A Meta Analysis on the Impact of Irrigation Technology on Cotton Yield and WUE

As water resources from the Ogallala aquifer begin to decline, producers are faced with the challenge of maximizing crop yield using sustainable irrigation practices. Irrigation technologies have developed over time and have become more efficient by minimizing water loss due to evaporation, runoff, and deep percolation. Producers can now utilize strategic irrigation management methods using soil moisture monitoring and irrigation scheduling to ensure the right amount of irrigation water is applied at the right time to achieve maximum profitability while still conserving water. Studies across the Ogallala Aquifer region have analyzed the impact of irrigation type, timing, and rates on the crop yield response to water and water use efficiency; however, results of this studies have not been fully synthesized. The objective of this study is to integrate existing research from replicated trials and experiments from peer-reviewed journal articles as well as extension publications using a Meta-Analysis approach. A meta-analysis is a quantitative procedure used to combine results from various studies. This study will use journal articles and extension experiments to perform a meta-analysis across the Ogallala Aquifer region. This analysis will include data from USDA climate hub sites and the Ogallala Aquifer Program. Through this analysis, we will quantify the effect of irrigation technology and management systems on water use efficiencies and agronomic yields. Examples of management activities that will be analyzed include planting dates, seeding rates, soil types, irrigation system and amounts, fertilizer application, and crop varieties.  The results of this analysis will be to determine the most promising irrigation and management systems. The meta-regression will determine relationships between crop yield and water use efficiency on irrigation type and rates, weather, rainfall patterns, soil characteristics, and cropping patterns.