Phil Tacker Associate Professor Extension Engineer BS

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Phil Tacker
Associate Professor / Extension
Engineer BS MS Ag. Eng. U of A, Joined CES
August 1982
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We irrigate most of our crops in the Arkansas
Delta

• Rice 1.5 million acres - all irrigated
• Corn 350,000 acres 80 irrigated
• Cotton 1 million acres - 75 irrigated
• Soybeans 3 million acres - 62 irrigated
• Milo 250,000 acres 50 irrigated

4.5 million irrigated acres 74 of total
acres
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Arkansas ranks fourth among states in irrigated
acreage. Nebraska, California, Texas Arkansas
irrigated acres is still increasing which is not
the case for most of the other states.
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Computerized Irrigation Scheduler
www.uaex.edu
Agriculture-Computer Programs-Irrigation
Scheduling
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Arkansas producers operate approx. 50,000
irrigation pumps
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Growing Concern
White River Irrigation Project
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Increasing Energy Costs for Irrigation
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Pumping Cost Spreadsheet
Publication Estimating Irrigation Costs
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On Farm Irrigation Demonstrations
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Arkansas MIRI Comparisons

• Years 2001 2006
• Number of Comparisons 24
• Average Savings 23
• Savings Range 8 - 44

Comparison avg for watershed study is 19
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Watershed Protection Projects
Protecting Water Quantity and Quality in The
L'Anguille River Watershed A Field Study
Approach
Supported by grants from the U.S. EPA, U.S.D.A
CSREES and ANRC
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Two Wheat Fields Followed By Soybeans 2007
Field B
Field A
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Irrigation Water Monitoring With Flowmeters
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Measuring and sampling runoff
datalogger
runoff weir
water sampler
depth sensor
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Runoff Water From Rice, 05
6 inches
Inches
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Phaucet Program For Furrow Irrigation
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Phaucet Program For Furrow Irrigation

• Helps determine size of holes to punch in tubing
• Calculates pressure change along the tubing
• Can help address different row lengths in the
  same set
• May increase number of rows irrigated in a set
• Should help rows water out more evenly

Can possibly reduce irrigation and runoff
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Surge Valve Irrigation
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Phaucet Program and Surge Valve
Combination Reduced pumping by average of 25
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Fertigation With Center Pivots
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Remote Monitoring Control Of Irrigation Pumps
Fuel Sensor
Water Sensor
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Safety Concerns
PTO Shield
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External Funding
Arkansas State Cotton Support Committee Arkansas
Corn and Grain Sorghum Board
ANRC, USDA-CSREES, US EPA
- 550,000 in last 10 yrs from Grower Check-Off
Funds - 1.75 million in grants
through US EPA, USDA-CSREES and ANRC as PI or
Co-PI