Irrigation Analysis Based on Long-Term Weather Data

James R. Mahan and Robert J. Lascano
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James R. Mahan: Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 3810 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79415, USA
Robert J. Lascano: Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 3810 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79415, USA

Agriculture, 2016, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Irrigation management is based upon delivery of water to a crop in the correct amount and time, and the crop’s water need is determined by calculating evapotranspiration (ET) using weather data. In 1994, an ET-network was established in the Texas High Plains to manage irrigation on a regional scale. Though producers used the ET-network, by 2010 public access was discontinued. Why did producers allow a valuable irrigation-management tool to be eliminated? Our objective was to analyze the effect of declining well capacities on the usefulness of cotton ET (ET c ) for irrigation. Thirty years (1975–2004) of daily ET c data were used to compare irrigation demand vs. irrigation responses at four locations, analyzed for multiple years and range of well capacities for three irrigation-intervals. Results indicated that when well capacities declined to the point that over-irrigation was not possible, the lower well capacities reduced the value of ET c in terms of the number of irrigations and total amount of water applied. At well capacities <1514 L·min −1 the fraction of irrigations for which ET c information was used to determine the irrigation amount was <35% across years and irrigation intervals. The value of an ET c -based irrigation may fall into disuse when irrigation-water supplies decline.

Keywords: cotton; irrigation scheduling; evapotranspiration; well-capacity; weather-network; water management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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