What I’ve Learned From Implementing Drip Irrigation On …alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/2017/powerpoints/Ray2.pdf · What I’ve Learned From Implementing Drip Irrigation On My

WhatI’veLearnedFromImplementingDripIrrigationOnMyFarm

NateRay,DeJagerFarms

Background• DeJagerFarms,Chowchilla,CA• 17,000acresofAlfalfa,Corn/Wheat,OtherCrops• 3,000acresonSDI/Microsprinklers(1,100Alfalfa)• StartedImplementingSDIin2009onalfalfaandhavebeen

expandingsince.• Ourgoalistohave50%ofourranchonalowvolumewater

efficienttechnology(SDI,pivot,micro,etc.)withinthenext10years.

• Growingconcernforgroundwaterrestrictionandreductionofsurfacewaterdeliverieswereinitiallythetwobiggestdrivers.

Topics

SiteSelectionIrrigationScheduling

CutSchedulingandYield/Quality

SiteSelection

• Littletonopreviouspopulationtostart• Littletonorefugesitesaroundsite.• Historicallyfloodirrigatedandconventionallytilled

isbeneficial

InstallationqProductQualityqCulturalPracticesqMinimizingTripsovertheField

FlowFlow

IrrigationScheduling

• Flowrate– Dictatesrun-times

• SoilType– Dictatesstrategy

• MeetingEt.– 85-90%ofgrasscrop

• PulseIrrigation– 3-8hoursetswithmore

frequency– Benefitfromautomation– Don’tjustirrigate,needto

irrigate“effectively”

IrrigationScheduling

5th Cutting30days 6thcutting28days

IrrigationScheduling

IrrigationSchedulingField#65IrrigationRecordMonth: September

Day Pump# NorthSide SouthSide Total AcreInches EffectiveRainfall 3StationHours Hours Hours Applied/Acre TotalInches Ave.ET(In.)

1 DW76 0 0 0.22 DW76 0 0 0.2073 DW76 0 0 0.2104 DW76 0 0 0.2235 DW76 0 0 0.1976 DW76 0 0 0.1777 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.2138 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.2209 DW76 0 0 0.24010 DW76 6 6 12 0.4416 0.21311 DW76 6 6 12 0.4416 0.20312 DW76 6 6 12 0.4416 0.21013 DW76 6 2 8 0.2944 0.19314 DW76 0 0 0.20315 DW76 0 0 0.20716 DW76 0 0 0.19717 DW76 0 0 0.19718 DW76 0 0 0.19719 DW76 0 0 0.19720 DW76 3.5 3.5 7 0.2576 0.18321 DW76 2 2 4 0.1472 0.17022 DW76 0 0 0.16023 DW76 0 0 0.18724 DW76 0 0 0.18725 DW76 0 0 0.17026 DW76 0 0 0.16327 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.17028 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.18029 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.16330 DW76 12 12 0.4416 0.167

Total 127 4.6736 0 5.8

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017DripTapeAc/InApplied 40.92 37.56 42.84 45.00 41.76 40.80 42.72 38.68

ControlFieldAc/InApplied 60.00 57.00 60.00 57.00 57.00 50.40

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

55.0

60.0

65.0

AC/IN

.OFWATER

APP

LIED

Dripvs.FloodWaterApplied

4th yearofdroughtconditions.

§ Averagewaterapplied(flood)– 57.1”§ Averagewaterapplied(SDI)– 41.3”§ Averagewaterapplied(diff)– 15.8”27.7%

YearlyRainfall

5.2 6.2

1.47

4.41

0.48

4.5 4.09 3.48

8.739.17

5.19

2.48

3.8

2.03

8.59

6.74

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17

Spring

Fall

13.93 15.37 6.66 6.89 4.28 6.53 12.68 10.22

CutScheduleandYield/Quality• CutSchedule– Goalis50-60%oftotalproductioncutforHighQuality– 7-8cuttingsperyear– CutDayRange24-35days– SampleCutdays

– 1st – Chopped(Apr.1st)– 2nd – 33days(MC)– 3rd – 27days(MC)– 4th – 35days(DC)– 5th – 35days(DC)– 6th – 24days(MC)– 7th – 30days(MC)– 8th – 35days(chopped)

CutScheduleandYield/Quality

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017DripTapeTon/Acre 12.13 12.33 11.66 10.14 10.58 10.90 9.96 9.77

ControlFieldTon/Acre 9.42 9.68 9.27 8.31 7.69 7.07

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

9.0

9.5

10.0

10.5

11.0

11.5

12.0

12.5

13.0Tons/Acre

DripTapevs.FloodIrrigation

CutScheduleandYield/Quality

• Yield/Quality– Yield• Increasingyieldgapovertime

– %increaseinyear4=26%– %increaseinyear6=32%

• YieldSpikefromyear4-6dueto:– Changeincutscheduletowardmanagingforstandlongevity– Supplementingcommercialfertilizerasmineralizationstartedtodecline.

CutScheduleandYield/Quality

• Yield/Quality– Quality

• ThereisasharperdecliningcorrelationinqualityforSDIalfalfafieldsduetomeetingEtandfertilitydemandsmoreeasily.

• Somestrategieshavehelpedwiththisproblem– Turningwateroffearlierbeforecuttingtoslightlyinducestress– Fertilizingaheadoflongerdaycuttingsinsteadofduringqualitycuttings

SDITwinRowCornPlanting40”

12”

7-8”

28”

- HigherPlantPopulation- HigherProduction- BetterQuality- LessCompetition- ClosertoDripTape

WhatI’veLearnedFromImplementingDripIrrigationOnMyFarm

NateRay,DeJagerFarms