S1018 Regional Project on Irrigation Management for Humid and SubHumid Areas

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S-1018 Regional Project on Irrigation Management
for Humid and Sub-Humid Areas Annual
Meeting September 3-5, 2008 Tifton, GA ALABAMA
REPORT
Mark Dougherty, Ted Tyson Biosystems Engineering
Department Auburn University Auburn, Alabama
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Highlighted irrigation studies in Alabama

• Cotton SDI management and control
• Sprinkler irrigation scheduling and mgmt
• Income gains from irrigated cotton during drought
• Off-stream water storage with a two-mile pipeline
• Irrigation scheduling program - MOISCOT

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Growing season rainfall in 2006 and 2007 was less
than 7 (78-year ave. 11.5)
Ten-year seasonal water series (June through
August only), Belle Mina, AL. Cotton
irrigation is calculated as
pan evaporation x crop canopy factor x 90.
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Off-stream reservoir storage (13 ac) Tennessee
Valley Research and Extension Center
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Fertigation management with SDI
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Fertigation management with SDI
Average 3 ba/ac fertigated 2006 and 2007
No PP sq 65 d
20 PP sq 50 d
No PP sq 50 d
40 PP sq 50 d
Control surface N,K
Seed cotton yield, lb/ac, drip tier fertigation
management study, Belle Mina, AL, 2006-2007. All
trtmts 135 N, K2O.
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Overhead sprinkler irrigation scheduling
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Overhead sprinkler irrigation trials
Average 2.3 and 3.5 ba/ac irrigated, 2006 and 2007
Seed cotton yield, precision sprinkler irrigation
cotton trials, lb/A, for 2006 and 2007.
CCcanopy cover factor.
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Overhead sprinkler irrigation trials
Average 2.3 and 3.5 ba/ac irrigated, 2006 and 2007
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Overhead sprinkler irrigation trials
Average 2.3 and 3.5 ba/ac irrigated, 2006 and 2007
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Estimating cotton irrigation income gains
Assumptions 140-ac pivot 101 HP diesel
engine Pumping costs 9.39/ac-in Extension
Publication BSEN-IRR-07-01 (May 2007)
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2006
2007
Future work costs and net returns (electric vs.
diesel and SDI vs. pivot).
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Average 2.3 and 3.5 ba/ac irrigated, 2006 and 2007
Seed cotton yield, precision sprinkler irrigation
cotton trials, lb/A, for 2006 and 2007.
CCcanopy cover factor.
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Irrigating from a Two Mile Pipeline Ten years
of Experience in South Alabama

• 75above 2Miles from branch pump site

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Documenting the Flow

• 60 HP Electric
  Pump w/Phase Converter
• Water Meter Installed

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Thank you
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30-year normal daily max/min/precip for Belle
Mina, AL
AWIS data 1971-2000
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Sporadic drought conditions exist in Alabama
Source http//www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/climate/