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A sod-based cropping system for irrigation reductions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2015

Daniel Dourte ,
R.L. Bartel ,
S. George ,
J.J. Marois  and
D.L Wright
Daniel Dourte
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, 1741 Museum Road, Gainesville, FL, USA.
R.L. Bartel
Affiliation:
University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences — North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL, USA.
S. George*
Affiliation:
University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences — North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL, USA.
J.J. Marois
Affiliation:
University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences — North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL, USA.
D.L Wright
Affiliation:
University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences — North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Abstract

Cotton and peanut grown under irrigation make up over 769,000 ha in the Southeast USA. The consumptive use of water for irrigation has significantly impacted groundwater resources, spring flows and streamflows in many parts of this region, particularly during severe droughts. This situation is further complicated with extreme weather events and climate variability. In this study, we compare yields and water use in a non-irrigated sod-based rotation system (SBR; bahiagrass–bahiagrass–peanut–cotton) to an irrigated conventional rotation system (ICR; peanut–cotton–cotton). Root mass of oat cover crop following peanut or cotton in a SBR and ICR system was also measured. A soil water assessment model (SWAT) was used to simulate irrigation water demands over a 34 yr period (1980–2013) under different soil types to quantify water saving potential of SBR. The average peanut yield in ICR from 2002 to 2013 was 4509 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 4874 kg ha−1. Likewise the average cotton yield in ICR during the same period was 1237 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 1339 kg ha−1. Oats had greater root mass in SBR than ICR. Simulation results indicate that crops in SBR consistently had substantially lower irrigation requirements (between 11 and 22 cm yr−1) than those in ICR in dry years. The water-saving potential of SBR varies positively with increasing sand content in soil.

Keywords

crop rotationcrop water demandirrigationperennial grassesrooting depth
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 31 , Issue 6 , December 2016 , pp. 485 - 494
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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