Progress 12/22/01 to 12/21/06
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) Measure energy partitioning and water transport to define plant archetypes and management strategies. Develop procedures to use climate condition and weather variability prediction for management in agriculture. Develop improved irrigation and dryland management strategies and determine processes within plants that increase water use efficiency. Use remote sensing and precision agriculture technologies to reduce drought effects on crop production. Develop and integrate into crop management, new technologies or concepts that will allow agriculture to remain productive and profitable while reducing its dependence upon the irrigation water from the Ogallala Aquifer. Approach (from AD-416) Estimate soil evaporation, plant transpiration, and energy balance components of dryland cropping patterns using simulation analysis. Energy partitioning, soil water extraction, and water uptake patterns will be measured. Determine predictability of drought patterns in climate records. Appraise benefits of seasonal climate forecasts to crop management using value of information analysis. Vary irrigation rate according to a crop's growth stage sensitivity to yield and evaluate crop yield response to limited drip irrigation. Quantify the contribution of plant processes to yield performance of existing and genetically modified drought-resistant crops. Test chemical techniques for increasing soil aggregate stability and surface coatings for reducing plant temperature. Quantify crop water status using canopy temperature and spectral reflectance, and determine the influence of canopy architecture on canopy temperature variability. Research findings will be evaluated and integrated into crop management systems.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? In semi-arid environments water is the most limiting factor to crop production, but in reality production occurs under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Under irrigated production the water supply does not always fully provide for the water requirements of the crop and dryland production is constrained by the timeliness and quantity of rain. New technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of irrigation by decreasing the loss of applied water as evaporation and applying irrigation only when the crop requires water to prevent yield reduction. The response of soil microbial and biochemical properties to irrigation techniques is being studied since they are important factors that influence plant response to production inputs. The focus of dryland production is to
understand when inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides are mostly likely to produce a net positive return based on stage of growth and the water status of the crop. Methods for increasing the aggregate stability of low organic matter content soils are being investigated as a means of reducing susceptibility to erosion by wind and reducing soil crusting which slows rain water infiltration and restricts seedling emergence. The predictability of long term weather patterns and the use of remote sensing technology are being studied to provide new tools for managing crop production. There are five specific goals in this project: 1) Quantify solar energy partitioning and water transport of crops for varying water supply levels, 2) Develop strategies for using current climate conditions and long range weather variability predictions as a production management tool, 3) Develop more effective irrigation and dryland management strategies for existing germplasm and genetically modified
crops, 4) Use remote sensing and precision agricultural technologies to define crop management strategies that reduce the impact of water deficits, 5) Integrate pertinent research information into crop management systems and evaluate their usefulness. Research falls under National Program 201 Water Resources Management. The goals addressed are 1.1, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.5 of the program. Specific components are: 1.1.5 Develop planning and management tools and decision support systems that integrate climate and weather forecast information into agricultural production strategies, resource conservation and watershed management. 1. 5.1 Improve the understanding and control methods for water scarcity and drought mitigation, water conservation, droughts, and increased water use efficiency in agriculture. 1.5.4 Enhance the ability of producers and land managers to respond to water scarcity and drought through planning, management and water conservation at the farm level to regional scales. 2. 1.1
Develop water, pest, and nutrient management practices and technologies that protect the environment and improve economic benefits of irrigated agriculture. 2.2.1 Develop precision agricultural irrigation systems and irrigation management technologies for site-specific management in the production of high-value crops. Water from the Ogallala aquifer is a limited resource and alternative uses in urban areas and other industries are continuously increasing competitors for water. Better production technology, from improved irrigation systems, greater stability of soil aggregation, and more predictable long-term weather forecasts are needed to increase the efficiency of water use by crops to maintain economic viability of crop production in this semi-arid region. Water will be used more efficiently in crop production enhancing the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and providing more stable production under rain fed conditions. Increased precision in spatial identification of crop
water status and longer term predictions of rainfall patterns will lead to more economical production and increased yield. 2. List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) Year 1 (FY 2002) Assemble eddy covariance systems and conduct field experiments Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete climate variability study and begin drought trends analysis Initiate climate analysis and forecasting component of value of information Conduct field Polyacrylamide (PAM) study First year of field reflective film study Relate canopy temperature and spectral reflectance to cotton yield, report results. Measure thermal images of crop canopies Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 2 (FY 2003) Analyze eddy covariance results and prepare report on dryland cotton water use Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete drought trends study and publish climate variability results Complete climate analysis component for the
value of information study and publish results. Conduct field water use efficiency study Install subsurface drip irrigation system and grow summer crop Repeat field PAM study Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study, report results Repeat thermal imagery study Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 3 (FY 2004) Conduct soil water dynamics field study and report results Develop forecasting scheme for predicting summer drought conditions Begin econometric modeling simulations Conduct field water use efficiency study Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment Continue field PAM study if needed Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study Analyze thermal imagery and spot thermal data, publish results Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 4 (FY 2005) Conduct multi-year soil water dynamics field study and report results
Continue modeling simulations to estimate the value of winter season forecast information in winter wheat production and grazing management and publish results Conduct field water use efficiency study and prepare report Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment and report results Complete soil amendment (PAM) studies for increasing soil infiltration and soil surface crusting and report results Complete analysis of reflective film studies & write publication Publish results of multi-year spectral reflectance, stress time, and yield studies Select significant crop production research innovations & demonstrate them under on-farm conditions. Field test the CETA (Canopy Evapotranspiration and Assimilation) chamber and conduct drought experiments. Complete the final stage of agro climatology research for ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) by developing computer software that provides statistical analysis of growing season temperature,
precipitation, relative humidity and radiation for latitude-longitude coordinates entered through a graphical user interface. Year 5 (FY 2006) Begin summer climate forecasting research that includes critical sub- seasonal periods of summer rainfall and associated controlling features of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere system. Evaluate improved numerical schemes for deriving secondary daily surface radiation and relative humidity from primary meteorological variables, i. e., daily precipitation, minimum temperature and maximum temperature. Develop a North American Agro-Climate PC Application similar to that developed for the ICARDA region. Construct additional CETA chambers and continue drought experiments that include whole canopy assimilation rates and water use efficiency. Continue microbial population studies that identify soil property trends in a high biomass crop study that provides comparative data to contrast alternative cropping systems to continuous cotton. Measure soil water
extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions in the soil water dynamics study. Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment on sorghum water use efficiency. Use multiple irrigation levels with a subsurface drip irrigation to identify water application rates below which the cost of system construction and operation cannot be reclaimed by increased crop production. Conduct field study with PAM by applying surface applications prior to May rains and publish multi-year results. Significant production research innovations will be demonstrated under field conditions. Since this CRIS project was initiated one scientist resigned from ARS and three new scientists have been added. These personnel changes have caused revisions of milestones and the research being conducted. 4a List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. Multivariate Statistical Classifiers as Seasonal Forecasting Tools. Statistical forecasting methods were used to predict winter
(Nov.-Mar.) precipitation over the winter wheat growing region of west Texas based on the state of Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature (SST) and sea-level pressure conditions (SLP) during the previous spring and summer months. In attempts to measure the effect of seasonal forecast information in agricultural management, and to develop best management strategies, such forecasting schemes are valuable because they can be easily integrated into long-term management and cropping simulations. In this study, three statistical forecasting methods based on the combined state of Spring- Summer Pacific Ocean SST and SLP conditions were tested, in addition to simple 3-phase methods based on SST and SLP conditions only. This evaluation has shown that each of the statistical methods provides improved forecasting accuracy relative to the simple 3-phase methods. These statistical forecast methods can serve as important research tools for studying the effect of forecast information in agriculture.
With increased development such methods might also be included in software that helps producers integrate seasonal forecast information into their management practices. This work aligns with NP 201 Agricultural Watershed Management Component PA1.1, Climate and Weather Uncertainties, Risks, and Extremes. 4b List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any. Managing Deficit Irrigation with Subsurface Drip. Cotton irrigation was managed using the BIOTIC protocol which utilizes continuously measured canopy temperature to produce irrigation timing signals and variable rates of irrigation were applied. Availability of water for crop irrigation continues to decline which requires irrigation efficiency to be high while maintaining a profitable crop yield level. Irrigation efficiency is highest in the deficit range where the yield response to irrigation input is linear. Lint yield increased linearly up to a cumulative irrigation of 9.0 in, applied by a 6-mm irrigation rate, which was
the highest rate that remained in the deficit irrigation region. Irrigation water use efficiency declined with increasing irrigation amounts from 4.0 to 12.0 inches. Managing irrigation to remain in the deficit region can produce profitable cotton yields under a high level of water use efficiency. This work aligns with NP 201 Irrigation and Drainage Management Component PA2.2, Precision Irrigated Agriculture. 5. Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. Irrigation and Drainage Management Component of NP201 PA 2.2: Precision Irrigated Agriculture Water Requirements for Cotton Production. Analysis of a 12-year data set indicates that soil surface applied drip irrigation of 23 inches or total water application of 29 inches produced soil water conditions where yearly maximum cotton yields were not limited by water. The use of subsurface drip irrigation should further decrease the irrigation requirement by 30 % since evaporation is greatly reduced.
