Progress 09/01/03 to 08/31/08
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) The mission of the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative is to ensure the sustainability of agricultural industries and rural communities, through innovative scientific research focused on irrigation and precipitation management and integrated crop/livestock systems, considering socioeconomic impacts and an assessment of all available water resources, providing scientifically sound information for public policy decisions. 1) To investigate management of water, both irrigation and precipitation, within existing cropping systems and to conceptualize new cropping systems. A broad examination of the many issues in water management is needed to effectively provide options for producers and water managers. 2) To develop and evaluate integrated crop and livestock systems that reduce dependence on underground water resources while optimizing productivity, product quality, and profitability. A broad ranging, multidisciplinary attack is essential to developing new or improved management systems and must be tested across a range of ecosystems. 3) To investigate designs, performance, and management of equipment and systems used for irrigation. This is an engineering focus to study the issues associated with irrigation equipment currently used and to reach beyond current concepts and identify future irrigation approaches. 4) To provide estimates of economic impacts of various water management activities and strategies. This program supports and contributes to all other efforts in the overall program. The scope of economic studies must span the micro- or farm level, to the macro- or regional scale. 5) To provide a common assessment of the groundwater resources in the Ogallala Aquifer and the interrelationships with climate. This includes understanding the status of the aquifer and potential rates of decline, as well as, investigating climatic variables specifically targeting prediction capacity. 6) To enhance the knowledge base of producers, water professionals, and policy makers about soil water, crop water use, precipitation management, and irrigation principles; and to develop an information program for youth about the Ogallala Aquifer and its importance and use. 7) To develop and evaluate water saving technologies for the confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) and industries that process agricultural commodities. This element contains evaluation of environmental and health risks of reusing water from other activities. Approach (from AD-416) In partnership with the ARS Laboratories in Bushland and Lubbock, Texas, Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University, a strategic plan has been developed to protect the economic integrity of West Texas and Western Kansas through new and enhanced water management strategies; enhanced integrated crop, forage, and livestock production systems; and enterprises for existing natural resources and associated agricultural products, while conserving water and natural resources. This partnership seeks solutions to these complex challenges through multidisciplinary team and partnerships with industry, producers, other institutions, and agencies. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This agreement was established for research conducted in crop years 2004, 2005, and 2006. The following accomplishments are reported for this final report. The complete project accomplishment is listed in Item 4 of this report, and can also be found in the report for the parent Project 6209-13000-013-00D. PROJECT TITLES: 1. Technology Transfer: Evaluation of Website. 2. Economic and Policy Implications of Underground Water Use in the Southern Ogallala Aquifer Region. 3. Creation and Application of Hydrologic and Climatologic Geospatial Database for Simulation of the Future of the Ogallala Aquifer. The ADODR and lead investigators are in regular contact via email, teleconferences, face-to-face meetings, and at an annual program progress conference that includes all participating scientists.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) The mission of the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative is to ensure the sustainability of agricultural industries and rural communities, through innovative scientific research focused on irrigation and precipitation management and integrated crop/livestock systems, considering socioeconomic impacts and an assessment of all available water resources, providing scientifically sound information for public policy decisions. 1) To investigate management of water, both irrigation and precipitation, within existing cropping systems and to conceptualize new cropping systems. A broad examination of the many issues in water management is needed to effectively provide options for producers and water managers. 2) To develop and evaluate integrated crop and livestock systems that reduce dependence on underground water resources while optimizing productivity, product quality, and profitability. A broad ranging, multidisciplinary attack is essential to developing new or improved management systems and must be tested across a range of ecosystems. 3) To investigate designs, performance, and management of equipment and systems used for irrigation. This is an engineering focus to study the issues associated with irrigation equipment currently used and to reach beyond current concepts and identify future irrigation approaches. 4) To provide estimates of economic impacts of various water management activities and strategies. This program supports and contributes to all other efforts in the overall program. The scope of economic studies must span the micro- or farm level, to the macro- or regional scale. 