From time to time the Irrigation Team at MSU is requested to investigate the effects of certain agronomic and cultural practices farmers use. Traditionally, many rice farmers chose to flood irrigate their soybeans. Rice farmers were accustom to pulling levees
February 1, 2017 is the deadline for reporting your 2016 water usage. MDEQ should have sent each participate a survey for completion in the fall of 2016. The survey must be returned to MDEQ either by mail, fax, or the
AWD is a water-saving technology that farmers can use to reduce the amount of irrigation water used in rice fields without any yield penalty. In AWD, farmers allow the flood water to recede to a “muddy” state before re-flooding the
Row rice or furrow irrigated rice is once again being investigated by the MSU Irrigation team as an alternative to conventional flooded rice production. Some of you may recall Dr. Joe Street and Dr. Ted Miller worked with Clarksdale’s Leon
There are many reasons why growers initiate early season irrigation. Activation and incorporation of dry fertilizers and herbicides have been one motivating factor this year. This year, it appears, growers are getting more familiar with utilizing soil moisture sensors as
As we traveled through Tunica county today we noticed a few growers received a shower or two recently. Elsewhere across the Delta, a shower would be a welcomed Memorial Day event. Over the last couple of days we have received
In 2014, the Irrigation Team added surge valves to our list of tools to increase irrigation application efficiency. When using a surge valve, water is applied in a series of on-off cycles alternating between two irrigation sets. By utilizing surge
Utilizing moisture sensors to trigger an irrigation event is one method to increase irrigation efficiency. Using the “calendar” or the “neighbor” method of determining when to trigger an irrigation event is not the most efficient method. Soil moisture sensors are
To address the declining Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer, Mississippi State University developed the Row-Crop Irrigation Science and Extension Research (RISER) program. RISER’s goal is to develop a science based approach for evaluating Irrigation Water Management (IWM) practices in the Mississippi Delta and
Rain is in the forecast for tonight. As of today only a few growers have initiated corn irrigation, mostly to incorporate fertilizer after missing the last rain opportunity. Elsewhere, growers are beginning to prepare for that first irrigation event. Poly-pipe
Early this spring we received a call from a grower requesting assistance irrigating a new property he had acquired. Historically the property had been in a rice/soybean rotation. As you can see by the elevation map, the property was not
Mississippi State University Extension has planned two soil moisture sensor field days for July and early August. Attendees will view demonstrations and presentations of the agronomic advantages of utilizing soil moisture sensors to trigger row crop irrigation presented by Dr.
Mississippi State University Extension has planned two soil moisture sensor field days for July and early August. Attendees will view demonstrations and presentations of the agronomic advantages of utilizing soil moisture sensors to trigger row crop irrigation presented by Dr.
P&R Surge Systems manufacture two surge valve controllers, the Star and the Jr.III. The Star controller is totally digital and much more flexible in programming. The Jr.III, being the more economic controller, lacks many of the features as of the
This year we are conducting nine rice irrigation Extension demonstration trials across the Delta. To demonstrate the value of maintaining a less than full flood, we are utilizing a Pani Pipe and soil moisture probes to time irrigation events. Research
With the use of irrigation moisture sensors increasing in Mississippi, growers are reporting that their moisture sensor values are remaining high after an irrigation event. Growers are confused and frustrated that irrigation water is just not getting in the ground.
Here are the results of one of our tillage studies where we tilled the middles with a parabolic anhydrous knife at layby in soybeans vs an untilled check. The moisture sensors had been in the ground for a number of
We are having lots of questions concerning the proper set up of surge valves. First, please consider some of the basic terminology associated with furrow irrigation with surge valves. We encourage you to visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46sSLFBUrh8 and view the video
If you farm old traditional cotton soils, most likely you have recognized that irrigation water tends to run down the row, racing to the tail ditch. If you have noticed this, you have a “sealing soil”. If you are using
With irrigation season ramping up quickly, Mississippi State University Extension Service has lots of expertise and programs available to assist with your needs. One tool that we are using to better assess soil moisture and schedule appropriate irrigation is Watermark™
As a lot of our corn approaches tassel, issues associated with tire traffic soil compaction are becoming more evident. This article discusses the consequences.
Surface sealing in the Mississippi Delta typically occurs in soils that have a low clay and organic matter content but have a high silt fraction, i.e., most of our silt loam soils. Surface sealing, from an irrigation management standpoint, is
Last week Dr. Eric Larson wrote an excellent article dealing with corn irrigation initiation. At that time, a few growers had already begun to irrigate. Dr. Larson stressed the importance of accurately assessing soil moisture verses leaf wilting when determining
The recent stretch of dry weather has prompted much conversation about the proper time to initiate irrigation for corn. This scenario usually generates a lot more anxiety than necessary because early season wilting is certainly not something we are very accustomed to.
Mississippi State University Extension is in the process of planning two soil moisture sensor field days for Summer 2015. Attendee will view demonstrations and presentations of the agronomic advantages of utilizing soil moisture sensors to trigger row crop irrigation presented
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