This information is published and available for use by irrigated farmers on the Southern High Plains. Remote Indicator of Water Stress. Canopy temperature is the best remote indicator for early detection of water stress in cotton. Canopy temperature monitoring is a feasible method for automated surveillance of crop fields and can be integrated into irrigation scheduling methods to grow crops under different water level conditions. Automated surveillance of crop temperatures combined with center pivot irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation systems provides the capability to differentially manage subunits of fields according to their specific requirements for water and nutrients. This technology can automate irrigation scheduling of center pivot or subsurface drip irrigation systems. Irrigation and Drainage Management Component of NP201 PA 2.2: Economical Irrigated Crop Production Stress Time Quantifies Water Stress Effects on Cotton. A reliable indicator of crop water stress for
deficit irrigation and dryland would improve the capability for in-season crop management. The consistency of a temperature-based water stress indicator was evaluated in multi-year deficit irrigation studies. Stress time (ST) is the cumulative daily time value while cotton canopy temperature exceeds 28 DGC. Number of irrigation signals and yield decreased linearly as ST increased. The power of ST to characterize water stress effects on crop productivity evolves from being an integrated value of time when canopy temperature exceeds a physiologically based threshold value. ST can control irrigation scheduling and provide yield estimates as tools for use in crop production management. Agricultural Watershed Management Component of NP201 PA1.1: Climate and Weather Uncertainties, Risks, and Extremes Global Rainfall Analysis. Analysis of global rainfall revealed important evidence of climate change in the final decades of the 20th century. Two highly significant recent multi-decadal rainfall
patterns were detected over North America and Northern Europe: in the former case 8 of the 10 wettest years during 1901- 98 occurred during 1972-98, while in the latter case 7 of the 10 wettest years occurred during 1978-98. These wet regimes were unprecedented, as neither region saw a comparable incidence of wet years during other periods of 1901-98. As these wet regimes are found at the entrance and exit regions of the North Atlantic storm track, they are most likely evidence of a single multi-decadal climate mode extending from North America to the western portion of the former Soviet Union. Because these results were the most significant found over a global sampling of grid locations, these multi-decadal wet periods were unprecedented over all land areas considered during 1901-1998. These results may be an important initial indication of climate change on a near-hemispheric scale. ICARDA Agro-Climate Visual Basic PC Application. The region of responsibility for the International
Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) extends from northwest Africa, across the Middle East, and into central Asia. Climate conditions vary widely, but little information is available to ICARDAs plant breeders. To meet that need, a Windows-based computer program has been developed that provides those end-users with information about precipitation, heat and cold stress, and crop water use. The program derives climate information from the meteorological records of ~ 650 weather stations, and presents climate and crop water use statistics at user-defined locations and growth periods via a simple to use graphical user interface. By providing information about climate conditions during critical periods of the growing season, this PC program can be an important tool in developing crop varieties that are specifically designed for the climate conditions of the ICARDA region. A similar computer program is being developed for the continental USA area. Agricultural Watershed
Management Component of NP201 PA 1.5: Water Scarcity and Drought Mitigation Carbon Accumulation in Low Organic Matter Semi-arid Soils. Soil organic carbon accumulation was measured in several soil types on the Southern High Plains. Results demonstrated that land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) only had increased total carbon above active cropland in the surface to 5 cm depth increment. These results demonstrate that different management practices are needed to increase carbon sequestration in CRP and conservation tillage systems in the Southern High Plains. 6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? The benefits of subsurface drip irrigation were demonstrated and discussed with area farmers during the 2006 Howard County field tour. 7.
List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Unknown Author. Playas important to aquifer recharge, biodiversity of Plains Region. In: The Cross Section: A monthly publication of the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1. 32(1):3. Steiert, J. 2006. Scientists probe playas to better understand recharge. In: The Hereford Brand: local newspaper published in Hereford Texas. January 29, 2006. page 11a. Presentations: Baker, J.T., Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R. 2005. Using leaf gas exchange to quantify drought in cotton irrigated based on canopy temperature measurements.ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, November 6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. Paper No. 212A. Gitz, D.C. Stout, J., Zobeck, T. Suitability of eastern gamagrass for an in situ precipitation catchment playa forage production system. ASA-CSSA- SSSA Annual Meeting, November
6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. Gitz D.C., Rainwater, K., Smith, L.M., Zartman, R., Hudnall, W. 2006. Estimating aquifer recharge through playas of the Great Plains using temperature probes. Annual Conference of UCOW/NIWR (Universities Council On Water Resources/National institute for Water Resources), July 18-20, 2006, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Koster, A., Booker, J., McMichael, B.L., Lascano, R.J., Mahan, J.R., Wanjura, D.F., Gitz, D.C. 2006. Utilization of rainfall by cotton irrigated with buried drip. Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 3-6, 2006, San Antonio, Texas. Mahan, J., Gitz, D.C. 2005. Early-planted cotton: Increased soil temperature may not be enough. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, November 6- 10, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. McMichael, B.L., Lascano, R.J., Mahan, J.R., Wanjura, D.F., Gitz, D.C. Water use, root development and productivity of cotton grown under drip irrigation. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. November 6- 10, 2005. McMichael, B.L.,
Lascano, R.J., Mahan, J.R., Wanjura, D.F., Gitz, D.C. 2006. Effect of alternate-row subsurface drip irrigation pattern on cotton root distribution. Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 3-6, 2006, San Antonio, Texas. Ritchie, J.C., Gitz, D.C. 2005. Root growth of eastern gamagrass: a three-year study. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, November 6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. Van Pelt, R.S., Gitz, D.C. 2005. Radiation and energy balance of a kaolin particle coated cotton crop. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, November 6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah. Mauget, S.A., De Pauw, E. 2005. ICARDA Agroclimatic Tool, Visual Basic Application [computer program]. Lubbock, Texas: U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Mahan, J.R., Mauget, S.A. 2005. Antioxidant metabolism in cotton seedlings exposed to temperature stress in the field. Crop Science. 45:2337-2345.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Mahan, J.R. 2006. Behavior of temperature- based water stress indicators in biotic controlled irrigation. Irrigation Science. 24:223-232.
- Wanjura, D.F., Mahan, J.R., McMichael, B.L., Gitz, D.C., Upchurch, D.R. 2006. Cotton response to multiple irrigation rates controlled by a constant time threshold [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 3-6, 2006, San Antonio, Texas. 2006 CDROM.
- Acosta Martinez, V., Harmel, R.D. 2006. Soil microbial communities and enzyme activities under various poultry litter application rates. Journal of Environmental Quality. 35(4):1309-1318.
