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.Full irrigation
 2.No irrigation from first flower to three weeks after first flower
 3.No irrigation from six weeks after first flower to open boll
 4.No irrigation from emergence to first square
 5.No irrigation from three weeks after first flower to six weeks after first flower
 6.No irrigation from first square to first flower
 7.No irrigation from emergence to first flower
 8.Full irrigation until 50% open boll
 9.No irrigation

Basic Crop Management: PLANTED - (placed 2 cm deep, seed rate 13 seeds/m); HARVEST - ; 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.
Crop Inputs

Observations and data sets for individual treatments (crop years) follow:
Treatment 1:
Full irrigation
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.50; Individual plots - 2.67, 3.74, 4.05, 3.55
    Text File
Treatment 2:
No irrigation from first flower to three weeks after first flower
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.18; Individual plots - 2.66, 3.52, 3.32, 3.21
    Text File
Treatment 3:
No irrigation from six weeks after first flower to open boll
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.73; Individual plots - 3.39, 3.91, 3.85, 3.77
    Text File
Treatment 4:
No irrigation from emergence to first square
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.83; Individual plots - 3.80, 3.83, 4.06, 3.64
    Text File
Treatment 5:
No irrigation from three weeks after first flower to six weeks after first flower
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.66; Individual plots - 3.36, 3.57, 3.94, 3.75
    Text File
Treatment 6:
No irrigation from first square to first flower
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.47; Individual plots - 3.46, 3.67, 3.50, 3.24
    Text File
Treatment 7:
No irrigation from emergence to first flower
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.40; Individual plots - 3.17, 3.45, 3.49, 3.48
    Text File
Treatment 8:
Full irrigation until 50% open boll
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 3.74; Individual plots - 3.49, 3.97, 3.73, 3.76
    Text File
Treatment 9:
No irrigation
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Watermarks
  • Yield Cotton, T/ha: Average - 2.52; Individual plots - 3.18, 2.02, 2.36, 2.52
    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 30 January 2003.