Project Number: 6604-13210-004-07
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 03, 2010
End Date: Dec 30, 2012

Objective:
Develop improved technologies for the use and management of drip irrigation in cotton, corn, and peanut rotations while increasing water use efficiency and water conservation.

Approach:
Up to four in-field SSDI and S3DI (subsurface and shallow subsurface drip irrigation) research projects will be initiated in major row crop areas of Georgia. Sites will include USDA, University of Georgia (UGA), and cooperating farmers' fields. These projects will demonstrate drip installation, ease of use, water savings, crop yield response, and economics of both shallow and deep buried drip laterals. Plant growth, health, and maturation as well as soil moisture characteristics in various drip irrigation systems will be monitored, documented, and analyzed for grower technology transfer. Soil and plant nutrient values will be collected before, during, and after the growing season to monitor nutrient status and to predict crop yield when using drip irrigation. Pest pressures will be monitored and treatments imposed to identify best management practices for weed, insect, and disease challenges with drip irrigation. These studies will be conducted over a five year period contingent on appropriated funding.