Cotton Irrigation Study, 2002, 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.No irrigation
 2.No irrigation from emergence to first square
 3.No irrigation from emergence to first flower
 4.No irrigation from first square to first flower
 5.No irrigation from first flower to three weeks after first flower
 6.No irrigation from three weeks after first flower to six weeks after first flower
 7.No irrigation from six weeks after first flower to open boll
 8.Full irrigation - irrigate when Watermark sensors at any depth average 50 centibars
 9.Full irrigation until 50% open boll

Basic Crop Management: PLANTED - 02 May 2002 (placed 2 cm deep, seed rate 13 seeds/m); HARVEST - 11 Oct 2002 ; 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
Cost Breakdown

Observations and data sets for individual treatments (crop years) follow:
Treatment 1:
No irrigation
  • Phenology: Emergence - 09 May 2002; Maturity - 26 Aug 2002
  • Stand Counts: Text Format;
  • Plant Heights: Text Format;
  • Open Boll Counts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 1.63; Individual plots - 1.88, 1.28, 1.32, 2.03
    Text File
Treatment 2:
No irrigation from emergence to first square
Treatment 3:
No irrigation from emergence to first flower
Treatment 4:
No irrigation from first square to first flower
Treatment 5:
No irrigation from first flower to three weeks after first flower
Treatment 6:
No irrigation from three weeks after first flower to six weeks after first flower
Treatment 7:
No irrigation from six weeks after first flower to open boll
Treatment 8:
Full irrigation - irrigate when Watermark sensors at any depth average 50 centibars
Treatment 9:
Full irrigation until 50% open boll
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 20 March 2003.