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

WhatIveLearnedFromImplementingDripIrrigationOnMyFarm

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 Dontjustirrigate,needto

irrigateeffectively

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) 15.827.7%

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

WhatIveLearnedFromImplementingDripIrrigationOnMyFarm

NateRay,DeJagerFarms