Furrow Diking Research Articles

Effects of conservation practices on rainfed maize yield, furrow water infiltration, and soil moisture for surface sealing loam soils in the Yazoo‐Mississippi Delta

AbstractDecades of intense tillage have created the problem of surface sealing in loam soils across the Mid‐South United States and beyond. These soils exhibit low organic matter, poor aggregate stability, and ultimately low infiltration rates that decrease rainfed crop productivity and increase irrigation water demand. This research quantified the effects of soil management practices on rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) yield, furrow water infiltration, and soil moisture in Commerce very fine sandy loam and silt loam near Stoneville, MS. The six treatments included conventional tillage (CT), cereal rye (CR; Secale cereale L.), furrow diking (FD), no‐till (NT), polyacrylamide (PAM), and subsoiling (SS). No other treatment achieved a significantly higher maize grain yield than the CT control treatment in both years consistently. Single‐ring infiltrometer results indicated no significant differences among CT, CR, PAM, and SS in 2022 and between CT and NT in 2021. Neutron attenuation found that total soil water within the top 1 m was not significantly different among CT, FD, and SS on any of the eight measurement dates throughout the 2022 maize reproductive period. However, soil moisture was numerically lower for FD in the late reproductive stages. These findings suggest that environmental factors and other agronomic operations may counteract conservation practices, limiting their effectiveness at reducing irrigation requirements to mitigate groundwater depletion in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer.

Novel Furrow Diking Equipment-Design Aimed at Increasing Water Consumption Efficiency in Vineyards

Productivity in viticultural practices is highly dependent on seasonal availability of rainfall and the efficiency of soil and water conservation strategies. Sustainable water consumption has been regarded as a business, social, and environmental responsibility, since resource availability becomes more challenging. The present research evaluates a new agricultural equipment design, employed in furrow compartmentalization works, with the aim of improving the efficiency of rainwater storage in the soil, reducing the runoff and the erosion on sloping soils. The newly developed equipment operates on the basis of a rigid memory and employs the cam-tappet mechanism, known for its high customization potential. The system functionality has been improved by integrating enhanced hoe shapes, adapted for the demanding working conditions encountered in vineyards. The evaluated performance indicators showed an increased up to 7% of the water storage effectiveness, while the micro-basins construction performance improved by 10%. The furrow diking phase is integrated into the weeding works, and recorded low additional fuel consumption of only 3–5%, being appreciated by farmers due to its constructive simplicity. As a result, the equipment has shown a significant application potential to increase deep water storage in vineyards and reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture.

Improve the Constructive Design of a Furrow Diking Rotor Aimed at Increasing Water Consumption Efficiency in Sunflower Farming Systems

Water is the primary limiting factor in dryland crop production, therefore emerging approaches for preserving rainwater to be more accessible to plants, for extended periods of time, can significantly improve agricultural system efficiency. Furrow diking, a method involving compartmentalizing micro-basins to increase infiltration and soil water storage is one of the most promising water conservation solutions, particularly for sloping terrain. Moreover, furrow diking is associated with water conservation practices and regenerative agriculture as adaptive to dryland crop production. The present research study aims at improving the process of building soil compartmentalized segments using furrow diking technology, by designing and testing optimal geometries for the active soil modeling component. Three new constructive designs of a furrow diking active subassembly were built and tested in comparison with the standard version. In accordance with the considered quality indicators, the most efficient constructive shape was the curved rotor blade due to the higher volume of managed soil and fewer soil losses. Furthermore, the technology applied on three non-irrigated sunflower experimental crops grown on sloping land showed very good effectiveness with respect to the studied climatic and pedological conditions in southern Romania. When compared with non-compartmentalized crops, the most efficient rotor geometry design increased seed production by 11–13%. Water storage efficiency contributed the most to the yield increase, with moisture retention from the root zone improving by an average of 20%.

