Project Plan

Irrigation nutrients for forages     

In the News

Production Systems Priority Area Accomplishments for 2011   Annual accomplishment statements for this priority in 2011 are reported herein.   

Production Systems Priority Area Accomplishments for 2010   Annual accomplishment statements for this priority area in 2010 are reported herein.   

ARS Newsmakers for January 29 2010 features OAP scientist     

Production Systems Area Accomplishments for 2009   Annual accomplishment statements of this priority area are reported herein.  

Production Systems Area Accomplishments for 2008   Annual accomplishment statements of this priority area are reported herein.  

Final Reports

Perennial grasses for the Texas South Plains   Alamo switchgrass yielded most among 13 grasses, then WWB Dahl and Caucasian old world bluestem. Low irrigation (4.3 inches annually) yielded 15 to 75% above dryland, but 8.7 inches of irrigation per year had minimal impact on further increases.  

Quantifying impacts of limited irrigation on soil carbon sequestration in no-till systems   Application of irrigation water increased soil organic carbon (C) concentration in the top 4 inches of soil at Garden City, KS, but not at Tribune, KS. Irrigation had, however, no effects on soil C fluxes in the short term.   

Growing forage sorghum during fallow of WSF rotation for increased cropping intensity   Wheat-Sorghum-Fallow (WSF) rotation stores fallow precipitation as soil water to increase yield, but precipitation was crucial to establishment and growth of dryland forage planted during fallow to intensify the WSF rotation by using spring runoff.  

Perennial Grasses for the Texas South Plains: Species Productivity and Irrigation Response   Alamo switchgrass yielded most among 13 grasses, then WWB Dahl and Caucasian old world bluestem. Low irrigation (4.3 inches annually) yielded 15 to 75% above dryland, but 8.7 inches of irrigation per year had minimal impact on further increases in forage yields.  

Quantifying the Impacts of Limited Irrigation on Soil Carbon Sequestration in No-Till Farming Systems   Application of irrigation water increased soil organic carbon concentrations in the top 4 inches of soil at Garden City, KS but not at the Tribune, KS, indicating that impacts depend on irrigation strategies. Irrigation had no effects on greenhouse gas emissions in the short term.