Daily water
usage for most ag and hort crops is at its full potential
these days (0.15 to 0.3 inches per day depending on temperature
and cloud cover). This will continue for at least the next
2 to 4 weeks. Keeping track of daily crop water usage (ET)
for the past 2 to 5 days can greatly assist an irrigation
manager in deciding when to startup the next irrigation.
For crops
in full seed/produce development, its generally best to start
irrigating when the soil water in the rooting zone has depleted
no more than 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water depending on the
crop’s rooting depth and the water holding capacity
of the soil.
Daily crop
ET potential estimations for the past days at different locations
across the state can be easily viewed via a color-coded map
available on the Internet at: http://www.soils.wisc.edu/wimnext/
These daily
ET estimates for a site-specific location on the Minnesota
map can be directly sent via email every morning at no cost
if one places a request via the contact address listed on
above web site. Daily ET information for certain locations
in Minnesota may also be obtained from the following local
offices:
- East
Otter Tail SWCD office @ Perham 1-218-346-4260 ext 123
- Hubbard
SWCD office @ Park Rapids 1-218 -732-1963
- Sherburne
SWCD office @ Big Lake web site http://www.sherburneswcd.org/ or
call 1-763-241-1170 ext 3
- U of
M - West Central ROC @ Morris 1- 320 - 589-1711
Regular
in-field soil moisture checking and keeping track of a crop’s
daily ET use can go a long ways in helping an operator optimize
the crop’s growth while reducing the potential for
leaching of some crop inputs like nitrogen into the groundwater.
Information
on how to use daily crop ET information is reviewed in University
of Minnesota Extension Service’s Irrigation Scheduling
bulletin #1322 that is fully viewable at http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC1322.html.
Other information can be obtained from Jerry Wright, Extension
Engineer, via email at jwright@.umn.edu or
by calling at the West Central Research and Outreach Center
in Morris, MN at (320) 589-1711.
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