Irrigation Water Management
Jerry Wright, Associate
Professor and Extension Engineer, West Central Research and
Outreach Center, Morris, MN
East Otter Tail, Hubbard, and Wadena Counties SWCD and Extension
Staff
Mark Seeley, Professor and Extension Climatologist, Soil,
Water, and Climate
Bill Bland, Professor, Department of Soils, University of
Wisconsin
Objective
- Enhance irrigator and crop advisor skills in soil-water
management and understanding of decision tools including
real-time crop-water use (evapotranspiration, or ET).
- Increase irrigator awareness of the potential impact
of irrigation practices on degradation of water quality
in aquifers underlying sandy outwash soils.
Need or Impact
Irrigation scheduling is an important tool for site managers
to use to optimize a crop production system and reduce the
risk of leaching crop chemicals into the groundwater. Access
to and knowledge of daily crop water use (ET) is an important
factor in deciding when to irrigate. Program results have
encouraged some farmers to use their local ET hotline or the
Wisconsin-Minnesota Daily Crop ET web site (http://www.soils.wisc.edu/wimnext/).
Two irrigation scheduling extension bulletins are maintained
by the University of Minnesota Extension Service in the distribution
center and on the web site.
Status
Ongoing.
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