Southwest Texas Research Articles

DEFICIT IRRIGATION AND PLANT DENSITY IMPACT ON GROWTH, YIELD, QUALITY AND QUERCETIN OF SHORT-DAY ONION

This study evaluated growth, yield, quality and quercetin concentration in response to planting density and deficit irrigation of onion (Allium cepa L.) in southwest Texas over two years. Onion seeds (cv. TG 1015) were direct seeded in the field on November 11, 2007 and October 30, 2008 at two planting densities (PD), 397 (standard PD) and 494 (high PD) ×1000 seeds•ha-1. Three irrigation rates were imposed after plants were fully established, 100, 75, and 50% crop evapotranspiration rates (ETc). Overall, there were consistent trends for bulb size, yield and quality parameters in both seasons. The number of bulbs and total marketable yields significantly increased (7-14%) at high PD; however, high PD decreased bulb size as compared to standard PD. Deficit irrigation at 50% ETc decreased most growth components. Similarly 50% ETc rate decreased marketable yield by 27% and 19% in 2008 and 2009, respectively; while 75% ETc decreased only 8% in 2008 and 13% in 2009. Soluble solids content, pungency, and quercetin were not affected by irrigation or planting density in both seasons. These results suggest that growers in water-limited conditions could adjust planting densities and implement water conserving practices (e.g., 75% ETc rate) to target high-price bulb sizes without reducing flavor or nutritional components.

Cigarette Smoking Topography Among Alternative School Youth: Why African American Youth Smoke Less But are at Higher Long-Term Risk

A paradox exists in health disparities research where African-American cigarette smokers consume fewer cigarettes per day, yet experience higher rates of tobacco-related disease compared to White American smokers. In this study we conducted focus group interviews among alternative high school youth (N = 78; age 18–19 years old) in an urban area in Southwest Texas to investigate if African-American youth smoke cigarettes differently than their White-American and Hispanic-American counterparts. The majority of African-American participants reported inhaling deeper and smoking their cigarettes “to the filter” because of their concern over wasting any part of an expensive cigarette. White and Hispanic respondents most often put out their cigarettes closer to the middle, and did not express concern about wasting cigarettes. The implication from this qualitative study is that because African Americans smoke differently they are exposed to a higher level of harmful particulate per cigarette. Further research on smoking topography is warranted.

Nesting Ecology of the Black-Capped Vireo in Southwest Texas

Abstract There is little information about nesting ecology of the federally endangered Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) in the southern and western region of its breeding range, which is characterized by xeric thornscrub and patchy low-growing vegetation. We mapped territories and monitored 119 Black-capped Vireo nests across seven study sites in 2009 and 2010 in Val Verde County, Texas in the Devil's River region on the western edge of the Edwards Plateau. We observed 69 nests with cameras to identify nest predators. Clutch size was significantly smaller in 2009 (3.4 ± 0.82) than in 2010 (3.8 ± 0.43). Both nest depredation and parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) were >10% higher in 2009 than in 2010. There was a large diversity of nest predators identified including Brown-headed Cowbird (n = 4), snakes (n = 4), and Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) (n = 3). Species identified that have not been previously observed as Black-capped Vireo nest predators were bobcat (L...

New Bromeliad-FeedingStrymonSpecies from Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA and Its Vicinity (Lycaenidae: Theclinae)

Strymon solitario Grishin & Durden, new species is described from southwest Texas, USA. This serapio group species of Strymon is distinguished from its closest relatives by a combination of: (1) restricted areas of light scales basally from submarginal darker lunules on the ventral hindwing—with these light macules not reaching 1/3 of the distance between the lunules and postmedian orange band; (2) small oval well-separated orange macules in the postmedian ventral hindwing band; (3) the presence of postbasal orange macules on the ventral hindwing in some specimens; (4) limited to almost absent violet blue dorsal wing overscaling; (5) occasional orange overscaling on the dorsal forewing in females; (6) rounder wings, particularly in males; (7) not prominently developed areas of dark scales on leg tibiae in most specimens, and (S) arid, desert and rocky slopes habitat. Relationships with other Strymon species are discussed and life history data are presented and illustrated. Hechtia texensis (Bromeliaceae) is established as the larval foodplant in the Big Bend National Park area. Over 40 specimens and live individuals of the new species are illustrated to show the extent of wing pattern variation.

