Defining Optimal Irrigation Strategies for Cotton Using Sub-Surface Drip and Overhead Irrigation Systems in Georgia

Improved efficiency in water usage is becoming more important in Georgia due to the increased demand from agricultural needs and municipalities. Subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) has been touted to reduce water losses due to evaporation or drift. Additionally, SSDI could offer utility in meeting water demands of cotton for current dryland fields where the size and shape of the field are not conducive for center pivot irrigation. Experiments were conducted at Stripling Irrigation Research Park near Camilla, Georgia and the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center near Midville, Georgia during 2011 comparing SSDI and overhead irrigation (OVH) systems in cotton. Treatments consisted of two cotton cultivars (Deltapine® 1050 B2RF and FiberMax® 1740 B2F), two irrigation systems (SSDI and OVH), two depths of SSDI (2 inches and 12 inches), two irrigation trigger benchmarks (40 centibars and 70 centibars), one treatment where irrigation was applied according to current UGA recommendations, another treatment where irrigation was applied according to 65% of current UGA recommendations, and lastly a dryland control. Data for plant growth and development parameters were collected throughout the season followed by analysis of yield and fiber quality.