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? In semi-arid environments water is the most limiting factor to crop production, but in reality production occurs under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Under irrigated production the water supply does not always fully provide for the water requirements of the crop, and dryland production is constrained by water supplied as rain. New technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of irrigation by decreasing the loss of applied water as evaporation and applying irrigation only when the crop requires water to prevent yield reduction. The response of soil microbial and biochemical properties to irrigation techniques is being studied since they are important factors that influence plant response to production inputs. The focus of dryland production is to understand when inputs of water,
fertilizer, and pesticides are mostly likely to produce a net positive return based on stage of growth and the water status of the crop. Methods for increasing the aggregate stability of low organic matter content soils are being investigated as a means of reducing susceptibility to erosion by wind and reducing soil crusting which slows rain water infiltration and restricts seedling emergence. The predictability of long-term weather patterns and the use of remote sensing technology are being studied to provide new tools for managing crop production. There are five specific goals in this project: 1) Quantify solar energy partitioning and water transport of crops for varying water supply levels, 2) Develop strategies for using current climate conditions and long range weather variability predictions as a production management tool, 3) Develop more effective irrigation and dryland management strategies for existing germplasm and genetically modified crops, 4) Use remote sensing and
precision agricultural technologies to define crop management strategies that reduce the impact of water deficits, 5) Integrate pertinent research information into crop management systems and evaluate their usefulness. Research falls under National Program 201 Water Quality and Management. The goals addressed are 1.1, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.5 of the program. Specific components are: 1.1.5 Develop planning and management tools and decision support systems that integrate climate and weather forecast information into agricultural production strategies, resource conservation and watershed management. 1. 5.1 Improve the understanding and control methods for water scarcity and drought mitigation, water conservation, droughts, and increased water use efficiency in agriculture. 1.5.4 Enhance the ability of producers and land managers to respond to water scarcity and drought through planning, management, and water conservation at the farm level to regional scales. 2.1.1 Develop water, pest, and
nutrient management practices and technologies that protect the environment and improve economic benefits of irrigated agriculture. 2.2.1 Develop precision agricultural irrigation systems and irrigation management technologies for site-specific management in the production of high-value crops. Water from the Ogallala Aquifer is a limited resource, and alternative uses in urban areas and other industries are continuously increasing competitors for water. Better production technology, from improved irrigation systems, greater stability of soil aggregation, and more predictable long-term weather forecasts are needed to increase the efficiency of water use by crops to maintain economic viability of crop production in this semi-arid region. Water will be used more efficiently in crop production enhancing the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and providing more stable production under rain fed conditions. Increased precision in spatial identification of crop water status and longer
term predictions of rainfall patterns will lead to more economical production and increased yield. 2. List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. Year 1 (FY 2002) Assemble eddy covariance systems and conduct field experiments Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete climate variability study and begin drought trends analysis Initiate climate analysis and forecasting component of value of information Conduct field Polyacrylamide (PAM) study First year of field reflective film study Relate canopy temperature and spectral reflectance to cotton yield, report results. Measure thermal images of crop canopies Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 2 (FY 2003) Analyze eddy covariance results and prepare report on dryland cotton water use Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete drought trends study and publish climate variability results Complete climate analysis component for the value of information study and
publish results. Conduct field water use efficiency study Install subsurface drip irrigation system and grow summer crop Repeat field PAM study Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study, report results Repeat thermal imagery study Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 3 (FY 2004) Conduct soil water dynamics field study and report results Develop forecasting scheme for predicting summer drought conditions Begin econometric modeling simulations Conduct field water use efficiency study Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment Continue field PAM study if needed Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study Analyze thermal imagery and spot thermal data, publish results Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 4 (FY 2005) Conduct multi-year soil water dynamics field study and report results Continue modeling simulations
to estimate the value of winter season forecast information in winter wheat production and grazing management & publish results Conduct field water use efficiency study & prepare report Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment & report results Complete soil amendment (PAM) studies for increasing soil infiltration and soil surface crusting and report results Complete analysis of reflective film studies & write publication Publish results of spectral reflectance, stress time, and yield studies Select significant production research findings & demonstrate under field conditions. Field test the CETA (Canopy Evapotranspiration and Assimilation) chamber and conduct drought experiments. Complete the final stage of agro climatology research for ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) by developing computer software that provides statistical analysis of growing season temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and radiation for latitude-longitude
coordinates entered through a graphical user interface. Year 5 (FY 2006) Begin summer climate forecasting research that includes critical sub- seasonal periods of summer rainfall and associated controlling features of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere system. Evaluate improved numerical schemes for deriving secondary daily surface radiation and relative humidity from primary meteorological variables, i. e., daily precipitation, minimum temperature and maximum temperature. Develop a North American Agro-Climate PC Application similar to that developed for the ICARDA region. Construct additional CETA chambers and continue drought experiments that include whole canopy assimilation rates and water use efficiency. Continue microbial population studies that identify soil property trends in a high biomass crop study that provides comparative data to contrast alternative cropping systems to continuous cotton. Measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions in the soil
water dynamics study. Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment on sorghum water use efficiency. Use multiple irrigation levels with a subsurface drip irrigation to identify water application rates below which the cost of system construction and operation cannot be reclaimed by increased crop production. Conduct field study with PAM by applying surface applications prior to May rains and publish multi-year results. Significant production research innovations will be demonstrated under field conditions. Since this CRIS project was initiated one scientist resigned from ARS and three new scientists have been added. These personnel changes have caused revisions of milestones and the research being conducted. 3a List the milestones that were scheduled to be addressed in FY 2005. For each milestone, indicate the status: fully met, substantially met, or not met. If not met, why. 1. Conduct field water use efficiency study & prepare report. Milestone Fully Met 2. Complete soil
amendment (PAM) studies for increasing soil infiltration and soil surface crusting and report results. Milestone Fully Met 3. Publish results of spectral reflectance, stress time, and yield studies. Milestone Fully Met 4. Select significant crop production research innovations & demonstrate them under on-farm conditions. Milestone Fully Met 5. Field test the CETA (Canopy Evapotranspiration and Assimilation) chamber and conduct drought experiments. Milestone Fully Met 6. Complete the final stage of agro climatology research for ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) by developing computer software that provides statistical analysis of growing season temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and radiation for latitude-longitude coordinates entered through a graphical user interface. Milestone Fully Met 7. Conduct multi-year soil water dynamics field study and report results. Milestone Not Met Other 8. Continue modeling simulations to estimate the
value of winter season forecast information in winter wheat production and grazing management & publish results. Milestone Not Met Other 9. Conduct subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) experiment and report results. Milestone Not Met Other 10. Complete analysis of reflective film studies & write publication. Milestone Not Met Other 3b List the milestones that you expect to address over the next 3 years (FY 2006, 2007, and 2008). What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years under each milestone? Year 5 (FY 2006) Submit winter forecasting and value of information research for publication. Winter grazing management strategies that maximize value for the Southern High Plains will be explained. Begin summer climate forecasting research. Critical sub-seasonal periods of summer rainfall and associated controlling features of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere system will be described. Predictor variables for forecasting the development of controlling features will be
identified. Evaluate improved numerical schemes for deriving secondary daily surface radiation and relative humidity from primary meteorological variables, i. e., daily precipitation, minimum temperature and maximum temperature. Develop a North American Agro-Climate PC Application similar to that developed for the ICARDA mandate region. Incorporate improved numerical derivation schemes in the application to calculate better estimates of crop water use. Present the results of the crop modeling component of Value of Information research at the Ogallala Initiative annual meeting March 2006. Make substantial progress toward estimating value of forecast information in winter grazing management over the Southern High Plains, and developing management strategies that maximize that value. Additional CETA chambers will be constructed and drought experiments continued. The additional CETA chambers will allow replicated measurement of whole canopy assimilation rates and water use efficiency over
a wide range of drought stress. Continue microbial population studies. Identified soil property trends from a High Biomass Crop Study will provide comparative data to contrast alternative cropping systems to the common practice of continuous cotton. Measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions in the soil water dynamics study. Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment on sorghum water use efficiency. Use multiple irrigation levels with a subsurface drip irrigation to identify water application rates below which the cost of system construction and operation cannot be reclaimed by increased crop production. Conduct field study with PAM by applying surface applications prior to May rains. The multi-year study results will be analyzed and published. Significant production research findings will be demonstrated under field conditions. Practices that are feasible for commercial crop production will produce increased yield. This project is scheduled to
