Maize Irrigation Study, 1985, Georgia Coastal Plain

Yield Comparisons:
Study:

Research Objective: Compare the effectiveness of widely differing methods of irrigation scheduling for supplying the water needs of high yielding corn.
Treatments:
 1.Control - Tensiometer - vary 20-60 cm at 30cb, full season
 2.Replace 80% pan evaporation every 3 days
 3.Fixed schedule
 4.No irrigation

Basic Crop Management: PLANTED - 18 Mar 1985 (rows 0.6m apart); HARVEST - 13 Aug 1985 (2-row grain combine); TILLAGE - Moldboard Plow (30 cm deep plus smoothing and bed shaping), wheel traffic controlled at 1.2 m centers; FERTILIZATION - Typical Extension Recommended Rate; WEED & PEST CONTROL: Typical Extension Recommendations.
Chronological Treatment and Observation Details

Observations and data sets for individual treatments (crop years) follow:
Treatment 1:
 Control - Tensiometer - vary 20-60 cm at 30cb, full season
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1985; Maturity (Black layer) - 01 Jul 1985
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 7.45; Individual plots - 6.90, 7.09, 7.22, 8.58 Text File
Treatment 2:
  Replace 80% pan evaporation every 3 days
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1985; Maturity (Black layer) - 01 Jul 1985
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 9.67; Individual plots - 7.53, 10.57, 9.58, 11.00 Text File
Treatment 3:
  Fixed schedule
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1985; Maturity (Black layer) - 01 Jul 1985
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 6.71; Individual plots - 4.15, 6.71, 7.88, 8.11 Text File
Treatment 4:
  No irrigation
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1985; Maturity (Black layer) - 01 Jul 1985
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 5.36; Individual plots - 4.21, 4.72, 6.89, 5.63 Text File
For more information on the study and its interpretation contact:
Dr. Jim Hook Professor, Soil and Water Management
Crop and Soil Sciences Department and NESPAL
The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
P.O. Box 748, Tifton, GA 31793-0748
e-mail: jimhook@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu

Page developed by James E. Hook, Amanda Richards, and Linsey Forlow.
Last Modified on 29 June 2000.