Cotton Irrigation Study, 1995, Georgia Coastal Plain

Yield Comparisons:
Study:

Research Objectives:

    1. Develop irrigation/N management systems for consistent high yield and quality cotton for loamy sand soils.
    2. Establish soil water requirements needed for consistent growth and boll development
    3. Validate cotton irrigation by N models for the Georgia Coastal Plain.
Treatments:
 1.Control - Soil water content scheduling - when the average soil water content in the 10 to 45 cm depth exceeds 35 kPa schedule an irrigation for the next day (1 day late)
 2.Irrigation scheduled by Neogen sensors (Whole plot receives N at rate and time of N level 3)
 3.Irrigation scheduled by Thomas pan (Whole plot receives N at rate and time of N level 3)
 4.No irrigation

Basic Crop Management: PLANTED - 12 May 1995 (seed rate 13 seeds/m); HARVEST - 03 Oct 1995; 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 - Soil water content scheduling - when the average soil water content in the 10 to 45 cm depth exceeds 35 kPa schedule an irrigation for the next day (1 day late)
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 18 May 1995; Pollination (R2) - ; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 2.70 Text File
Treatment 2:
 Irrigation scheduled by Neogen sensors (Whole plot receives N at rate and time of N level 3)
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 18 May 1995; Pollination (R2) - ; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 2.62 Text File
Treatment 3:
 Irrigation scheduled by Thomas pan (Whole plot receives N at rate and time of N level 3)
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 18 May 1995; Pollination (R2) - ; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 2.69 Text File
Treatment 4:
 No irrigation
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 18 May 1995; Pollination (R2) - ; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 2.32 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.