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1 - Production Research
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Furrow diking improves water capture in row crops. This tillage operation helps capture more rainfall by reducing runoff up to 300%. The Southeast receives an average annual rainfall of 50 inches; we are making attempts to take better advantage of this valuable resource.
Research at the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, GA has shown increased water savings, yield, and economic returns in peanut, corn, and cotton by using furrow dikes. This tillage operation creates a series of basins and dams in the furrow between crop rows to help capture water.
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The equipment necessary for furrow diking is not expensive and can be attached to common cultivation equipment. In corn and cotton, furrow diked crops required 1 to 5 fewer irrigation events to produce equal or greater yield.
In rainfall simulation studies, furrow diking captured 7 days of plant available water compared to 4 days in non-diked treatments with equal rainfall.
Furrow diking improved irrigated corn yield by 21 bu/A and non-irrigated corn yield by 8 bu/A. Non-irrigated cotton yield in 2006 was improved up to 58% and net return of irrigated cotton was improved by up to $170/A. Irrigation requirements in furrow diked peanuts were reduced by 1/3 and did not reduce yield at 4800 lb/A.
For more information, contact Russell Nuti.
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