2014 Mississippi State University RISER Program Results

The Row-Crop Irrigation Science and Extension Research (RISER) was developed as a science based approach to evaluating irrigation Best Management Practices (BMPs) here in the Delta. The RISER program is designed to assist producers in reducing water use while maintaining yield and profitability. Growers participating in the RISER program agree to allow the MSU researcher to manage the irrigation decisions on one field while the producer manages the control.

In 2013, the RISER program encompassed seventeen producer field covering all major soil types here in the Delta. While maintaining yield, the Riser program participants reduced their water use by 47% over the controls. These results indicated the potential for computerized hole selection (PHAUCET or Pipe Planner), surge irrigation, and soil moisture sensors to improve water use efficiency and producer profitability.

Results from the 2014 RISER program, even with the excessive amounts of rainfall, were equally exciting. In 2014, the RISER program continued to emphasize computerized hole selection as the number one priority. Soil moisture probes continued to prove their utility for irrigation scheduling, while surge valves added to irrigation efficiency.

Averaged over two years and five locations, the RISER soybean trials yielded were equivalent to the fields managed by the producer. Water use was reduced by 28% and water use efficiency improved by 27%. Producer profitability was increased by $11.20 per acre.

Similarly, the RISER corn trials consisted of  ten locations during this two-year study. Results from RISER indicate the need for an irrigation timing tool such as moisture sensors. Utilizing moisture sensors to trigger irrigation allowed the MSU researcher to reduce water use by 4.8 acre inches, over a 50% reduction, relative to the producer. Corn yields were equivalent, but overall profitability was increased by $37 per acre.

For more information we encourage all producers to attend the upcoming winter meetings. We will present a detailed analysis of the 2014 RISER trial for corn and soybeans as well as our MSU rice irrigation results.

• Dec.10, 2014 Delta Irrigation Summit, Stoneville, Capps Center
• Jan. 21-22, 2015 Delta Ag Expo, Cleveland, Bolivar County Expo Center
• February 6, 2015 Baldwyn Area Growers Meeting
• February 10, 2015 Soybean Symposium Stoneville, MS
• February 11, 2015 Soybean Symposium Rolling Fork, MS
• February 25, 2015 Soybean Symposium Tunica, MS
• February 26, 2015 (AM) Soybean Symposium Verona, MS
• February 26, 2015 (PM) Soybean Symposium Macon, MS