Reduction of soil and phosphorus losses by using micro‐dams in furrow irrigation

AbstractThe suspension of eroded soil in surface runoff ultimately leads to the transfer of nutrients to land and water resources. Placing soil or straw (as a barrier) inside irrigated furrows in order to reduce water flow velocity, as a traditional local practice, has not been investigated from the environmental point of view. In this research, the effect of micro‐dams (barriers built inside the irrigated furrows, also known as tied ridges or furrow dikes) on the reduction of soil and phosphorus losses was investigated. Field experiments were performed in four consequent irrigation events. Two erosive inflow discharges (0.6 and 0.9 L/s) and two micro‐dam distances (10 and 20 m) were implemented as test treatments. A control treatment, without micro‐dams, was used for comparison purposes. For the discharge of 0.6 L/s, micro‐dams reduced furrow soil loss by 25% and 33% for distances of 20 and 10 m, respectively. For 0.9 L/s, soil loss was reduced by 25% and 59% for distances of 20 and 10 m, respectively. Micro‐dams also reduced dissolved phosphorus losses in runoff water by 13% to 37%, depending on discharge and distance, as compared to the control treatment. Micro‐dams can effectively reduce water, soil and phosphorus losses.

Runoff mitigation via micro-dams and conservation tillage-Numerical modeling of runoff and erosion from maize field trials.

Runoff and erosion are the most important transport pathways of water, sediment, and associated pesticides from sloped agricultural fields. This results in the loss of fertile topsoil material, nutrients, irrigation water, and plant protection products (PPP) into adjacent surface water bodies. In the European and US risk assessment for the registration of PPP, runoff and erosion are numerically calculated with the simulation Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) using the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) runoff curve number (CN) concept for the water movement and the MUSS equation to quantify the sediment transfer. This work presents an evaluation of maize field trials conducted in three seasons that considered micro‐dams (i.e., small earthen dams between the rows; also known as “furrow diking,” “furrow damming,” etc.) and/or conservation tillage (via subsoiling) as mitigation measures to investigate the effects on the reduction in runoff and erosion. Measured quantitative reductions and event‐wise calculated CN are presented. Furthermore, the trials were simulated using the PRZM over the complete vegetation period and runoff CN as well as parameter values of the MUSS erosion equation (a relative adaptation of the C‐factor) were inversely estimated. Compared with the control plots (i.e., conventional tillage), micro‐dams or conservation tillage reduced runoff by 24%–71% or 69%–89%, and erosion by 54%–81% or 91%–98%. Based on these data, a robust case can be made to lower CN or parameters in the MUSS equation for surface water exposure scenarios to consider the effects on predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) and estimated environmental concentrations (EECs). Mean resulting CN reductions by micro‐dams or conservation tillage were ascertained to be 6% (±2.5%) or 12% (±3.0%), the C‐factor was reduced by a factor of 0.1 (±0.15) or 0.48 (±0.19). Example calculations show reductions in the ranges of 11%–100% for PECs and 30%–98% for EECs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1348–1363. © 2021 Bayer AG Crop Science. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Water Balance of Two Major Soil Types of the Texas High Plains: Implications for Dryland Crop Production

Crop production in the Texas High Plains is shifting from irrigated to dryland due to the increase of the depth to the water table from the Ogallala aquifer in regions where the saturated thickness of 9 m, the minimum to sustain irrigation, has been reached. Our objective was to use the mechanistic model ENWATBAL to evaluate the daily and annual water balance for three scenarios of rainfall in this region, a dry (189 mm), an average (449 mm) and a wet (669 mm) year. These three scenarios were applied to two major soil series of this region, Pullman and Amarillo. In all simulations, we used hourly input weather data for a location near Lubbock, Texas and used measured soil hydraulic properties to simulate the water balance for each soil series and the three rainfall scenarios. Results showed that in years with average and wet rain, storage of rainfall occurred in the Pullman but not in in the Amarillo soil series. However, storage of water could be enhanced by combining furrow dikes with minimum tillage along with crop covers that provide a surface residue. The implications of our results for dryland crop production in the semiarid climate of the THP suggest that for years with average and wetter rainfall soils in the Pullman series could store water that would be available for crop use. However, this was not the case for the Amarillo soil series and these soils represent a higher risk for dryland crop production.