terminate 12/31/06 and will be replaced by a new project that will be developed at that time. Tentative milestones for the replacement project might include: (FY 2007) Conduct agricultural management simulations to estimate the value of winter season forecast information in winter wheat production and grazing management. Prepare a report of the winter forecasting and Value of Information research for in-house review, followed by publication in an appropriate journal. Explore ways of operationally communicating results of winter Value of Information research to Southern High Plains end-users. Begin summer climate forecasting research. Identify critical sub- seasonal periods of rainfall during the summer growing season, and the associated controlling features of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere system. Identify predictor variables that can be used to forecast the development of those features, and thus rainfall. Use CETA chambers to conduct drought stress experiments. These experiments
will add to knowledge of the mass and energy exchanges in field crops subjected to drought. Investigate microbial population diversity and enzyme activities in soils from different semiarid regions and cropping systems. Continue subsurface drip irrigation experiments on sorghum water use efficiency with different cultivars Analyze results and prepare publication from previous soil water dynamics study. Modify cropping systems and measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions. (FY 2008) Continue or complete summer climate forecasting research. Present results at appropriate meetings and submit for internal review, or final publication. If this research suggests that such forecasts may be possible and of potential value to producers, subsequent work will focus on estimating that value in summer crop management over the Southern High Plains. Establish the means, e.g. via web sites, crop consultants, or extension specialists, of communicating management
strategies derived from Value of Information research to Southern High Plains end-users. Continue subsurface drip irrigation experiments to study water use efficiency of crops. Use leaf and canopy scale gas exchange measurements to identify physiological parameters that impart differing degrees of drought resistance among sorghum cultivars. Revise row spacing based on prior results and measure water extraction and energy balance under dryland production in the soil water dynamics study. Provide information about the importance of microbes as a component of soil function and cropping system sustainability under semiarid climates. 4a What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? ICARDA Agro-Climate Visual Basic PC Application. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) region of responsibility extends from northwest Africa, across the Middle East, and into central Asia. Those areas are marked by widely varying climate conditions,
but little climate information is available to ICARDA's plant breeders. To meet that need, a Windows-based computer program has been developed that provides those end-users with information about precipitation, heat and cold stress, and crop water use. The program derives climate information from the meteorological records of 650 weather stations, and presents climate and crop water use statistics at user-defined locations and growth periods via a simple to use graphical user interface. By providing information about climate conditions during critical periods of the growing season, this PC program may be an important tool in developing crop varieties that are specifically 'designed' for the climate conditions of the ICARDA region. 4b List other significant accomplishments, if any. Temperature-Based Water Stress Indicator Identified The consistency of a temperature-based water stress indicator was identified from analyzing multi-year deficit irrigation studies. A reliable indicator of
crop water stress for deficit irrigation and dryland will enhance the capability for in-season cop management. Stress time (ST) is the cumulative daily time value while cotton canopy temperature exceeds 28C. Investigators at the Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research Unit, Lubbock, TX, found that the number of irrigation signals and yield decreased linearly as ST increased. The power of ST to characterize water stress effects on crop productivity evolves from being an integrated value of time when canopy temperature exceeds a physiologically based threshold value. ST can control irrigation scheduling and provide yield estimates as tools for efficient crop production management. Carbon Accumulation in Low Organic Matter Semi-arid Soils At the Wind ERodion and Water Conservation Research Unit, Lubbock, TX, soil organic carbon accumulation was investigated in several types of soils at the Southern High Plains. Results demonstrated that land in the Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP) only had increased total carbon above active cropland in the surface to 5 cm depth. These results demonstrate that different management practices are needed to increase carbon sequestration in CRP and conservation tillage systems in the Southern High Plains. 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Analysis of a 12-year data set indicates that irrigation of 23 inches or total water application of 29 inches produced soil water conditions where yearly maximum cotton yields were not limited by water. The use of subsurface drip irrigation should further decrease the irrigation requirement by 30% since evaporation is greatly reduced. Canopy temperature is the best remote indicator for early detection of water stress in cotton. Canopy temperature monitoring is a feasible method for automated surveillance of crop fields and can be integrated into irrigation scheduling methods to grow crops under different water
status conditions. Automated surveillance of crop temperatures combined with center pivot irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation systems provides the capability to differentially manage subunits of fields according to their specific requirements for water and nutrients. This technology can be used on 1.6 million acres of cropland in the Southern Great Plains. The high initial cost of subsurface drip irrigation systems must be recovered through a combination of higher water use efficiency and yield to increase net return. Canopy temperature was used to indicate the presence of water stress in cotton and provide daily irrigation decisions at the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Research Laboratory in Lubbock, TX. Among a range of stress times tested as irrigation signals criteria one value produced the best combination of high yield (98% of maximum) and efficient use of irrigation water (21% less than maximum). The consistent performance of canopy temperature in managing crop
irrigation is a technology ready for commercial adoption in production agriculture. Analysis of global rainfall revealed important evidence of climate change in the final decades of the 20th century. Two highly significant recent multi-decadal rainfall patterns were detected over North America and Northern Europe: in the former case 8 of the 10 wettest years of 1901- 98 occurred during 1972-98, while in the latter case 7 of the 10 wettest years occurred during 1978-98. Those wet regimes were unprecedented, as neither region saw a comparable incidence of wet years during other periods of 1901-98. As these wet regimes are found at the entrance and exit regions of the North Atlantic storm track, they are most likely evidence of a single multi-decadal climate mode extending from North America to the western portion of the former Soviet Union. Because these results were the most significant found over a global sampling of grid locations, these multi-decadal wet periods were unprecedented
over all land areas considered during 1901-1998. These results may be an important initial indication of climate change on a near-hemispheric scale. Modeling studies and analysis indicate that the initial effects of U.S. climate change are already apparent in climatic records. The central question addressed was whether late-century conditions were accompanied by increased, decreased, or stable tendency towards drought over that area's key agricultural regions. A reduced tendency for hydrological drought and an increased incidence of hydrological surplus among Midwest watershed areas and the majority of the Mississippi River basin during the closing decades of the 20th century was observed. The beginning stages of climate change are suggested by the reduced incidence of drought in these important agricultural areas. Alternative Production Systems Impact Soil Microbial and Biochemical Properties. Five years after implementing a crop-livestock production system on a clay (38%) soil in
Texas, the microbial and biochemical properties were improved compared to continuous cotton. Three to five years after implementing cotton and peanut systems continuous peanut production enhanced soil microbial and biochemical properties, while a cotton-peanut rotation did not impact these properties in sandy soil. Two consecutive years of peanuts in a peanut-cotton rotation were needed to observe increases in microbial properties of sandy soils compared to continuous cotton or to reach levels comparable to continuous peanut. Impacts of crop rotation or integration of livestock production with cotton production on soil microbial properties in Texas depend on time since establishment of the crop rotation, types of crops used in crop rotation, and soil type. Positive impacts on soil quality and system sustainability were demonstrated. Accomplishments under this project contribute to the achievement of ARS Strategic Plan Goal 5, Objective 2, Performance Measure 1, in that project
accomplishments contribute substantially to attainment of the Agency FY 2007 target of developing management strategies for increasing the efficiency of irrigation. 6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? A Windows-based computer program has been delivered to the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas that provides end-users with information about precipitation, heat and cold stress, and crop water use. The only known constraint to the software's present adoption is that it runs only on Windows operating systems (i.e., Windows 98, 200, XP). The benefits of subsurface drip irrigation were demonstrated and discussed with area farmers at the Howard County field tour in October 2004.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Gitz, D.C., Payton, P.R., Franks, C.D., Xin, Z. 2004. Stomatal distribution and gas exchange of sorghum lines with contrasting water-use efficiencies [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. 2004 CDROM.
- Mahan, J.R., Wanjura, D.F. 2005. Seasonal patterns of glutathione and ascorbate metabolism in field grown cotton under water stress. Crop Science. 45:193-201.
- McMichael, B.L., Lascano, R., Wanjura, D.F., Mahan, J.R., Gitz, D.C. 2004. Cotton water use under drip irrigation [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. 2004 CDROM.
- Oliver, M.J., Dowd, S.E., Zaragoza, J., Mauget, S.A., Payton, P.R. 2004. The rehydration transcriptome of the desiccation-tolerant bryophyte Tortula ruralis: transcript classification and analysis. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 5(89):1-49
- Upchurch, D.R., Mahan, J.R., Wanjura, D.F., Burke, J.J. 2004. Concepts in deficit irrigation: defining a basis for effective management [abstract]. Environmental and Water Resources Institute World Congress Proceedings. Paper No. 9028.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R. 2005. Establishing different cotton water levels using multiple temperature-time thresholds. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 4-7, 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2005 CDROM.
- Zobeck, T.M., Acosta Martinez, V., Bronson, K., Upchurch, D.R. 2004. Chemical, biochemical, and physical properties of semi-arid sandy soils comparing no-tillage and conventionally-tilled cropland and grassland [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. 2004 CDROM.
- Gitz, D.C., Kim, S., Baker, J.T., Reddy, V. 2004. Effects of light history and temperature on corn quantum yield [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts, ASA- CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. 2004 CDROM.
- Mauget, S.A. 2004. Low frequency stremaflow regimes over the central United States: 1939-1998. Climatic Change. 63:121-144.
