Effects of Quality Considerations and Climate/Weather Information on the Management and Profitability of Cotton Production in the Texas High Plains

Production function models for cotton lint yields, seed yields, turnout, and lint quality characteristics are developed for the Texas High Plains. They are used to evaluate the impacts of quality considerations and of climate/weather information on the management decisions and on the profitability and risk of irrigated cotton production systems. It is concluded that both quality considerations and improved climatic/weather information could have substantial effects on expected profitability and risk. These effects mainly occur because of changes in optimal variety selection and irrigation water use levels. Quality considerations in particular result in significantly lower irrigation water use levels regardless of the climate/weather information assumption, which has important scarce-resource use implications for the Texas High Plains.

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Assessing the impacts of irrigation termination periods on cotton productivity under strategic deficit irrigation regimes

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-99472-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sushil K. Himanshu ◽

Srinivasulu Ale ◽

James P. Bordovsky ◽

JungJin Kim ◽

Sayantan Samanta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Weather Data ◽

Physiological Data ◽

High Plains ◽

Cotton Yield ◽

Cotton Production ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Irrigation Water Use

AbstractDetermining optimum irrigation termination periods for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is crucial for efficient utilization and conservation of finite groundwater resources of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains (THP) region. The goal of this study was to suggest optimum irrigation termination periods for different Evapotranspiration (ET) replacement-based irrigation strategies to optimize cotton yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) using the CROPGRO-Cotton model. We re-evaluated a previously evaluated CROPGRO-Cotton model using updated yield and in-season physiological data from 2017 to 2019 growing seasons from an IWUE experiment at Halfway, TX. The re-evaluated model was then used to study the effects of combinations of irrigation termination periods (between August 15 and September 30) and deficit/excess irrigation strategies (55%-115% ET-replacement) under dry, normal and wet years using weather data from 1978 to 2019. The 85% ET-replacement strategy was found ideal for optimizing irrigation water use and cotton yield, and the optimum irrigation termination period for this strategy was found to be the first week of September during dry and normal years, and the last week of August during wet years. Irrigation termination periods suggested in this study are useful for optimizing cotton production and IWUE under different levels of irrigation water availability.

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Yields, Fruit Quality, and Water Use in a Jalapeno Pepper and Tomatoes under Open Field and High-tunnel Production Systems in the Texas High Plains

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci15143-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (10) ◽

pp. 1632-1641

Author(s):

Hyungmin Rho ◽

Paul Colaizzi ◽

James Gray ◽

Li Paetzold ◽

Qingwu Xue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Production Systems ◽

Severe Weather ◽

High Plains ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Crop Water ◽

High Tunnel ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Texas High Plains ◽

High Winds

The Texas High Plains has a semi-arid, hot, windy climate that features high evapotranspiration (ET) demands for crop production. Irrigation is essential for vegetable production in the region, but it is constrained by depleting groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer. High-tunnel (HT) production systems may reduce irrigation water demand and protect crops from severe weather events (e.g., hail, high wind, freezing) common to the region. The objective of this study was to compare yields, fruit quality, crop water use, and crop water use efficiency (WUE) of jalapeno pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in HT and open field (OF) production systems. We hypothesized that the protection from dry and high winds by HT would improve yields and quality of fruits and reduce water use of peppers and tomatoes. During the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons, peppers and tomatoes were transplanted on two HT plots and two identical OF plots. Plastic mulch was used in combination with a surface drip irrigation system. Micrometeorological variables (incoming solar irradiance, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) and soil physical variables (soil temperature and volumetric soil water) were measured. Air temperatures were significantly higher during the daytime, and wind speed and light intensity were significantly lower in HT compared with OF. Despite the lower light intensity, yields were greater in HT compared with OF. The fruits grown in HT did not show significant differences in chemical quality attributes, such as ascorbic acid and lycopene contents, compared with those grown in OF. Because of protection from dry, high winds, plants in HT required less total water over the growing seasons compared with OF, resulting in increased WUE. The 2018 and 2019 data showed that HT production is advantageous as compared to conventional OF production in terms of increased WUE and severe weather risk mitigation for high-value vegetable production in the Texas High Plains.

