Evapotranspiration of full-, deficit-irrigated and dryland cotton on the northern Texas High Plains
Date
2002-07
Authors
Howell, T. A., author
Evett, S. R., author
Tolk, J. A., author
Schneider, A. D., author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is beginning to be produced on the Northern Texas High Plains as a lower water-requiring crop while producing an acceptable profit. Cotton is a warm season, perennial species produced like an annual yet it requires a delicate balance of water and water deficit controls to most effectively produce high yields in this thermally limited environment. This study measured the water use of cotton in near-fully irrigated, deficiently irrigated, and dryland regimes in a Northern Texas High Plains environment, which has a shortened cotton producing season, using precision weighing lysimeters in 2000 and 2001. The irrigated regimes were irrigated with a lateral-move sprinkler system. The water use data were used to develop crop coefficient data and compared with the FAO-56 method for estimating crop water use. Cotton yield, water use, and water use efficiency was found to be as good in this region as other more noted cotton regions. FAO-56 ET prediction procedures performed better for the more fully irrigated treatments in this environment.
Description
Presented at the 2002 USCID/EWRI conference, Energy, climate, environment and water - issues and opportunities for irrigation and drainage on July 9-12 in San Luis Obispo, California.