Maize Irrigation Study, 1980, Georgia Coastal Plain

Yield Comparisons:
Study:
  • Crop: Corn (Maize) - 'Funks g4507'
  • Year: 1980
  • Location: USA, GA, Tift County, Gopher Ridge Farm, Blocks G1 & G2
  • Soil Type, USDA Series: Bonifay sand
  • Meteorological Observations: Gopher Ridge, 80

Research Objectives:

    1. Evaluate ability of two crop computer models to predict when to irrigate.
    2. Evaluate ability of a simple fixed irrigation schedule to meet water needs of corn.
    3. Observe the water infiltration, water extraction patterns and leaching resulting from the various schedules.
    4. Determine and refine crop growth coefficients needed for the irrigation models.
Treatments:
G1:
 1.Lambert model
 2.No irrigation
 3.Dejager model
 4.Control - Tensiometer - shallow (15-30)cm at 30 cb
 5.Fixed schedule
G2:
 1.Control - Tensiometer - shallow
 2.Tensiometer - deep
 3.Tensiometer - variable

Basic Crop Management: PLANTED - 28 Feb 1980 (rows 0.9m apart); HARVEST - 15 Jul 1980 (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:
G1 Treatment 1:
  Lambert model
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 8.44; Individual plots - 8.49, 11.12, 7.57, 10.23, 6.50, 6.72 Text File
G1 Treatment 2:
  No irrigation
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 2.19; Individual plots - 6.92, 0.08, 0.06, 3.38, 1.20, 1.48 Text File
G1 Treatment 3:
  Dejager model
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 8.69; Individual plots - 8.62, 9.50, 10.07, 10.66, 5.98, 7.28 Text File
G1 Treatment 4:
 Control - Tensiometer - shallow (15-30cm) at 30 cb
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 9.08; Individual plots - 5.46, 9.31, 10.57, 8.42, 9.51, 11.22 Text File
G1 Treatment 5:
  Fixed schedule
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 7.99; Individual plots - 8.39, 6.55, 14.60, 5.74, 6.49, 6.18 Text File
G2 Treatment 1:
 Control - Tensiometer - shallow
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 10.37; Individual plots - 8.49, 10.37, 10.91, 9.99, 12.22, 10.22 Text File
G2 Treatment 2:
  Tensiometer - deep
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 8.53; Individual plots - 9.26, 3.26, 8.79, 10.36, 10.97 Text File
G2 Treatment 3:
  Tensiometer - variable
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 02 Apr 1980; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1980; Maturity (Black layer) - 11 Jul 1980
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Corn Grain, 15.5% moisture, T/ha: Average - 9.60; individual plots - 7.84, 10.81, 10.58, 9.52, 9.24 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.