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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Jonesboro, Arkansas » Delta Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327983
Title: Plant, soil and weather-based cues for irrigation termination timing in soybean.

Author
item CHLAPECKA, JUSTIN - University Of Arkansas
item BENSON, NELSON RAY - University Of Arkansas
item Reba, Michele
item TEAGUE, TINA - Arkansas State University

Submitted to: Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/2016
Publication Date: 2/1/2017
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5642522
Citation: Chlapecka, J., Benson, N., Reba, M.L., Teague, T.G. 2017. Plant, soil and weather-based cues for irrigation termination timing in soybean.. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series. 637:159-164.

Interpretive Summary: Irrigation termination timing was evaluated on Mississippi County commercial farms in 2014 and 2015 in furrow-irrigated fields with sharkey clay soils. A major objective was to validate and expand irrigation timing recommendations that pair plant growth measures with weather cues including use of local weather station data and atmometers to estimate evapotranspiration (ET). Four termination timing treatments were evaluated: early, standard, and late termination, along with a rainfed check. Even with above average rainfall in 2014 and 2015, there were yield differences among treatments with significant penalties for terminating irrigation prior to R6.5. These results validate current Arkansas recommendations.

Technical Abstract: Irrigation termination timing was evaluated on Mississippi County commercial farms in 2014 and 2015 in furrow-irrigated fields with Sharkey clay soils. A major objective was to validate and expand irrigation timing recommendations that pair plant growth measures with weather cues including use of local weather station data and atmometers to estimate evapotranspiration (ET). Four termination timing treatments were evaluated: early, standard, and late termination, along with a rainfed check. Even with above average rainfall in 2014 and 2015, there were yield differences among treatments with significant penalties for terminating irrigation prior to R6.5. These results validate current Arkansas recommendations.