ABSTRACT:
Careful choice of irrigation application rate and timing, particularly in humid regions, can help irrigators maintain yields with less water. Computer simulations were used to compare strategies that vary according to when irrigation is initiated, rate of application, and how much information is used to help make the irrigation decision. Basing scheduling decisions on better information lowered average per-acre water applications from 11.7 inches to 5.5 inches, a reduction of more than 50% compared to the benchmark irrigation strategy. Better scheduling also increased average per-acre net returns from $20.44 to $31.88, an increase of more than 50% compared to the benchmark.
Footnotes
Darrell J. Bosch is an associate professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, and Burton B. Ross is an associate professor, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 24061. The authors thank Norris Powell, Jim Steele, and Phillip Stenger for providing data used in this research.
- Copyright 1990 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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