- Bronson, K.F., Zobeck, T.M., Chua, T.T., Acosta Martinez, V., Booker, J.D. 2004. Carbon and nitrogen pools of southern High Plains cropland and grassland soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 68:1695-1704.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? In semi-arid environments water is the most limiting factor to crop production, but in reality, production occurs under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Under irrigated production the water supply does not always fully provide for the water requirements of the crop and dryland production is constrained by water supplied as rain. New technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of irrigation by decreasing the loss of applied water as evaporation and applying irrigation only when the crop requires water to prevent yield reduction. The response of soil microbial and biochemical properties to irrigation techniques is being studied since they are important factors that influence plant response to production inputs. The focus of dryland production is to understand when inputs of water,
fertilizer, and pesticides are mostly likely to produce a net positive return based on stage of growth and the water status of the crop. Methods for increasing the aggregate stability of low organic matter content soils are being investigated as a means of reducing susceptibility to erosion by wind and reducing soil crusting, which slows rain water infiltration and restricts seedling emergence. The predictability of long-term weather patterns and the use of remote sensing technology are being studied to provide new tools for managing crop production. There are five specific goals in this project: 1) Quantify solar energy partitioning and water transport of crops for varying water supply levels, 2) Develop strategies for using current climate conditions and long- range weather variability predictions as a production management tool, 3) Develop more effective irrigation and dryland management strategies for existing germplasm and genetically modified crops, 4) Use remote sensing and
precision agricultural technologies to define crop management strategies that reduce the impact of water deficits, 5) Integrate pertinent research information into crop management systems and evaluate their usefulness. Research falls under National Program 201 Water Quality and Management. The goals addressed are 1.1, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.5 of the program. Specific components are: 1.1.5 Develop planning and management tools and decision support systems that integrate climate and weather forecast information into agricultural production strategies, resource conservation and watershed management. 1. 5.1 Improve the understanding and control methods for water scarcity and drought mitigation, water conservation, droughts, and increased water use efficiency in agriculture. 1.5.4 Enhance the ability of producers and land managers to respond to water scarcity and drought through planning, management and water conservation at the farm level to regional scales. 2. 1.1 Develop water, pest, and
nutrient management practices and technologies that protect the environment and improve economic benefits of irrigated agriculture. 2.2.1 Develop precision agricultural irrigation systems and irrigation management technologies for site-specific management in the production of high-value crops. Water from the Ogallala aquifer is a limited resource and alternative uses in urban areas and other industries are continuously increasing competitors for water. Better production technology, from improved irrigation systems, greater stability of soil aggregation, and more predictable long-term weather forecasts are needed to increase the efficiency of water use by crops to maintain economic viability of crop production in this semi-arid region. Water will be used more efficiently in crop production enhancing the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and providing more stable production under rain-fed conditions. Increased precision in spatial identification of crop water status and longer
term predictions of rainfall patterns will lead to more economical production and increased yield. 2. List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. Year 1 (FY 2002) Assemble eddy covariance systems and conduct field experiments Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete climate variability study and begin drought trends analysis Initiate climate analysis and forecasting component of value of information Conduct field Polyacrylamide (PAM) study First year of field reflective film study Relate canopy temperature and spectral reflectance to cotton yield, report results. Measure thermal images of crop canopies Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 2 (FY 2003) Analyze Eddy Covariance results and prepare report on dryland cotton water use Conduct soil water dynamics field study Complete drought trends study and publish climate variability results Complete climate analysis component for the value of information study and
publish results. Conduct field water-use efficiency study Install subsurface drip irrigation system and grow summer crop Repeat field PAM study Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study, report results Repeat thermal imagery study Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 3 (FY 2004) Conduct soil water dynamics field study and report results Develop forecasting scheme for predicting summer drought conditions Begin econometric modeling simulations Conduct field water use efficiency study Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment Continue field PAM study if needed Repeat field reflective film study Repeat canopy temperature and spectral reflectance study Analyze thermal imagery and spot thermal data, publish results Review research findings for significant crop production applications Year 4 (FY 2005) Conduct soil water dynamics field study and report results Continue econometric modeling simulations
and publish results Conduct field water use efficiency study and prepare report Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment and report results Complete analysis of reflective film studies and write publication Publish results of spectral reflectance, stress time, and yield studies Select significant production research findings and demonstrate under field conditions. Year 5 (FY 2006) Conduct water-use efficiency studies with a new crop if results with cotton are positive. Conduct subsurface drip irrigation experiment and publish final results Publish results from reflective film studies Repeat field demonstration of significant production research findings. Since this research project was initiated one scientist resigned from ARS and three new scientists have been added. These personnel changes have caused some revision of milestones and the research being conducted. 3. Milestones: A. List the milestones that were scheduled to be addressed in FY 2004. How many milestones did you
fully or substantially meet in FY 2004, and indicate which ones were not fully or substantially met, briefly explain why not, and your plans to do so. The milestones listed below were scheduled for completion by FY 2004. The following milestones were fully accomplished. Completed analysis of 20th century rainfall variability outside continental U.S. Completed winter precipitation forecasting analysis for Southern High Plains of U.S. First stage of synthetically generated long-term rainfall and temperature for the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARADA) Mandate region was completed. Initiate econometric modeling simulations in value of information study Conducted field water-use efficiency study with cotton Installation of subsurface drip irrigation system is completed Canopy temperature, spectral reflectance, and stress time were studied for cotton. Analysis of thermal imagery and spot thermal data is completed and published. Our research findings
have been reviewed for results to significantly improve crop production management and yield. Characterized the diversity and enzyme activity of microbial populations in semi-arid soils for different management practices. The following milestones have not been fully completed: Conduct soil water dynamics field study and report results. This rain- fed research was delayed by drought conditions in previous years. A field study is currently in progress. Continuation of field PAM study. This work is dependent on rainfall. Drought conditions in the previous two years prevented completion of field studies. Effects of reflective film application on plant canopy temperature, physiological processes, and energy balance. The scientist who planned this research resigned before the work began. A new scientist is currently conducting a field experiment. B. List the milestones that you expect to address over the next 3 years (FY 2005, 2006, & 2007). What do you expect to accomplish, year by year,
over the next 3 years under each milestone? Year 4 (FY 2005) Complete the final stage of ICARDA agro climatology research. A Windows- based Visual Basic application will provide statistical analysis of growing season temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and radiation for latitude- longitude coordinates entered through a graphical user interface. Software will be delivered to end users at ICARDA by end of FY 2005. Conduct agricultural management simulations to estimate the value of winter season forecast information in winter wheat production and grazing management. Management strategies that maximize value will be identified. A report of the winter forecasting and Value of Information research will be written for in-house review. Field test the CETA (Canopy Evapotranspiration and Assimilation) chamber and conduct drought experiments. These experiments will verify the utility of the CETA approach for separating transpiration from total evapo-transpiration. Modify a soil water
balance model to aid in irrigation scheduling. Validation of the soil water balance model will allow precise irrigation scheduling in order to study drought stress responses of cotton and sorghum. Investigate microbial population diversity and enzyme activities in semiarid soils under new cropping systems. The importance of microbes as a component of soil function and cropping system sustainability will be documented. Measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions. Ultra-narrow row planting patterns should be more water-use efficient than skip row patterns. Deficit irrigation applied by subsurface drip irrigation. Trade-offs between increased water-use efficiency and reduced cotton yield combinations will be identified. Conduct field study with PAM. Increased water infiltration and reduced soil surface crusting should result from PAM applications. Reflective film effects on plant canopies will be retested in greenhouse and field environments. Increased
water-use efficiency is expected from the reflection of excess solar radiation and lowered heat load on canopies. The multi-year study of strategies for increasing water-use efficiency on cotton will be analyzed and reported. The stability of the water-use efficiency relationship to yield will be described. The multi-year study of using spectral reflectance and stress time to predict yield of cotton will analyzed and reported. The yield prediction capability of multispectral reflectance and temperature-based stress time will be quantified. The effectiveness of scheduling irrigation with the Biologically Identified Optimal Temperature Interactive Console (BIOTIC) protocol and the potential evapotranspiration-crop coefficient procedure will be demonstrated under field conditions. The relative effectiveness of the two irrigation scheduling methods will be identified. Year 5 (FY 2006) Submit winter forecasting and value of information research for publication. Winter grazing management