5) To provide a common assessment of the groundwater resources in the Ogallala Aquifer and the interrelationships with climate. This includes understanding the status of the aquifer and potential rates of decline, as well as, investigating climatic variables specifically targeting prediction capacity. 6) To enhance the knowledge base of producers, water professionals, and policy makers about soil water, crop water use, precipitation management, and irrigation principles; and to develop an information program for youth about the Ogallala Aquifer and its importance and use. 7) To develop and evaluate water saving technologies for the confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) and industries that process agricultural commodities. This element contains evaluation of environmental and health risks of reusing water from other activities. Approach (from AD-416) In partnership with the ARS Laboratories in Bushland and Lubbock, Texas, Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University, a strategic plan has been developed to protect the economic integrity of West Texas and Western Kansas through new and enhanced water management strategies; enhanced integrated crop, forage, and livestock production systems; and enterprises for existing natural resources and associated agricultural products, while conserving water and natural resources. This partnership seeks solutions to these complex challenges through multidisciplinary team and partnerships with industry, producers, other institutions, and agencies. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report documents research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS & Texas Tech University (TTU). Scientists from TTU joined with ARS scientists from Bushland and Lubbock, and scientists from Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, and West Texas A&M University to conduct several experiments. This agreement was established for research conducted in crop years 2004, 2005, and 2006. The progress/accomplishments reported by TTU scientists are listed below by project title. The complete project accomplishment (by title) can be found in the report for the parent CRIS Project 6209- 13000-013-00D, Sustaining Rural Economies through New Water Management Technologies. PROJECT TITLES: 1. INTERNET INFORMATION FOR IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT 2. ECONOMIC MODELING OF WATER USE 3. BREEDING SHORT-SEASON, STRESS-TOLERANT CORN 4. VARIABLE-RATE IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY The ADODR and lead investigators are in regular contact via e-mail, teleconferences, face-to-face meetings, and at an annual program progress conference. Technology Transfer Number of Non-Peer Reviewed Presentations and Proceedings: 18 Number of Newspaper Articles,Presentations for NonScience Audiences: 4
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and Texas Tech University. Additional details of this research can be found in the report for the parent project 6209-13000-011-00D, Sustaining Rural Economies through New Water Management Technologies. Scientists from Texas Tech University combined with ARS and university scientists from Texas A&M University, Kansas State University, and West Texas A&M University to conduct several experiments. The following progress was reported by Texas Tech University scientists. Water Conservation Impacts: Baseline optimization models were developed for the 22 counties in Texas and two counties in New Mexico in the southern sub-region of the Ogallala Aquifer. The county level optimization models developed included crop and irrigation system specific data from 1999 to 2004, costs of production data for 2004, 2001 simulated hydrologic data, and
crop production function parameters estimated through CROPMAN, a crop simulation model. Three policy alternatives included: 0% drawdown, in which all irrigated acres transitioned to dryland acres; 50% total drawdown which limited water usage such that drawdown could not exceed 50% of baseline drawdown; and 75% total drawdown which limited water usage such that drawdown could not exceed 75% of baseline drawdown. Analyses were made for each county by maximizing the net present value of net income on a per acre basis over a sixty-year planning horizon. Sensitivity analyses with respect to aquifer recharge rates, saturated thickness levels, and pump lift were conducted. The results were compared to the baseline results to estimate the economic impacts for the producer and the county. After analyzing the water use practices and aquifer levels in each county, this study concluded that for this region, water conservation policies should focus on counties that deplete the aquifer to less
than 30 feet of saturated thickness in the baseline scenario, where the implicit cost of conserving a foot of saturated thickness is relatively low. These are the most heavily irrigated counties in the study region, and society as a whole would most likely benefit from the focus of water conservation in these high water use counties. The nine counties in the study region in which a depletion of saturated thickness to less than 30 feet in the baseline scenario were: Cochran, Floyd, Gaines, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Terry, and Yoakum. By focusing water conservation on these nine heavily irrigated counties, policy makers can conserve water for future irrigation where it is likely to be most vital to the regional economy. Estimates of Crop Water Use: A procedure was developed to estimate crop water use (CWU) using remote sensing imagery and weather network data. This procedure makes use of a "spectral crop coefficient" to evaluate daily crop water use from potential