Effects of slope and rainfall intensity on runoff and soil erosion from furrow diking under simulated rainfall

Furrow diking is a type of conservation tillage practice that is widely used throughout the world and has been proved to be effective for preventing runoff and soil loss. However, it is not easy to maintain a stable conservation effect of furrow diking in various environments. Few studies have focused on the effects of rainfall and slope on the integrity and conservation efficiency of furrow diking. Therefore, simulated rainfall experiments were conducted with four rainfall intensities (30 mm/h, 60 mm/h, 90 mm/h and 120 mm/h) and three slopes (2, 4 and 8°) to study the effects of rainfall intensity and slope on soil and runoff production of furrow diking as well as its conservation efficiency. The conservation efficiencies were obtained by comparing furrow diking with up-down slope ridges.The result indicated that as rainfall intensity and slope increased, furrow diking dams may suffer from runoff overtopping resulting in damage and ultimate collapse. During this process, runoff and soil loss increased rapidly, severe rill erosion developed on dams resulting in the loss of the ability of furrow diking to store rainwater and sediment and obvious declines of water and soil conservation efficiencies. This paper established empirical equations to estimate the conservation efficiency of furrow diking under undamaged and damaged conditions. An empirical equation was also presented to estimate the critical rainfall and slope conditions that may cause overtopping, damage or collapse of dams in order to guide the implementation of furrow diking and predict its conservation efficiency.

Furrow Diking as a Mid-Southern USA Irrigation Strategy: Soybean Grain Yield, Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, and Net Returns above Furrow Diking Costs

Furrow Diking as a Mid-Southern USA Irrigation Strategy: Soybean Grain Yield, Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, and Net Returns above Furrow Diking Costs

Site-Specific Variable-Rate Irrigation as a Means to Enhance Water Use Efficiency

<abstract> The majority of irrigated cropland in the U.S. is watered with sprinkler irrigation systems. These systems are inherently more efficient in distributing water than furrow or flood irrigation. Appropriate system design of sprinkler irrigation equipment, application methods, and farming practices (e.g., furrow diking) enhance crop water use efficiency (WUE) by minimizing irrigation losses and improving soil water storage. For years, the paradigm for best irrigation management practices included uniform application over an entire field, even though abiotic (soils, slope, aspect, etc.) and biotic (insect pressure, plant disease) factors often cause spatial variations in water use and yield potential. However, emerging technologies such as wireless communication coupled with soil water and plant sensors, commercially available variable-rate irrigation (VRI) equipment, and the development of algorithms for computational data processing are shifting this paradigm toward variable-rate management as a means to enhance crop WUE. This article focuses on the potential of site-specific VRI management (SS-VRIM) as a tool for enhancing WUE and the challenges encountered.

Estimating Evapotranspiration for Dryland Cropping Systems in the Semiarid Texas High Plains Using SWAT

AbstractThe Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is one of the most widely used watershed models for simulating hydrology in response to agricultural management practices. However, limited studies have been performed to evaluate the SWAT model's ability to estimate daily and monthly evapotranspiration (ET) in semiarid regions. ET values were simulated using ArcSWAT 2012 for a lysimeter field managed under dryland conditions at the USDA‐ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, and compared with measured lysimeter values from 2000 to 2010. Two scenarios were performed to compare SWAT's performance: (1) use of default plant leaf area index (LAI) values in the embedded plant database and (2) adjusted LAI values. Scenario 1 resulted in an “unsatisfactory” Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.42 and 0.38 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Scenario 2 resulted in a “satisfactory” NSE value for the calibration period while achieving a “good” NSE of 0.70 for the validation period. SWAT generally underestimated ET at both the daily and monthly levels. Overestimation during fallow years may be due to the limitations of the pothole function used to simulate furrow diking. Users should be aware of potential errors associated with using default LAI parameters. Inaccuracies in ET estimation may also stem from errors in the plant stress functions, particularly when evaluating water management practices for dryland watersheds.

Contreo en surco y etapa de madurez sobre la producción y calidad del forraje de variedades de avena