Circular Temples and the Moon Goddess

Circular Temples and the Moon Goddess Mardith K. Schuetz-Miller (bio) [Water Strider] stretched out his arms and legs and touched the horizon at the north, west, south, and east. He was in the middle of the world. He said, "My people shall live here always. They will never be overthrown for their hearts will not be to one side of the world." —Ruth Benedict, Zuñi Mythology I: 5-6 When the universe was still so dark that not even shadows could be seen in the night, Grandmother Spider sat in her web in the Sky World, waiting and watching. No one knows how old Grandmother Spider is, or how long she sat waiting for the universal mind to awaken. But, every Creative Being who has ever lived knows her song and dance as the weaver of the Web of Life. From her web, Grandmother Spider observed the first thoughts as the Universal Mind awakened from the dream. Seven energy beings floated out from the shining light in the center of the Universal Mind and solidified into bright, shining stars who went out to take their places in the Sky World. Grandmother Spider took a very deep breath and softly began to sing her weaving song while she danced across the Sky. As she spun her thread, Grandmother Spider envisioned the Web of Life. Within moments, she had woven her web connecting the seven stars [Pleiades?] and creating the Spirit Doorway through which all of the rest of life would enter. —Spider-Taino Ti, Grandmother Spider and the Web of Life You shall build the lodge like the world, round, with walls, but first you must build a sweat house of a hundred sticks. It shall be like the sky . . . and half of it shall be painted red. That is me [the Sun]. The other half you will paint black. That is the night [the Moon]. —George Bird Grinnell, Blackfoot Lodge Tales, 101 [End Page 349] The Spider Creatress and Her Sacred Architecture The spider creator as an aspect of the moon, identified by some as male and by others as female, is one of the earliest avatars of the creating spirit introduced by New World colonizers. Archaeological evidence is found in pebbles painted with cobwebs and female genitalia left by Archaic period Pecos River Focus people of Southwest Texas dating from about 7500 BCE to 600-900 BCE. Spiderwebs and vulvae were also incised and painted by other hunters-gatherers of Baja California. The spider creator was once widespread, not only in South America, as traced in the foregoing sections, but also across Mesoamerica and the southeastern United States. While Mayan Ixchel (goddess of sexuality, procreation, childbirth, medicine, divination, and weaving) was considered an earth deity, she was also Mistress of the Sea—in other words, she was the Moon Goddess. As in the case of her Old World equivalents, monkeys, deer, king vultures, and spiders were associated with her. The use of real spiders for divination in South America was echoed among Ixchel's priestesses who used small divinatory stones called am. In the Motol dialect am are small black spiders with red dots on the back. Ixchel's square [anomalous?] oracular temple on Cozumel, second only to the cenote [Place of Emergence] at Chichén Itzá as a Mayan pilgrimage site, had a hollow clay model of her mortared to the wall. From a small hidden room behind it her priestesses communicated with petitioners.102 Spider Woman is ubiquitous among Pueblo groups and Navajos and was of obvious importance in the Southern Cult of the Mississippi Valley. The gorget shown in figure 24 illustrates perfectly Spider's role in not only defining the world by stretching its legs from the Place of Emergence, but also partitioning the earth into quadrants (Cosmic Cross) with its thorax (heart) defining the center. With the introduction of other cults in the Southeast over time, Spider's role in creation was remembered only in her/his trickster aspect: Iroquoian speakers recalled Spider stealing the sun or fire (earthly sun) for the benefit of humankind. Northern Sioux, who migrated from the Southeast, tell many tales of Iktomi, the trickster-spider, but retain...

Digital Documentation and the Archaeology of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands

<p>The Lower Pecos Canyonlands of southwest Texas and northern Mexico house some of the most complex and compositionally intricate prehistoric rock art in the world. Because of the unique nature and the incomparable richness of this cultural legacy, it is imperative to create a permanent visual, auditory and textual archive for present and future generations and to promote preservation of this resource through education. SHUMLA’s Lower Pecos Rock Art Recording and Preservation Project is meeting this need through digital documentation of rock art sites, creation of a digital library to archive rock art data, establishment of a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary research program, and continuation of hands-on education programs that connect people of all ages to this unique cultural legacy.</p>

The Temporal Range of Bundled Burials in the Lower Pecos Region of Southwest Texas

