scholarly journals An Economic Analysis on the Transition to Dryland Production in Deficit-Irrigated Cropping Systems of the Texas High Plains

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Mitchell-McCallister ◽  
Rebecca McCullough ◽  
Phillip Johnson ◽  
Ryan Blake Williams
Keyword(s):  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Linear Optimization ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Crop Acreage ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Economic Methods ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Linear Optimization Model

The objective of this analysis was to integrate hydrologic, agronomic, and economic methods to evaluate various management strategies by changing crop acreage to better manage the declining resources of the Ogallala aquifer. A non-linear optimization model was used to estimate the optimal water use, crop mix, crop yield, and net returns over a 50 year period under dryland and deficit irrigation scenarios in the Texas High Plains. Results indicated that growers could maintain profitability by switching from fully irrigated center pivots to irrigating ½ and ¼ pivots.

scholarly journals Response of Drought-Tolerant Corn to Varying Irrigation Levels in the Texas High Plains

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1365-1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. O’Shaughnessy ◽  
MinYoung Kim ◽  
Manuel A. Andrade ◽  
Paul D. Colaizzi ◽  
Steven R. Evett
Keyword(s):  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation Treatment ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Treatment Level ◽  
Crop Water ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Early Maturing ◽  
Use Efficiency

Abstract.Corn ( L.) for grain continues to be an important crop for livestock feed in the Texas High Plains (THP) region despite lackluster prices. It offers greater crop water productivity compared with other crops grown in the region but also has a relatively high water requirement, which must be met by irrigation. The sole water resource in the region is the Ogallala Aquifer, which is declining because withdrawals exceed recharge, and this is of major concern. Producers are interested in the performance of drought-tolerant (DT) corn, but data on DT crop production functions are limited. From 2015 to 2017, studies of DT corn response to different irrigation treatments were conducted in the THP at Bushland, Texas. Results showed that grain yields, seasonal evapotranspiration (ETc), and crop water use efficiency (WUE) varied significantly between seasons and among different DT hybrids. Comparisons between a mid-season (MS) and an early-maturing (EM) hybrid showed: (1) at the severe deficit irrigation treatment level, grain yields were low, but the EM hybrid produced 400% more grain; (2) at the moderate deficit irrigation treatment level, grain yields and ETc were similar; and (3) at the full irrigation treatment level, the EM hybrid required 75 mm less water, but it produced 24% less grain. Non-hail damaged MS DT corn produced grain yields that were numerically greater than conventional corn grown in the THP in an optimal year. However, during drought seasons, DT hybrid response was not improved over conventional hybrids under severe deficit irrigation. This study demonstrated that MS DT corn hybrid P1151AM, irrigated at a level that fully met evapotranspiration demand, resulted in grain yield and WUE levels that were near the upper limits for corn produced in the THP. Further research is needed to determine the constancy of response among different DT hybrids under favorable and drought conditions. Keywords: Center pivot, Deficit irrigation, Early-maturing corn, Hail damage, Mid-season corn, Variable-rate irrigation, Water use efficiency.

scholarly journals Characterization of Intercrop Movement of Lygus hesperus between Cotton and Alfalfa

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
Ram B. Shrestha ◽  
Megha Parajulee
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Lygus Hesperus ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Mark Release Recapture ◽  
Polyphagous Insect

Lygus hesperus Knight (Miridae: Hemiptera), a key pest of cotton in the United States, is a highly polyphagous insect. Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. hirsutum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are two major field crop hosts of Lygus hesperus in the Texas High Plains. While alfalfa is considered a source of Lygus in cotton, Lygus intercrop movement behavior has not been fully characterized in cotton-alfalfa systems. Understanding the intercrop movement behavior of Lygus may facilitate better decision-making for Lygus management in these crops. A series of studies including a mark-release-recapture study and season-long field monitoring of Lygus were conducted in the Texas High Plains, USA. Season-long field marking and monitoring of Lygus intercrop movement revealed bidirectional Lygus movement and confirmed that Lygus preferred alfalfa over cotton. Net movement of Lygus between cotton and alfalfa was influenced by cotton phenology. A “two-crop/two-marker” field-marking and monitoring approach was successfully applied in characterizing Lygus seasonal intercrop movement. This approach can be used to study the effect of various crop management practices on Lygus intercrop movement and is applicable to other pests and cropping systems.

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

1990 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
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).

Canopy Reflectance-Based Nitrogen Management Strategies for Subsurface Drip Irrigated Cotton in the Texas High Plains

2011 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 422-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin F. Bronson ◽  
Adi Malapati ◽  
Peter C. Scharf ◽  
Robert L. Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Nitrogen Management ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Canopy Reflectance ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Subsurface Drip

scholarly journals Evaluating the SSEBop approach for evapotranspiration mapping with landsat data using lysimetric observations in the semi-arid Texas High Plains

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 723-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Senay ◽  
P. H. Gowda ◽  
S. Bohms ◽  
T. A. Howell ◽  
M. Friedrichs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Total Error ◽  
Thermal Infrared ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Landsat Data ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Reliable Performance ◽  
Block Pattern ◽  
Data Continuity

Abstract. The operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) approach was applied on 14 Landsat 5 thermal infrared images for mapping daily actual evapotranspiration (ETa) fluxes during the spring and summer seasons (March–October) in 2006 and 2007. Data from four large lysimeters, managed by the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory were used for evaluating the SSEBop estimated ETa. Lysimeter fields are arranged in a 2 × 2 block pattern with two fields each managed under irrigated and dryland cropping systems. The modeled and observed daily ETa values were grouped as "irrigated" and "dryland" at four different aggregation periods (1-day, 2-day, 3 day and "seasonal") for evaluation. There was a strong linear relationship between observed and modeled ETa with R2 values ranging from 0.87 to 0.97. The root mean square error (RMSE), as percent of their respective mean values, were reduced progressively with 28, 24, 16 and 12% at 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and seasonal aggregation periods, respectively. With a further correction of the underestimation bias (−11%), the seasonal RMSE reduced from 12 to 6%. The random error contribution to the total error was reduced from 86 to 20% while the bias' contribution increased from 14 to 80% when aggregated from daily to seasonal scale, respectively. This study shows the reliable performance of the SSEBop approach on the Landsat data stream with a transferable approach for use with the recently launched LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission) Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) data. Thus, SSEBop can produce quick, reliable and useful ET estimations at various time scales with higher seasonal accuracy for use in regional water management decisions.

Estimating Evapotranspiration for Dryland Cropping Systems in the Semiarid Texas High Plains Using SWAT

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Marek ◽  
Prasanna H. Gowda ◽  
Steven R. Evett ◽  
R. Louis Baumhardt ◽  
David K. Brauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Texas High Plains
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