Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us
  • Follow SWCS on Twitter
  • Visit SWCS on Facebook
Research ArticleResearch Section

Agronomic and economic evaluation of various furrow irrigation strategies for corn production under limited water supply

D.J. Nelson and M.M. Al-Kaisi
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation March 2011, 66 (2) 114-121; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.66.2.114
D.J. Nelson
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
M.M. Al-Kaisi
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

It is commonly known that furrow irrigation is a less efficient method of irrigation than a sprinkler center pivot system, but many fields' irregular shapes prevent the use of center pivot irrigation. Restricted water allocations of surface and subsurface water are forcing farmers to implement irrigation strategies that will reduce water application on furrow-irrigated fields. The study site was located in south central Nebraska. The objective of this study was to evaluate two irrigation scheduling scenarios: (1) the every-furrow irrigation method with 50% (0.5), 70% (0.7), and 90% (0.9) field capacity (FC) treatments and (2) the every-furrow (EF) irrigation method compared to the every-other-furrow (EOF) method with both using the 75% field capacity (0.75 FC) treatment effects on corn (Zea mays L.) yield, net economic return, and residual soil nitrate-nitrogen. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Grain yield showed no significant difference in both years for all irrigation treatments. Irrigation water application with the 0.5 FC strategy reduced the amount of applied water by approximately 70% and 200% compared to 0.7 FC and 0.9 FC, respectively, in both years. The water savings with the EOF method over the EF method was 23%. The economic return with 0.5 FC was 6% to 13% and 36% to 69% over 0.7 and 0.9 FC irrigation treatments, respectively. The 0.5 FC strategy showed no significant reduction in nitrate-nitrogen loss over 0.7 FC and 0.9 FC, while the EOF method reduced soil nitrate-nitrogen loss by 11% to 26% over the EF irrigation method in both years. The average economic return over two years with the 0.5 FC strategy was 9.5% and 52.5% over 0.7 FC and 0.9 FC irrigation treatments, respectively, while the average economic return with the EOF method over the EF method was 9.5%. Findings demonstrated that economic and environmental benefits of using 0.5 FC or the EOF method is much superior to other furrow irrigation strategies, especially in areas with limited water resources where less efficient irrigation methods may lead to significant water loss.

  • © 2011 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation: 66 (2)
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Vol. 66, Issue 2
March/April 2011
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Agronomic and economic evaluation of various furrow irrigation strategies for corn production under limited water supply
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
9 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Agronomic and economic evaluation of various furrow irrigation strategies for corn production under limited water supply
D.J. Nelson, M.M. Al-Kaisi
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Mar 2011, 66 (2) 114-121; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.66.2.114

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Request Permissions
Share
Agronomic and economic evaluation of various furrow irrigation strategies for corn production under limited water supply
D.J. Nelson, M.M. Al-Kaisi
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Mar 2011, 66 (2) 114-121; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.66.2.114
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Smart control of agricultural water wells in western Iran: Application of the Q-methodology
  • Soil health through farmers’ eyes: Toward a better understanding of how farmers view, value, and manage for healthier soils
  • Policy process and problem framing for state Nutrient Reduction Strategies in the US Upper Mississippi River Basin
Show more Research Section

Similar Articles

Content

  • Current Issue
  • Early Online
  • Archive
  • Subject Collections

Info For

  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • Subscribers
  • Advertisers

Customer Service

  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions and Reprints
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

SWCS

  • Membership
  • Publications
  • Meetings and Events
  • Conservation Career Center

© 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society