Eleven new radiocarbon assays generally support the consensus that bundled burial in dry rockshelter deposits was a Late Archaic mortuary practice in the Lower Pecos River region of Texas while also indicating that bundling may actually have begun in the Middle Archaic period, ca. 1000 years earlier than expected. Essentially, bundling consists of wrapping the flexed body of the deceased in a series of mats that are successively more coarsely woven. Grave goods, such as clothing, jewelry, tools, and basketry, may be included in the bundle which is tied together with cord or hair rope and buried in the deep ashy occupational debris left in the rockshelters over millennia. In this small sample, infants and adult males were more likely to be buried with grave goods, such as painted textiles, cradleboards, carrying baskets, and jewelry. The inclusion of both practical and ornamental artifacts suggests some belief in an afterlife where these objects would be used by the deceased.

Black‐capped vireo nest predator assemblage and predictors for nest predation

AbstractNest predation is a major limiting factor for songbird productivity, including the federally endangered black‐capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla). However, nest predator information is limited across the range of the black‐capped vireo in central and southwest Texas. We monitored nests in 3 counties within the breeding range of black‐capped vireos in Texas in 2008 and 2009 and used continuous recording digital video cameras to record predation events. We video‐monitored 115 nests and documented 39 predation events by at least 9 predator species. Overall, we observed avian species (51%, n = 39), specifically brown‐headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater; n = 12), and snakes (26%, n = 39) as the most frequent nest predators. The estimated daily nest survival rate during the laying and incubation stage was 0.985 (95% CI = 0.967–0.993) and 0.944 (95% CI = 0.921–0.961) during the nestling stage. In addition, we analyzed models of predator‐specific nest predation using multinomial logistic regression. Effect of nest height on predation rate was significant for snakes; nest stage was significant for nests depredated by avian predators. By identifying and increasing our knowledge of nest predators and vegetation characteristics associated with greater risk of predation in multiple locations within the black‐capped vireo's range, we can effectively manage habitat to benefit recovery efforts of the species. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.

Murine Typhus: Endemic Rickettsia in Southwest Texas

Murine Typhus is a zoonosis caused by the organism Rickettsia typhi and is transmitted to humans by fleas. It is endemic in several areas of Texas, California and Hawaii where the vector is supported predominantly by rodents in addition to opossums, domestic and feral cats and domestic dogs. We present a typical case in an adult from Corpus Christi, located in one of the four endemic areas in Texas. Included is an overview of the organism's pathogenicity and our host responses, both influencing the milder clinical course seen with this species of Rickettsia.

‘The show must go on’: event dramaturgy as consolidation of community

Event dramaturgy and cultural performance have not been examined in the literature from a strategic standpoint of fostering the social value of events. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the case of the Water Carnival, a celebratory event in a rural community of Southwest Texas, demonstrating the essence of this event as a symbolic social space, wherein event participants instantiate a shared and valued sense of community. A hermeneutical approach was employed, interpreting the event and its symbolisms as a text, combined with findings from ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, in-depth interviews and analysis of archival documents. The study examines the ways that dramaturgy in the Water Carnival helps frame the ongoing public discourse for community improvement and enhances social capital. The implications of the study for social leverage of events are discussed. It is suggested that a foundation for strategic social planning is the understanding of events as symbolic social spaces and their embeddedness in community development, which can be accomplished when events are pertinent to public discourse, address community issues, represent an inclusive range of stakeholders, and promote cooperation.

Crop Coefficient-based Deficit Irrigation and Planting Density for Onion: Growth, Yield, and Bulb Quality