strategies that maximize value for the Southern High Plains will be explained. Begin summer climate forecasting research. Critical sub-seasonal periods of summer rainfall and associated controlling features of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere system will be described. Predictor variables for forecasting the development of controlling features will be identified. Additional CETA chambers will be constructed and drought experiments continued. The additional CETA chambers will allow replicated measurement of whole canopy assimilation rates and water-use efficiency over a wide range of drought stress treatments. Continue microbial population studies. Identified soil property trends from a High Biomass Crop Study will provide comparative data to contrast alternative cropping systems to the common practice of continuous cotton. Measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions. Specifications for more water-use efficient dryland cropping systems will be identified from
the analysis and publication of multi- year experiments. Multiple irrigation levels with a subsurface drip irrigation. Identification of threshold water application rates below which the cost of system construction and operation cannot be reclaimed by increased crop production are expected. Multi-year experiments will be analyzed and published. Conduct field study with PAM by applying surface applications prior to May rains. Results will show that PAM application to dryland cropping systems is an expensive and often ineffective management tool that is not profitable except in very specific and well-timed situations. The multi- year study results will be analyzed and published. The effectiveness of significant production research findings will be demonstrated under field conditions. Practices that are feasible for commercial crop production will produce increased yield. Year 6 (FY 2007) Continue or complete summer climate forecasting study. Present results at appropriate meetings and
prepare publication. If forecasts are feasible and of potential value to producers, subsequent work will focus on estimating rainfall for summer crop management over the Southern High Plains. Use CETA chambers to conduct drought stress experiments. These experiments will add to our knowledge of the mass and energy exchanges in field crops subjected to drought. This new knowledge will enable more efficient water use in water-limited agriculture. Continue microbial population studies. Identified soil property trends from a High Biomass Crop Study will provide comparative data to contrast alternative cropping systems to the common practice of continuous cotton. Modify cropping systems and measure soil water extraction and energy balance under dryland conditions. The two least water-use efficient planting patterns in the soil water dynamics study will be replaced. The study will increase our knowledge base of cropping system water use efficiencies. 4. What were the most significant
accomplishments this past year? A. Single most significant accomplishment during FY 2004: Microbial and biochemical properties of a soil with 38% of clay content changed 5 years after implementing an alternative integrated crop- livestock production system composed of a perennial pasture and different stages of a wheat-fallow-rye-cotton rotation compared to a continuous cotton and conventional tillage system. These findings indicate positive impacts on soil quality and system sustainability. Research with more soils showed that the impacts of crop rotations on soil microbial properties depend on the time since the establishment of the crop rotation, the crops used in the crop rotation, and the soil type. Contrary to studies with other soils, climatic regions, and cropping systems, we found that for sandy soils in Texas (91% of sand) and Georgia (80% sand) a continuous monoculture peanut (legume) system enhanced soil microbial properties compared to cotton and peanut rotations. Cotton
and peanut rotation did not impact the soil enzyme activities compared to continuous cotton in sandy soils. Thus, our findings demonstrated that increases in the soil microbial and biochemical properties, although important in soil function, are not always indicators of plant productivity and/or sustainability of the soil-cropping systems for cotton and peanuts. B. Other significant accomplishments: Global rainfall during the period 1901-98 was analyzed. Two highly significant recent multi-decadal rainfall patterns were detected over North America and Northern Europe: in the former case 8 of the 10 wettest years for 1901-98 occurred during 1972-98, while in the latter case 7 of the 10 wettest years occurred during 1978-98. Both the North American and Northern European wet regimes are unprecedented, as neither region saw a comparable incidence of wet years during other periods for 1901-98. These wet regimes were found at the entrance and exit regions of the North Atlantic storm track,
thus they are most likely evidence of a single multi-decadal climate mode extending from North America to the western portion of the former Soviet Union. The two wet regimes were the most significant global rain events during 1901-1998 period and may be an important initial indication of climate change on a near-hemispheric scale. C. Significant activities that support special target populations. None 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Canopy temperature is the best remote indicator for early detection of water stress in cotton. Canopy temperature monitoring is a feasible method for automated surveillance of crop fields and can be integrated into irrigation scheduling methods to grow crops under different water status conditions. Automated surveillance of crop temperatures combined with center pivot irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation systems provides the capability to differentially manage subunits of
fields according to their specific requirements for water and nutrients. This technology can be used on 1.6 million acres of cropland in the Southern Great Plains. Analysis of a 12-year data set indicates that irrigation of 23 inches or total water application of 29 inches produced soil water conditions where yearly maximum cotton yields were not limited by water. The use of subsurface drip irrigation should further decrease the irrigation requirement by 30% since evaporation is greatly reduced. Evidence of climate change has uncovered highly significant shifts in U. S. climate over the past decades. Analysis of nationally averaged annual (Oct. - Sept.) precipitation and mean temperature during 1896-2001 revealed that 8 of the 10 wettest years occurred during the last 29 years of that 106-year period, and 6 of the 10 warmest years during the last 16. Both results indicate significant transitions in U.S. climate at the end of the 20th century. Observed effects on temperature and
precipitation are consistent with the increased surface warming and strengthened hydrological cycle that are expected to accompany greenhouse warming. Modeling studies and analysis indicate that the initial effects of U.S. climate change are already apparent in climatic records. The central question addressed was whether late-century conditions were accompanied by increased, decreased, or stable tendency towards drought over that area's key agricultural regions. A reduced tendency for hydrological drought and an increased incidence of hydrological surplus among Midwest watershed areas and the majority of the Mississippi River basin during the closing decades of the 20th century was observed. The beginning stages of climate change are suggested by the reduced incidence of drought in these important agricultural areas. The high initial cost of subsurface drip irrigation systems must be recovered through a combination of higher water use efficiency and yield to increase net return.
Canopy temperature was used to indicate the presence of water stress in cotton and provide daily irrigation decisions at the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Research Laboratory in Lubbock, TX. Among a range of stress times tested as irrigation signals criteria one value produced the best combination of high yield (98% of maximum) and efficient use of irrigation water (21% less than maximum). The consistent performance of canopy temperature in managing crop irrigation is a technology ready for commercial adoption in production agriculture. 6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Benefits of residue retention for increasing infiltration and prevention of sandblast injury to cotton seedlings were demonstrated to area farmers during a field
day hosted by the Texas Extension Service in October 2003.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Wanjura, D.F., Maas, S.J., Winslow, J.C., Upchurch, D.R. 2004. Scanned and spot measured canopy temperatures of cotton and corn. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 44:33-48
- Baker, J.T., Kim, S., Gitz, D.C., Timlin, D.J., Reddy, V. 2003. A method for estimating carbon dioxide leakage rates in controlled environment chambers using nitrous oxide [abstract]. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 51:103-110
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Mahan, J.R. 2003. Establishing differential irrigation levels using temperature-time thresholds [abstract]. Transactions of the ASAE. 20(2):201-206
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Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it? In semi-arid environments water is the most limiting factor to crop production, but in reality production occurs under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Under irrigated production the water supply does not always fully provide for the water requirements of the crop, and dryland production is constrained by water supplied as rain. New technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of irrigation by decreasing the loss of applied water as evaporation and applying irrigation only when the crop requires water to prevent yield reduction. The responses of soil microbial and biochemical properties to irrigation techniques are being studied since they are important factors that influence plant response to production inputs. The focus of dryland production is to understand when inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides are mostly likely to produce a net positive return based on
stage of growth and the water status of the crop. Methods for increasing the aggregate stability of low organic matter content soils are being investigated as a means of reducing susceptibility to erosion by wind and reducing soil crusting, which slows rain water infiltration and restricts seedling emergence. The predictability of long-term weather patterns and the use of remote sensing technology are being studied to provide new tools for managing crop production 2. How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? Water from the Ogallala aquifer is a limited resource and alternative uses in urban areas and other industries represent a continuously increasing competition for water. Each additional inch of water increases cotton yields by an average of 50 lbs/acre which adds $30 to gross income per acre. Cotton, which is drought tolerant and the major summer crop in the Southern Great Plains, averages 300 lbs/acre under dryland production compared to 600 lbs/acre under irrigated
production, an increase of $180 in gross income per acre. Better production technology, from improved irrigation systems, greater stability of soil aggregation, and more predictable long-term weather forecasts are needed to increase the efficiency of water use by crops to maintain economic viability of crop production in this semi-arid region. 3. How does it relate to the National Program(s) and National Program Component(s) to which it has been assigned? This research evaluates different systems for applying water and develops techniques for managing production inputs for irrigated and dryland production to conserve resources and minimize environmental pollution from excessive use of water and chemicals, which contributes to the Agricultural Watershed Management, Irrigation and Drainage, and Water Quality and Management components of NP 201 Water Quality and Management (70%). Eroded soil reduces crop production potential and becomes an environmental hazard through long-range
