Impact of Wide Drop Spacing and Sprinkler Height For Corn Production
Impact of Wide Drop Spacing and Sprinkler Height For Corn Production
Impact of Wide Drop Spacing and Sprinkler Height For Corn Production
C. Dean Yonts
Panhandle Research and Extension Center University of Nebraska Scottsbluff, NE 69361 308-632-1246 [email protected]
Freddie Lamm
Northwest Research-Extension Center Kansas State University Colby, KS 67701-1697
Bill Kranz
Northeast Research and Extension Center University of Nebraska Norfolk, NE 68701
Jose Payero
West Central Research and Extension Center University of Nebraska North Platte, NE 69101
Derrel Martin
Biological Systems Engineering Department University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68583
Introduction
Using center pivot sprinkler nozzles below the top of the corn crop canopy presents unique design and management considerations. Distortion of the sprinkler pattern can be large and the resultant corn yield can be reduced. In many areas, water available for irrigation is being limited due to reduced supply of both ground and surface water. During periods of drought, uniformity problems associated with center pivot irrigation become quite visible. Many times water stress on the crop is not evident until late in the season when the crop has nearly matured. In many cases aerial observations of fields have revealed concentric rings that corresponded to sprinkler spacing (Figures 1a - b). Figure 1a. Height reduction in corn caused by drops spaced too wide.
Figure 1b Concentric rings in corn field caused by having drops spaced too wide. 99
The impact of sprinkler spacing on water distribution and corn yield was the focus of University of Nebraska and Kansas State research studies. Researchers conducted field experiments along with on-farm evaluations to gain a better understanding of operating sprinkler devices within the corn canopy. The results from these experiments will be discussed.
Figure 2. Changes in water content following irrigation with sprinkler nozzles located in a corn canopy.
Mention of trade name is for information only and does not imply endorsement 100
Figure 3. Row-to-row variation in corn yields as affected by sprinkler height in a study with a nozzle spacing too wide (10 ft) for in-canopy irrigation, Colby, Kansas. Data averaged across 4 different irrigation levels. Note: The average yield for a particular height treatment would be obtained by averaging the two row yields. 101
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Figure 4a. Corn yield and soil water content for sprinkler devices spaced 9 ft apart at 7 ft height.
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Figure 4b. Corn yield and soil water content for sprinkler devices spaced 18 ft apart at 7 ft height. 103
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Figure 5a. Corn yield and soil water content for sprinkler devices spaced 9 ft. apart at 7 ft height.
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Figure 5b. Corn yield and soil water content for sprinkler devices spaced 18 ft. apart at 7 ft height. 104
Effect of sprinkler height and type on corn production Another study conducted from 1994-95 at the KSU Northwest ResearchExtension Center examined corn production as affected by sprinkler height and type and irrigation capacity. Spray nozzles on the span (14 ft), spray nozzles below the truss rods (7 ft) and low energy precision application (LEPA) nozzles (2 ft) were compared under irrigation capacities limited to 1 inch every 4, 6, 8 or 10 days. Corn yields averaged 201, 180, 164, and 140 bu/a for irrigation capacities of 1 inch every 4, 6, 8, or 10 days, respectively. No statistically significant differences in corn yields, or water use efficiency were related to the sprinkler package used for irrigation. There was a trend for the (LEPA) package to perform better than spray nozzles at limited irrigation capacities and worse than the spray nozzles at the higher irrigation capacities (Figure 6).
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KSU-NWREC, 1994-95.
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Spray nozzles on span (14 ft) Spray nozzles below truss rods (7 ft) LEPA Bubble Mode (2 ft)
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Irrigation (inches)
Figure 6. Corn grain yields as affected by sprinkler height and type at four different irrigation levels, KSU Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby, Kansas, 1994-1995. The first observation is supported by research from other locations, which shows that LEPA can help decrease evaporative water losses and thus increase irrigation efficiency. The second observation indicates that LEPA may not be suited for higher capacity systems on northwest Kansas soils, even if runoff is controlled as it was in this study. It should be noted that this study followed the true definition of LEPA with water applied in bubble mode to every other row. 105
The term LEPA is often misused to describe in-canopy spray nozzle application. The reason that LEPA is not performing well at the higher irrigation capacities may be puddling of the surface soils, leading to poor aeration conditions. However, this has not been verified. In 1995 with a very dry late summer, LEPA performed better than the other nozzle orientations at the lower capacities and performed equal to the other orientations at the higher capacities. Averaged over the two years, the trend continued of LEPA performing better at the lower irrigation capacities. Overall, spray nozzles just below the truss rods performed best at the highest two capacities, but LEPA performed best when irrigation was extremely limited.
Conclusions
As the cost of pumping increases and water supplies become more restricted, irrigation schedules that more closely match water application to water use will exaggerate the nonuniform application of water due to sprinkler spacing and incanopy operation of sprinkler devices with similar results to what we have shown here. It has been a common practice for several years to operate drop spray nozzles just below the center pivot truss rods. This results in the sprinkler pattern being distorted after corn tasseling. This generally has had relatively little negative effects on crop yields. The reasons are that there is a fair amount of pattern penetration around the tassels and because the distortion only occurs during the last 30-40 days of growth. In essence, the irrigation season ends before severe deficits occur. Compare this situation with sprinklers operated within the corn canopy that may experience pattern distortion for more than 60 days of the irrigation season. Assuming a 50% distortion for sprinklers beginning 30 days earlier, it would result in irrigation for some rows being approximately 40% less than the needed amount. These experiments have shown that significant yield reductions do occur because of the extended duration and severity of water stress.
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