Agricultural communities in the semiarid regions of the world are constantly being affected by water scarcity, increased regulations restricting water use, strong competition for irrigation water with the urban sector, and severe drought periods. Conversely, the consumer demand for high-quality and nutritious foods is increasing rapidly. A 2-year field study evaluated growth, yield, and bulb quality in response to precision planting density and deficit irrigation of onion (Allium cepa L.) in southwest Texas. Seeds of short-day sweet onion cv. Texas Grano 1015Y were planted in the field on 11 Nov. 2007 and 30 Oct. 2008 at two planting densities (PDs), 397,000 (standard) and 484,000 (high) seeds/ha. Three irrigation rates using growth stage-specific crop coefficients and subsurface drip were imposed after plants were fully established, 100%, 75%, and 50% crop evapotranspiration rates (ETc). Total rainfall plus irrigation received for each irrigation rate were 594, 501, and 413 mm in 2008 and 662, 574, and 486 mm in 2009. In both seasons, there were consistent trends in growth, yield, and quality parameters. Leaf fresh weight was unaffected by PD but was reduced by deficit irrigation at 50% ETc. Although increasing planting density reduced the average bulb size by 12%, it increased the number of marketable bulbs by 21% to 33% and marketable yield by 7% to 14%. In contrast, deficit irrigation showed a trend to reduce both the number of bulbs and bulb size with yield reductions of 8% to 13% at 75% ETc and 19% to 27% at 50% ETc. Neither planting density nor deficit irrigation rate had a significant effect on soluble solids content, pungency, or quercetin contents. These results suggest that growers of short-day onions in semiarid regions could adjust PDs to target high-value bulb sizes. Implementing water-conserving practices (deficit irrigation at 75% ETc rate) would result in a decrease of high-value bulb grades and modest losses in yield but not flavor or nutritional components.

A Novel Songbird Nest Predator: The Greater Arid-Land Katydid

We describe the removal (predation) of a black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) nestling by a female greater arid-land katydid (Neobarrettia spinosa) in southwest Texas. The event was captured with a nest camera during night in Jun. 2010. Neobarrettia species are known to be aggressive and carnivorous, but this is the first report of a katydid depredating a songbird nest.

Does Shrub Removal Increase Groundwater Recharge in Southwestern Texas Semiarid Rangelands?

Abstract Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key component limiting groundwater recharge past the root zone in semiarid regions. Vegetation management may alter groundwater recharge if ET is altered due to changes in vegetation type or cover. This study quantifies changes in groundwater recharge following vegetation cover change from native woodland to pasture in a semiarid region of southwest Texas. The Carrizo–Wilcox aquifer is a valuable groundwater resource in this area, where overuse by dependent farming practices has lowered aquifer levels significantly in the last 85 yr. Combining data from short-term (30 mo) monitoring of the changes in soil moisture and long-term (5–30 yr) changes in total soil chloride indicated deep drainage increased slightly where land had been cleared of vegetation. Annual recharge rates below rooting depths (standardized to 155 cm) averaged only 0.72 ± mm · yr -1 (mean ± SE) in areas not cleared of woody vegetation, as estimated by chloride mass balance. Upon clearing, 72% of the total chloride naturally occurring in the soil profile was flushed away within 30 yr, leading to an estimated 2.59 ± mm · yr -1 additional recharge. Deep soil moisture in recently cleared land increased by up to 17% during the growing season of wet years (double the average rainfall) but did not increase in dry or normal precipitation years, providing supporting evidence that more water penetrated below the roots under certain environmental conditions. These results demonstrate that brush management can increase recharge by modest, but measurable, amounts depending on site-specific soil characteristics and degree of reduction in vegetation.

Extended Chronology of Drought in South Central, Southeastern, and West Texas

Short instrumental climatic records prevent appropriate statistical and historical characterization of extreme events such as the extent, duration, and severity of multiyear droughts. The best solution is to extend climatic records through well understood proxies of climate. One of the best such proxies is climate-sensitive annual tree rings, which can be dated precisely to the year, are easily sampled, and are widely distributed. We created 3 new baldcypress chronologies in South Central Texas and used them, along with existing Douglas-fir chronologies from West Texas and a composite post oak chronology in Central Texas, to calibrate 1931–2008 and reconstruct June Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) in Texas climate divisions 5 (Trans Pecos), 6 (Edwards Plateau), 7 (S. Central), and 8 (Upper Coast) 1500–2008. We validated the reconstructions against observed data not used in calibration. Most water planners in Texas at present use the drought of the 1950s, 1950–1956, as a worst-case scenario. Our reconstructions show, however, that a number of extended droughts of the past were longer and/or more intense than the 1950s drought. Furthermore, extended droughts have been a consistent feature of southwestern climate since the 800s, including at least 4 megadroughts 15- to 30-years long centered in central or northern Mexico (Stahle et al. 2009; 2011b). This and previous studies indicate that severe decadal-scale droughts have occurred in Texas at least once a century since the 1500s. Current use by water planners of the 1950s drought as a worst-case scenario, therefore, is questionable. When water managers consider past droughts, population growth, and climate change, it becomes highly probable that the future poses unprecedented challenges. Citation: MK Cleaveland, TH Votteler, DK Stahle, RC Casteel, JL Baner. 2011.Extended chronology of drought in South central, Southeastern, and West Texas. Texas Water Journal. 2(1): 54-96. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v2i1.2049.

