Using Predawn Water Potential As a Means of Scheduling Irrigation for Drip Irrigated Cotton

In the southeastern United States, variability in the amount and timing of rainfall can lead to substantial yield losses under dryland conditions.  The decision to irrigate can be complicated by variability in soil moisture, atmospheric demand, stage of plant development, rooting depth, etc. Because the cotton crop integrates its total environment, direct and indirect measures of plant water status should provide a valuable tool for scheduling irrigation according to crop need. To this end, irrigation was scheduled with predefined predawn water potential triggers, and canopy temperature, plant growth, and yield were characterized for field-grown cotton in southern Georgia during the 2013 growing season.