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Irrigation scheduling, fertigation, and water and nitrogen use will be studied.

October 24, 2018

2 Min Read
VIEW FROM ABOVE: An SDI system has been installed in an irregularly shaped field. The previous field, irrigated by a center-pivot, is still visible.

By Xin Qiao

Subsurface drip irrigation systems apply water directly to the crop root zone through buried plastic tapes with embedded emitters. The major benefit of SDI systems is water-use efficiency compared to sprinkler irrigation or furrow irrigation systems.

Because drip tape is typically buried about 12 inches below the surface (this can vary depending on soil type and crop) and the soil surface stays dry, water loss due to evaporation and runoff are minimized.

Another big advantage of SDI is its flexibility to irrigate irregular-shaped fields. Other potential benefits include improved fertilizer and pesticide management, better weed control, and better disease control. An SDI system also allows farmers to perform more field operations, even during irrigation events.

While the benefits are significant, there are challenges just like every other system, including high initial cost, adapting to a new management practice, germination (especially in sandy soil), and damage from rodents.

An SDI system can only be more efficient if designed, installed and managed correctly.

To better help farmers in the Nebraska Panhandle understand crop production under SDI systems, a state-of-the-art system was installed at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center this summer, with the support of 21st Century Water Technologies, Eco-Drip and the Agriculture Research Division (ARD) of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The system was installed in a field that was originally two fields — one formerly irrigated by a two-span pivot, and the other a rectangular field formerly irrigated with a side roll. This test field contains 24 management zones. Rows are spaced 30 inches apart, and drip tape has been buried under each row about 12 inches deep.

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ABOVE AND BELOW: The top photo shows the pumping station (left), and the filtration station and control station in the dry bean field irrigated by SDI. The bottom photo shows a hole dug on one side of the field, where a section of plastic tape is exposed about 12 inches below the ground's surface.

In 2018, great northern beans were planted. As seen in the photo above, the old system’s footprint and boundaries, such as pivot tracks, were still visible.

With this system, Extension researchers hope to learn more about:

• optimum irrigation scheduling strategy

• optimum fertigation strategy

• water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency under different scenarios

• performance characteristics, such as water distribution patterns under different irrigation scenarios

• tillage effect

In the meantime, operation and maintenance, as well as system issues, will be documented in detail for future references. We also encourage farmers to contact us with questions or possible research ideas with SDI.

Qiao is a Nebraska Extension irrigation and water management specialist at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center. This report comes from Panhandle Perspectives, a regular column from the Panhandle R&E Center.

 

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