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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181928
Title: MULTIPLE INLET RICE IRRIGATION

Author
item Vories, Earl
item BOND, JASON - LA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Rice Field Day Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2005
Publication Date: 6/30/2005
Citation: Vories, E.D. 2005. Multiple inlet rice irrigation [abstract]. Annual Rice Field Day Program, Crowley, LA. LSU AgCenter: 10-11.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Conventional flooded rice production consists of a well or riser in the highest-elevation portion of the field. Contour levees are constructed at approximately every 0.2 ft in elevation drop and adjustable spills are placed in the levees. When water is released from the well or riser, it flows over the spills into lower paddies as the upper paddies are filled. Since the paddies are overfilled to allow water to pass to the next lower paddy, there is quite a lot of skill and/or guesswork in knowing exactly how much water to pump so that all paddies are filled with little runoff from the lowest paddy. An alternative method for applying flood water is known as side-inlet or multiple-inlet irrigation. Rather than discharging directly from the well or riser into the paddy, a pipe is connected and gates or holes are placed in each paddy. In this way, each paddy is watered simultaneously, instead of receiving overflow from a higher paddy. The spills are left in the levees to provide a spillway for rainwater. Since it is not necessary to overfill the paddies with multiple inlet irrigation, deep percolation and seepage through the outside levees should be reduced. In addition, since each paddy fills at the same time, it is easier to apply the exact amount of water needed without runoff. In order to study water requirements for rice on a production scale, a series of on-farm water use studies were conducted during the 1999 through 2002 growing seasons. During the four-year study, data were collected from 14 pairs of rice fields. The farms represented the northern, central, and southern portions of the rice-growing region in Arkansas, and the range of soil types used for rice production. The multiple inlet system required 24% less irrigation water applied than conventional flooding, with 36.6 and 27.7 inches for conventional and multiple inlet, respectively. In addition, no yield loss was associated with the multiple inlet system. More efficient water management for rice will result in lower costs to the producers and allow more effective irrigation of other crops that share the water supply. It will also help relieve some of the water shortages being encountered.