Effects of irrigation rates on cotton yield as affected by soil physical properties and topography in the southern high plains.

Charles P West,Jasmine Neupane,Zhe Lin,Vassilis G Aschonitis,Wenxuan Guo,Fangyuan Zhang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0258496

Charles P West, Jasmine Neupane + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258496

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Oct 26, 2021
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Texas Tech University

Abstract

Lack of precipitation and groundwater for irrigation limits crop production in semi-arid regions, such as the Southern High Plains (SHP). Advanced technologies, such as variable rate irrigation (VRI), can conserve water and improve water use efficiency for sustainable agriculture. However, the adoption of VRI is hindered by the lack of on-farm research focusing on the feasibility of VRI. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of irrigation rates on cotton yield as affected by soil physical properties and topography in the Southern High Plains. This study was conducted in two fields within a 194-ha commercially managed farm in Hale County, Texas, in 2017. An irrigation treatment with three rates was implemented in a randomized complete block design with two replications as separate blocks in each field. A total of 230 composite soil samples were collected from the farm in spring 2017 and analyzed for texture. Information on apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa), elevation, and final yield were collected from the fields. A statistical model showed that the effect of irrigation rates on cotton yield depended on its interaction with soil physical properties and topography. For example, areas with slope >2% and sand content >50% had no significant response to higher irrigation rates. This model suggests that applying irrigation amounts based on the yield response can be a basis for VRI. This study provides valuable information for site-specific irrigation to optimize crop production in fields with significant variability in soil physical properties and topography.

Highlights

The Southern High Plains (SHP), located in the southern part of the Great Plains region of the United States, has a semi-arid climate with average annual precipitation ranging from 260 to 600 mm
Cotton lint yield variability in relation to three irrigation rates, soil physical properties, and topography was evaluated in two fields within a 194-ha commercially managed farm in the Southern High Plains in 2017
A statistical model was developed to predict yield response to irrigation rates, soil texture, electrical conductivity (ECa), topography, and their interactions. This model showed that the effect of irrigation rate on cotton lint yield depended on its interaction with soil physical properties and topography

Summary

Introduction

The Southern High Plains (SHP), located in the southern part of the Great Plains region of the United States, has a semi-arid climate with average annual precipitation ranging from 260 to 600 mm. Effects of irrigation rates on cotton yield as affected by soil physical properties and topography research projects, including this study (https:// www.cottoninc.com/). This shortage of water [3], as about 95% of groundwater pumped is for irrigation [4]. In 2016, half of the Texas cotton production area was concentrated in the SHP region [5]. Growing cotton demands less water compared to corn (Zea mays L.) and other crops [6], in the present situation, the scarcity of freshwater is posing a threat to cotton production in the SHP. Dryland farming is an option, but irrigation consistently maximizes net returns [8]

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