.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21653

Interpretive Summary: In the Texas Panhandle, the water supply for crop production is declining. Investigating irrigation application methods that can help producers find ways to improve irrigation use efficiency and diversify crop production to maintain profitability is critical. In this study, scientists from ARS-Bushland and Texas A&M AgriLife grew watermelon under three irrigation methods: low elevation spray application (LESA)- the most common application method in this region, mobile drip irrigation (MDI) and drip irrigation (DI) under plastic mulch. Watermelon production under the MDI system demonstrated less water stress compared with LESA and DI. Moreover, plants under MDI resulted in greater yields and more fruits than LESA.

Technical Abstract: Technical Abstract: About 90 percent of the Texas High Plains area depends on the water supply from the Ogallala aquifer. The decline of the Ogallala water table raises a concern for the sustainability of producing the traditional irrigated field crops due to their high-water demand. Thus, diversifying cropping systems may be a solution. However, about 70 percent of the irrigated cropland uses center pivots that can negatively impact specialty crop quality compared to drip irrigation. Thus, a three-year experiment was conducted to assess the potential of using Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI) to produce fresh watermelon compared to center pivot sprinkler irrigation (LESA), and drip irrigation (DI). We evaluated treatment effects on crop yield, fruit quality, crop physiology, crop water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation use efficiency (IUE). The use of the MDI system to grow watermelons was as effective as using plastic much with surface drip irrigation. Plants under the MDI system showed a higher yield WUE, higher IUE, and less water stress than those under the LESA and the DI systems. Plants under the MDI system had higher yields and more fruits than those under LESA. Juice quality was generally not affected by the irrigation system. Results of this study suggest that irrigating with the MDI system is a good alternative for farmers in the Texas High Plains that aim to diversify their current cropping system with high-value vegetable crops such as watermelon.