Comparison of Three Irrigation Scheduling Methods and Evaluation of Irrigation Leaching Characteristics

• Main Authors: Scherer, T., Slack, D., Watson, J., Fox, F.
• Other Authors: Silvertooth, Jeff
• Language: en_US
• Published: College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) 1989
• Subjects: Agriculture > Arizona; Cotton > Arizona; Cotton > Irrigation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/204858

Three methods were used to schedule irrigations on replicated plots at the Maricopa Ag Center using DPL 90 cotton. The three methods were: a soil water balance model based on historic consumptive use curves, a soil water balance model based on the Modified Penman Equation and daily weather (AZMET), and infrared thermometry using the C.W.S.I. A potassium-bromide conservative tracer was applied at selected sites in the plots to evaluate leaching characteristics. The irrigation scheduling test was duplicated at the Safford Experiment Station and is presented in another report. Results from the 1988 data indicate that there was no significant difference in yield between the 3 methods. There was a significant difference in water applied; the historic consumptive-use curves was the lowest and the Penman equation method was the highest.