El déficit hídrico es uno de los principales factores que limitan la producción de forrajes en las zonas áridas y semiáridas del mundo. Nuestra hipótesis fue que el sistema de labranza de captación de agua surcos con contras (SCC), podría incrementar el rendimiento de forraje de avena (Avena sativa L.), y que cosechar el forraje en la etapa de madurez fisiológica mejora su calidad. Del año 2005 al 2007, se midió el efecto del sistema de siembra: surcos con contras (SCC) y la etapa de madurez al corte: grano lechoso masoso (LM) y madurez fisiológica (MF), sobre el rendimiento y calidad de forraje, de cinco variedades de avena, establecidas bajo condiciones de temporal, en el noroeste del estado de Chihuahua, México, El diseño fue parcelas sub-subdivididas en bloques completos al azar, la parcela grande fue el sistema de siembra, la mediana la etapa de madurez al corte, y la parcela chica la variedad, los sitios (n=14) fueron las repeticiones. La composición química y la materia seca digestible (MSD) del heno de avena fueron medidas, sin tomar en cuenta el efecto de sistema de siembra SCC. La producción de materia seca fue 8,7 % mayor (P0,05) con 9,50 y 9,20 %; la fibra detergente neutro varío (P

Crop responses to furrow diking in North Carolina

Furrow diking is the practice of installing earthen dams to form small basins between crop rows to reduce water runoff and improve water retention. It has been used extensively in the southern Great Plains but research evaluating crop response to furrow diking is limited in North Carolina and other southeastern states. Experiments were conducted to determine cotton, peanut, and corn yields following furrow diking in conventional and strip tillage systems. Earn 1 CEU in Soil &amp; Water Management by reading this article and completing the quiz at www.certifiedcropadviser.org/certifications/self‐study/677.

Crop Responses to Furrow Diking in North Carolina

Furrow diking is the practice of installing earthen dams to form small basins between crop rows to reduce water runoff and improve water retention. Furrow-diking equipment is operated shortly after planting and has been used extensively in the southern Great Plains. Research evaluating crop response to furrow diking is limited in North Carolina and other southeastern states. Experiments were conducted to determine cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yields following furrow diking in conventional and strip tillage systems. Corn (Zea mays L.) response to furrow diking was determined only in conventional tillage systems. In the experiments where tillage was compared, variability in cotton and peanut response to tillage was observed, whereas diking did not affect yield of these crops. In separate experiments with conventional tillage only, peanut and corn yields were not affected by the diking treatment. However, in one experiment conducted at five sites in conventional tillage only, cotton yield increased by 7% when furrow diking was included. Although these results indicate that peanut and corn may be nonresponsive to furrow diking on coarse-textured soils in the coastal plain of North Carolina, additional research is needed to make a concrete assessment of potential of furrow diking on these crops. While variability was noted when comparing experiments, cotton responded favorably to furrow diking.

The Management Submodel of the Wind Erosion Prediction System

<abstract> <bold>Abstract. </bold>This article describes the WEPS management submodel component which simulates the effects of typical cropping management practices, such as tillage, planting, harvesting, irrigation, or residue burning, at an operational level. Such management practices can affect the surface conditions, which in turn affect wind erosion potential. A variety of land management operations is simulated by identifying the primary physical processes involved and representing each individual operation as a sequenced set of those processes. The process categories include: 1) surface modification (the creation or destruction of ridges and/or furrow dikes that form oriented surface roughness, change the surface random roughness, and destroy the soil crust); 2) mass manipulation within soil layers (the changes in the aggregate size distribution and soil porosity, the mixing of soil and residue among soil layers, and soil layer inversion); 3) biomass manipulation (burying and resurfacing of residue, clipping the standing residue, flattening the standing residue, killing the live crop biomass, and removing biomass); and 4) soil amendments (the application of residue/manure for cover, seeding or planting crops, and irrigation).

Furrow diking and N management for dryland wheat production in permanent raised beds

The permanent bed planting system for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production has recently received additional attention. Studies using hard red spring wheat (cultivar Nahuatl F2000) were conducted at two locations in central Mexico. The studies included the installation of three furrow diking treatments, two granular N timing treatments and three foliar N rates applied at the end of anthesis. The objective was to evaluate the effect of these factors on wheat grain yield, yield components and grain N in a wheat–maize (Zea maize L.) rotation with residues of both crops left as stubble. Results indicated that diking in alternate furrows increased both grain yield and the final number of spikes per m2. The split application of N fertilizer enhanced the number of spikes per m2 and grain N uptake, but the effect on grain yield was inconsistent. Similarly, grain protein increased with the foliar application of 6 kg N ha−1, depending upon the maximum temperature within the 10 days following anthesis. The normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) readings collected at four growth stages were generally higher for the split N application than for the basal N application at planting. Grain N uptake was associated to NDVI readings collected after anthesis.