Molecular Analysis of Hybridization between the Box Turtles Terrapene carolina and T. ornata

Hybridization of the box turtles Terrapene carolina and T. ornata has been reported throughout their sympatric range. Herein, eight polymorphic microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial polymorphism were used to assess patterns of introgression between these two species, both of which are of conservation concern. We estimated standard population statistics, population assignments, and ancestry for 28 T. carolina, 17 T. ornata, and ten putative T. carolina–T. ornata hybrids from southwest Texas. Both parental populations had high observed heterozygosity and allelic diversity, and there was high gene flow between the two parental species. Ancestry values were sporadic and typical of species that have been hybridizing. Approximately 86% and 76% of T. carolina and T. ornata, respectively, were correctly assigned to their species. Seven of the hybrids had a high level of ancestry for T. carolina and three resembled T. ornata. Interestingly, all T. carolina, putative hybrids, and one T. ornata had haplotypes of T. carolina, whereas all but one T. ornata had haplotypes of T. ornata. These results suggest that hybridization has occurred for several generations within this population, and we discuss how such hybridization may influence population structure for such species of concern.

Guayule production on the southern high plains

Guayule has long been known as a potential source of natural rubber. Native guayule populations are scattered throughout 300,000 km 2 of rangeland in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico. The only native indigenous U.S. stands occur in the Trans Pecos region of southwest Texas, and represent the most northern extension of the plant's habitat. Maximum air temperatures of over 38 °C are frequent and minimum temperatures of −23 °C have been recorded. Guayule has been successfully cultivated across the arid and semi-arid Southwestern U.S., but new production areas need to be identified in order to meet the expected world-wide shortage of natural rubber by 2020. The objective of our study was to determine if guayule production could be successful farther north on the Southern High Plains near Halfway, TX. Guayule seedlings were transplanted May 18, 2006 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Halfway. Seed used included four released lines, AZ-1, AZ-2, AZ-3, and AZ-4; a released USDA cultivar (11591); and three unreleased breeding lines, N9-3, N6-5, and N13-1. Guayule cold damage was estimated in June of 2007 and 2008 using the following index: (1) no damage, (2) slight – injury of terminals to 6 cm, (3) moderate – 2/3 of plant volume injured, (4) severe – all aerial portions killed but resprouting, and (5) complete – beyond recovery with no regrowth. Plant harvests were conducted in April 2008 and March 2009. Following the 2006/2007 winter the cold damage index ranged from 1.2 in 11591 to 3.8 in AZ-1. The minimum air temperature was −15 °C. There was minimal cold damage during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 winters. Biomass of the 24 month-old shrubs harvested in 2008 varied from 9639 kg/ha in 11591 to 13,393 kg/ha in AZ-4. Shrub biomass in 2009 ranged from 26,721 kg/ha in 11591 to 32,951 kg/ha in N6-5. Rubber yield in 2008 was 222 and 639 kg/ha in AZ-3 and N6-5, respectively. Line AZ-3 yielded 717 kg/ha of rubber in 2009 while line AZ-4 yielded 2006 kg/ha. The critical factor in winter survival appeared to be the temperature regime that existed in the late fall and early winter: a gradual and progressive onset of low temperatures that allowed the shrubs to be dormant when freezing temperatures occurred. Lines 11591 and N6-5 had the least cold damage and hold promise for establishment and rubber production on the Southern High Plains of Texas. Certain production criteria make this area an ideal guayule production site: the long-term annual rainfall averages 460 mm, irrigation water salinity is less than 1 E.C. and is pumped from only 90 m, and center pivot sprinklers are available for establishing guayule by direct-seeding.

Brief communication: DNA from early Holocene American dog

We present the oldest genetically identified dog in the Americas, directly dated to 9,260 ± 170 Cal. B.P. The DNA was extracted from an occipital condyle imbedded in a human paleofecal sample from Hinds Cave in southwest Texas. A 368 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial genome control region was sequenced. These data were analyzed with comparable data, which included other ancient dogs and extant dogs, wolves and coyotes from around the world. Compiled with published data, our results characterize ancient American dogs within clades rooted by Eurasian wolves. In the Americas, these data provide no evidence of local interbreeding with wolves. This is a departure from the genetic pattern in other areas of the world where interbreeding with local wolf populations is apparent. Our discovery of domestic dog bone in a human paleofecal sample provides the earliest direct evidence for human consumption of dogs in the New World. These data support the hypothesis that dogs were a food source for early Paleoamericans.

