Water and energy conservation through efficient irrigation management. Project completion report, January 1, 1975-December 1976

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5421779

Stone, L R

An evaluation was made of corn (Zea mays L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) yield and water use efficiency as influenced by irrigation timing. The study was located at Tribune (mean annual rainfall of 17.0 inches) and Manhattan, (mean annual rainfall of 33.5 inches) Kansas. Treatments consisted of no in-season irrigation, a single in-season irrigation at one of three different growth stages, and irrigating at each of the three selected growth stages. Selected growth stages in corn were pre-tassel, silk emergence, and blister; in grain sorghum they were boot, half-bloom, and soft-dough. Each irrigation was 4 inches at Manhattan and 6 inches at Tribune. All Tribune plots received a pre-plant irrigation in April of each year. Water was applied to basin plots using gated pipe. With no in-season irrigation, the 3-year mean grain sorghum yields were greater than corn yields at both Manhattan and Tribune. The largest 3-year mean yield for corn receiving a single in-season irrigation was obtained with the irrigation during silk emergence at both Manhattan and Tribune. Grain sorghum yields from the single in-season irrigation treatments were similar and presented no single time that tended to be superior during the three study years. Corn responded well to the three in-season irrigations. The grain sorghum yield increase for plots receiving three in-season irrigations as opposed to those receiving only one in-season irrigation is insufficient to justify the two additional irrigations.

• Research Organization: Kansas Water Resources Research Inst., Manhattan (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5421779
• Report Number(s): NP-24406
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
MAIZE
IRRIGATION
WATER REQUIREMENTS
SORGHUM
CROPS
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
ENERGY CONSERVATION
EVALUATION
KANSAS
CEREALS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
MIDWEST REGION
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
USA
320301* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes- Energy Sources