Canopy temperature based system effectively schedules and controls center pivot irrigation of cotton

Cotton is a perennial plant with an indeterminate growth pattern that is typically produced like an annual, but requires proper management to effectively produce high yields and good fiber quality in a thermally limited environment like the northern Texas High Plains. In 2007 and 2008, we investigated the effect of irrigation scheduling/control method and amount on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield and water use efficiency. Methods were automatic irrigation scheduling and control of a center pivot system, and manually scheduled irrigation to replenish soil–water to field capacity. Cotton was irrigated with LEPA (low energy, precision application) drag socks in furrow dikes; three blocks were irrigated manually and three were irrigated automatically. Six replicates of the manual and automatic irrigation treatments were included in the randomized block design. Manual irrigations were based on the weekly replenishment of soil–water to field capacity in the top 1.5 m of the soil profile and included a fully irrigated treatment (I100), and treatments receiving 67% (I67) and 33% (I33) of the I100 amount, plus a non-irrigated treatment (I0). Automatic irrigations were triggered using a time temperature threshold (TTT) algorithm, which was designated as the I100 treatment, and treatments receiving 67%, 33%, and 0% of that amount (I67, I33 and I0, respectively). In 2007, overall mean lint yields (102.3 and 101.6 g m−2, manual and automatic, respectively) were not significantly different. Similarly, yields were not significantly different across automatic and manual treatments in the same treatment level, with the exception of the I67 treatment where the manual treatment yields were 11% greater. In 2008, the mean yields were 70% less than those in 2007 for both methods of irrigation (30.3 and 30.9 g m−2, manual and automatic, respectively) due to harsh climatic conditions at emergence and heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures in the month of August. Yields from the automatically irrigated plots in the I100 and I67 treatments, however, were significantly greater than yields from the corresponding manually irrigated plots; though there was no significant difference between yields in the drier treatments (I33 and I0) plots. These results indicate that the TTT algorithm is a promising method for auto-irrigation scheduling of short season cotton in an arid region. However, further studies are essential to demonstrate consistent positive outcomes.

Furrow diking in conservation tillage

Abstract Crop production in the Southeastern U.S. can be limited by water; thus, supplemental irrigation is needed to sustain profitable crop production. Increased water capture would efficiently improve water use and reduce supplemental irrigation amounts/costs, thus improving producer's profit margin. We quantified infiltration (INF), runoff (R), and sediment (E) losses from furrow diked (+DT) and non-furrow diked (−DT) tilled conventional (CT) and strip tillage (ST) systems. In 2008, a field study (Tifton loamy sand, Typic Kandiudult) was established with DT, ST, and CT systems. In 2009, a field study (Faceville loamy sand, Typic Kandiudult) was established with DT and ST systems. Treatments (6) included: CT − DT, CT + DT, ST1 (1-year old) − DT, ST1 + DT, ST10 (10-year old) − DT, and ST10 + DT. Simulated rainfall (50 mm h−1 for 1 h) was applied to each 2-m × 3-m plots (n = 3). Runoff and E were measured from each 6-m2 plot. ST1 + DT plots had 80–88% less R than ST1 − DT plots. Any disturbance associated with DT in ST1 systems did not negatively impact E values. For both soils, CT − DT plots represented the worst-case scenario in terms of measured R and E; ST + DT plots represented the best-case scenario. Trends for R, E, and estimated plant available water (PAW) values decreased in order of CT − DT, CT + DT, ST1 − DT, ST1 + DT, ST10 − DT, and ST10 + DT treatments. From a hydrology standpoint, ST1 − DT plots behaved more similarly to CT plots than to other ST plots; from a sediment standpoint, ST1 − DT plots behaved more similarly to other ST plots than to CT plots. DT had no effect on ST10 plots. CT − DT and ST10 + DT plots resulted in 5.9 (worst-case) and 8.1 (best-case) days of water for crop use, a difference of 2.2 days of water for crop use or 37%. Compared to the CT − DT treatment, an agricultural field managed to CT + DT, ST1 − DT, ST1 + DT, ST10 − DT, and ST10 + DT would save a producer farming the CT − DT field $5.30, $9.42, $13.55, $14.14, and $14.14 ha−1, respectively, to pump the amount of water lost to R and not saved as INF back onto the field. The most water/cost savings occurred for CT and ST1 plots as a result of DT. Savings for CT + DT, ST1 − DT, and ST1 + DT treatments represent 27%, 47%, and 68% of the cost of DT ($20 ha−1) and 37%, 67%, and 96% of the savings a producer would have if managing the field to ST for 10 years without DT (ST10 − DT) in a single 50-mm rainfall event. For row-crop producers in the Southeastern U.S. with runoff producing rainfall events during the crop growing season, DT is a management practice that is cost-effective from a natural resource and financial standpoint for those producers that continue to use CT systems and especially those that have recently adopted ST systems into their farming operations.

