Fieldprint Calculator: The Effects of Irrigation and Tillage Practices on Sustainability in the Texas High Plains

The Fieldprint Calculator is an analytical tool that evaluates crop production operations and computes their sustainability and operational efficiency. The calculator was developed by Field to Market: The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. The data used for this study was obtained from the Fieldprint Calculator’s data output for fields in the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) project located in the Texas High Plains region. The sites were evaluated across eight years from 2007 to 2014 and sustainability index values were calculated for each field. The objective of the study was to evaluate the TAWC data and analyze the effects of irrigation and tillage practices on sustainability metrics found in the Fieldprint Calculator. The ultimate goal is to determine which production practices are efficient or inefficient in regards to sustainability in the Texas High Plains so producers can make informed decisions about their crop production operations.