Modern Eddy Covariance monitoring of crop water requirements in farms for real-time water management applications

Authors: Anapalli, Saseendran; MURRELL, CARTER - Murrell Farms

Submitted to: National Conservation Tillage Cotton and Rice Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2018
Publication Date: 1/19/2019
Citation: Anapalli, S.S., Murrell, C. 2019. Modern Eddy Covariance monitoring of crop water requirements in farms for real-time water management applications. National Conservation Tillage Cotton and Rice Conference Proceedings. ..

Interpretive Summary: When field lysimeters help us measure crop water consumption directly from the crop-field, they are expensive, difficult to install and maintain for long-term data collection for capturing location-specific climate variability impacts on crop water requirements for irrigation water management. In pioneering studies in the past couple of years, scientists from the Crop Production Research Unit, USDA ARS quantified water needs of corn, soybean, and cotton crops in the Delta region, using modern, cutting-edge science based eddy covariance approach. The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer that took millions of years to fill is depleting from water withdrawals for irrigations. To contain this problem, we envision: (1) irrigate crops based on the crop water requirements, and (2) use both renewable surface and not-so-easily-renewable groundwater resources. Crop water requirements and water shortages/stress in farmers fields in the Delta are being monitored in real-time. The conjunctive use of the groundwater, and surface water from Bayous and other natural sources are being tapped in the Murrel Farms as an example of a sustainable water use model.

Technical Abstract: The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer that took millions of years to fill is depleting from water withdrawals for irrigations. To contain: (1) irrigate based on the crop water requirements (evapotranspiration, ET), and (2) use both renewable surface and groundwater resources. Modern eddy covariance and energy balance based instruments are being used in real-time monitoring of staple-crop water requirements and within season water shortages/stress in farmers’ fields in the Delta. The conjunctive use of the groundwater, and surface water from Bayous and other natural sources are being tapped in the Murrel Farms as an example of a sustainable water use model.