ARS | Publication request: SPATIAL VARIATION OF CROP WATER USE ACROSS PRODUCTION FIELDS

Submitted to: Intnl Conference On Geospatial Information In Agriculture And Forestry
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 12, 2000
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Crop yield patterns within fields vary among years. It has been observed for many years that crop biomass and yield were linear functions of crop water use patterns. Differences in crop water use among fields have been observed; however, there have been no direct measurements of crop water within a field that might be used to explain yield differences. A study has been conducted in central Iowa during 1997, 1998, and 1999 on corn to measure crop water use affected by soil type and nitrogen management. Crop water use and yield were largest in 1997 among soil types. Understanding the soil water use patterns will help develop improved management practices to overcome spatial variation within fields.