(P2-91) EMS Trauma Triage: Does the Red-Blue Criteria Enable Overtriage?

IntroductionWith the current need for effective trauma center utilization, understanding how current trauma triage criteria may promote overtriage will enable both field and hospital teams to provide the most appropriate patient care. It is hypothesized that current Southwest Texas trauma criteria promote overtriage by prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) of patients in favor of a Level 1 trauma facility when compared to physician assessment and Injury Severity Score (ISS).MethodsThis prospective, observational study at a Southwest Texas military Level 1 trauma center compared adult trauma patients' prehospital status noted by EMS personnel with the triage criteria documented by the treating emergency physician. The patients were divided into four groups: Prehospital Criteria Met or Not Met; Arrival Criteria Met or Not Met. Each patient's ISS and mechanism of injury were also collected and compared to initial assessment for predictive value. Descriptive statistics were used.ResultsThe study enrolled 278 adult trauma patients. EMS reported Level 1 trauma status similar to physician assessment (60.1% vs. 59.7%, respectively). The rates patients met Level 1 trauma status corresponded with trauma severity when compared to the ISS. Assessment between EMS and physicians for ISSs were similar among the four groups. Comparisons using multivariate analysis of the four groups found similar ISSs, except for the Prehospital Criteria Met/Arrival Criteria Not Met group. Seventy-five percent of these patients were assigned an ISS in the Minor (ISS < 9) category (p = 0.013).ConclusionTrauma triage criteria assessment skills were similar between EMS personnel and emergency physicians except for identifying minor trauma patients. While the criteria generally led to overtriage, EMS crews appear to overtriage minor trauma patients at a much higher rate.

Migrant Imaginaries and the Politics of Form

When I was a student at Southwest Texas State University, I never heard of its famous alum Tomás Rivera or the Chicano literary classic … y no se lo tragó la tierra / And the Earth Did Not Part (1971).1 I was first introduced to the bilingual edition of Rivera's complex, deeply moving novel in 1995 while completing my Ph.D. coursework in Lincoln, Nebraska, more than 800 miles away from my Texas home. The form and content of the book made an immediate impression. With its alternating chapter and vignette structure, Rivera's novel called to mind Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time (1925). But it was the voices and the longing of the people resounding throughout the work that captivated my attention, for these were familiar voices, familiar longings. My own family had been marked by the painful separation and economic hardship that often defines the migrant experience. Rivera's work, along with that of Rudolfo Anaya, catalyzed my emerging cultural and critical consciousness, one later honed by the writings of Gloria Anzaldúa, Cherríe Moraga, Norma Alarcón, and Tey Diana Rebolledo.

Irrigation and Nitrogen Management of Artichoke: Yield, Head Quality, and Phenolic Content

Globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] has been recently introduced as a specialty crop in southwest Texas. Marketable yield, yield components, quality, and phenolic compounds of artichoke heads were investigated in response to three irrigation [50%, 75%, and 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc)] regimes and four nitrogen (0 to 10, 60, 120, and 180 kg·ha−1) rates under subsurface drip irrigation. Field experiments were conducted over three seasons (2005–2006, 2006–2007, and 2007–2008) at Uvalde, TX. Irrigation was more effective than nitrogen (N) rates to optimize crop yield and head quality. Marketable yields significantly increased at 100% ETc compared with 75% and 50% ETc, whereas a 20% to 35% yield reduction occurred at 50% ETc across seasons. This yield reduction was associated with a decrease in both number of marketable heads and head weight and with reductions in plant physiological responses as measured in the last season. The lack of yield responses to N rates was in part the result of high pre-plant soil NO3-N and NH4-N levels. Total phenolics and chlorogenic acid of artichoke heads increased as the harvesting season progressed and were highest at 50% ETc during mid- and late harvests in one season. Based on these results, we estimate that under these environmental conditions, ≈700 mm (for a bare soil system) of water inputs and 120 kg·ha−1 or less of N (rate depending on soil available N) appear sufficient to obtain high marketable yields, superior size, and nutritional head quality of artichokes.