2006-07 Deliverables
Task 4 Research
Principal Investigator(s): Bob Wiedenfeld
We mutually agree for Bob Wiedenfeld to deliver the following during the period of July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, using funds from the Rio Grande Basin Initiative:
- Continue evaluation of sugarcane water-use and development of crop coefficients for use with reference evapotranspiration in the Rio Grande Valley using capacitance probes to continuously monitor soil moisture content throughout the soil profile under sugarcane (Cooperators - Giovanni Piccinni, John Jifon, Juan Enciso).
- Continue a replicated field study to evaluate burned versus green harvested sugarcane on soil moisture use and availability, soil properties and crop responses.
- Submit for publication a manuscript on a completed study on sugarcane growth at different irrigation and N application levels.
- Continue a replicated field study to compare crop water-use for conventional versus several conservation tillage systems in the subtropical Rio Grande Valley. Production practices for these systems are also being developed and evaluated. Spring crops consist of a cotton/grain sorghum rotation. Fall crops include a row crop (corn following cotton, soybean following sorghum), a cover crop (oats following cotton, vetch following sorghum), or fallow. This is anticipated to be a long term tillage study. (Cooperators - John Matocha, Frank Hons)
- Continue work in cooperation with Tom Gerik to adapt and calibrate the CroPMan model for sugarcane production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
- Continue studies to compare crop water-use by different cool-season vegetable crops under drip and flood irrigation in cooperation with Drs. John Jifon and Juan Enciso.
- Develop and conduct evaluations of crop water-use based on soil moisture monitoring, in cooperation with Drs. Juan Enciso and Shad Nelson.