evapotranspiration (PET). The procedure was tested against measurements of actual evapotranspiration (ET) obtained in a dryland cotton field using an eddy covariance system. In general, estimated and observed ET were within 0.5 mm per day. The procedure was applied to estimating daily and seasonal CWU for 26 fields. Results showed distinct differences in water use among the various cropping systems present in the fields. Use of the procedure to estimate daily CWU as part of the Internet-based YieldTracker system was demonstrated. These techniques will be used to develop an index for scheduling irrigations and evaluating the degree of water stress in crops. Remote Prediction of Crop Water Stress: An on-pivot system for estimating crop water stress was developed and tested over a two-year period. Results of the effort suggest that, while the system was technically feasible, it was operationally very difficult to maintain. Emphasis has been re-directed toward airborne or satellite
observations for estimating crop water stress, supplemented by a series of stationary within-field sensors. Immediate efforts centered on the development of a methodology for evaluating crop water stress from remote sensing observations in the red, near-infrared, and thermal infrared wavebands. Crop Rotations in Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems: Crop production on the Texas High Plains has used precipitation and supplemental irrigation with water pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer at rates that have far exceeded recharge for many years. Most of the cotton is produced in monoculture systems that are economically risky and contribute to wind- induced erosion and depletion of groundwater resources. Although large numbers of cattle are found in this region, little integration of livestock and cotton production exists. Integrated crop-livestock systems could improve nutrient cycling, reduce soil erosion, improve water management, interrupt pest cycles, and spread economic risk through
diversification. Two whole-farm scale systems compared 1) a cotton monoculture typical of the region, and 2) an alternative integrated system that included cotton, forage, and stocker beef steers. Steers grazed the perennial warm-season grasses in sequence with rye and wheat from January to mid-July. Grass seed were harvested from bluestem in October. Cotton, in the alternative system, was grown in a two-paddock rotation with the wheat and rye. The alternative system reduced the need for supplemental irrigation by 23% and for nitrogen fertilizer by 40% compared with the conventional cotton monoculture. Soil with perennial grass pasture was lower in predicted soil erosion and was higher in soil organic carbon, aggregate stability, and microbial biomass than soil where continuous cotton was grown. Profitability was greater for the alternative system until cotton lint yields reached about 1500 kilogram per hectare for the continuous cotton system. Systems that are less dependent on
supplemental irrigation and non-renewable resources appear possible to ensure sustainability of Texas High Plains agricultural systems. Developing Hydrologic Data Maps: Well and water level data errors were corrected for well elevation and water level in the Texas well databases of the Southern Ogallala Aquifer. Using the corrected data, GIS surfaces of water table elevation data regenerated. A GIS surface for the base of aquifer and a specific yield surface were created for Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Spatial models were developed to generate results for saturated thickness, available storage, and change in available storage by year. The value in acre feet for groundwater volume in storage, and volume change were computed for selected counties. Additionally, 34 maps comparing the region served by the Ogallala Aquifer to the rest of Texas were developed. These maps depict the land, the people, and the agricultural economy of Ogallala Aquifer region. A preliminary web site
was created to facilitate sharing these maps with other researchers and the public. 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). Publications: Allen, V.G., Brown, C.P., Kellison, R., Segarra, E., Wheeler, T., Dotray, P.A., Conkwright, J.C., Green, C.J., Acosta-Martinez, V. 2005. Integrating cotton and beef production to reduce water withdrawal from the Ogallala Aquifer. Agronomy Journal. 97:556-567. Harman, W.L., Maas, S.J., McDonald, R.E., Musunuru, N., Segarra, E. 2005. Economic impacts of seasonal weather information in dryland grain sorghum production. Southwestern Journal of Economics. 7(1):78-95. Johnson, J.W., Johnson, P., Segarra, E., Willis, D. 2005. Water conservation policy alternatives for the Ogallala Aquifer in Texas. College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Publication Number T-1-589, Lubbock, Texas. Watson, S.,
Segarra, E., Lascano, R., Bronson, K., Schubert, A.M. 2005. Guidelines for recommending precision agriculture in southern crops. Journal of Extension. 43(2):2RIB7. Available: http://www.joe.org. Watson, S., Segarra, E., Yu, M., Li, H., Lascano, R., Bronson, K., Booker, J. 2005. Technological efficiency gains in irrigated cotton production. Texas Journal of Agricultural and Natural Resources (in press). Presentations: Rainwater, K., Barbato, L., Reeves, J., Mulligan, K. 2006. Mapping and analyses of the Southern High Plains aquifer. Presented at Geographic Information Systems and Water Resources IV, American Water Resources Association Spring Specialty Conference, May 8-10, 2006, Houston, Texas.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a cooperative agreement between ARS and Texas Tech University. Additional details of this research can be found in the report for the parent project 6209- 13000-011-00D, Sustaining Rural Economies through New Water Management Technologies. Scientists from Texas Tech University combined with ARS and university scientists from Texas A&M University, Kansas State University, and West Texas A&M University to conduct several experiments. The following progress was reported by Texas Tech University scientists. Groundwater modeling: A procedure was developed to calculate the volume of groundwater in storage using a combination of numerical groundwater modeling and geographic information systems. This methodology can be used to derive one of the most accurate determinations of the volume of water in storage in an aquifer. Well data were acquired for the High Plains Aquifer in Texas and Oklahoma,
