2009-10 Deliverables
Task 4 Research
Principal Investigator(s): Shad Nelson
We mutually agree for Shad Nelson to deliver the following during the period of July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, using funds from the Rio Grande Basin Initiative:
- Initiate a new Water Savings Project at a citrus field site located at the TAMUK Citrus Center in Weslaco, Texas to evaluate the potential amount of water that can be saved using a surge flow device that irrigates narrow-border flooded citrus rows and polypipe.
- Finalize border-flood irrigation timing experiments that evaluate systemic pesticides (Temik and Admire-Pro) and prepare these for publication. One study performed in Monte Alto, Texas and another in Weslaco, Texas.
- Continue a new multi-year research field site located in Monte Alto, Texas (Rio Farms’ land donated to TAMUK Citrus Center). Citrus Center has dedicated $40,000 infrastructure to carry out experiments comparing drip, microjet and narrow-border flood irrigation on six-year-old orange and grapefruit trees. Additional funding support is needed to evaluate irrigation impacts and determine more accurate water savings for young citrus as they come into full production years. Work in collaboration with TAMUK Citrus Entomologist Dr. Mamoudou Setamou and Texas AgriLife Irrigation Engineer Dr. Juan Enciso.
- Present research at a professional conference demonstrating irrigaiton timing impacts on aldicarb (Temik) movements in soils and its influence on citrus pest control. Targeted meeting will be the November 2009 American Society of Agronomy meetings to be held in Pittsburg, PA.
- Acquire second year funding for graduate student, Raul Ray Hinojosa, who is currently working for Dr. Nelson on items 2 and 3 listed above and assist in retrieving other necessary water savings data.
- Evaluate offsite pesticide movement in non-tile drained and tile-drained sugarcane fields in collaboration with Dr. Juan Enciso in response to furrow-flood irrigation and possible degradation to the Arroyo Colorado.