ARS | Publication request: SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION FOR COTTON AND SOYBEAN

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 30, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Subsurface drip provides opportunities to greatly reduce water use for irrigated crop production in the SE USA. Previous research indicated that surface compaction may be limiting yield potential when no-tillage culture is used over drip irrigation laterals. Our objective was to compare three conservation tillage systems (no tillage, broadcast soil loosening to a 15.2-cm depth, and in-row soil loosening to a 20.3-cm depth) for cotton an soybean production with subsurface drip irrigation. Irrigation laterals were buried 0.3 m deep, and treatments were spacings of either 0.97 m or 1.93 m. Two rainfed controls were no tillage and in-row subsoiling to a depth of 30.5 cm. In 1998, soybean and cotton yields were not influenced by lateral spacing or tillage. With irrigation, cotton lint yields were 1210 kg/ha and soybean seed yields were 2150 kg/ha. Without irrigation, cotton lint yields were 850 kg/ha and soybean seed yields were 1810 kg/ha. The relatively low yields for the irrigated treatments suggest that unidentified factors in addition to the soil surface compaction may be limiting yield in this system.