Surface irrigation management in Alabama cotton

摘要

Fluctuations in cotton yield in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama are common and are usually related to drought or irregular rainfall. A sprinkler irrigation study established in 1999 evaluated a range of irrigation application intervals to identify the minimum design flow rate that will produce optimum yields. Treatments included four sprinkler irrigation intervals ranging from one inch every 12.5 days (1.5 gpm per acre) to one inch every 3.1 days (6.0 gpm per acre) and a non-irrigated treatment. Irrigation was managed using soil moisture sensors and a spreadsheet-based scheduling method. Significant yield differences between irrigated and non-irrigated were noted in most years, with rainfall variability and treatment effects accounting for a wide range of yield responses between irrigated treatments.