irrigating sweet corn with drip irrigation to conserve water resources - hawkins
TRANSCRIPT
IRRIGATION SWEET CORN WITH DRIP IRRIGATION TO
CONSERVE WATER RESOURCES
GARY L. HAWKINS, PH.D. AND CALVIN PERRYUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA – CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE
28 JULY 20152015 SWCS ANNUAL MEETING
GREENSBORO, NC
IRRIGATION IN GEORGIA
OBJECTIVES
• THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WERE:• TO COMPARE SWEET CORN PRODUCTION AND GRADE
UNDER FOUR IRRIGATION TREATMENTS• OVERHEAD – STANDARD CONTROL• DRIP WITH PLASTIC• DRIP WITHOUT PLASTIC• DRIP IN STANDARD ROW SPACING
• MEASURE SOIL MOISTURE AND MONITOR SOIL MOISTURE MOVEMENT
Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4
16”
16”
36”
Drip with Plastic
Drip without Plastic
Drip between rows
Treatments
72’ minus 54’
72’ minus 54’
18’
18’
Every other day plastic with tapeSplit application plastic with tape T2 no plastic but
tapeT3 Bare Ground and tape
T1 plastic and tape
Hawkins/Perry Sweet Corn 2013
Sweet Corn Plots at SIRP
NMain Office
P-R1
P-R3
P-R2
G-R1
G-R3
G-R2
R1T2
R3T1
R1T3
R1T1
R2T1
R2T3
R2T2
R4T2
R4T3
R4T1
R3T2
R3T3
There are also 4 treatments in the
overhead (OH1, OH2, OH3, OH4). Each plot
is 6 rows from the LEFT
Corn seed were planted directly into the beds
Beds without plastic was planted as beds with plastic
Overhead irrigated and drip between rows was planted with normal planters
MONITORING SOIL MOISTURE
15-Ap
r-13
18-Ap
r-13
21-Ap
r-13
24-Ap
r-13
27-Ap
r-13
30-Ap
r-13
3-May-
13
6-May-
13
9-May-
13
12-May-
13
15-May-
13
18-May-
13
21-May-
13
24-May-
13
27-May-
13
30-May-
13
2-Jun
-13
5-Jun-13
8-Jun-1
3
11-Ju
n-13
14-Ju
n-13
17-Ju
n-13
20-Ju
n-13
23-Ju
n-13
26-Ju
n-13
29-Ju
n-13
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Cumulative Rainfall verses Cumulative Irrigation
Inches of Rain Cum Irrigation Cum rain Inch
es o
f Rai
nfal
l or I
rigat
ion
(Cum
ulat
ive in
ches
)
Rain
fall
(inch
es)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 900
0.050.1
0.150.2
0.25
Days After Planting (DAP)
Inch
es o
f wat
er p
er
day
5/6/2013 12:00 AM5/16/2013 12:00 AM
5/26/2013 12:00 AM6/5/2013 12:00 AM
6/15/2013 12:00 AM
0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
Overhead Irrigation - Check
4 inch16 inch 24 inch
Volu
met
ric S
oil M
oist
ure
(m^3
/m^3
)
4/16/2013 12:00 AM
4/26/2013 12:00 AM
5/6/2013 12:00 AM5/16/2013 12:00 AM
5/26/2013 12:00 AM
6/5/2013 12:00 AM6/15/2013 12:00 AM
0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
Drip without Plastic
4 inch T2 16 inch T224 inch T2Vo
lum
etric
Soi
l moi
stur
e (m
^3/m
^3)
4/16/2013 12:00 AM
4/26/2013 12:00 AM
5/6/2013 12:00 AM
5/16/2013 12:00 AM
5/26/2013 12:00 AM
6/5/2013 12:00 AM
6/15/2013 12:00 AM
0.000
0.050
0.100
0.150
0.200
0.250
0.300
0.350
Overhead vs. Drip w/ Plastic vs. Drip w/o Plastic
4 inch T2 16 inch T2 24 inch T2 4 inch T1 16 inch T124 inch T1 4 inch Overhead 16 inch Overhead 24 inch Overhead Series19
Volu
met
ric
Soil
Moi
stur
e (m
^3/
m^
3)
Overhead - Check
Standard with DripDrip without Plastic
Drip with PlasticJune 6 2013 - 65 DAP
Plastic with Drip
Overhead (Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple 5.00
5.50
6.00
6.50
7.00
7.50
8.00 Comparison of all Treatments -- 2013 Sweet Corn
Average (Length) Average (Girth)
Leng
th a
nd G
irth
(in
ches
)
A AA
C
BB
BCD
B
CD
C
AA
Overhead (Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple14.0
14.5
15.0
15.5
16.0
16.5
17.0 Brix of Sweet Corn at SIRP 2013
Overhead (Control)
Plastic No-Plastic Bare Grd. Tifton Green Purple86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
Grade of Sweet Corn -- 2013Gr
ade
(%)
CONCLUSIONS
• WE STARTED THIS PROJECT TO DETERMINE IF USING PLASTIC WITH DRIP TO GROW SWEET CORN WAS A METHOD TO CONSERVE WATER RESOURCES IN AN AREA THAT WAS FACING WATER ISSUES IN GEORGIA
• DRIP WAS USED AS A METHOD THAT WOULD BE USED IN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
• OVER THE GROWING SEASON WE HAD AN ALMOST EQUAL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AS IS REQUIRED BY THE WATER USE CURVE
• EVEN THOUGH WE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH WATER ON THE CROP, THERE WERE SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES THAT COULD BE SEEN
• THE TEST IS PLANNED TO BE RERUN IN 2014
Thanks for Your Time.
Questions?Gary L. Hawkins
UGA – Crop and Soil ScienceWatkinsville, GA