methods were developed to convert the Texas data from a tabular format into a GIS geodatabase, the geodatabase was then used to generate water level and base-of-aquifer surfaces, preliminary water volumes were calculated, methods were developed to correct errors in the original data, and a reporting system was established to correct these errors in the state well database. A better assessment of the amount of groundwater in storage facilitates better management of the water resources. Water-use modeling: The YieldTracker Information Delivery System (IDS) was modified to produce estimates of cumulative crop water use during the growing season for individual fields in the Texas High Plains. This study recognizes that regional information on crop water use, soil moisture, and crop production are important to both farmers and regional water resource planners. In this one-year project, we examined ways of extracting water-related information from the climatic, remote sensing, and modeling
capabilities of a regional IDS. If fully developed and implemented, such an IDS could provide timely and cost-effective estimates and predictions of water-related variables such as crop water use, soil moisture, and crop stress to farmers and water resource planners. Variable-rate irrigation technology: A two-year study was completed to evaluate the feasibility of providing real-time control of a variable- rate, center-pivot irrigation system. This study is based on the idea that the most water-conserving control strategy for a variable-rate irrigation system would be based on measuring and responding to the current water needs of the crop. In this project, we developed and evaluated a system for sensing crop water needs mounted on the center- pivot irrigation system. We encountered numerous engineering problems with the original design of this system, but our effort has led to a refined concept that we feel would be effective in providing real-time control of a variable-rate,
center-pivot irrigation system. Integrated crop/forage/livestock systems: Our hypothesis is that integrating crop and livestock systems would reduce irrigation water use, maintain profitability, and diversify income compared with a cotton monoculture. Two large-scale replicated systems compared water use, productivity, and economics of 1) a cotton monoculture with terminated wheat and 2) an integrated 3-paddock system that included cotton in a 2- paddock rotation with grazed wheat and rye and the perennial old world bluestem for grazing and seed production. All paddocks were irrigated by sub-surface drip. Results of this initial phase showed that the integrated system used 23% less irrigation water, 40% less nitrogen fertilizer, reduced soil erosion, improved soil microbial activity and carbon content, and was 90% more profitable than the cotton monoculture. The integrated approach diversified income, thus reducing risk. While the integrated system reduced water use and improved
profitability, water use remained above sustainable levels; therefore, two new comparisons were added: 1) an integrated dryland system for production of cotton and stocker steers with pastures based on native warm-season perennial grasses and a summer annual forage in rotation with cotton; and 2) an irrigated forage/livestock system based on the perennial warm-season grasses bermudagrass and old world bluestem. Initial results in 2004 from the dryland system are being summarized, but cotton yields in 2004 were 1116, 1300, and 1560 kg/ha for the dryland integrated system, the irrigated integrated system, and the irrigated cotton monoculture, respectively. Daily gains of steers were 1.07 kg during the 79-d grazing period, while steers from the integrated irrigated system averaged 0.64 kg daily gain during a 195-d grazing season. Economic assessment and impacts: A significant accomplishment in this reporting period was the expansion of the non-linear dynamic optimization model
developed by Jeffrey W. Johnson in 2003 to include additional irrigation system technologies and recently developed data. Baseline optimization models were developed for all the counties to be included in the analysis of the southern sub-region of the Ogallala Aquifer including twenty-two counties in Texas and two counties in New Mexico. The baseline models developed in this phase of the project will be the basis for evaluating water conservation policy alternatives. Another significant accomplishment in this reporting period was the initial evaluation of the risk efficiency characteristics of the alternative production systems that include the production of both crops and livestock production activities which could positively contribute to water conservation efforts Technology transfer planning: During 2004, the research and logo development components of the technology transfer project were conducted. The research component helped to describe the producers of the region in terms of
information sources accessed and trusted, information channels utilized, types of water management information sought, and beliefs about the aquifer and water management. The logo developed will create a brand identity for the project and the various stakeholder groups. The results of these two components will be utilized as the foundation for future information dissemination efforts by the overall initiative.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|