News Articles
- Investigating water management techniques
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Watermelon crops annually contribute more than $160 million to the Texas economy. However, not onlyis the popular summer treat a major source of agricultural revenue for Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley, it is also an excellent source of nutrition, providing vitamins A, C, and B6, phytochemicals such as lycopene, and thiamine. In order to help melon growers sustain profitable, nutritious crops in the face of drought and root diseases, Dr. John Jifon, an associate professor of plant stress physiology at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco, is investigating how on-farm water management strategies can improve the efficiency of applied irrigation water used by melon crops.
- Effect of cover crops
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Sustainable cultural practices in the arid southwest are crucial in order to ensure the Rio Grande’s limited water resources. The use of killed cover crops as a pre-plant practice may be one way to moderate water use in spring-sown onion (Allium cepa) production.
- From field to fuel
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Throughout the country producers are interested in diversifying cropping systems to include oilseed crops for bio-fuel production. In water scarce regions, one leading consideration in oilseed production is the consumptive water use requirement. Dr. Manny Encinas, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service beef cattle specialist at the Corona Agricultural Research Center, is attempting to help answer related questions through a Rio Grande Basin Initiative (RGBI) project addressing Camelina production for oilseed.
- Determining the cost
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A team of agricultural economists from Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas AgriLife Research have been making innovative advancements in the water world through the Rio Grande Basin Initiative for the past eight years.
