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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #200111

Title: On-Farm Studies of Water Use and Water Quality for Rice Production in the USA

Author
item Vories, Earl
item TACKER, PHIL - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item CHAUBEY, INDRAJEET - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Environmental and Water Resources Institute World Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/18/2006
Publication Date: 12/18/2006
Citation: Vories, E.D., Tacker, P., Chaubey, I. 2006. On-Farm Studies of Water Use and Water Quality for Rice Production in the USA. Proc. An International Perspective on Environmental and Water Resources. Dec 18-20, New Delhi, India. unpaginated CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: The Lower Mississippi River Valley region of the USA has a largely rural population and an economy heavily dependent on agriculture. Multidisciplinary projects were started in 2003 to investigate the impact of multiple-inlet rice irrigation on water use, runoff volume, and quality of the runoff water within the L'Anguille River watershed in eastern Arkansas. While the studies are still underway, limited preliminary data suggested that water quality entering and leaving the rice fields did not differ and the concentration of total nitrogen was lower for the multiple inlet system. This limited data cannot be used to make broad inferences about water use or water quality associated with rice production; however, the findings from this study will be helpful in solving problems ranging from declining groundwater supplies to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Technical Abstract: The Lower Mississippi River Valley region of the USA has a largely rural population and an economy heavily dependent on agriculture. The L'Anguille River watershed in eastern Arkansas, a major USA rice producing area, has been experiencing declining groundwater levels and water quality issues. Previous on-farm water-use studies showed that multiple-inlet rice irrigation required 24% less irrigation water than conventional flooding without yield loss; however, the studies did not address runoff quantity or quality. Multidisciplinary projects were started in 2003 to investigate the impact of multiple-inlet irrigation on water use, runoff volume, and quality of the runoff water within the L'Anguille River watershed. While the studies are still underway, preliminary data indicated that water quality entering and leaving the field did not differ for samples collected on 5 August, 2005. The concentration of total nitrogen was significantly lower for the multiple inlet system. However, the limited data included in this report should not be used to make broad inferences about water use or water quality associated with rice production.