Maize Irrigation Study, 1985, Georgia Coastal Plain
Study:

Research Objectives:

    1. Compare high frequency irrigation to regular tensiometer scheduling on yield and irrigation efficiency.
    2. Compare a simple fixed irrigation schedule with tensiometer scheduling on yield and irrigation efficiency.
    3. Add to the database of yield vs. soil moisture and weather.
Treatments:
 1.Vary 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, placed 5 cm deep); HARVEST - 13 Aug 1982 (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:
 Vary full season
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1982; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
Treatment 2:
 Replace 80% pan evaporation every 3 days
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1982; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
Treatment 3:
 Fixed schedule
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1982; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
Treatment 4:
 No irrigation
  • Irrigation Dates and Amounts: Text Format;
  • Phenology: Emergence - 28 Mar 1985; Pollination (R2) - 04 Jun 1982; Maturity (Black layer) -
  • Stand Count:
  • Soil Water Pressure Observations: Tensiometer & Gypsum Block
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.