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Determining Optimum Irrigation Termination Periods for Cotton Production in the Texas High Plains

Transactions of the ASABE ◽

10.13031/trans.13483 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 105-115

Author(s):

Srinivasulu Ale ◽

Nina Omani ◽

Sushil K. Himanshu ◽

James P. Bordovsky ◽

Kelly R. Thorp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Deficit Irrigation ◽

Cotton Yield ◽

Full Irrigation ◽

Cotton Production ◽

Seed Cotton ◽

Irrigation Water Use Efficiency ◽

Irrigation Water Use ◽

Use Efficiency

HighlightsIrrigation water use efficiency was consistently higher under deficit irrigation as compared to full irrigation.Irrigation water use was always less than the annual allowable pumping limit under deficit irrigation.The first/second week of September was ideal for terminating irrigation under full/deficit irrigation in normal years.Ideal irrigation termination periods in wet/dry years were a week earlier/later than those in normal years.Abstract. Cotton ( L.) production in the Texas High Plains (THP) region relies heavily on irrigation with groundwater from the underlying Ogallala Aquifer. However, rapidly declining groundwater levels in the aquifer and increasing pumping costs pose challenges for sustainability of irrigated cotton production in this region. Adoption of efficient irrigation strategies, such as terminating irrigation at an appropriate time in the growing season, could enable producers to increase irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) while maintaining desired yield goals. The objective of this study was to determine optimum irrigation termination periods for cotton production in the THP under full and deficit irrigation conditions using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) CROPGRO-Cotton model, which was evaluated in a prior study in the THP using measured data from an IWUE field experiment at Halfway, Texas. The treatment factors in the field experiment included irrigation capacities of 0 mm d-1 (low, L), 3.2 mm d-1 (medium, M), and 6.4 mm d-1 (high, H), applied during the vegetative, reproductive, and maturation growth stages. This study focused on a full irrigation (HHH) treatment and three deficit irrigation (LMH, LHM, and LMM) treatments. Eight irrigation termination dates with a one-week interval between 15 August and 30 September were simulated, and the impact of irrigation termination date on cotton IWUE and seed cotton yield were studied by dividing the 39-year (1978 to 2016) simulation period into dry, normal, and wet years based on the precipitation received from 1 April to the simulated irrigation termination date. Results indicated that the simulated IWUE was consistently higher under the LHM, LMH, and LMM treatments when compared to the HHH treatment. Based on the simulated average seed cotton yield and IWUE, optimum irrigation termination periods for cotton were found to be the first week of September (about 118 days after planting, DAP) for the HHH and LMH treatments and the second week of September (125 DAP) for the LHM and LMM treatments in normal years. In wet years, optimum irrigation termination periods were a week earlier than those in normal years and a week later in dry years for the HHH, LHM, and LMM treatments. For the LMH treatment, the optimum irrigation termination period in wet years was the same as that in normal years and two weeks later in dry years. The results from this study along with field-specific, late-season information will assist THP cotton producers in making appropriate irrigation termination decisions for improving economic productivity of the Ogallala Aquifer and thereby ensuring water security for agriculture. However, the recommendations from this study should be used with caution, as the optimum irrigation termination periods could potentially change with changes in cultivar characteristics, soil type, climate, and, crop management practices. Keywords: CROPGRO-Cotton, Deficit irrigation, DSSAT, Full irrigation, Irrigation water use efficiency, Seed cotton yield.

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Energy, water, and economic savings of improved production systems on the Texas High Plains

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0889189300003313 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 69-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sharif M. Masud ◽

Ronald D. Lacewell

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Water Use ◽

Diesel Fuel ◽

Distribution Systems ◽

Energy Use ◽

Production Systems ◽

High Plains ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Net Returns ◽

Texas High Plains

AbstractThe purpose of this paper was to quantify economic and energy use implications of new improved irrigation and limited tillage production systems for the Texas High Plains. Per hectare uses of natural gas and electricity under alternative irrigation distribution systems for corn, sorghum, wheat, cotton, and soybeans were utilized to estimate total amounts of natural gas and electricity used in the production of these crops on the High Plains of Texas. The amount of diesel fuel used was estimated for conventional and limited tillage systems under dryland and irrigation production. Total amounts of water used for the five crops under the improved and conventional irrigation systems were also estimated for the High Plains. Results indicated improved irrigation and limited tillage systems reduced energy and water use on the High Plains. Total natural gas and electricity were estimated to decline over 20 percent, diesel fuel declined 32 percent, and water use for irrigation declined about 23 percent. Use of the improved irrigation and limited tillage production systems was also shown to significantly increase annual net returns to farmers ($40.0 million or 13.3 percent).

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