transport of fine particles by wind. Reduced infiltration of rainfall through soil crusts in dry production regions removes water that is critical for profitable crop production, which contributes to the Soil Conservation and Restoration, Soil Water, and Productive and Sustainable Soil Management Systems components of the Soil Resource Management National Program (202). The study of long-term rain and temperature patterns and remote sensing studies are contributing information that applies to NP 207 Integrated Farming Systems National Program. 4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? A. Single Most Significant Accomplishment during FY2003: Subsurface drip irrigation systems have high initial cost, which must be recovered through a combination of higher water-use efficiency and yield to increase net return. Canopy temperature was used to indicate the presence of water stress in cotton and make daily irrigation decisions at the Plant Stress and Water
Conservation Research Laboratory in Lubbock, TX. Among a range of stress times tested as criteria for use as irrigation signals one value produced the best combination of high yield (98% of maximum) and efficient use of irrigation water (21% less than maximum). The consistent performance of canopy temperature in managing crop irrigation is a technology ready for commercial adoption in production agriculture. B. Other Significant Accomplishment: Previous research at the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX, showed a decreased tendency to drought conditions over key agricultural regions of the central United States in the closing decades of the 20th century. This year long-term variation in temperature, precipitation and annual stream flow was examined over the continental United States. Highly significant incidence of nationally wet and warm years in recent decades was evident in increased rainfall and stream flow in the central and eastern U.S. after
1973, and warmth and decreased stream flow throughout the Rocky Mountain region and in the west after 1986. These effects are also consistent with the increased surface warming and stronger hydrologic cycle expected to accompany greenhouse warming; this research supports the idea that the first effects of that warming already may be apparent over the continental United States. Microorganisms are an important component of the plant-soil system. Effects on enzyme activity by different management practices (crop rotation, water management, and tillage), systems (cropland, conservation reserve program, native rangeland) and soils (sandy soils vs. high clay soils) were studied in the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX. In comparison with continuous cotton and conventional tillage (the typical practice for this region) enzyme activities involved in the transformation of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycling were increased under cotton rotations
with wheat or sorghum, were even higher when crop rotations were combined with conservation tillage, did not differ in irrigated and dryland, nor did a cotton and peanut rotation change the enzyme activity compared to continuous cotton. These findings are important because the enzyme activities may be changing earlier than other soil properties that are occurring due to management. C. Significant Accomplishment/Activities that support special target population: None 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Remote measurement of canopy temperature and multispectral reflectance has been related to measurements of leaf water potential to monitor crop water status throughout the growing season. Canopy temperature was the best remote technique for early detection of water stress in cotton. Canopy temperature monitoring is a feasible method for automated surveillance of crop fields and can be integrated into irrigation
scheduling methods to maintain crops at different water status levels. Automated surveillance of crop temperatures combined with center pivot irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation systems provides the capability to differentially manage subunits of fields according to their specific requirements for water and nutrients. This technology can be used on 1.6 million acres of cropland in the Southern Great Plains. Analysis of a 12-year data set showed that irrigation of 23 inches or total water application of 29 inches produced soil water conditions where yearly maximum cotton yields were not limited by water. The use of subsurface irrigation should further decrease the irrigation requirement by 30% since evaporation is greatly reduced. Research into evidence of climate change has uncovered highly significant shifts in U.S. climate over the past decades. Analysis of nationally averaged annual (Oct. - Sept.) precipitation and mean temperature during 1896-2001 revealed that 8 of the 10
wettest years occurred during the last 29 years of that 106-year period, and 6 of the 10 warmest years during the last 16. Both of these results indicate significant transitions in U.S. climate at the end of the 20th century. Observed effects on temperature and precipitation are consistent with the increased surface warming and strengthened hydrological cycle that are expected to accompany greenhouse warming. Modeling studies and analysis indicate that the initial effects of U.S. climate change are already apparent in climatic records. The central question addressed was whether late-century conditions were accompanied by an increased, decreased, or stable tendency toward drought over that area's key agricultural regions. A reduced tendency for hydrological drought and an increased incidence of hydrological surplus among Midwest watershed areas and the majority of the Mississippi River basin during the closing decades of the 20th century was observed. These results suggest that the
beginning stages of climate change have been marked by a reduced incidence of drought in these important agricultural areas. 6. What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years? FY 2004: The global climate change research will be completed by publishing a description of 20th century variation in rainfall outside the continental U.S. Finish the neural network forecasting analysis of winter precipitation over the Southern High Plains. Produce synthetically generated long-term time series of daily rainfall, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature for the ICARDA mandate growing regions. Incorporate crop growth stage into canopy temperature irrigation scheduling study. Evaluate the predictability of crop water status control with time thresholds for cotton using subsurface drip irrigation. Initiate study of soil moisture and root system distribution around subsurface drip irrigation laterals in cotton. Initiate subsurface drip irrigation with limited water and
model surface energy balance. Determine management practice effects on enzyme activities and microbial community composition in semiarid soils. Measure soil properties in sandy soils (>90%) typically used for peanut production in West Texas. FY 2005: Begin the summer climate forecasting research. Conduct statistical analysis of the daily time series information for ICARDA mandate regions and assist in compiling results into a climatological atlas. Develop prediction tools for cotton yield using multi-year data sets of canopy temperature and spectral reflectance. Evaluate new information from different technology areas for potential integration into decision support tools for crop management and evaluate under dryland and irrigated commercial production conditions. Characterize patterns of moisture infiltration and water extraction of dryland summer crops. Characterize partitioning of incoming solar energy and soil water loss into surface evaporation and crop transpiration under
dryland. Analyze and publish preliminary results of surface energy balance investigation. Develop a better understanding of the soil microbial changes that are affected by management by simultaneously investigating different components of soil microbial properties. FY 2006: Complete the summer climate forecasting research. With an appropriate collaborator in agricultural economics, conduct agricultural management simulations to estimate the value of forecast information and identify management strategies that maximize that value. Characterize patterns of moisture infiltration and water extraction of dryland summer crops. Characterize partitioning of incoming solar energy and soil water loss into surface evaporation and crop transpiration under dryland. Publish results of SWD study with present cropping systems. Study the dynamics of microbial populations and enzyme activities in semiarid soils under different management practices for the purpose of maximizing crop production. 7. What
science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Irrigation levels in cotton resulting from a range of time thresholds within the BIOTIC irrigation timing protocol have been presented to scientists for their potential evaluation and use. This irrigation timing technology is most applicable to drip irrigation where irrigation decisions are made at daily or longer intervals. 8. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: This does not replace your peer-reviewed publications listed below). Consulted with Jeanne Bernick on the article Load the Dice concerning seasonal climate prediction and agricultural production, Feb. 28, 2003, Farm Journal magazine, S. Mauget.
Presentation: Climate Prediction and Agricultural Management, board of directors National Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Lubbock, TX, October 24, 2002, S. Mauget. Presentation: BIOTIC irrigation scheduling, board of directors National Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Lubbock, TX, October 24, 2002, D.F. Wanjura Presentation: An overview of the impacts of microorganisms in crop production, Crop Vegetable Conference, West Texas A M University, Canyon, TX, January 14, 2003, Acosta Martinez, V.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Lety, J., Sojka, R.E., Upchurch, D.R., Cassel, K.K., Olson, K.R., Payne, W. A., Petrie, S.E., Price, G.H., Reginato, R.J., Scott, H.D., Smethurst, P.J. , Triplett, G.B. Deficiencies in the soil quality concept and its application. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 2003. V. 58. p. 180- 187.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Mahan, J.R. Crop water status control with temperature-time threshold irrigation. 2003. American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Paper No. 032136.
- Moran, S., Fitzgerald, G., Rango, A., Walthall, C., Barnes, E., Bausch, W., Clarke, T., Daughtry, C., Everitt, J., Escobar, D., Harfield, J., Havstad, K., Jackson, T., Kitchen, N., Kustas, W., McGuire, M., Pinter, P. Jr., Sudduth, K., Schepers, J., Schmugge, T., Starks, P., Upchurch, D. Sensor development and radiometric correction for agricultural applications. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 2003. v. 69. p. 705-718.
- Pinter, P.J. Jr., Hatfield, J.L., Schepers, J.S., Barnes, E.M., Moran, M.S. , Daughtry, C.S.T., Upchurch, D.R. Remote sensing for crop management. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. 2003. v. 69. p. 647-664.
- Sojka, R.E., Upchurch, D.R., Borlaug, N.E. Quality soil management or soil quality management: performance versus semantics. Sparks, D.L., editor. Academic Press, New York, NY. Advances in Agronomy. 2003. V. 79. p. 1-68.
- Acosta Martinez, V., Klose, S., Zobeck, T.M. Soil enzyme activities in semi-arid systems: conservation reserve program, native rangeland, and cropland. Integrated Biological Systems Conference. 2003. Abstract p. 45.
- Acosta Martinez, V., Zobeck, T.M., Gill, T.E., Kennedy, A.C. Enzyme activities in semi-arid agricultural soils. Integrated Biological Systems Conference. 2003. Abstract p. 44.
- Acosta Martinez, V., Zobeck, T.M., Gill, T.E., Kennedy, A.C. Microbial community structure and enzyme activities in semi-arid agricultural soils. 2002. Agronomy Abstracts, S03-acostamartinez090029-poster.pdf.
- Mauget, S. Intra-to multi-decadal climate variation over the continental United States: 1932-99. Journal of Climate. 2003. V.16. p. 2215-2231.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Lascano, R.J. Subsurface drip irrigation of cotton using time thresholds. Proceedings of 2003 Beltwide Cotton Conference. 2003. p. 554-562.