Yield and Economics of Shallow Subsurface Drip Irrigation (S3 DI) and Furrow Diking

Yield and Economics of Shallow Subsurface Drip Irrigation (S³ DI) and Furrow Diking

Agronomic and economic response to furrow diking tillage in irrigated and non-irrigated cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The Southeast U.S. receives an average of 1300 mm annual rainfall, however poor seasonal distribution of rainfall often limits production. Irrigation is used during the growing season to supplement rainfall to sustain profitable crop production. Increased water capture would improve water use efficiency and reduce irrigation requirements. Furrow diking has been proposed as a cost effective management practice that is designed to create a series of storage basins in the furrow between crop rows to catch and retain rainfall and irrigation water. Furrow diking has received much attention in arid and semi-arid regions with mixed results, yet has not been adapted for cotton production in the Southeast U.S. Our objectives were to evaluate the agronomic response and economic feasibility of producing cotton with and without furrow diking in conventional tillage over a range of irrigation rates including no irrigation. Studies were conducted at two research sites each year from 2005 to 2007. Irrigation scheduling was based on Irrigator Pro for Cotton software. The use of furrow diking in these studies periodically reduced water consumption and improved yield and net returns. In 2006 and 2007, when irrigation scheduling was based on soil water status, an average of 76 mm ha −1 of irrigation water was saved by furrow diking, producing similar cotton yield and net returns. Furrow diking improved cotton yield an average of 171 kg ha −1 and net return by $245 ha −1 over multiple irrigation rates, in 1 of 3 years. We conclude that furrow diking has the capability to reduce irrigation requirements and the costs associated with irrigation when rainfall is periodic and drought is not severe.

Improved water capture and erosion reduction through furrow diking

Crop production in Georgia and the Southeastern U.S. can be limited by water; thus, supplemental irrigation is often needed to sustain profitable crop production. Increased water capture would efficiently improve water use and reduce irrigation amounts and other input costs, thus improving producer's profit margin. We quantified water capturing and erosional characteristics of furrow diking by comparing runoff ( R) and soil loss ( E) from furrow diked (DT) and non-furrow diked tilled (CT) systems. A field study (Faceville loamy sand, Typic Kandiudult) was established (2006 and 2007) near Dawson, GA with DT and CT systems managed to irrigated cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.). Treatments included: DT vs. CT; DT with and without shank (+/− S); and rainfall simulation performed (0, 60 days after tillage, DAT). Simulated rainfall (50 mm h −1 for 1 h) was applied to all 2 m × 3 m plots ( n = 3). All runoff and E were measured from each flat, level sloping 6-m 2 plot (slope = 1%). Compared to CT, DT decreased R and E by 14–28% and 2.0–2.8 times, respectively. Compared to DT − S, DT + S decreased R and E by 17–56% and 26% to 2.1 times, respectively. Compared to sealed/crusted soil conditions at 60 DAT, simulating rainfall on a freshly tilled seedbed condition (DAT = 0) decreased R by 69% to 3.4 times and increased E by 27%. DT0 + S + RF0 plots (best-case scenario) had 2.8 times less R, and 2.6 times less E than CT − S + RF60 plots (worst-case). Based on $1.17 ha-mm −1 to pump irrigation water and $18.50 ha −1 for DT, a producer in the Coastal Plain region of Georgia would recover cost of DT by saving the first 16 ha-mm of water. The DT + S system is a cost-effective management practice for producers in Georgia and the Southeastern U.S. that positively impacts natural resource conservation, producer profit margins, and environmental quality.