Objectives:

1. Develop methods and techniques for design, operation, and management of irrigation systems in southeastern Missouri.
2. Develop and evaluate the benefits and limitations of site-specific management (precision irrigation) technologies for irrigated agriculture.
3. Evaluate the impact of soil compaction on irrigation and possible changes in management to reduce the effects of compaction.

The irrigation research program at the Delta Center is part of the USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit located at Columbia, Missouri. It began in 2000 with cooperative research between ARS scientists at Columbia and Delta Center faculty. By 2003 the program had expanded enough to support additional faculty at Portageville. Earl Vories was hired as Lead Scientist in 2004 and Ray Benson as Agricultural Science Research Technician in 2005.

Current studies in southeast Missouri address soil compaction effects on irrigation management, using sensors for nitrogen management of irrigated corn and cotton, and determination of optimal seeding rates for rainfed and irrigated cotton. In addition to conducting studies at the Delta Center and with cooperators on nearby farms, the program includes cooperative studies with researchers at other locations addressing problems pertinent to southeast Missouri agriculture. For example, cooperative research with scientists from the University of Arkansas, Mississippi State University, and USDA-ARS deals with rice irrigation and impacts on water quality. With rice becoming increasingly important in southeast Missouri, this information will be quite valuable to producers in the region.

The project's objectives and research plans are currently being updated in conjunction with related programs around the country. In 2005, scientists and stakeholders met in Denver, Colorado to initiate the process. In addition to the input from stakeholders who attended the Denver meeting, information was gathered from southeastern Missouri producers and agricultural leaders to ensure that the major irrigation-related problems in the region are recognized and that appropriate strategies are developed to address them. A new five-year research plan has been developed and is currently being reviewed by other scientists as part of ARS's Congressional Mandate for peer review with the Office of Scientific Quality Review.

2006 Field Day Report