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Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it? In semi-arid environments water is the most limiting factor to crop production, but in reality, production occurs under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Under irrigated production the water supply does not always fully provide for the water requirements of the crop and dryland production is constrained by water supplied as rain. New technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of irrigation by decreasing the loss of applied water as evaporation and applying irrigation only when the crop requires water to prevent yield reduction. The response of soil microbial and biochemical properties to irrigation techniques are being studied since they are important factors that influence plant response to production inputs. The focus of dryland production is to understand when inputs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides are mostly likely to produce a positive net return, based on
stage of growth and the water status of the crop. Methods for increasing the aggregate stability of low organic matter content soils are being investigated as a means of reducing susceptibility to erosion by wind and reducing soil crusting, which slows rain water infiltration and restricts seedling emergence. The predictability of long term weather patterns and the use of remote sensing technology are being studied to provide new tools for managing crop production. 2. How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? Water from underground aquifers is a limited resource, and alternative uses in urban areas and other industries represent a continuously increasing competition for water. Each additional inch of water increases cotton yields by an average of 50 lbs/acre, which adds $30 to gross income per acre. Cotton, which is drought tolerant and the major summer crop in the Southern Great Plains, averages 300 lbs per acre under dryland production compared to 600 lbs per acre under
irrigated production, an increase of $180 in gross income per acre. Better production technology, from improved irrigation systems, greater stability of soil aggregation, and more predictable long term weather forecasts are needed to increase the efficiency of water use by crops to maintain economic viability of crop production in this semi-arid region. 3. How does it relate to the national Program(s) and National Program Component(s) to which it has been assigned? This research evaluates different systems for applying water and develops techniques for managing production inputs for irrigated and dryland production to conserve resources and minimize environmental pollution from excessive use of water and chemicals, which contributes to the Agricultural Watershed Management, Irrigation and Drainage, and Water Quality and Management components of NP 201 Water Quality and Management (70%). Eroded soil reduces crop production potential and becomes an environmental hazard through
long-range transport of fine particles by wind. Reduced infiltration of rainfall through soil crusts in dry production regions removes water that is critical for profitable crop production, which contributes to the Soil Conservation and Restoration, Soil Water, and Productive and Sustainable Soil Management Systems components of the Soil Resource Management National Program (202). The study of long-term rain and temperature patterns and remote sensing studies are contributing information that applies to NP 207 Integrated Farming Systems National Program. 4. What was your most significant accomplishment this past year? A. Single most significant accomplishment during FY2002: The escalating demand for water and its decline in availability from the Ogallala Aquifer has increased the use of drip irrigation in the Southern Great Plains, which must be effectively managed to achieve its full potential for efficient water use and maximum yield. Irrigation scheduling based on canopy
temperature was used at the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Laboratory at Lubbock, TX, over a 12-year period, and the multi-year data set was used to evaluate the effect of irrigation amount and growing season temperature on cotton yield. Irrigation of 23 inches, or total water application of 29 inches, produced maximum lint yield where the yearly maximum yields were not limited by water input, but were affected by monthly heat units in July and August and seasonally for May-September. Scheduling irrigation with continuously measured canopy temperature produced maximum cotton yields without applying excessive amounts of water and has the potential to improve the irrigation management of farmers operating subsurface drip irrigation systems. B. Other significant accomplishments: Given ambiguous results from computer modeling studies attempting to project future drought conditions over the central United States, and past work done at the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Laboratory
at Lubbock, TX, indicating that the initial effects of U.S. climate change are already apparent in the observed climate record, the central question addressed was whether late-century conditions were accompanied by an increased, decreased, or stable tendency toward drought over that area's key agricultural regions. Streamflow is an indirect measure of the balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration. Records from 42 gage stations during the period 1939-1998 were evaluated to estimate the current state of drought vulnerability over the central U.S.; the results of that analysis indicate a reduced tendency to hydrological drought and an increased incidence of hydrological surplus among Midwest watershed areas and the majority of the Mississippi River basin during the closing decades of the 20th century. Whereas some attempts to model the projected impacts of climate change have predicted a bleak future for important agricultural regions of the central United States, these
results suggest that the beginning stages of climate change have been marked by a reduced incidence of drought in these areas. C. Significant accomplishments/activities that support special target populations: None. 5. Describe your major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact? Remote measurement of canopy temperature and multispectral reflectance were referenced to measurements of leaf water potential to monitor crop water status throughout the growing season. Canopy temperature was the best remote technique for early detection of water stress in cotton. Canopy temperature monitoring is a feasible method for automated surveillance of crop fields and can be integrated into irrigation scheduling methods to maintain crops at different water status levels. Automated surveillance of crop temperatures combined with center pivot irrigation or subsurface drip irrigation systems provides the capability to differentially manage subunits of
fields according to their specific requirements for water and nutrients. This technology can be used on 1.6 million acres of cropland in the Southern Great Plains. Research into evidence of climate change has uncovered highly significant shifts in U.S. climate over the past decades. For example, an analysis of nationally averaged annual (Oct. - Sept.) precipitation and mean temperature during 1896-2001 reveals that 8 of the 10 wettest years occurred during the last 29 years of that 106-year period, and 6 of the 10 warmest years during the last 16. Both of these results indicate significant transitions in U.S. climate at the end of the 20th century. As the observed effects on temperature and precipitation are consistent with the increased surface warming and strengthened hydrological cycle that are expected to accompany greenhouse warming, these results suggest that the initial effects of that warming are already apparent over the continental United States. As a result, this work may
have the potential of shifting the perception of climate change from that of a future consequence to a current reality. 6. What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years? FY 2003: Develop techniques to modify soil pH range while applying iron oxide in laboratory batch experiments. Conduct neural network forecasting analysis of summer and winter climate conditions over the Southern High Plains, using cooperative station rainfall and temperature data, historical sea-surface temperature data, and atmospheric data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Publish and present associated results from either the summer or winter analysis at appropriate meetings. New information in different technology areas will be evaluated and potential improvements integrated into decision support tools for testing under dryland and irrigated production conditions. Continue canopy temperature irrigation scheduling study that accounts for crop growth stage. Evaluate the
degree of crop water status control of three time thresholds for cotton using subsurface drip irrigation. The BIOTIC system will be modified, if appropriate, based on producer input, and field evaluation will continue on two commercial farms with wireless infrared thermometers. Begin soil water dynamics (SWD) studies under dryland conditions at the Big Spring, TX, field station. Drought in 2002 delayed the initiation of this study. Begin drip irrigation studies with limited water supply at the Big Spring Field Station if subsurface drip irrigation system is installed. Initiate new studies that describe the effect of soil enzymes (produced by microorganisms) on the C, N, P, and S cycling under different management practices (i.e., crop rotation, tillage) to develop indices of soil changes. FY 2004: Test methods to effectively apply and incorporate iron oxide under field conditions. Continue studies of drip irrigation with limited water supply at the Big Spring Field Station. Complete
the development of a method to forecast winter seasonal climate for use in projecting livestock grazing potential. Complete development of the climate prediction contribution to the summer and winter crop management research, publish and present findings at appropriate meetings. Develop prediction tools for cotton yield using multi-year data sets of canopy temperature and spectral reflectance. Evaluate new information from different technology areas for potential integration into decision support tools for crop management and evaluate under dryland and irrigated commercial production conditions. Characterize patterns of moisture infiltration and water extraction of dryland summer crops. Characterize partitioning of incoming solar energy and soil water loss into surface evaporation and crop transpiration under dryland. Continue studies that describe the effect of soil enzymes on the C, N, P, and S cycling, provide background information about the microbial population numbers and the
microbial diversity (groups of microorganisms) under different crop management practices. FY 2005: Contribute to the agricultural management component of both the summer and winter climate forecasting research, publish and present at appropriate meetings. Characterize patterns of moisture infiltration and water extraction of dryland summer crops. Characterize partitioning of incoming solar energy and soil water loss into surface evaporation and crop transpiration under dryland. Describe and publish the effects of soil enzymes on C, N, P, and S cycling, microbial numbers and microbial diversity under different crop management practices in order to identify trends of the changes in microbial and biochemical properties due to soil management. 7. What technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the technology likely to become available to the end user (industry, farmer other scientist)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption durability of the technology? The
BIOTIC technology was transferred to an engineering firm through a Specific Cooperative Agreement. The company will manufacture wireless infrared thermocouples that will enhance the useability of this technology. A prototype system of wireless infrared thermometers has been designed and fabricated. This system is being evaluated and should be ready for field testing pending the correction of several minor electronic problems. 8. List your most important publications and presentations, and articles written about your work (NOTE: this does not replace your review publications which are listed below) "Quality soil management or soil quality management: performance versus semantics", Western Soil Science Society Annual Meeting, Fort Collins, CO. , June 3, 2002, D. R. Upchurch and R. E. Sojka. Overview of microbial ecology research on semi-arid soils at the 2002- Soils Critique Meeting, Lubbock, TX, July 11-12, 2002, Veronica Acosta- Martinez
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Mauget, S.A. Intra- to multi-decadal climate variability over the continental United States: 1932-1999. Proceedings 13th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations. 2002. p. 251-253.
- Mauget, S.A. Mann Whitney U analysis of annual streamflow over the central United States: 1939-1998. Proceedings 13th Conference on Applied Climatology. 2002. p. 248-251.
- Mauget, S.A. Mann Whitney U analysis of annual streamflow over the central United States: 1939-1998. CD-ROM. Proceedings Environmental & Water Resources Institute Conference on Water Resources Planning and Management. 2002
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R. Water status response of corn and cotton to altered irrigation. Irrigation Science. 2002. v. 21. p. 45-55.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Mahan, J.R., Burke, J.J. Cotton yield and applied water relationships under drip irrigation. Agricultural Water Management. 2002. v. 55. p. 217-237.
- Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R., Maas, S. Thermal imaging of cotton canopies. Proceedings in Engineering-Systems Conference of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences. 2002.
- Evett, S.R., Howell, T.A., Schneider, A.D., Wanjura, D.F., Upchurch, D.R. Automated drip irrigation control regulates water use efficiency. International Water & Irrigation. 2002. v. 22. p. 32-37.
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